(Autumn wind rises) After the queen left that day, Jiang Wanju waited for a long time, but no storm came. The king's mansion remained calm and peaceful, and when the weather was cool, Jiang Wanju would go out of the palace as before, on routine days, returning every day at the right side door closing time. However, she usually went out alone, leaving behind auspicious words to guard the courtyard.

  After what happened between Mingyu and Mingtou, Jiang Wanyu's heart could no longer be at peace. Lianhao had not come to the courtyard since that day he came from Wangfei. Mingyu and Mingtou had been behaving themselves for some days after the incident. Unfortunately, it didn't last long before they came to the courtyard together again, perhaps because of the removal of the obstructing fabric, they seemed less gentle and amiable than before. The two of them, in front of Jiang Wanyu, compared notes on their sweet interactions with Lianhao, reminding each other of the places where they hadn't been detailed enough.

  Jiang Wanyu was accustomed to sitting under the big tree in the yard on summer afternoons. Even when autumn arrived and she didn't go out, she would still sit under the big tree, listening to the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves, enjoying the rustling of the falling leaves. She sat upright under the tree, doing her needlework, and the people in the yard instinctively lightened their footsteps.

  Ming Yu and Ming Tuo walked into the courtyard, catching sight of Jiang Wanru's carefree and elegant demeanor. The two women felt indignant towards this woman before them. In terms of beauty, the woman in front of them was average at best, with a plain appearance that couldn't compare to their own stunning looks. In terms of talent, they had followed Lian Hao for many years, receiving training in music, chess, literature, and painting, while this woman hadn't even stepped foot in school. She was just lucky, relying on her noble status, so why could she live so freely and catch Lian Hao's attention?

  Ming Yu and Ming Tuo walked under the tree, smiling and greeting: "Young Madam is well." Jiang Wanru looked up at them with a nonchalant expression and said, "Sit down." Ming Yu and Ming Tuo's eyes flashed with surprise, but they sat down according to Jiang Wanru's words. They examined the shoe sole in Jiang Wanru's hand and praised: "Young Madam's needlework skills have greatly improved." Jiang Wanru listened to their words, looked at the shoe sole in her hand, nodded with a self-satisfied expression, and said: "I also think I have a talent for this. In such a short time, my stitching has become better and better."

  Ming Yu and Ming Tuo's experience, ordinary people should be humble for a while. They wouldn't so readily agree, and the two of them didn't know how to respond. Jiang Wanru looked up at the two of them, knowing they had come to tell her another story. The main characters were Lian Hao and the two of them. Jiang Wanru wasn't in a hurry to hear the story. She was just looking at the soles of the shoes in her hands, getting anxious, afraid that winter would arrive before she could finish them. According to Ji Yan's words, she had to make winter shoes, and there were still three pairs of soles left to weave.

  Jiang Wanru thought about her own plans, and only by following the usual routine of leaving the Wang Fu could she make those things happen one by one. She lowered her head to look at the shoes that couldn't be finished. A worried expression appeared in her eyebrows and eyes. Mingyu and Mingtou had been serving people since they were young, and their other skills were not outstanding. However, their ability to observe words and expressions was many times stronger than ordinary people. The two of them exchanged a glance, with a small sense of pride in their eyes. On the evening when the Wang Fei came to the courtyard, Lianhao had someone inform her that he had something to attend to and would be staying at the camp for an extended period, temporarily not returning home.

  At that time, the little servant who delivered the message, as usual, had a word with the masters and then came over to whisper to Mingyu and Mingtou. The two were still worried about Lianhao's return and the reason for Wangfei's visit to the mansion, thinking they would be questioned in detail, but unexpectedly, heaven helped them go through it safely. For many days after the incident, Mingyu and Mingtou did not come to the mansion, they had been paying attention to the movement inside the mansion, seeing that Jiang Wanru had indeed not received any news from Lianhao, the two of them dared to show up in front of her again.

  Ming Yu and Ming Tuo were the two people who, before Jiang Wanru entered the Wang Fu, were considered to be in charge of the courtyard, excluding each other. Moreover, Lian Hao had never paid attention to the affairs of the courtyard, and generally left things to them to handle. After Jiang Wanru entered the Wang Fu, they were still worried that someone would take control of everything, but it turned out that Jiang Wanru was a person who didn't interfere with anything, and many things were handled according to old rules after being reported to her.

  Ming Yu and Ming Tong would often glance at Lian He with displeasure when mentioning Jiang Wanru, and sometimes they would even intentionally bring up Jiang's name just to see the discontent in Lian He's eyes. However, due to Lian He's attitude, Ming Yu and Ming Tong would behave extremely obediently and cautiously in front of Jiang Wanru. But after a while, some things slowly changed, as the two had grown up with Lian He and understood him better than he understood himself. When they mentioned Jiang Wanru, Lian He no longer showed impatience like before, and sometimes even asked more questions.

  Ming Yu and Ming Tuo initially thought nothing of it, just that their master was curious. However, as time passed, they noticed that Lian Hua would often find excuses to go to the courtyard, sometimes exchanging a few words with Jiang Wanru, and his expression would become exceptionally radiant. For the first time, the two women felt a sense of crisis looming, as everyone in the Wang Manor thought they were favored by Lian Hua, but in reality, they knew that Lian Hua had only shown interest in them for three parts of the first month, and afterwards, he never touched their bodies again.

  Ming Yu and Ming Tuo thought about the news they had heard, at the beginning of winter, Lian Hua would return to the Wang Fu. They took another look at the woman in front of them, the two had never regretted reminding the Wang Fei, Lian Hua noticed her. From the day the Wang Fei took charge and gave them to Lian Hua, the two were filled with gratitude towards the Wang Fei. In this courtyard, there were women more beautiful than them, but they didn't have such good luck. Lian Hua treated them as ordinary maids, although they felt a little disappointed, they wouldn't mind too much. As long as there was no woman in his heart, their position would never be shaken.

  Mingyu and Mingtou were more transparent than ordinary women, and only in the Wangfu would they have a life of luxury. These years, their days passed better than those of ordinary wealthy families' young ladies, with no need to lift a finger, except for occasionally doing some needlework, most of the time was spent idly. Mingyu and Mingtou would not allow anyone to ruin their beautiful lives, and this woman in front of them, who kept her head down and worked hard, was now the biggest obstacle in their way.

  Jiang Wanru bowed her head and tied her shoelaces, then heard Mingyu say: "Mingtou, the hairpin on your head was given to you by Master last time. He said that only when you wear this hairpin can it bring out the beauty of both the hairpin and the person." Jiang Wanru's eyebrows and eyes curved into a smile as she listened, realizing that Mingyu had a romantic nature and knew how to win women's hearts. Mingtou blushed and stomped her foot lightly, saying: "Mingyu, Mistress is still here, how can you talk about this? Master said you look elegant and refined, and the hairpin on your head was specially chosen for you."

  Jiang Wanru listened to Ming Yu and Ming Tou talking to each other, their faces flushing pink. She occasionally raised her head, pointing out the parts of the story they had missed, and reminding them of the places where they hadn't done well. Ming Yu and Ming Tou were grateful and tearfully said: "Young Madam, Master's kindness to us is really beyond words." Jiang Wanru smiled and replied: "Beyond words? You can take your time talking. If you don't finish today, you can continue next time when you're free."

  Jiang Wanting had heard their story of deep love for each other many times, but she didn't have the heart to remind them that some parts were added and some emotional parts were left out this time. She felt a deep loneliness within herself and had the leisure to find some interest in these repetitive scenes. Occasionally, she would glance at Mingyu and Mingtou who were telling the story, thinking that these two women had a deep-seated loneliness like ladies confined to their chambers.

  Autumn wind rises, leaves fall, and travelers return. Fangzheng and Mugen come back from Central and South China, bringing a batch of goods, among which is the fabric Jiang Wanting prepared for Jiyuan's wedding dress. As Jiyuan holds the fabric for her wedding dress, she hears Jiang Wanting say: "Jiyuan, your brother personally chose this fabric, it must be the most auspicious one. You can slowly and carefully prepare, and in the future, you will become a happy new bride." Only after getting engaged did Jiyuan realize that this happiness was an unattainable beautiful life for Jiang Wanting.

  Jiang Wanting got up early, pushed open the window, and saw that the yard was covered with fallen leaves. Thinking that she would go out after breakfast, she added another layer of clothing. When Jiang Wanting went out from the right side door, Manager Chen greeted her and hesitated at the doorway, prompting Jiang Wanting to ask: "Uncle Chen, do you have something on your mind?" Manager Chen looked at Jiang Wanting with some embarrassment and asked: "I haven't seen Jiyu for a long time. Why hasn't she been going out recently?"

  Jiang Wanmu smiled and said, "Ji Yan's needlework is good, now she's making her own dowry, but it's taking longer than usual. She doesn't have time to go out with me like before." Chen Shu heard Jiang Wanmu's words and rubbed his hands together, saying, "I've heard that Ji Yan's older brother is the manager of the fabric store on South Street. I have a favor to ask of him. My daughter's mistress has given her permission to get married this year, but my family's women have been searching everywhere for the perfect red wedding dress fabric and can't find it. I was thinking of asking Ji Yan's brother for help, just one piece of fabric would be enough."

  Jiang Wanru heard and hurriedly congratulated him, saying: "Congratulations, Uncle Chen. Your daughter will definitely have a happy marriage. I'm going out today, if I run into Brother Jixian, I'll tell him about this." Uncle Chen was excited and nodded, saying: "That's great, thank you for your kind intentions, Madam. You go ahead, if you're late outside, don't worry, I'll wait by the door." Jiang Wanru smiled and left. Uncle Chen was a straightforward person, his daughter was just a third-rate maid, according to Uncle Chen's words, his daughter had a simple temperament and wasn't good at serving her masters closely.

  Jiang Wanting had originally planned to go to Nan Street first and then head to Dong Street on her way back, but now that she has to take care of Uncle Chen's matter, she can only go to Dong Street first and then head to Nan Street afterwards. Jiang Wanting walked out of the bookstore, it was almost lunchtime, she thought about hurrying to Nan Street to eat, but was afraid it would be too late. She lowered her head, thinking about things, following the crowd as they moved forward. As she approached Chá Jū Yī Pǐn, she raised her head and saw the sign with the name on it, her expression slightly dazed, she hadn't dared to pass by Chá Jū Yī Pǐn for a long time, afraid of running into Chu Xiao's couple, seeing their apathetic eyes.

  Thank you dove12 for voting with 1 pink ticket, and thank you Swallow Little Little Little Little for voting with 1 pink ticket. Thinking of adding more updates, my head hurts, gritting my teeth to add one more chapter, thank you book friends for your continued support. (If you like this work, welcome to start (start) vote recommendation votes, monthly votes, your support is my greatest motivation.)

  Hard study