Chapter 28: New Year's Gift - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter
Chapter 28: New Year's Gift
The weather after the first snow was particularly freezing.
When Bai Mama and the others came in, they brought a chill with them.
"Greetings, Miss."
"Bai Mama, please rise. Is there any instruction from Mother? Why did she send you here at this time?"
Bai Mama smiled and, as she spoke, had someone pass over a few books and the key to the opposite door.
"Madam said that since it's almost New Year's, the mansion needs someone to manage it. She specifically asked this old servant to bring the household accounts and the steward's key for you to review. Also, the New Year's gifts from the Second Household arrived today, and there's a list of our previous return gifts. Madam asked you to take care of it."
So that was it, it wasn't difficult.
Yunxu stepped forward to take the items, and they could discuss the steward's matters later. But the New Year's gifts from the Second Household arrived surprisingly early this year.
The Feng family was a prestigious family in the northwest province of Liangzhou, with a history spanning hundreds of years.
There was a family rule stating that the main branch could pursue official careers while the second branch should remain in the northwest to stabilize the family business.
Therefore, the one in charge of family affairs now was not Feng Jinyao's father but her second uncle.
"Second Uncle is indeed efficient, sending the gifts before us. What rare items did he send this year?"
Feng Jinyao couldn't forget her second uncle, a prominent figure in Liangzhou.
Not only was he skilled in managing the family's assets, but he also married the daughter of a wealthy family in Liangzhou.
Her second aunt was even called 'Lady Zhuge' in her maiden days, known for her cunning mind and generosity, especially towards the younger generation.
She remembered when she got married; her second aunt sent ten thousand taels of silver as dowry and a pure gold pig, which even impressed her mother.
Upon hearing this, Bai Mama was also delighted and handed over the gift list to Feng Jinyao.
The thick book indicated the weightiness of the New Year's gifts.
"It's similar to previous years, but this year they've sent a few skilled florists. It's said that they can cultivate flowers and plants that bloom beautifully even in winter. Our courtyard will be in full bloom ahead of the New Year."
The joy in her words delighted everyone present.
Feng Jinyao felt the same way. If the courtyard could be adorned with flowers and plants, it might improve her mother's and sister-in-law's mood, both of whom had been ill for many days.
When people were happy, illnesses might heal faster.
Therefore, she greatly appreciated the New Year's gifts from the Second Household and immediately made arrangements.
"Prepare a room for them and treat them like the stewards at the main entrance. Also, clear some space near the garden for them to cultivate more flowers. If they can indeed nurture flowers in winter, send some pots to Grandmother. She will surely be delighted."
Bai Mama was even happier upon hearing this.
After giving these instructions, Feng Jinyao turned to the others and said, "Bai Mama and I still have some things to discuss. You may leave first."
After that, she gestured for Feng Yunhe to come forward.
After their conversation just now, Feng Yunhe now felt much closer to her than before.
"Go back to your courtyard and tidy up your things. Explain everything to sister-in-law and then bring your books. The study is already prepared with silver thread charcoal and it's warm inside. You won't freeze your hands while practicing calligraphy."
"Thank you, Aunt. I'll go get my things now."
With a cheerful mood, Feng Yunhe ran off to the courtyard, completely different from his serious demeanor earlier.
Bai Mama was somewhat surprised. "The eldest nephew seems to be in a good mood today."
"He's happy because Big Brother has arranged for his schooling next year."
"I see. I usually see Big Brother with a serious face and thought he wasn't concerned about these matters. I didn't expect him to handle it so well. This way, Madam can rest assured."
Mentioning her mother's illness, Feng Jinyao made an excuse to dismiss the others before asking.
"Is Mother's cough getting better?"
At this point, Bai Mama's eyes were teary, but she nodded happily.
"Thanks to Miss's timely discovery, Madam's throat has improved a lot after taking medicine for the past two days. But to fully recover, it may take a while. Madam is pretending to take medicine to avoid alerting anyone."
"That's good." Feng Jinyao finally felt some relief.
No wonder the Ren family in the southern part of the city was so famous. This cough medicine was indeed extraordinary.
"Mother's cough has been lingering for a long time and I'm afraid it might trigger other illnesses. When I went to see Mother the other day, I felt that besides the cough, her breathing seemed a bit rapid. Could it be that her cough has triggered her asthma?"
Bai Mama frowned for a moment and then shook her head.
"Before Madam got married, she had a few episodes of asthma, but after marrying Master, everything that could trigger Madam's asthma was completely removed from the house. It's been so many years and Madam hasn't had a single episode of asthma since then. It shouldn't be."
Father's concern for Mother was evident to everyone.
However, someone close to Mother had been poisoning her medicine for so long, and they must be very familiar with Mother's asthma condition as well.
If that person had malicious intentions, it wouldn't be impossible. So she reminded Bai Mama.
"It's better not to take it lightly. Please go back and double-check everything carefully. We must not give the other party a chance to harm Mother again!"
Upon hearing her words, Bai Mama also felt it made sense and immediately nodded, promising to investigate thoroughly.
After Bai Mama left, Yunxu brought up the household accounts and the steward's key that had just been received.
"Miss, do you want to check the accounts now?"
"No rush. The steward in charge of the accounts is Mother's trusted aide, so there shouldn't be any problems. The most important thing now is Mother's illness."
Bai Mama would take care of the matter on her side, but they couldn't be careless in the courtyard either.
"Don't worry, Miss. Doctor Zhang's people are already watching closely. As soon as there's any news, they'll report back. Moreover, Madam is blessed with good fortune and I believe she will recover."
"Let's hope so. Yunxu, I remember you're quite knowledgeable about things that could trigger asthma in people. "
Yunxu nodded. She was meticulous in her work, and Bai Mama had previously instructed her, so she remembered it well.
"In that case, arrange for a thorough cleaning of the courtyard. Say that it's almost New Year's and everything that needs to be cleaned or replaced should be done. Not a single thing that could trigger Mother's asthma should be left."
"Rest assured, Miss."
Lunch was simple, and just as they were feeling full and relaxed, Xiuqiu came in to report that Madam Wen had also come along.
Feng Jinyao frowned. Her sister-in-law was still sick and it was snowing outside. Did she come all this way just for Yunhe's schooling?
Sure enough, as soon as Madam Wen entered, she burst into tears, expressing her gratitude to Feng Jinyao and lamenting that she had nothing to repay her with, making Feng Jinyao feel a bit embarrassed.
