Chapter 76: Burning Paper Offerings

Liang Tian’er lent Jiang Dai two maids.

One was twenty-one years old, named Chunlai.

The other was twenty-four, named Dongqu.

Liang Tian’er had given clear instructions. Both girls were dressed in coarse linen and carried their own change of clothes.

“Just tell others they’re distant relatives from my maternal side. Their family’s not well-off, so the two of you will have to make do for now.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The two girls answered in unison, then fell silent again.

Jiang Dai looked at the quiet, reserved pair, wanting to say something, but held back. Some things were better left until they got home.

On the way back, the auntie riding in the ox cart with them grew curious and asked about the girls’ background.

But the two maids didn’t say much, and Jiang Dai brushed off the questions with a few vague replies.

“We’re almost home. Tonight, you can squeeze in with me and my daughter.”

Jiang Dai decided to send Bai Tian to the side room to sleep with the three boys.

“Alright.”

Chunlai and Dongqu nodded in unison, then fell silent once more.

Jiang Dai sighed inwardly.

Forget it. Maybe they’re just introverts. If they don’t want to talk, there’s no need to force them.

As they turned onto the narrow country path, Jiang Dai spotted Little Juanjuan sitting at the doorstep, hugging her knees, her little head bobbing as she waited boredly for her mother to return.

“Juanjuan!” Jiang Dai couldn’t help but call out to her little one.

Juanjuan, who had been watching ants on the ground, suddenly looked up.

There was her mother, smiling brightly.

“Mama!”

The little girl forgot all about the ants and ran straight toward her.

As soon as she got close, her mother bent down and scooped her up.

Juanjuan had already mastered the art of wrapping her arms around her mother’s neck and finding a cozy spot in her embrace.

“Did you miss Mama~?”

Jiang Dai’s voice turned soft and playful as she snuggled her daughter affectionately.

She couldn’t help it. There was no need to get all cuddly with the three boys at home. This was ancient times, after all—gender roles were taken quite seriously.

If anyone was going to cuddle with the boys, let Bai Tian do it!

“I missed Mama. Missed you the most…”

After a moment of cuddling, Juanjuan peeked over her mother’s shoulder at the two aunties following behind.

Juanjuan asked, “Mama, who are they?”

Jiang Dai replied, “This is Sister Chunlai…?”

Chunlai: What’s there to be uncertain about?

“Would you prefer she call you ‘Sister’ or ‘Auntie’?”

Jiang Dai asked politely.

【Well, in modern times, it wouldn’t be strange for Juanjuan to call them ‘Sister.’ And girls in their early twenties usually like being called ‘Sister’ by little kids.】

【But the original Jiang Dai is only twenty-five herself, just a few years older than Chunlai and Dongqu. ‘Auntie’ might make more sense. Better to let them decide.】

Chunlai: “Sister.”

Dongqu: “Auntie.”

Jiang Dai pressed her lips together in mild embarrassment.

Juanjuan looked at her mother in confusion, unsure what she was supposed to say.

Chunlai: “Auntie.”

Dongqu: “Sister.”

Jiang Dai’s mouth twitched, and she barely managed to hold back a laugh.

She kept a straight face, but inside, she was cracking up.

【This is bad. I’ve watched too many short videos—my sense of humor’s completely broken. I laugh at the dumbest things now.】

Juanjuan looked from her mother to the two… sister-aunties.

Dongqu raised a hand to stop Chunlai. “Don’t say anything. Let’s go with ‘Auntie.’”

Chunlai: “…Okay.”

Juanjuan gave a shy little smile and said, “Hello, Auntie.”

Dongqu and Chunlai: “Hello, Juanjuan.”

Not exactly a great start. That earlier exchange was painfully out of sync!

So, the two who were already quiet became even more silent.

They stepped into the small courtyard.

Jiang Dai saw Bai Tian chopping firewood with an axe, their eldest son helping beside him.

“Working hard, aren’t you!”

Bai Tian smiled at Jiang Dai, then set down the axe and said to the eldest boy, “Go gather the firewood. I’ll heat water for your bath tonight.”

Bai Yunqi’s eyes lit up. “Great!”

【My bathwater’s ready—I can continue my Marrow Cleansing and Meridian Washing!!】

But Juanjuan’s little nose wrinkled slightly.

She remembered the awful stench the last time her big brother fell into the latrine pit.

Back then, he’d mentioned something about Marrow Cleansing and Meridian Washing. Could it really not have been the latrine, but this so-called Marrow Cleansing and Meridian Washing?

She didn’t get it, and she didn’t dare ask.

Juanjuan shook her little head, telling herself not to be so terribly curious.

When she grew up, she’d understand!

Still, it looked like Big Brother was going to stink again.

“What’s with that wrinkled little nose? Something smelly in the house?”

Bai Tian, having just wiped his hands clean, reached out and tapped the little one’s nose with a bright, sunny smile on his face.

Juanjuan smiled and shook her head. “Nope, not smelly right now.”

But tonight? Who knows!

Juanjuan suddenly realized—she’d learned how to complain in her head too!

The little one froze in place.

Bai Tian couldn’t help but laugh.

He reached out and ruffled his daughter’s hair. She was just too adorable!

“And these two are…?”

Only after finishing his chat with his wife and daughter did Bai Tian politely turn to the two people who had followed them in.

Jiang Dai said, “My distant cousins, Chunlai and Dongqu.”

【The kids are still young, so let’s just say they’re distant relatives. Who knows if one of them might blurt out the truth someday!】

Juanjuan, who was already keeping a mountain of secrets and now had one more: …

Oh no, she’d found out another one!!!

Bai Tian naturally understood what was going on and played along with Jiang Dai.

“I’m Bai Tian. Nice to meet you.”

Dongqu and Chunlai gave a polite bow.

“They might be introverts…”

Jiang Dai leaned in and whispered her guess to Bai Tian.

Bai Tian leaned in as well and whispered back, “Got it.”

“Yunqi, come say hello to your two distant aunties.”

Jiang Dai called over her eldest son to make the introductions.

Bai Yunqi, in high spirits, came over and cheerfully greeted them, then happily went back to gathering firewood.

Watching her joyful eldest son, Jiang Dai suddenly seemed to remember something.

“Your big brother goes by his full name now, and your second and third brothers said they want to be called by their full names too. Juanjuan, do you still want Mommy to call you Juanjuan, or should I start calling you Yunshu?”

Juanjuan hadn’t expected her mother to ask her that.

She thought for a moment and said, “Juanjuan.”

Big Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother had all changed, so it made sense for them to use their real names.

But Juanjuan hadn’t changed—so she’d stay Juanjuan!

She leaned into her mother’s arms, thinking of the mother from before.

After a moment’s hesitation, the little one finally voiced something she’d been wanting to do for a long time.

“Mommy, can we burn some paper offerings together?”

Jiang Dai: ?

Though puzzled, she gently asked her little girl, “Sweetheart, what made you think of that?”

Juanjuan’s tiny hands clenched as she quietly explained the reason she’d been turning over in her mind again and again.

“I used to have a little cat. It died, and no one but me knew it was gone.”

Juanjuan looked nervous.