The Double

Chapter 17 Family

Jiang Bingji's single sentence made Jiang Li's current situation extremely awkward.

Tong'er stood beside Jiang Li, wanting to defend her mistress, but as a maid, she had no place to speak here.

Jiang Bingji's words reminded everyone present of how vicious Jiang Li had been in the past. A woman who would harm her own blood relative was truly frightening.

Jiang Li acted as if she hadn't heard Jiang Bingji's words at all, her smile never faltering as she said to him, "So this is my younger brother? I didn't expect you to be so tall already. How adorable."

Her praise seemed genuine, but to Ji Shuran's ears, it sounded malicious. Before she could speak, Jiang Bingji shouted loudly, "Who's your brother? You're a murderer!"

Saying it once was bad enough, but repeating it made it particularly grating. Especially since Jiang Bingji raised his voice, Jiang Yuanbai's face darkened as he said, "Who taught you to speak like that?"

Jiang Bingji shrank back, seemingly afraid of his father, and fell silent.

Old Madam Jiang patted Jiang Bingji's back comfortingly and glared at Jiang Yuanbai. "If you have something to say, say it properly. Why take your anger out on a child?" She then turned to Jiang Li and said calmly, "Second girl, come meet your uncles and aunts."

Following instructions, Jiang Li finally looked up at the others.

Besides the eldest branch represented by Jiang Yuanbai, the Jiang residence also housed the second branch of Jiang Yuanping's family and the third branch of Jiang Yuanxing's family.

Jiang Yuanping was Jiang Yuanbai's legitimate brother, currently serving as a third-rank Transmission Commissioner in Yanjing City. His wife was Lu Shi, the legitimate daughter of a Transportation Officer, making them a well-matched couple.

Jiang Yuanping had a portly build, quite different from Jiang Yuanbai's handsome and graceful appearance. He appeared amiable and smiled frequently, treating Jiang Li quite kindly. Lu Shi was a typical noble lady of Yanjing, very particular about her attire. With a quick glance, Jiang Li noticed her clothes and hairpins were mostly adorned with jewels, suggesting she wasn't short of money and enjoyed dressing up. Though Lu Shi had a delicate and graceful appearance, her eyes were sharp and shrewd, complementing Jiang Yuanping's nature. She took off a string of jade beads from her wrist as a gift for Jiang Li, saying "It's good to have you back" while continuously observing Jiang Li.

Jiang Li accepted it graciously.

As for the third branch's Jiang Yuanxing, he was the son of Old Master Jiang's concubine, making him an illegitimate child. Although he was an illegitimate child, he coexisted peacefully with the other two branches of the Jiang family. However, Old Madam Jiang didn't particularly like the third branch and always treated them indifferently. Jiang Yuanxing had a delicate and frail appearance, seeming somewhat timid. His wife, Yang Shi, however, appeared to have a sharp temper. She was said to be the illegitimate daughter of a Rectification Officer. Although she was an illegitimate daughter, a Rectification Officer held a higher rank than Jiang Yuanxing's position as a Proofreader. Probably because of this, Yang Shi always felt she had married beneath her and treated Jiang Yuanxing quite domineeringly.

When Jiang Li exchanged greetings with the third branch, Yang Shi gave her a pair of pearl earrings. These pearl earrings were old, and it was unclear whether it was because the third branch was struggling financially or because Yang Shi was stingy. In any case, compared to the jade beads given by Lu Shi, they were practically worthless.

These were Jiang Li's second uncle and aunt, and third uncle and aunt. Standing beside Lu Shi were two young men. The older one, about sixteen or seventeen, resembled Jiang Yuanping - chubby and smiling. The younger one was about Jiang Li's age and took after Lu Shi in appearance, quite handsome. He was staring intently at Jiang Li, but when she looked back, he immediately averted his gaze.

Jiang Yuanbai said, "This is your elder cousin Jingyou and second cousin Jingrui."

So these were the two legitimate grandsons of the second branch.Third Wife Yang Shi had two daughters who appeared to be around Jiang Li's age. The elder one, Jiang Yuyan, had plain features and wore extremely simple clothing, appearing somewhat timid. The younger one, Jiang Yu'e, possessed the delicate charm of a modest beauty, dressed more vibrantly than her sister, and stared at Jiang Li with an unreadable expression.

These were the family of Second Miss Jiang.

Standing in the hall, gazing at these completely unfamiliar faces—her nominal relatives—Jiang Li's mind drifted to memories of Tongxiang County, where she used to play and laugh with Xue Huaiyuan and Xue Zhao.

Despite the luxurious surroundings and opulent splendor here, Jiang Li found nothing worth cherishing in the Jiang residence. Her family members regarded her with probing, assessing eyes—some harboring ulterior motives, others ill intentions—making this seemingly elegant and tranquil mansion feel fraught with hidden dangers.

Their stares might have been due to the long separation making genuine closeness impossible. Only Jiang Yuanping exchanged a few words with Jiang Li; the others remained largely silent. Jiang Li even detected fear and disdain in the eyes of her two half-sisters, Jiang Yu'e and Jiang Yuyan, likely because her past reputation for scheming against her stepmother and half-brother remained deeply ingrained. People still viewed her as a vicious, ruthless woman and avoided association with her.

Surprisingly, Jiang Yuanbai seemed unaware of this. Seeing that Jiang Li had greeted her relatives, he said to Ji Shuran, "Madam, have someone take Li'er to her courtyard. She must be tired from the journey and should rest early today."

Jiang Yuanbai's relatively gentle attitude toward Jiang Li caused varied reactions among those in the Evening Phoenix Hall.

Ji Shuran smiled and replied, "Even without your instruction, I had already made arrangements. Sun Momo," she instructed, "take Second Miss to her quarters." Suddenly remembering something, she turned to Jiang Li with a smile, "Li'er, since you've just returned, I noticed you only have one young maid attending to you, which seems inadequate. I thought to assign two more maids to serve you." She then addressed Old Madam Jiang on the elevated seat, "Xiang Qiao and Yun Xiang from my courtyard are diligent and well-behaved. I'd like to assign them to Second Miss. What does Mother think?"

Old Madam Jiang replied indifferently, "Do as you see fit."

Ji Shuran smiled again and asked Jiang Li, "Does Li'er like this arrangement?"

Observing Ji Shuran's gentle and considerate demeanor, Jiang Li found it amusing. She couldn't comprehend why Ji Shuran, who already had a legitimate son and held Jiang Yuanbai's affection, remained so insecure that she wouldn't even spare a notorious legitimate daughter who hadn't returned home in seven years. Immediately upon Jiang Li's return, Ji Shuran had planted her own people beside her.

Jiang Li smiled faintly, "Since it's Mother's kind intention, Li'er naturally appreciates it. I gratefully accept."

Ji Shuran seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and seeing his wife and daughter getting along harmoniously, Jiang Yuanbai's expression relaxed considerably. He said, "Then let's not delay. Take Li'er to settle in first."

Sun Momo promptly led Jiang Li away.

The Jiang residence, housing three branches of the family, was naturally spacious. As Jiang Li followed Sun Momo, she was unfamiliar with the paths, but Tong'er recognized them. The deeper they went, the more peculiar Tong'er's expression became.

The courtyard was indeed very remote. When they finally arrived, Jiang Li stared blankly at the three characters inscribed above the gate.At the courtyard gate hung a small wooden plaque. The calligraphy wasn't particularly elegant, yet it carried an inexplicable charm of free-spirited loveliness.

Fragrant Garden Courtyard.

Jiang Li couldn't quite name the emotion stirring in her heart. After pausing for a long moment, she murmured softly, "Fangfei..."

"This was the courtyard where Madam used to recuperate from her illness," Tong'er reminded her quietly from beside her.

(End of Chapter)