The Double-Chapter 19 - 17 Family

19: Chapter 17 Family

19 -17 Family

Jiang Bingji’s words placed Jiang Li in an extremely awkward situation at this moment.

Tonger stood by Jiang Li’s side, wanting to argue a few words in her defense, but this was not the place for a maid to speak.

Jiang Bingji reminded everyone present of how cruel and merciless Jiang Li had been, instilling fear of such a woman capable of harming her own kin.

Jiang Li acted as if she hadn’t heard Jiang Bingji’s words at all, her smile not diminishing in the slightest as she said to Jiang Bingji with a laugh, “Is this my little brother?

I didn’t expect him to have grown so tall upon my return, truly adorable.”

Her praise seemed genuine, but in Ji Shuran’s ears, it carried ill intent.

Before she could speak, Jiang Bingji loudly declared, “Who is your brother?

You are a murderer!”

To say this once was bearable, but to hear it repeated was grating on the ears.

Especially since Jiang Bingji was raising his voice, Jiang Yuanbai frowned and said, “Who taught you to speak this way?”

Jiang Bingji’s neck shrank as he seemed a bit afraid of his father and fell silent.

Madam Jiang the Elder patted Jiang Bingji’s back soothingly and glared at Jiang Yuanbai, “Speak if you need to speak, what are you achieving by getting angry at a child?” She then looked towards Jiang Li and said indifferently, “Second Miss, come and meet your uncles and aunts.”

As instructed, Jiang Li then lifted her eyes to look at the others.

Aside from the senior branch’s Jiang Yuanbai, the Jiang Residence also housed Jiang Yuanping’s family of the second branch, and Jiang Yuanxing’s family of the third branch.

Jiang Yuanping was Jiang Yuanbai’s legitimate brother and was presently a Third-rank Tongzheng in Yanjing City.

His wife, Lady Lu, was the legitimate daughter of a Gentleman Chengwu, a fitting match in social status.

Jiang Yuanping was noticeably portly, quite different from the tall and dashing appearance of Jiang Yuanbai.

He appeared amiable and was very cordial to Jiang Li.

Lady Lu was a quintessential Yanjing noblewoman, her attire and accessories meticulous.

Jiang Li noticed her clothes and hairpin were adorned with jewelry, indicating that she had plenty of silver and enjoyed dressing up.

Lady Lu looked delicate and beautiful, but her gaze was sharp, complementing Jiang Yuanping quite well.

She gave Jiang Li a string of jade beads from her wrist as a gift, repeatedly noting “It’s good you’re back” while examining Jiang Li closely.

Jiang Li graciously accepted the gift.

As for the third branch’s Jiang Yuanxing, he was the son of a concubine of Old Master Jiang, an illegitimate son.

Though he was an illegitimate son, he lived in harmony with the other two branches of the Jiang family.

However, Madam Jiang the Elder didn’t favor the third branch much and always treated them indifferently.

Jiang Yuanxing himself was graceful but frail, and somewhat shy.

His wife, Lady Yang, had a rough temperament and was rumored to be the daughter of a concubine from the home of an Official Sizhi.

Even though she was a daughter of a concubine, her status was quite higher than that of Jiang Yuanxing, a Scrivener.

Perhaps that was why Lady Yang always acted as if she had married beneath herself and was very dominating towards Jiang Yuanxing.

When Jiang Li paid her respects to the third branch, Lady Yang gave her a pair of pearl earrings.

These earrings were old, and it was unclear whether this was because the third branch was short of money or Lady Yang was stingy.

In any case, when compared with the jade beads Lady Lu had given, they were hardly worth mentioning.

These were Jiang Li’s second uncle and aunt and third uncle and aunt, and by Lady Lu’s side stood two young men, the older one around sixteen or seventeen, resembling Jiang Yuanping with a chubby, smiling face.

The younger one was about the same age as Jiang Li and looked like Lady Lu, dignified in appearance.

He stared hard at Jiang Li, and upon seeing her glance over, immediately looked away.

Jiang Yuanbai said, “These are your eldest cousin Jing You and your second cousin Jing Rui.”

They were the two legitimate grandsons from the second branch.

The third branch’s Lady Yang had two daughters, who seemed to be about the same age as Jiang Li.

The older one, Jiang Yuyan, had average looks and very ordinary attire, appearing somewhat timid.

The younger one, Jiang Yue, seemed to have a bit of the charm of the girl next door, her clothes brighter than Jiang Yuyan’s, watching Jiang Li as if thinking of something.

This is Miss Jiang the Second’s family now.

Standing in the hall, facing these entirely unfamiliar faces, her nominal relatives, Jiang Li’s mind instead conjured up the small county of Tongxiang, where she and Xue Huaiyuan, Xue Zhao had frolicked and played.

Even though they were adorned in silks and satins, feasting on the finest, Jiang Li did not find anything about the Jiang Residence worth lingering for.

The gaze with which these family members regarded her held only probing, measuring, or harboring ulterior motives, and she felt that this seemingly refined and peaceful mansion was also fraught with danger.

They stared at Jiang Li, maybe because too much time had passed and they couldn’t feel close to her.

Only Jiang Yuanping talked with Jiang Li a bit, while the others hardly said a word.

Jiang Li even saw fear and disdain in the eyes of her two half-sisters, Jiang Yue, and Jiang Yutang, most likely because the fact that she had once schemed against her stepmother and legitimate brother had taken deep root in their hearts, and now they saw her as a cruel and ruthless woman, unwilling to associate with her.

Jiang Yuanbai seemed not to have noticed this. freēnovelkiss.com

Seeing that Jiang Li had already greeted the relatives, he said to Ji Shuran, “Madam, have someone take Lili to her courtyard.

She must be tired from the journey, so let her rest early today.”

Jiang Yuanbai’s relatively gentle attitude towards Jiang Li caused varied expressions among the people in the Night Wind Hall.

Ji Shuran smiled and said, “My Lord, even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I had already made arrangements.

Granny Sun,” she instructed, “take the Second Miss to the courtyard where she will be staying.” Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, she said to Jiang Li with a smile, “Lili, since you’ve just returned to the residence, and it isn’t appropriate for you to have just a single little maid by your side, I thought I’d arrange two maids to serve you.” She also said to Madam Jiang the Elder sitting in the high seat, “The Xiangqiao and Yunxiang from my own courtyard are pretty good, diligent and clever.

I was thinking of assigning them to the Second Miss.

What do you think, Mother?”

Madam Jiang the Elder indifferently said, “Do as you see fit.”

Ji Shuran smiled and asked Jiang Li, “Do you like them, Lili?”

Jiang Li looked at Ji Shuran’s gentle and considerate demeanor and couldn’t help but laugh to herself.

She genuinely couldn’t understand why, now that Ji Shuran had a legitimate son and Jiang Yuanbai’s affection, she was still so insecure that she couldn’t even let go of her, a legitimate daughter who had not returned home for seven years and had a bad reputation.

She sent her own pair of people to stay by her side right upon her return to the residence.

Jiang Li also smiled, “Mother’s kind intentions, of course Lili likes them, and I would not dare to decline.”

Ji Shuran seemed to sigh with relief, turning more relaxed as he saw his wife and daughter getting along.

He said, “Then let’s not delay any further, lead Lili to settle down.”

Granny Sun quickly took Jiang Li away.

Since the Jiang Residence housed three branches of the family, it naturally covered a vast area.

Jiang Li followed Granny Sun, unfamiliar with the paths of the Jiang Residence, but Tonger recognized them.

The deeper they went, the stranger Tonger’s expression became.

When they finally arrived at the courtyard, Jiang Li looked at the three characters written on the entrance, and her eyes paused in a gaze.

At the entrance, there was a small wooden plaque, the handwriting wasn’t pretty, yet it carried an indescribable sense of carefree charm.

Fangfei Garden.

Jiang Li couldn’t quite articulate the feeling in her heart, and after a long pause, she finally murmured softly, “Fangfei…”

“This is the courtyard where Madam used to recuperate,” Tonger quietly reminded her beside her.