Rebirth: Contract Husband Falls in Love with Me-Chapter 420 - 215: Gu Fangzi Returns to the Residence (Part 2)

Gu Fangzi paused for a moment and asked Xingzhi with a smile, "When did we plant so many rose bushes? They do make the place lively when in bloom!"

Xingzhi replied with a light smile, "Replying to young Miss, they were planted before the New Year; the young mistress likes them, so the young master specifically had people bring them in from various places. You didn’t see during the New Year’s period, there were even more! The vases and flower vases in the house were all filled, and the fragrance filled the whole house."

The smile on Gu Fangzi’s face stiffened slightly, and she reluctantly let out an "oh" with a smile, feeling a sour bitterness in her heart as if a hand were tightly squeezing it. Why did she ask this question? She deserves to be frustrated!

Gu Fangzi forcefully repressed the sourness in her heart, enduring the acidity as she gracefully entered the room. She went into the warm pavilion and respectfully greeted Sang Wan with a curtsy, saying with a smile, "I’ve come to pay my respects to my sister. I should have come earlier, but I was chatting with my aunt for a bit longer, and aunt even kept me for a meal. I didn’t realize how late it had gotten! Fearing that my sister would blame me, I hurried over right away. Please don’t be offended by my tardiness!"

"It’s just a small matter; how could I possibly blame you? Mother likes you, so by keeping her company, you’re also doing a duty of filial piety on behalf of me and the young master. I’m grateful to you, not the other way around!" Sang Wan smiled faintly.

Hearing this, Gu Fangzi felt extremely uncomfortable and replied with a smile, "As long as my sister doesn’t blame me, I am relieved! Aunt has treated me with immense kindness, and I should naturally be filial to her. It’s not appropriate for my sister to thank me for this—I dare not accept such gratitude!"

Sang Wan smiled without arguing, then continued, "Now that you have finished mourning, the peony garden naturally should be redecorated. Everyone has different preferences, and I can only do so much. Moreover, there are other matters in the house to take care of, so you’ll have to put in more effort yourself. The items from before have all been stored in the warehouse, and the inventory list has been handed to you. You can have someone open the warehouse to retrieve them, and I will also have Mrs. Li assist you. After all, she was the one who put in the effort when tidying up your courtyard before. How does that sound?"

With Sang Wan putting it so clearly, what else could Gu Fangzi do? She certainly couldn’t expect Sang Wan to personally arrange her courtyard. That being settled, Gu Fangzi became secretly annoyed that Mrs. Li was also assigned to supervise her.

Before Gu Fangzi could voice anything, Mrs. Li had already stepped forward to pay her respects to Sang Wan: "Rest assured, young mistress, this servant will ensure everything is arranged properly, so the young miss need not worry! Although I’m old in years, I’m not senile. I don’t mean to boast, but when it comes to handling affairs, even the madam has never found fault with my work!"

"Of course," said Sang Wan with a chuckle, turning to Gu Fangzi, "What do you think?"

Gu Fangzi responded with a grateful smile, "Having Mrs. Li take matters into her own hands is beyond my expectation and I feel undeserving. How could I have any objections! Let’s do it this way, and thank you for your trouble, Mrs. Li! Oh, sister, the peony garden hasn’t been sorted out yet, and it isn’t convenient for me to move in. Aunt suggested that I stay with her for a few days, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to come over in the morning to greet you. Please understand!"

Mrs. Li’s brow furrowed slightly, both shocked and annoyed in her heart. It was unexpected that just after returning today, Gu Fangzi was already cozying up to Mrs. Wang.

As for Sang Wan, she was quite composed. Her mother-in-law had complained countless times before about how Sang Wan ought to treat Gu Fangzi, her "sister." She always stood up for her, so it wasn’t a big deal for her to stay. With a few passive responses, she sent Gu Fangzi on her way.

"That vixen has no shame!" Mrs. Li spat behind Gu Fangzi’s departing figure: "With the young master away from home, she doesn’t bother wasting her efforts. Instead, she’s set her sights on the madam!"

"Mrs. Li," Sang Wan said with a sigh and a smile, "Don’t get angry about it, it’s not worth your health! Mother has always been fond of her, and since the peony garden needs sorting out, it’s not strange for her to stay a few days."

"How can it be nothing!" Mrs. Li became agitated and said, "The servants can see this! Young mistress, think about it. As soon as she returns, the madam keeps her by her side to share meals and lodging. In the eyes of the servants, isn’t that favoritism? Those with shallow judgment might even think that you’ve fallen out of favor! She’s always been cunning and might win over people’s hearts. Besides, she’s not without connections in this estate, who knows what she could be up to!"

Sang Wan had not initially considered this perspective, but hearing Mrs. Li put it this way, she also felt a moment of slight astonishment.

Seeing Sang Wan’s reaction, Mrs. Li regretted adding to her worries and quickly smiled again, "I just said that in passing; it’s not really a big deal! But it does show that her intentions are not pure. We just need to be on our guard! You, however, shouldn’t take it to heart. Just focus on recuperating. For the rest of the trivial matters, you have me, Xingzhi, and Liu Ya to rely on!"

Sang Wan’s heart eased, and she smiled gratefully, "It’s still Mrs. Li who treats me the best!"

Mrs. Li chuckled, "Before the young master left, he made sure to tell me to serve the young mistress well! I keep all his words in mind!"

Sang Wan’s eyes dimmed, and she forced a smile. She wondered where that man was now.

Regretting her slip of the tongue, Mrs. Li quickly changed the subject with a laugh.

Regarding the redecoration of the peony garden, Gu Fangzi did not cause any trouble. She only went to take a look around each day, checked her belongings against the list and saw nothing missing, and then let Mrs. Li make all the decisions. It wasn’t that Gu Fangzi was willing, but she was more aware of the numerous times her cousin had reminded her to "bear in mind one’s position." He had told her to remember, and she certainly would. It was better not to give people something to gossip about upon his return.

Mrs. Li was initially on high alert, yet was surprisingly astonished by her compliance.

However, during this time, an incident occurred that was neither minor nor serious.

The cause was Gu Fangzi chatting with Mrs. Wang, who knows how they got to the topic of crispy meringue, a snack that Mrs. Wang favored. However, it was labor-intensive to make and was not often prepared. That day, Gu Fangzi whetted Mrs. Wang’s appetite, and she couldn’t help but mention it. Gu Fangzi then said with a smile: "Aunt hardly ever indulges in a craving over the course of a year; since you wish to eat it, you should have the kitchen make some. I’ll also have the fortune to taste it, thanks to Aunt’s generosity!"