Xiao Jiangs family heard the joy in Madame Jiangs tone, and she followed with three points of joy, hurriedly smiling and congratulating Master Jiang: "Congratulations, master. In two more years, you will have little young masters to continue to be filial to you, your daughters-in-law will all be obedient to you, and on top of that, the little young masters will be clever and delightful. And Little Miss will meet a suitable husband to accompany her. Master, at that time, it can be said that after suffering hardship, everything will be perfect."

  Madam Jiang couldnt help but smile lightly upon hearing the housekeepers words, saying: "Only you can coax a laugh out of me. The marriage of children is not so simple. I do worry about the marriages of my two sons. But thinking carefully, if their days as a young couple are not smooth, my son can still bring in another woman who will bring him joy. If the women who marry them come from lower social status, then as their mother-in-law, I can speak with authority in front of them.

  The lady from a wealthy family, who is also my daughter-in-law, should listen to me for now. Actually, I think the engagement arranged by her grandfather is not bad, they are from a humble background and have a good temperament. They will get along well after marriage, it makes me happy to see them together. However, if this marriage were to happen, it would be less desirable than her brothers match. Sigh, never mind, we can always ask his grandparents to help us find a more suitable family later on.

  Xiao Jiangs family couldnt help but laugh along, as the young master of their own household was the eldest daughter of a renowned scholarly family from central and southern China. She naturally hoped that her daughters-in-law would not be women from famous families in the capital, fearing that they would rely on their family background when interacting with each other, which would humiliate her own son. Madame Jiang glanced at Xiao Jiangs laughing face and sighed, saying: "Now I can only share my true feelings with you."

  The four maids who followed Mrs. Jiang from the south to the capital, including herself and another maid who was not particularly good-looking, were married off to the steward of the Jiang family according to their masters arrangement. Another one got married and followed her husband to manage the outer courtyard, people called her Lius wife, she occasionally returned to the Jiang family to pay respects to her masters.

  Two exceptionally beautiful maids, originally served as attendants to the madam of the Shang family. In the first few years after the masters marriage, Master Jiang was deeply in love with his wife and had no interest in anyone else. Moreover, he already had three beautiful concubines who would serve him when the madam was indisposed, so naturally, he wouldnt pay much attention to the attendants by his wifes side.

  One of the maids, after the birth of Second Young Master, received a letter from her family and begged Master to allow her to return home. A few years ago, she had married a small merchant in Zhongnan. Over the years, she had not forgotten Masters kindness and would often ask people traveling to the capital to bring some local specialties for Master to taste. The other senior maid was given to Uncle by Master after Yu Niang entered the household, and after giving birth to Fifth Miss, Master directly promoted her to be a niang.

  The Xiaojiang familys gentle and quiet demeanor, with downcast eyes, didnt dare to look up at the face of Madame Jiang, who was deep in thought. The Xiaojiang family and the Liu family had accidentally bumped into each other, both were grateful that they themselves looked ordinary, as there was only one woman by their side, no one else, so naturally they were very close. At home, with the elder generation present, the mistress of the house supported them, and the people in the husbands family treated them with great courtesy, allowing them to take charge at a young age.

  The two of them never mentioned being companions as concubines, but instead became companions as merchant wives and had dealings with each other. Occasionally, when accompanying the master to pay respects, they would add some thoughtful touches on the side. Some people in the Xiaojiang household didnt understand what that concubine was thinking, as the master had always been kind to the four senior maidservants. Therefore, after becoming a merchant wife and seeing the master establish himself at the Jiang household, she dared to ask for his favor and return to Zhongnan. The master went along with her wishes and set her free.

  At that time, she and Lius family received the news, and the two of them happily went to find their current companion who was now a mother-in-law. Lius straightforwardness said: "Guiyu, youre getting older, why dont you go ask your master for help, let her take a look at some suitable candidates? Look at me and Xiao Jiangs familys two, now our days are going smoothly. This is all thanks to our masters good eyesight, willing to think for us, and helping us choose a good family."

  Xiao Jiangs family smiled and nodded, looked up to see Gui Yu change her expression, and after a while, she changed back to a smiling face. She quickly pulled Lius sleeve, holding onto the words behind her. Gui Yu just smiled at the time and said: "Ill listen to the masters arrangement." After the fact, Lius family sighed and said: "In terms of appearance, Yu Niangs looks are the best. Since giving birth to the third miss, the young master has been neglecting her. Gui Yu, she doesnt take a good path, but instead takes a dark one. She has this kind of heart, with the masters temperament, he will fulfill her wishes. However, from then on, the two of them also lost their emotional connection."

  Xiao Jiangs family let out an involuntary soft sigh, and when she looked up, she saw Madame Jiang smiling at her with a pleased expression on her face. "Youre still close to me, only in front of me can you be so natural." Xiao Jiangs family quickly explained: "Master, I was just admiring your kindness to us. When Lius family and I met last time, we both said that such good days are all thanks to the masters blessings."

  Madam Jiang glanced at her and smiled slightly, saying: "Its up to the three of you to think about it. Only when the three of you get along well can your days be good. Alas, since youve been through thick and thin together, when you have time, go and advise her that now that shes achieved her wish and become a concubine, she should behave herself and not think about other things that are out of line. I can help her once, but I wont be able to help her all her life."

  The matter of Jiang Dashis new concubine has been heard by the people in the Jiang family. In recent years, Guiyuan Niang has relied on her masters favor and received love for several years. Even now, once a month, Master Jiang would still visit her chambers. But Yu Niang has heard that since four years ago, Master Jiang hasnt visited her even once.

  Xiao Jiangs wife, the young mistress of the Xiao family, knew that she liked people close to her to speak directly to her. She raised her head and said: "Master, I couldnt persuade her on this matter. In those years when I was with Lius family, I knew about the affair with Guihua, you had already given your consent. The two of us rushed over to talk to her together, but she thought we were both foolish."

  She stopped, thought for a moment and then said: "Master, Lius family cant persuade her either. Master, you have a good heart and are willing to think for us, we are grateful. But not everyone is grateful. The fifth young lady is now taking advantage of your prestige, and the young master says that she looks like you. I saw her two days ago, and I think she looks more like her mother, with her head held high behind peoples backs, without a bit of warmth like the eldest young lady."

  Madam Jiang couldnt help but find it amusing, the four maids by her side, three of whom were married, had suddenly turned cold towards one of their own who had vowed to become a concubine. The three thought they had fooled Madam Jiang, but she had seen through them long ago. Her heart was already indifferent, and all she cared about was the well-being of her children. As her son grew up and became useful, having one more or one less concubine would no longer affect her status in the Jiang household.

  "Alright, its going to rain today, I cant stop her anyway, let her go. Alas, what worries me the most now is Yuanyi. Looking at how close she is to her brothers, in reality, she has more tricks up her sleeve than they do. Everyone in the household dotes on her, saying shes gentle and considerate. Once her brothers marriages are settled, hers cant be delayed any further. Just thinking about it gives me a headache, and yet she still insists on causing trouble for me."