Chapter 96: Mother’s Careful Guidance

Chapter 96 Mother's Careful Guidance

"Thank you, Miss Jiang!"

Aunt Liu rose and respectfully edged closer to the two young ladies, then sat down, perched slightly sideways.

"Aunt Liu, I asked you here for no other reason than to go over a few things."

"Of course, Miss Jiang."

Jiang Wan smiled faintly and stretched her hands toward the brazier to warm them.

"It's nothing major. As you know, Mother is expecting, so the measurements for the clothes ordered earlier need to be adjusted, and they should be lined a bit thicker. Also, add a warm cloak. The colors and accessories shouldn’t be too flashy—just make sure they match the colors of Mother’s formal court attire. You can arrange it as you see fit."

"Ah, I understand, ma'am. But, Miss Jiang, for the outfits you and Jiang Han will wear to the palace banquet, wouldn’t it be better to stick to more muted colors?"

"Why should we go for subdued colors?"

Jiang Han objected.

"I really like my crimson dress and don’t want to change it," she added.

"Listen to Jiang Han, no need to change."

The young ladies in the capital seem to prefer wearing light, elegant colors, claiming it looks refined. But the Jiang sisters weren't fans of that—their taste ran more toward bold, vibrant beauty. Otherwise, it would be a disservice to their stunning looks.

"Yes."

Once the masters had made up their minds, the servants naturally had nothing more to say. The rest of the morning was spent going over accounts for the seasonal clothing, shoes, and socks prepared for the family’s masters and servants, going over details until nearly noon.

Around lunchtime, the two sisters made their way over to their mother’s courtyard.

Xu Shi hadn’t been hit too hard by morning sickness, but she was extremely tired. Even the old lady said that the child in her belly this time was one who knew how to be easy on its mother.

"All done? Come warm yourselves by the fire."

Seeing her daughters arrive, Xu Shi put down her embroidery with a smile and waved them over to sit beside her.

"Mother, why are you embroidering in such cold weather instead of resting in bed? Isn’t it freezing? My sister and I can’t even stay buried under the blankets, and here you are deliberately sitting out in the cold?"

"Mother isn’t cold. How did the two of you manage this morning?"

She took her younger daughter’s icy little hand and gently warmed it by the brazier, then looked up at her eldest daughter sitting beside her with a tender smile.

"Pretty well. We’ve been observing and learning by watching all this time, haven’t we? Don’t worry, Mother, I’m getting the hang of it. If you don’t believe me, ask Jiang Han."

"Absolutely! Mother, let me tell you, I’m in charge of the kitchen affairs. I personally double-checked every ledger against the merchants' records—there won’t be any mistakes, so you can rest assured!"

"Of course, Mother is assured. My two daughters are so clever and capable—what could there be to worry about? I was just making small talk."

As a mother, she clearly knew everything—her informants had already reported what happened in the drawing room. But she still looked at her children encouragingly, listening to them chatter excitedly about how skillfully they managed the household.

"Mother, are you feeling better today?"

Jiang Wan checked her mother over, who didn’t seem sickly, and felt somewhat relieved.

"It’s fine. It’s normal for pregnant women to feel tired and nauseous—it’ll get better after a while. Don’t worry, Wan Jieer."

"Mm-hmm."

As a med student, she certainly understood this. She just hoped her mother would suffer less.

Xu Shi glanced at the sky, which seemed to hint at an impending snowstorm.

"The wind is strong and the weather cold. The kitchen should prepare extra charcoal, firewood, rice, oil, and salt. Don’t wait until the roads are blocked by snow to make arrangements. Tell the sewing room to make the New Year winter clothes for the family’s masters and servants extra thick. Don’t skimp on expenses."

"Understood," she replied.

The mother taught by example, guiding her daughters step-by-step on how to run a household efficiently. Fortunately, the children were catching on quickly, which put her mind at ease.

"I’ve prepared some New Year’s gifts for your father and plan to fill him in on things at home. Do you have any letters to send to the Fourth Prince? I’ll have someone deliver them together."

"How long has it been since Father and the Fourth Prince left? Could they have reached Dongling Prefecture already?"

Jiang Han interjected doubtfully, and Xu Shi shook her head a little embarrassed.

"Probably not yet. I was just thinking about your father being away during the holidays and felt a bit concerned. Sending some things over might brighten their day when they receive them."

"Oh."

Jiang Han nodded in understanding.

"You want to tell Father that we’re adding a Little Laosi to the family and have him brainstorm a fourth move? So his three famous techniques won’t be insufficient when divided among the four of us siblings, right?"

"You silly girl, since when did you learn to tease your father?"

Xu Shi gently patted her younger daughter’s head, somewhat defending her husband’s honor. Jiang Wan watched her sister clown around and laughed.

"Mother, wait a couple of days. I just asked Aunt Liu to make a pair of leather gloves for Father and Li Laosi each. Could you send those along for me?"

"What are those?" she asked.

"I know this one!"

Jiang Han raised her hand to answer.

"Big Sister came up with this little invention a couple of days ago. Probably because the shoes she made for the Fourth Prince last time were such a disaster, so this time she decided to make a fur covering for his hands to keep them from freezing and cracking in the winter."

"Jiang Laoer, asking for trouble?"

Jiang Wan’s face reddened at her sister’s blunt teasing.

"Mother, save me!"

Jiang Han quickly ducked behind her mother for protection.

Xu Shi watched fondly as the two sisters played around. Being clever and well-informed, she quickly figured out what they were talking about and smiled, jumping to her defense.

"You prepared something for the Fourth Prince? That’s a very thoughtful gesture. It doesn’t matter whether the gift is expensive or not—it's the thought that counts."

"What’s that?"

Not only Jiang Han, but even Jiang Wan was curious.

Xu Shi looked puzzled at them.

"Weren’t you talking about hand protectors?" she said.

She blinked, thought about it for a moment, then lightly smacked her forehead.

"Look at how I've been busy all day, I almost forgot to tell you some little things. When noble children go out riding or hunting in winter, they use high-quality leather to make tube-like, finger-separated gloves to wear. One is for keeping warm, and the other is for protecting the hands."

Jiang Wan, who understood, had the same reaction as her younger sister.

"Mom, you really lived well when you were young!"

So it wasn’t that ancient people weren’t smart or fashionable—it was those ridiculous translated web novels I read in my past life that misled me! Just look at the everyday knowledge my mom, a former proper noble lady, shared with us. They really lived without suffering any grievances at all!

"Look at you, talking nonsense again."

Xu Shi smiled and gently pinched her slender, soft fingers.

"Since you thought of making arm guards for the Fourth Prince, have you considered making a pair of tube sleeves for yourselves to keep your hands warm? The hands of noble young ladies are precious and must be well cared for."