"I wouldn't dare!"
Yun Jinnian nodded.
The food had already been delivered from the main kitchen.
Yun Jinnian was really hungry. She ate first, filling her stomach, and felt much more energetic.
Looking at the six people who were still standing in the courtyard, she asked, "What are your names?"
"This servant is Danxia (Dangui), Ru Yang (Ru Yue)!"
"This servant's maiden family name is Li (maiden family name is Zhang)!"
Yun Jinnian nodded indifferently, "From now on, the wet nurse will manage this courtyard. Danxia and Ru Yang as head maids, Dangui and Ru Yue as secondary maids, Mothers Li and Zhang are in charge of the gate. Niannian Garden is not big, wet nurse, take them to settle down first!"
"Yes!"
Mrs. Yuan took them down to settle in, and Yun Jinnian then leaned weakly against the chair.
The things she once dared not even dream of were now taken for granted; had she truly experienced everything in that dream?
Rubbing her temples, Yun Jinnian felt very tired. She lay down beside the bed.
When she woke up again, it was already completely dark.
"Miss, you've woken up?"
The maid assisted her with care.
At the age of about fourteen or fifteen, with a melon-seed face, there was a seductive quality to her youthfulness.
"You?" Yun Jinnian couldn't remember who she was at the moment.
"This servant, Danxia, greets Miss!"
Yun Jinnian nodded, "It's Danxia, help me up!"
Having slept for a while, she felt even weaker.
Danxia helped Yun Jinnian to sit up while Ru Yang brought in hot water, attending to her as she washed and combed her hair into a double ear-style bun.
"Miss, the meal has been brought in. Would you like to eat now?" Danxia asked.
Yun Jinnian hummed a response and then noticed the charcoal basin in the middle of the room, looking also at the tightly closed windows and doors.
"From now on, whenever there is charcoal burning inside a room, be sure to open a window!"
Danxia and Ru Yang didn't understand but nodded in agreement.
Three dishes and a soup, one vegetarian and two meat dishes—being able to eat hot meals now seemed like something from a past life for Yun Jinnian.
From a past life...
Yun Jinnian took a deep breath and ate slowly, little by little.
The leftovers were shared out first by Mrs. Yuan, while Yun Jinnian leaned by the window, looking into the gradually darkening night.
In the dream, on the fifteenth day of the eleventh month of Yuan and fifteen years, she was still left with a cold stove and empty pot, unable to have a full meal.
But now, not only had she eaten her fill, she also had her own private savings, fabric in the storage closet, and her dressing table wasn't just adorned with beaded flowers—it had more than ten gold hairpins, more than ten silver hairpins, more than ten jade hairpins, as well as matching earrings, bracelets, and necklaces.
Such changes were good; you can't become fat with just one bite.
Next, she needed to find a way to bring her mother back from the family temple.
"Miss!"
Yun Jinnian came back to her senses and looked toward the wet nurse Mrs. Yuan, responding softly, "Hmm?"
"The Lady had Ming Liu come over with a message earlier, saying that since you're not well, you don't need to come over to greet her anymore, just rest well!"
Not having to go and greet her? She didn't want to go anyway!
Then let it be for now.
"I understand, wet nurse, you should rest early as well. Starting tomorrow, we will make new clothes for the New Year. After the New Year, I'll be eleven!"
"It's only the nominal age of eleven. After your birthday in the second month, you will truly be eleven!"
"Yes, but I haven't seen Mother for five years, and it's been half a year since I last saw Father!" Yun Jinnian said, lowering her eyes.
Mrs. Yuan was filled with unspeakable sympathy, hugging Yun Jinnian, "The second wife cherishes Miss the most, like her own life!"
"I know!"
And so she longed even more for her mother to return.
She went to bed early, with Danxia staying up for the night watch.
In her sleep, Yun Jinnian was very restless, haunted by visions of Momo's vacant gaze, walking numbly, biting into her flesh, mouthful by mouthful.
Yun Jinnian tossed and turned in bed, not feeling well at all.
The next day, she woke up looking haggard, with dark circles under her eyes.
The breakfast sent over from the main kitchen was only nibbled at listlessly before she lost her appetite.
It was the same with lunch: after two bites, she didn't want to eat anymore.
However, Ru Yue came back in high spirits, saying, "Miss, there's fantastic news!"
"?"
Yun Jinnian silently inquired.
"The great master has been promoted, advancing two levels from a third-rank Imperial Censor to duke!"
"Is that so? Then congratulations to great-uncle indeed!" Yun Jinnian finished speaking and began to smile slightly.
In the dream, it seemed that great-uncle had not been promoted, and the rise of the Yuan Family later was due to the remarkable political achievements of the third uncle who was appointed abroad, becoming a Prime Minister of the first rank, and that was also when she caught Chu Liange's eye.
Oddly enough, the third uncle had neither requested a title for the Lady nor for the third aunt!
As Yun Jinnian pondered, Mother Li called out excitedly at the door, "Fourth Miss, the Lady has sent someone with celebratory cakes!"
This was something that had never happened before.
"Wet nurse, give taels of silver to the person who delivered the celebratory cakes!"
"Yes!"
Yun Jinnian slouched in the chair.
With great-uncle's promotion, the house would definitely hold a banquet tonight. Would she be invited? If invited, could she bring up the matter of her boudoir studies?
Otherwise, she was supposed to be illiterate, but in the future, she would be proficient in playing musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and even possess excellent medical skills. How would she explain her past?