In one of the upper-class rooms of Bishan Inn at Maofeng Town, the sound of a woman coughing floated through the air.
"Mother, are you feeling better?" A slender, strikingly beautiful woman with a gentle demeanor, accompanied by a maid carrying medicine, walked into the room.
"It’s just a few coughs, dear. Why are you furrowing your brows over it?" The woman smiled warmly.
The girl known as Wanwan, around thirteen years of age but remarkably composed, said, "Father has entrusted me with taking good care of you and my younger siblings."
The woman patted her hand, replying, "You’ve worked hard."
With a slight smile, Wanwan said, "It’s not hard for me. As the eldest daughter in the family, it’s my duty."
"I have such a sensible and well-mannered daughter. It’s hard to say which lucky man will benefit from marrying you in the future," the woman said, touching her daughter’s cheek as smooth as congealed fat rouge.
"Mother!" Wanwan blushed and chided softly.
"Don’t be shy. You’re thirteen this year. Once we return to the Capital, I will arrange a good match for you," the woman said with a smile. "My child, you deserve a fine gentleman from the Capital."
"Mother, if you keep talking, I will stop listening," Wanwan said, taking the medicine from the maid and deftly changing the subject. "Mother, shall I help you take your medicine?"
Then, the daughter fed her mother spoon by spoon, filling the room with a warm, affectionate atmosphere of maternal and filial tenderness.
As the bowl of medicine emptied, Wanwan took a candied fruit from the emerald enamel jewelry box the maid held and handed it over, "Mother’s favorite, Gold-thread Jujubes."
The woman bit into it, chewing and swallowing in small bites, then took the warm water her daughter offered and rinsed her mouth before taking another sip. She instantly felt a soothing relief throughout her body and gently patted her daughter’s hand.
Wiping her mouth gently, Wanwan suggested, "Mother, why don’t you rest for a bit?"
"Have Binbin and Jiaojiao not come back yet?" The woman looked toward the door.
No sooner had she spoken than the voice of a young boy was heard at the door, where the maid announced, "The fourth young master and the sixth young miss have returned."
"Mother, we’re back."
A young boy and girl entered the room from outside, exactly the pair of youngsters Wufu had seen at Silver House.
"Mother is ill, and you two go off on some frivolous outing. What does that look like?" Wanwan stood up and scolded the two younger children with all the authority of an elder sister.
Jiaojiao replied, "Big sister, we asked Mother’s permission. Since we’re about to return to the Capital, we thought we’d get something for our sisters at home, so they don’t look down on us."
"Nonsense. You’re all dear sisters to each other. What’s there to look down upon?" Wanwan frowned. "You clearly just wanted to play."
Jiaojiao opened her mouth to protest, but the woman interjected, "Alright, Wanwan. I don’t have a serious illness; I’m just tired from traveling. It’s fine to let the children relax a bit in town after being cooped up in a carriage every day. Don’t be too hard on them."
Jiaojiao, upon hearing this, grinned and walked up to her mother, wrapping an arm around hers, "Mother loves us best." She then glanced cautiously at her elder sister.
"You’re so wild because Mother spoils you. Once we get back to the Capital, if you continue , wouldn’t people say that Mother hasn’t raised us siblings properly?"
Wanwan didn’t quite agree. The Capital prized the utmost propriety; one had to be generous and graceful to be considered respectable. If they lacked manners, the only one people would criticize or deride for poor upbringing would be their mother.
Indeed, as soon as she uttered these words, Binbin and Jiaojiao’s expressions changed slightly.