It was the day before New Year's Eve, and the snowflakes were still falling in large flakes. In Jiang Wan's usually quiet courtyard, there was a rare surge of human activity. The fourth and fifth young ladies of the Jiang family, accompanied by three or four maidservants each, ran into Jiang Wan's courtyard, laughing and chattering. They pushed open the gate and stood inside, with the maidservants loudly shouting "Good luck!"

  Ji Yan hastily came out to greet them, bowing and asking: "Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss, are you all well?" Fourth Miss Jiang Wenyue glanced at Ji Yan and said: "Has your young miss not gotten up yet?" Ji Yan's face turned red as he looked at them and said: "Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss, you've come early today. The miss hasn't called for me yet. Would it be a bother to ask Fourth Miss and Fifth Miss to wait for a moment? I'll go take a look if the miss is up."

  Ji Yan walked to the door of Jiang Wanru's room, knocking on it while speaking inside: "Miss, Fourth Miss and Fifth Miss have come to see you." After a moment, Jiang Wanru's voice came from inside: "Come in." Ji Yan glanced back at the people in the courtyard, then quickly pushed open the door slightly and slipped inside sideways.

  Jiang Wanmu stood beside the clean table in her room, looking somewhat impatient. She gazed at Jiyuan and said, "Those two have come again. Accompany me inside for a while. When they speak later, don't go to bother them much, just lower your head and pretend you didn't hear." Jiang Wanya and Jiang Wanjing had been to Jiang Wanmu's courtyard six times in the past ten or so days. Under the guise of getting close to Jiang Wanmu, their words and actions were full of disdain for her.

  Ji Yan heard Jiang Wanru's words and smiled bitterly, saying in a low voice: "Miss, the fourth miss and fifth miss are not as easy to talk to as you. If I don't speak up, they'll probably go to Madam's face and directly accuse me of being guilty. Miss, let it be, I'll just endure their scolding for a while." Jiang Wanru looked at Ji Yan and thought for a moment before saying: "Ji Yan, think of a way to find out what's going on. What reason do these two have to be so idle and not care about the eyes of the Jiang family members, thinking of ways to get close to me?"

  Ji Yan glanced at Jiang Wanru and said in a soft voice, "Miss, could it be that my brother and Mu Gen's good deed was discovered by them because you helped find it?" Jiang Wanru swept her gaze over Ji Yan and said, "Don't scare yourself. Those two are very discreet, at most they would say it was introduced by someone outside, how could it have anything to do with me? Besides, do you think the fourth and fifth misses of the Jiang family would care about this kind of thing?" Ji Yan felt relieved, gently patted her own chest, and smiled saying, "I was worried that I would implicate Miss."

  Jiang Wanru had gone to Cha Ju Yi Pin a few days ago. The shopkeeper who welcomed guests, seeing her, whispered: "The brother you introduced, he's very popular, and it's only been a few days since he came. There are already regular customers asking for him to serve them." Jiang Wanru heard this and was naturally delighted, slipping the shopkeeper a few more copper coins and saying: "Little brother, you're really capable, able to train up a newcomer in such a short time. As for my brother's other qualities, I'm not too clear about those. But he has one good quality - he remembers people's kindness."

  Jiang Wanmu glanced at Jiyuan, seeing her still gently patting her flat chest, and chuckled as she leaned in close to say: "Jiyuan, aren't you envious of the people around Fourth Miss and Fifth Miss?" Jiyuan looked up at her, shaking her head repeatedly, saying: "I'm fine following Miss, I don't envy them." Jiang Wanmu stared at Jiyuan's hand on her chest. After a soft 'oh', she said in a low voice: "I see you're patting your chest so hard, thinking you can make your small chest as big as theirs by pounding it?"

  Ji Yan's face suddenly turned bright red, and she quickly moved her hands away from her chest. She looked at Jiang Wanru and explained in a small voice: "Miss, I don't want such a big chest." Jiang Wanru looked at her serious expression and nodded affirmatively, saying: "Ji Yan, don't worry, I've seen your mother's figure, so I know you won't grow such a big chest later. Don't be sad, we can make up for it later. Remember those sisters' chests, when no one is around, often remember to pat them several times, and they will definitely get bigger."

  Ji Yan's teasing gaze met Jiang Wanru's playful eyes, and she stomped her foot saying: "Miss, you're making fun of me again. From now on, I won't pat my chest in front of people or behind their backs." The two were chatting in the room, but the people waiting outside grew increasingly impatient. Jiang Wanyan and Jiang Wancheng signaled to those beside them, and several maids called out: "Ji Yan, Ji Yan!" Jiang Wanru signaled to Ji Yan, and she loudly said to the outside: "I'm coming, I'm coming." Ji Yan whispered: "Miss, let me go out first, lest they make too much noise."

  After Ji Yan left, the people in the courtyard did not see Jiang Wanru. Jiang Wanyan smiled and asked Ji Yan, "Has your young lady finished dressing?" Ji Yan shook his head and said, "The young lady is choosing her clothes. She says that since Fourth Miss and Fifth Miss are coming, she can't just wear anything." Jiang Wanru came out wearing a nearly new cotton dress, looked at the people waiting in the courtyard, and directly said, "Fourth sister, fifth sister, from now on when you come to find me, come later, today you came too early, disturbing my sleep."

  Everyone in the Jiang family knew that Jiang Wanyu was a bit dull, but Jiang Wanhua and Jiang Wanqing didn't think she was this dull. The two of them listened to such impolite words, feeling unhappy in their hearts, but they couldn't say anything on the surface. No matter what, the two of them couldn't treat her like an idiot either. Jiang Wanqing was still young after all, and she endured it again and again, really unable to bear it anymore, so she kindly spoke up: "Third sister, you'll be getting married in a few months, when you go to someone else's house, you can't sleep in this late. Also, we've been waiting outside for so long, at the very least you should invite us into your room to talk."

  Jiang Wanmu looked at her in surprise and said, "You guys came last time, didn't you say that my room is as cold as the outside? You said it's more comfortable to talk in the courtyard, where we can appreciate the snowflakes and think about poetry." Jiang Wanya pulled Jiang Wancheng who was about to speak, looked at Jiang Wanmu with a smile and said, "Third sister now also knows how to appreciate snowflakes and understand poetry. These days haven't been wasted getting close to third sister." Jiang Wanmu ignored her, turned her head and directly told Jiyan beside her, "I'm hungry, go get some food for me to eat."

  The person who was hesitant to look at the courtyard said in a low voice to Jiang Wanru, "Miss, don't worry, I'll go get you some food right away." Jiang Wanru immediately looked unhappy and shouted loudly, "I want to eat!" Ji Yan was startled and nodded, saying, "Okay, Miss, I'll go get your food now." Ji Yan didn't dare look at the person in the courtyard again and quickly ran out.

  Jiang Wanya and Jiang Wanching looked at Jiang Wanru with an unmistakable mocking expression in their eyes. Jiang Wanru, looking at the gate of the courtyard, saw Jiang Wanya and Jiang Wanching inside, and said impatiently: "I don't have food to feed you here, go back." When Jiang Wanya and Jiang Wanching heard this, they flashed a displeased look on their faces, but quickly smiled and said: "We came to chat with San Jie, not to eat." Jiang Wanru looked at them woodenly and said: "Then talk now, I'm listening."

  Jiang Wanya and Jiang Wanching were both speechless, staring at her. The maids who followed them looked up at the top of their heads, watching the snowflakes getting bigger and bigger as they fell. One of the quick-witted ones said: "Third Miss, why don't you go with our miss to the eaves of the house to avoid the snow, and we can chat together?" Jiang Wanya heard this and looked up at the increasingly large snowflakes, walking towards the eaves on her own. When she was halfway there, she turned back to Jiang Wanching and Jiang Wanya who were following behind her and said: "You two don't need to follow me, just stay in the courtyard and enjoy the snow, recite some poetry."

  Jiang Wanya and Jiang Wanching exchanged a glance, and Jiang Wanching said: "Third sister, watching the snow under the eaves is interesting." Jiang Wanya glared at her with discontent, saying: "What's so interesting? I don't understand. With all of you crowded under the eaves, do I even have space to stand? You're in the courtyard, with snowflakes falling on your heads, perfect for enjoying the snow. I'm under the eaves, waiting for the auspicious words and food to arrive. Later, I'll go inside to eat, and then you can come under the eaves to enjoy the snow."

  Jiang Wanya and Jiang Wanching, no matter how good their temper was, couldn't hide the anger in their eyes at this time. Jiang Wanya rushed to Jiang Wanru and said: "Third sister, is there anyone who treats her sisters like you? We come close to you with a good heart, wanting to talk to you, but you always block us with your words, if you don't want to recognize us, just tell us directly, no need to turn around and deal with us."

  Jiang Wanqing saw Jiang Wanya open up, and immediately took over, saying: "Third sister, take a look at big sister and second sister. In the past, when they were at home, they took good care of us younger sisters. After getting married and coming back, they would bring gifts for us in big and small packages. Fourth sister and I just thought that since you don't have many days left at home, we sisters should be closer to each other. Third sister, we're not asking you to treat us well, but just don't want you to be dull and stupid, and later go out and lose face for the Jiang family."

  Jiang Wanru listened to the two sisters' words and turned her head to look at the two people in front of her. Half a month ago, these two people would ignore her as if she didn't exist. Jiang Wanru wasn't so naive as to think that they suddenly understood the importance of sisterly love and remembered that there was another person in the Jiang family. Jiang Wanru's sudden turn interrupted Jiang Wanjing's words, which were about to flow out freely.

  Jiang Wan looked at the two of them with a wooden expression and said, "Everyone knows I'm the stupid one in the Jiang family." After finishing her sentence, she turned around and left. Jiang Wanqing was furious and shouted from behind, "Hmph, if it weren't for the fact that the Wang Manor has confirmed your engagement, who would worry about you bringing shame to the Jiang family?" Jiang Wanya quickly covered Jiang Wanqing's mouth with her hand, laughing as she said, "Third sister, Qing is just temporarily numb and talking nonsense. The engagement with the Wang Manor has nothing to do with us being close to third sister."

  Jiang Wanru listened to these words, not turning her head or reacting as if she hadn't heard them. She had long since given up on the people of the Jiang family. Even the people from the Wang estate, who had come to deliver New Year's gifts to the Jiangs half a month ago, had reignited the waves of gossip about the potential marriage between Jiang Wanru and the Wang estate, something she had already lost hope for.

  Thank you to book friend juno69 for gifting 100 starting points; thank you to book friend Yu Wei Zhang for gifting 100 starting points; thank you to book friend Zi Teng Feng Hua for casting a pink vote. Thinking that it's the first day of being on shelves, and thinking about your support, I'll add an extra chapter. From tomorrow onwards, except in urgent situations, updates will be around 18:00 every evening. If you like this work, welcome to come to Starting Point (Qidian) to cast a recommendation vote or monthly vote; your support is my greatest motivation.

  Hard study