Chapter 4: A Master No One Acknowledged

Penniless Wei Lan still had no idea that Lu Zijin had already written her off, and she stepped out the door in rather high spirits.

Outside, Yun Xiang saw Wei Lan come out and sneered, “So uncultured, honestly, even a few hairpins and you still had to beg my lady for them.”

Wei Lan turned her gaze toward her.

She hadn’t intended to bother with these people, but this maid had clearly targeted her more than once.

Wei Lan shot back, “You’re a maid of this residence, aren’t you?

I am the Head of the Household here.

Even if my relationship with your lady isn’t close, I’m still one of the masters of this house.

You’re a servant, yet you keep provoking me again and again.

What, do I have some grudge against you?

Or is it you who runs the Lu residence, that even I, the Head of the Household, have to watch your mood to survive?”

“What kind of Head of the Household are you?

Why don’t you look in a mirror?

Do you really think our lady would ever fancy trash like you?”

Yun Xiang was Lu Zijin’s personal maid, someone widely fawned over in the residence.

Lu Zijin usually treated the three senior maids at her side extremely well, calling them maids but treating them more like sisters, and over time, Yun Xiang’s temper had grown correspondingly arrogant.

It was at this moment that Lu Zijin frowned and pushed the door open, stepping outside.

Wei Lan looked toward Lu Zijin and said with a mocking tone, “Madam, the servants in your household are truly impressive.

In the future, will I have to live here while reading their expressions every day?”

“What are you, daring to speak to our lady like that?”

Yun Xiang was still defiant.

She wasn’t afraid of Wei Lan at all, just a live-in spouse, after all.

“Yun Xiang, who gave you the right to speak to the Head of the Household like that?”

Lu Zijin’s expression turned cold.

“Miss, but you don’t even like her—” Yun Xiang tried to defend herself, only to be cut off by Lu Zijin.

“Whether I like her or not, she is still the Head of the Lu household.

The dignity she is due, I will not withhold a bit.

As for you, have I been too lenient with the few of you lately, to the point that you’ve forgotten who the real master of this house is?”

Seeing Lu Zijin truly angry, Yun Xiang hurriedly knelt down.

“I’m sorry, Miss.

Yun Xiang was wrong.

I was only too concerned for you and lost my sense of propriety.

Please punish me.”

“You should apologize to the Head of the Household,” Lu Zijin said coldly.

Since she and Wei Lan were already married, the surface proprieties still had to be upheld.

As long as Wei Lan behaved herself, Lu Zijin had no intention of being overly harsh.

“Please forgive me, Head of the Household.

Yun Xiang won’t dare do it again.”

Though she said so, her teeth were clenched tight, wishing she could tear Wei Lan apart on the spot.

After all, in front of so many maids and servants, she had completely lost face.

“Hopefully,” Wei Lan replied indifferently.

“With that teeth-gritting look of yours, anyone who didn’t know better might think you wanted to kill me.”

Wei Lan had no interest in the scheming of the inner household, nor in Lu Zijin herself, but that didn’t mean she was someone others could casually trample on.

After speaking, Wei Lan ignored Yun Xiang’s expression and followed Qing Zhi straight toward the rear courtyards.

Though the sky had darkened by then, servants carrying lanterns led the way, so it wasn’t truly dark.

Wei Lan followed behind Qing Zhi for quite a while, and the farther they walked, the more she realized just how far her destination was from Jingchen Courtyard.

The group walked for nearly half an hour, passing through the Lu residence’s rear garden, before finally arriving at a place called Fuqu Pavilion.

Wei Lan shook her head with a soft laugh.

Lu Zijin truly didn’t want to see her at all.

This distance felt like being exiled to the frontier.

Still, it suited her just fine.

She didn’t want to be too close to Lu Zijin either.

Keeping this much distance was perfect, and it would give her plenty of time to carve jade.

Qing Zhi was nothing like Yun Xiang.

She was very courteous to Wei Lan and quietly observed her expression.

Ordinarily, if someone were brought to such a remote courtyard, they would probably explode on the spot.

Yet this Head of the Household seemed completely unconcerned.

She even seemed… satisfied with the place?

“Is this it?”

Wei Lan asked.

“Yes, this is the place,” Qing Zhi replied promptly.

As she spoke, she casually instructed a servant to call everyone out.

Soon, four male servants, six maids, two cooks, and two steward matrons gathered in the courtyard.

Qing Zhi looked at them and said, “This is the Head of the Household.

From now on, all of you will attend to her daily needs.”

“Greetings, Head of the Household.”

The servants hurriedly bowed, though Wei Lan felt their respect was less for her and more for Qing Zhi.

“Get up.

It’s late, and I’d like to bathe and sleep early,” Wei Lan said.

Steward Li glanced at the servants behind her and quickly said, “Didn’t you hear the Head of the Household wants to bathe?

Hurry and heat the water.”

“Yes, Steward Li.”

The four servants rushed toward the small kitchen in the courtyard.

Wei Lan looked at Steward Li.

She appeared to be in her forties, and everyone in the courtyard seemed to listen to her.

Wei Lan nodded and asked, “Where is my bedchamber?

I’ll go rest first.”

Qing Zhi bowed to Wei Lan and said, “If the Head of the Household needs anything, you may send a servant or maid to find me, and I’ll arrange it for you.”

“Alright, thank you for your trouble.”

Qing Zhi was polite and not flashy like Yun Xiang.

Wei Lan felt she was quite a decent person.

Led by several maids, Wei Lan arrived at her room.

It naturally couldn’t compare to the wedding chamber from before, but the furnishings were elegant, and the room was clean.

Steward Li and another round-faced matron, Steward Zhao, followed her inside.

Steward Li looked at Wei Lan and said, “The Head of the Household must be tired today.

Please rest first.

If there’s anything you need, just send word to us.”

“Alright.

You may go,” Wei Lan said, nodding.

After Li Zhufeng and Zhao Linghui left the room, they immediately began whispering among themselves.

“The Miss clearly doesn’t value the Head of the Household, otherwise she wouldn’t have been sent to Fuqu Pavilion.

It’s so far from the Miss’s courtyard, even walking takes ages.

Sigh, it’s us who suffer, being assigned to serve her.

There’s not even any benefit to squeeze out of it,” Li Zhufeng said, glaring disdainfully toward Wei Lan’s room.

“Exactly.

The Miss and the young master cousin grew up together.

I think sooner or later she’ll divorce her and marry the cousin instead,” Zhao Linghui chimed in.

“Hah, I say we don’t need to take her too seriously.

She’s just an unfavored Qianyuan anyway, won’t stir up much trouble.

Better to grind her down properly now.

When the cousin becomes the master of the house, we can earn some favor from him,” Li Zhufeng continued.

“I think so too,” Zhao Linghui agreed.

Wei Lan had no idea what they were saying.

Soon, servants carried the heated water in and poured it into the wooden tub, adjusting the temperature.

Wei Lan dismissed them and undressed herself, stepping into the tub to bathe.

The water temperature was just right, and she soaked comfortably, washing her hair as well.

After she finished bathing, servants came in to dispose of the used water.

Wei Lan dried her hair and climbed into bed.

Arriving in this world had been so sudden that it still felt unreal to her.

She thought that perhaps it was because she had no jade or tools nearby.

Tomorrow, she would need to go out and buy some raw jade and carving tools.

Oh right, she had forgotten to ask Lu Zijin something earlier.

Did she get a monthly stipend?

After all, buying raw stones required silver too.

With those thoughts, Wei Lan fell asleep.

She slept straight through until chen hour before waking.

She changed into a light blue dress and simply arranged her hair into a bun.

Her jewelry box contained hairpins of all kinds, but Wei Lan disliked wearing too many.

She chose only a single green jade hairpin to secure her bun and wore nothing else.

When Wei Lan opened the door, a maid was already waiting outside with washing supplies.

After washing up and eating breakfast, Wei Lan took two maids with her and headed for Jingchen Courtyard.

After Wei Lan left, Steward Li spoke in the courtyard, “Tch, Head of the Household my foot.

The Miss didn’t even stay with her on the wedding night.

I say it won’t be long before she’s kicked out of the Lu residence.”

Zhao Linghui looked at the remaining servants and maids and said, “I advise you not to be too attentive to her either.

She’s unfavored anyway.

The Head of the Household of this residence will be replaced sooner or later.”

The servants didn’t dare respond, but their thoughts inevitably began to shift.

Both matrons had been in the residence for decades, sharp as foxes.

Since they spoke this way, the new Head of the Household clearly wasn’t worth much.

Meanwhile, Wei Lan had already led the two maids toward Jingchen Courtyard.

Along the way, she had them guide her around the residence, so that she wouldn’t get lost wandering alone in the future.

They walked for quite a while before finally reaching Jingchen Courtyard.

The distance really was considerable.

When Wei Lan entered with her entourage, Yun Xiang was inside the courtyard, directing a group of maids and servants in cleaning.

Seeing Wei Lan, a mocking smile appeared on Yun Xiang’s face.

This person had just caused her to lose face the night before, and now she dared to show up again first thing in the morning.

But when Yun Xiang thought of her lady’s attitude, she smiled again.

The Miss clearly didn’t want to see her.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have arranged for Wei Lan to live so far away.

Wei Lan’s place was practically at the back gate of the Lu residence.

“Oh my, the Head of the Household is here?

What brings you?”

Yun Xiang asked with a deliberately sarcastic tone.

Wei Lan glanced at her and said, “I have business with Madam.”

Yun Xiang stepped closer and lowered her voice.

“The Head of the Household really has thick skin.

The Miss had you live so far away because she clearly doesn’t want to see you, yet here you are, coming first thing in the morning to look for her.”

“Didn’t you kneel enough last night?”

Wei Lan said coldly.

That nearly made Yun Xiang explode.

“You—don’t think you’re really the master of the Lu residence.

Go ask around.

How many servants actually acknowledge you as their master?”

“Head of the Household?”

Qing Zhi came out from a nearby room.

Seeing Wei Lan, she bowed before asking, “Is there something you need?”

Wei Lan nodded.

“I need to see Madam.”

“Please come in and rest first.

You, hurry and prepare tea.

I’ll go report to the Miss,” Qing Zhi said, ushering Wei Lan toward the front hall while preparing to find Lu Zijin.

Seeing how attentive Qing Zhi was, Yun Xiang sneered, “Why are you sucking up to her?

Everyone knows this Head of the Household is just a decoration and won’t last long.”

Qing Zhi looked at Yun Xiang and said calmly, “As long as the Head of the Household remains in this residence for a single day, she is still one of its masters.

Yun Xiang, you’d best recognize your own position properly, lest you anger the Miss again.”

“You—fine, Qing Zhi.

I’d like to see what benefits you’ll get from treating her so well,” Yun Xiang said, glaring at Qing Zhi.