The Daily Life of a Concubine's Daughter After Transmigrating

Li Baoqin's hand trembled, and she remembered Li Anqi saying that she was mean, and she felt inexplicably guilty.

"Then what do you think we should do?!"

“In my opinion, it would be better to leave it to the old lady to handle,” Li Anqi said.

Seeing that Li Baoqin seemed hesitant, Cuihong hurriedly stepped forward and whispered in Li Baoqin's ear, "Miss, this matter must not be left to the old lady to handle!"

Li Baoqin's expression was somewhat unpleasant.

It really is Cuihong.

"Fine, I'll let you off this time!"

Li Baoqin maintained her composure, shook off the twig in her hand, and quickly left.

"Alright, everyone get back to work!"

Zhilan dispersed the gossipy old women and maids who were gathered in the courtyard.

Qiu Yue knelt before Li Anqi, tears of gratitude streaming down her face.

"Thank you, Second Miss, for saving my mother! Qiuyue hereby swears that I will follow you by your side for the rest of my life, loyal and devoted, and I will never fail you!"

Gan Xiu also kowtowed and knelt down to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Second Miss! Thank you, Second Miss!"

Li Anqi and Liu Yun quickly helped the two up.

Li Anqi held Qiuyue's hand and wiped away the tears on her cheeks.

"I'll have Liuyun bring you some wound medicine later. Go and spend some time with your mother. I'll give you a few days off."

Qiu Yue's eyes welled up with tears again, and she was about to kneel down once more: "Thank you, Miss Xie!"

Li Anqi quickly grabbed her and patted her shoulder with a smile.

Early the next morning.

When Li Anqi greeted the old lady, the old lady learned of this matter again.

"I know you're a sensible person, and you certainly didn't disappoint me," the old lady said to Li Anqi.

Li Anqi smiled and nodded.

"But I never expected Qin'er to be like this... she wasn't always like this!" the old lady said regretfully.

"Perhaps my sister was too angry and said a few hurtful things," Li Anqi said.

"That would be far too improper."

The old lady looked at Li Anqi and continued.

“Our Jingguo Mansion has always been very considerate of its servants.”

"Unless they make some serious mistakes, they will be criticized and punished accordingly."

"The saying goes, 'Kill the chicken to scare the monkey.' When subordinates have a standard in their hearts, our big family will be orderly and less likely to cause trouble."

“The old lady is right,” Li Anqi nodded.

"We must never be like those small, insignificant families."

"Or a nouveau riche who becomes rich overnight."

"He frequently beats or scolds his servants, which is unbecoming of a great family."

The old lady patted Li Anqi's hand.

"An Qi understands."

After cleaning, the room looked brand new, spotless and clean, a refreshing sight.

At Jingguo Mansion, palace lanterns are hung high and hall flowers are frequently displayed; even before New Year's Eve, the atmosphere is already full of festive spirit.

Li Anqi thought.

Whether in ancient or modern times, wealthy families are generally like this: they live extravagantly and celebrate festivals more grandly than ordinary families.

Early on New Year's Eve, Li Anqi received New Year's gifts from her elders, which were nothing more than ordinary antiques and jewelry, just like in previous years, except for the old lady.

The old lady even gave her a pair of phoenix gold and jade bracelets this year.

According to Zhilan, this was the one that the old lady wore on her wedding day.

In the morning, the management office presented her with a small offering box.

The box contains red dates, chestnuts, dried persimmons, and peanuts, all of which symbolize good fortune.

An apple is placed in the center of the box, with a small gold-plated "ruyi" (a traditional Chinese ornament symbolizing good fortune) inserted on top.

The ruyi is engraved with the four characters "平安如意" (peace and good fortune), which means "peace and safety year after year".

Accompanying the stewards were servants who came to scatter the rubble.

The man carried a large bundle of sesame stalks, scattering them as he walked, so that people walking on them would hear a crunching sound, which was called "stepping on the year."

In the afternoon, the ancestral hall was used for worship, with incense burning and rituals performed. After worshipping the gods, the ancestors were worshipped.

Led by the old lady, the entire Jingguo Mansion, young and old, had to participate. Just kneeling and kowtowing was enough to exhaust people.

Li Baoqin massaged her legs and shoulders, complaining of hunger on an empty stomach. By the time the New Year's Eve ceremony was held, she was nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps because there were many people present, and everyone was kneeling with their heads down so their faces couldn't be seen, no one noticed that she had secretly slipped away.

Li Anqi put on the same kingfisher feather hairpin as her sisters and changed into new clothes.

The old lady, Li Miao, and Madam Zhao changed into their court robes and put on their jewelry before arriving at the main hall of the Jingguo Mansion.

The hall had been prepared in advance.

A throne was placed in front of the hall, with eight small square tables, four tall and four short, placed on the left and right sides. On the tables were incense burners, melons, and several plates of auspicious fruits and foods.

The floor of the hall was covered with a carpet, and an apricot-yellow cotton curtain hung on the door, with apricot-yellow velvet ropes tied at both ends, which could be rolled up and down freely.

Around 10 o'clock, the activities to bid farewell to the old year began.

The guests of the Jingguo Mansion's outer courtyard, dressed in uniform, gathered in the courtyard and lined up in shifts.

The old lady took her seat on the throne, with two servants standing on either side of the veranda, each holding a rope.

The curtain slowly rolled up, and servants inside laid out a "prayer cushion" in front of the throne.

Then, Li Miao, along with Madam Zhao, the concubines, Xiu Cai (two sons), and Qi Shu Hua (three daughters), bid farewell to the old lady and performed a grand ceremony.

"Sister, I'm so hungry~" Li Anshu muttered, her legs trembling as she gently tugged at Li Anqi's sleeve.

Li Anqi secretly helped her up and comforted her, saying, "It'll be over soon, hang in there a little longer, sweetie."

Two servants, holding mother-of-pearl inlaid boxes, knelt on either side of the throne. When they lifted the lid, colorful butterflies fluttered inside.

In an instant, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the fluttering of butterflies, the lights shone brightly, and the Jade Hall was filled with the warmth of spring.

"May our ancestors enjoy good fortune year after year, and may their descendants continue to thrive."

After the ceremony, the curtain was lowered, and the old lady asked Li Miao to lead everyone to their seats.

After the artificially bred butterflies were released, they fluttered around the lamps and perched on the flowers, and a few honey-loving butterflies also attracted the attention of the melons.

The servant immediately exclaimed, "May your descendants continue to thrive!"

As usual, the sound came from the courtyard outside the hall, followed by the ringing of bells and drums, and everyone offered their congratulations.

After the curtain was lowered and the ceremony concluded, the guests took their leave.

Next, we had our reunion dinner at the large table inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

The old lady took her seat, and the younger generation offered her Tusu wine in turn, then greeted her and took their seats.

"Where's the eldest daughter? I haven't seen her." The old lady asked the people at the table.

"I just saw him still there. He's probably not feeling well. He should go back and rest," Li Miao said, trying to smooth things over.

The old lady looked slightly displeased, but because it was a holiday, she didn't want to make a scene and didn't say anything more.

After the meal, the men and women went back to their respective houses.

Li Anqi removed the hair ornaments and phoenix hairpin from her head and fell asleep immediately.

Such a complicated and restrictive festival, although quite interesting, is really tiring, and she never wants to experience it again.

From the first to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, after lunch on these five days, close relatives and guests would come to pay their respects.

Most people would first go to the small ancestral hall to pay their respects, and then offer New Year's greetings to the old lady and Li Miao. The comings and goings were quite numerous.

Fortunately, Li Anqi was young and a woman, so she didn't have to participate in these things, which made things much easier for her.

Li Anxiu took on the responsibility of visiting relatives and friends outside the residence to offer New Year's greetings. He would make at least three to five trips a day to pay his respects and express his gratitude.

On the Lantern Festival, the old lady once again invited the women of the household and all the maids to Fushan Hall to watch the lanterns, admire the moon, watch the fireworks, and eat glutinous rice balls.

The courtyard was ablaze with lights, the interior adorned with flowers, the banquet hall was filled with the fragrance of fine clothes and the glow of lanterns on the corridors, all displaying a scene of extravagance and luxury.

Li Anqi felt as if he were in a dream, his thoughts wandering. Since New Year's Eve, he felt as if he were living in a dream, and everything seemed so unreal.

It felt as if I had been detached from the world.

Zhilan seemed to sense that Li Anqi had been in a bad mood these past few days, and tried to cheer her up, but to no avail.

She couldn't figure out why Li Anqi was unhappy, nor did she know how to comfort him.