Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 183

Fortunately, Yu Jiao was present. She smiled and said to Madam Mu, “Second Master Mu has been incredibly thoughtful. We’ve truly imposed upon you this time.”

“Don’t say such polite things,” Madam Mu replied with a smile. “You came all the way from Changkui, if anything, we’re the ones troubling you. You two sisters should rest after your meal. I’ll come by again tomorrow.”

Yu Jiao and Yu Fuling walked Madam Mu to the door. Shortly after, a maid came in with tea and snacks. “Miss Meng, dinner will be a while longer. These pastries just came from the kitchen, please have some to tide you over.”

Yu Jiao thanked her and said, “You needn’t stay and attend to us. Go do what you need to.”

The two maids acknowledged her instructions and left the room.

Finally relaxing, Yu Fuling picked up her teacup and gulped it down, flopping into a chair. “I can finally breathe. I almost suffocated from holding it in.”

Yu Jiao was tidying up their luggage and laughed. “Who was the one who insisted on coming along?”

Yu Fuling leaned in to help fold the clothes and whispered, “This Mu household is so grand. Even the maids have the air of noble ladies. I don’t even know how to stand properly on their floors. Aren’t you nervous at all?”

“There’s nothing to be nervous about. We were invited here to treat an illness, not to depend on their charity. No need to put pressure on yourself.” Yu Jiao understood Yu Fuling’s discomfort. 

In her past life, she had grown used to grand households. Those who invited her grandfather for treatment were always people of high status. Having grown up at her grandfather’s side, she had seen it all and wasn’t fazed by it. In truth, the Mu family was still a far cry from the truly elite households.

Yu Fuling snuggled up next to her and said, “It’s really good to come out and see the world with you. I need to learn from you. If one day I could stand before Madam Mu without feeling overwhelmed like you do, that would be amazing.”

Yu Jiao picked up a pastry from the table and took a bite, laughing, “You don’t need to try. The more you see, the more you’ll get used to it.”

Yu Fuling stuffed a pastry in her mouth and, while chewing, mumbled, “It’s not like I’ll get another chance. This is probably the grandest place I’ll ever set foot in.”

Yu Jiao chuckled softly. “You never know. Maybe one day we’ll even be treating someone in the imperial palace!”

“You’re too bold to even imagine that,” Yu Fuling replied, not daring to entertain such a thought. “The imperial palace isn’t somewhere people like us could ever go.”

They chatted over tea and pastries until the sky darkened. A maid brought in their dinner, an entire table’s worth, quite the feast. The delicious aroma made their mouths water.

The two maids assigned by Madam Mu tried to stand by and serve the dishes, but Yu Jiao gently declined, saying they preferred to dine alone. The maids, sensing the sisters didn’t like being waited on, bowed politely and left.

Though the meal was lavish, the two women couldn’t eat much. Most of the dishes remained untouched. Yu Fuling managed to eat two bowls of rice before declaring herself completely stuffed and putting down her chopsticks.

Only after they finished eating did the maids return to clear the table.

As the leftovers were being carried away, Yu Fuling leaned over and whispered to Yu Jiao, “They’re not going to throw all that away, are they? That would be such a waste.”

Yu Jiao didn’t respond. They came from different backgrounds, had different resources. If Yu Fuling had grown up in a household like this, she wouldn’t think twice about leftover food being discarded.

Just then, another maid came in and said, “Your brothers are staying at Yingfeng Courtyard. If you’d like to visit them, Madam Mu instructed me to lead the way.”

Yu Fuling was tempted. The vast, unfamiliar Mu residence made her uneasy, she wanted to chat with her younger brother to feel more grounded.

But Yu Jiao glanced outside and saw that night had fully fallen. “Let’s wait until tomorrow. After traveling so far, Wu-ge and the others are likely exhausted too. Best to let them rest early.”

Hearing this, Yu Fuling nodded.

“Would you like to freshen up for the night?” The maid asked.

Yu Jiao agreed, and the maid left. Soon after, a young servant boy brought in a wooden bathtub and buckets of hot water.

After bathing, the two sisters settled into bed.

Yu Fuling wasn’t very sleepy, she was still excited from everything they’d seen since arriving in Qingzhou. She kept chattering to Yu Jiao, who responded here and there while her mind drifted back to the visions she’d seen earlier on the carriage ride.

Her slender fingers clenched tightly under the blanket. Despite being reborn, she hadn’t drunk from the River of Forgetfulness or lost her memories, there was no escaping her past.

Yu Fuling kept talking to herself until she realized Yu Jiao wasn’t answering. Sitting up, she found her sister lying on her side, eyes closed, already asleep.

Yu Fuling smiled, realizing she’d been too talkative again. She leaned over, gently blew out the candle on the bedside table, and lay back down, drifting off shortly after.

Yu Jiao was woken by the sound of rain. Morning had fully broken outside. She got out of bed and opened the sliding panels. The small courtyard was blanketed in misty rain. The crabapple tree in the center swayed in the wind, and the air was filled with the earthy scent of rain-drenched soil and foliage.

There was a knock at the door. “Miss Meng, are you awake?” The voice of a maid came from outside.

Yu Jiao threw on an outer robe and opened the door. A cool breeze swept in as the maid, carrying a copper basin, quickly said, “Miss Meng, please go back inside, you’ll catch a chill.”

Yu Fuling, now awake from the noise, rustled around behind the screen, got dressed, and came out.

“Please wash up first, ladies. I’ll ask the kitchen to bring your breakfast,” the maid said as she set the copper basin on the washing stand and then left with an umbrella through the corridor.

Not long after, she returned with a food box containing their breakfast. Yu Jiao and Yu Fuling finished their meal, by which time the rain outside had eased a little.

Yu Jiao leaned back on the soft couch by the window and began reading. She had taken a miscellaneous book from Yu Qizhe’s room before they left, intending to read it during the journey, and now it helped pass the time.

Yu Fuling, bored out of her mind, sprawled on the couch munching on some pancakes and said, “Let’s go find little brother. I’m going stir-crazy in here with nothing to do.”

Yu Jiao closed her book and told the maid they wanted to visit Yingfeng Courtyard. The maid brought an umbrella and led them there.

As they walked, they passed through a bamboo grove. Yu Jiao noticed that Yingfeng Courtyard was rather secluded, likely because Yu Qizhe and the others were men, and the Mu family wanted to avoid them disturbing the female members of the household.

A few young male servants were tending to the courtyard. The maid stepped forward and said, “This is Miss Meng, younger sister to the young masters staying here.”

The young servants quickly bowed and invited them in.

Once under the covered walkway, the maid put away the umbrella, and the young servant led them toward Yu Jinshu’s room. “The young masters finished breakfast and are now in their rooms studying. Second Young Master Yu is in the room to the left. To the right, in order, are Third, Fourth, and Fifth Young Masters.”

Hearing movement outside his door, Yu Jinshu opened it and saw the two girls. “What are you doing here?” He asked.