Chapter 389 - 383_1
"Yes, young master, this servant will go and prepare immediately," said Axin, somewhat curious about what good news had made her master so happy. Suddenly realizing something, she understood; the master’s repeated invitations to Zhao Erhu and his wife to come to the Capital City were not only for business matters. He wanted to see Lin Yue, didn’t he? Only matters concerning Lin Yue could be so heart-consuming for the master. Sadly, Luo Fu already had a husband, and the master’s affection could only go to waste.
Understanding her master’s feelings, even though Lin Yue was a married woman, Axin still referred to her as Miss Lin Yue, for fear of upsetting the master. But on second thought, even if Miss Lin Yue were still unmarried, her status would still be unfit for the master. Even becoming a concubine would mean reaching too high, let alone becoming the lady of the Jiang Family. The Jiang Family would never agree to it, and moreover, Axin had come to understand the character of Miss Lin Yue somewhat. How could such a bright and talented woman be willing to lower herself to become a lowly concubine in the Jiang Family? So, perhaps it was for the best that things were as they were now.
The more Axin understood Lin Yue, the less she held the initial contempt and disdain she once had, and she had come to admire Lin Yue more, sometimes not entirely siding with Jiang Ziqi on some thoughts.
Jiang Ziqi’s order to clean up the Qiwu Courtyard also caused a stir and speculation within the Jiang Family. The Qiwu Courtyard was not only an exquisitely built compound but also held special significance; it wasn’t a place just anyone could stay in. It was meant for the future head lady of the Jiang Family, and thus this valuable courtyard had always been empty since Jiang Ziqi’s own mother had passed away.
Now, without a wife yet, even though there were several concubines in the compound, Jiang Ziqi rarely paid them much attention, treating them as mere ornaments. His sudden move was enough to spark everyone’s guesswork and curiosity.
Most people in the Jiang Family believed that whoever was to move into the house must be a distinguished guest, and most likely the future lady of the house. There were those who were resentful, those who were indifferent, and those gleefully preparing to ingratiate themselves, but the ones who were most apprehensive were the several concubines of Jiang Ziqi’s household. Although they were currently out of favor, they lacked nothing in terms of food, clothing or spending, and were unsupervised; if the head lady arrived, they feared their lives would no longer be so comfortable.
At this time, Lin Yue was still busy packing. A trip to the Capital City was not easy, and she was also planning to stay there for some time. Social courtesies were unavoidable, which meant there was much to prepare. She couldn’t have imagined Jiang Ziqi making even more elaborate preparations than they were—before they even set foot in the Capital City, they had already caused quite a stir in the Jiang Family.
"Wife, are you still busy?" Zhao Erhu came back from outside and saw his wife working away alone in the workshop, sweat beading on her forehead. He tenderly wiped it away, feeling sorry for his wife who had been working so hard for the preparations to go to the Capital City, insisting on doing her best in person and exhausting herself in the process.
"Yes, I made another batch of Fragrant Soap to take to the Capital City, so I’ve had to put in a bit more effort," Lin Yue said with a smile. She already had quite a stock of Fragrant Soap left from the general store. Initially, considering costs and such, she had only made an average quality Fragrant Soap, better than what was sold in other shops, but not sophisticated in terms of ingredients or workmanship. If given to nobles, it would be too basic, so for the Capital City, she had to make a better batch.