A/N: Managed to do this chapter during the hot af California heat wave. Lmao
-Lucicelo
Zhang Xuehua grew accustomed to her current dilemma.
She acted as if she was daydreaming or distracted for He Jiao to take it upon herself to guide her along. With one hand on He Jiao's outstretched hand, Zhang Xuehua looked around, seemingly observing the upkeep of the castle. Of course, inside of her mind, she was in awe of the red color scheme and expensive furniture she came across. The golden lined curtain ties alone would supplement a family for a month or two.
No matter where she walked into, the servants quickly bowed deep, greeting her with her title. Some appeared fearful, nervous at the sight of her lingering glances. Almost as if they expected her to find something wrong and run to Wen Zongzhu. She was too lazy to waste Wen Ruohan's time over clumsy servants. Punishing someone who didn't have gravity's luck was just like kicking a puppy. She wasn't about to do it.
The scheming and greedy servants, on the other hand, were fair game.
Zhang Xuehua caught a few of those sorts during her little tour of her new home. He Jiao didn't have to point them out to her. Zhang Xuehua was not blind to the piercing glances these servants sent to the golden coated furniture of the palace. Contemplating whether or not to risk their heads over a bit of gold engraving on whatever piece of furniture they could grab.
These people always exposed themselves in the act or were bought off by infiltrators. Surely, Wen Ruohan kept sharp eyed servants who disposed of or brought these people to his attention. There was no way that man didn't have well trained guards blending into his staff to keep an extra eye on his castle.
The Dreamer tried looking into Original's memories to find these people, but there was no inkling of them.
Opening her fan to cover her mouth, Zhang Xuehua muttered. "I wonder…where are the guards?"
He Jiao leaned close to Zhang Xuehua's ear to answer. "A majority of the guards blend into the shadows to better observe the inhabitants of this castle. The visible ones are spread throughout Qishan Wen."
"Hmm…and how may I recognize them? Before I accidentally stab one of these guards with Mingzhu, of course." Zhang Xuehua made a mental note to begin taking Mingzhu from her dust-filled closet. Poor thing was possibly suffocating under the dust bunnies.
He Jiao snorted. "They have a sun brand on their left hand. Wen Furen, you saw them on the first day of your marriage. How could you forget?"
Inwardly panicking, Zhang Xuehua let out a sharp breath. "A-Ah, well… I have been inside of my rooms throughout all this time. It is obvious that I would have forgotten how to recognize my own guards."
He Jiao sighed. "I should have known you would forget your own home during these years of self-isolation. You're going to need a good refresher, Wen Furen. And it shall happen as soon as possible."
"And I will happily comply with these studying sessions!" Zhang Xuehua's high pitched voice was evident to her own ears, she hoped He Jiao didn't notice. "I cannot embarrass myself in front of Wen Zongzhu because of my own forgetfulness."
He Jiao nodded.
Passing by them, a servant dropped the basket of laundry onto the ground. Almost crying while she attempted to pick up the clean laundry as Zhang Xuehua and He Jiao turned to the sound of the noise.
The servant bowed on top of the basket. "This servant apologizes for dropping the bedding, Wen Furen. Please, excuse this lowly one for her mistake!"
Zhang Xuehua wanted to curse the universe for having people trip over themselves around her. This happened far more times than she ever wanted to experience. The awkwardness of having to watch and listen to someone beg at her feet was mortifying.
Through the servant's claims of forgiveness, passing servants paused or slowed their stride with baskets or cleaning products in their arms. The more daring servants peeked behind pillars, abandoning their duties to watch the show.
There were two elders who paused in place to watch her reaction. Zhang Xuehua recognized the fancy Qishan Wen robes and haughty attitude. One in particular, Wen Guang, narrowed his eyes, criticizing her from head to toe. The old man never liked Zhang Xuehua. He pushed for docile women to be Wen Ruohan's wife. His list of women was denied by Wen Ruohan without even looking at the paper.
Considering the volatile nature of Wen Ruohan, none of them would have survived being his wife. Zhang Xuehua survived so far by bearing a son, her cultivation skills, strong golden core, and ability to keep out of the way. These docile women would have been taken advantage of by those who wanted to gain power and usurp her husband's place.
The Dreamer remembered multiple period dramas displaying the viciousness of power plays. She was in awe of the manner these people tricked and used people for their own gain. In some instances, she cheered for these people to win.
In this new life, she had to tread carefully.
Not everyone was her friend.
Except for He Jiao.
Wen Ruohan didn't count, he was her husband. She needed to wheedle herself closer to him to become his most trusted friend and confidant. This would take a long time for her to accomplish. If she was able to accomplish this feat at all.
The growing whispers echoed through the hallway, causing a simple spilled laundry basket into a larger spectacle.
Gulping down the lump in her throat, Zhang Xuehua demanded. "Is there filth on the bedding?"
The young lady rushed to inspect the sheets, fingers trembling as she frantically looked at every inch of the fabric. She appeared visibly frazzled, tears cascaded down her cheeks.
Zhang Xuehua hid her frown with her fan. She knew Qishan Wen servants were nervous and jumpy, but to collapse onto the floor to expect death over laundry? The instinct to tell this woman not to worry about this incident was on the tip of her tongue. She bit her tongue to stop herself.
"T-There is no...dirt." The servant hiccupped.
"Good. The lack of dirt on those sheets means that the servants who cleaned my floors were above my expectations." Zhang Xuehua informed the growing crowd of servants. "Proceed."
The woman dried her tears as she bowed deep. "Thank you for your mercy, Wen Furen." She rushed away, taking away the growing whispers of the staff who looked at Wen Furen with questions on their faces.
Zhang Xuehua turned away from them, motioning to He Jiao to continue on guiding her along. He Jiao did as commanded.
"I…am not going to get used to that."
"Pardon?"
Zhang Xuehua looked at He Jiao through the corner of her eyes. "Are all the Qishan Wen staff this… scared?"
He Jiao discreetly nodded her head. "The less seasoned servants are still getting their footing in this castle. They will improve quickly."
Zhang Xuehua sighed. "And many wonder why I never leave my rooms. These servants act like timid little rabbits who need a tender coo to calm them down. Please, tell me Xu-er's caretakers are not so submissive to let him overrule them?"
He Jiao said. "Not at all. Wen Gongzi's main nanny is particular in keeping him from leaving his wing of the castle. He has not gotten lost since he first started to walk."
"Ah, good." Zhang Xuehua sighed. "One less aspect of my life to worry about."
As He Jiao led her past the kitchens, Zhang Xuehua wanted to slap herself.
Damn.
She forgot to visit her new son.
Wen Xu relished being left alone in his room.
The opportunity came when his nanny, clingy and overbearing as she was, left to deal with a problem. Something about a servant breaking expensive items. Wen Xu cared little to listen. Whatever the servants broke or ripped was none of his business.
He could play around with his lightweight wooden sword without multiple eyes staring at him. His caretakers watched his every move to make sure he didn't hit himself. One hit and they fussed over him as if he cut off his finger. He didn't want their attention. He wanted his parents, but they were not around.
His mother's servant, He Jiao, didn't have to stare at him at all times. The woman was comfortable in checking his food without sneaking peeks at him. Wen Xu was certain the woman had eyes around her head.
How else would she know he tried grabbing his sword behind her back?
While she checked his food, Wen Xu couldn't help but ask for his mother. His caretakers wouldn't know anything about his father, so he never asked about him. Questions about his father were for the elders. He Jiao knew everything about his mother. He asked her about mother when she inspected his food.
His mother was always unwell. Unable to leave her rooms for different reasons He Jiao provided. Whenever she visited, she watched him with a smile on her face, but didn't stay around for long.
One morning in particular, He Jiao answered differently. "Wen Furen is feeling better this morning."
"Really?!" Wen Xu tempered his excitement as best he could, but he couldn't help raising his voice. "Will she come to visit?"
"I'm certain Wen Furen will visit you soon." He Jiao ate bites of his food and drank from his cup. She answered more of his questions before she left to tend to his mother.
Wen Xu waited with anticipation for his mother to come. The days felt longer and longer the more he waited.
"Psst!"
Wen Xu lifted his head up, turning his attention away from his toys to the direction of the sound. He gave the door a brief bored glance before he looked back at his toys. A second passed before he snapped his head back to the door, surprised to see his mother standing at the door.
His mother was standing there.
She was really there.
He Jiao didn't lie to him.
"Xu-er?" His mother smiled at him, making her pretty face even more pretty.
Getting up, Wen Xu toddled over to the door, almost jumping onto her legs to keep her from leaving. Instead of her patting his head and then leaving, she crouched down in front of him and pinched his cheek.
She poked his sides with a smile. He hated when his nanny did this to attempt to make him laugh, but his mother was gentle in her prodding. "Oh…you need to eat more. Look at you! You're skin and bones!"
Wen Xu squirmed at her poking fingers. "No! Muqin!"
"Oh? You don't like that?" His mother giggled. "I need to be present to feed you more. How can this mother be calm if she's not present for her son?"
At the mention of spending more time with her, Wen Xu eagerly nodded his head. "Spend more time with me, Muqin."
"A-Niang." His mother pouted. "I want you to call me, A-Niang. If that is alright, of course. You may still call me Muqin, if that is what you want. Don't feel pressured to please this mother."
Wen Xu took the opportunity to change the manner he addressed his mother. "A-Niang."
A feeling of pride filled him at her beaming smile. She seemed to almost want to squeal, but she contained herself before she kissed his cheek. His cheek tingled from the contact of his mother's kiss.
"And of course, I will spend more time with my Xu-er." She reached out her hand to fiddle with his little top bun. He resisted the urge to cover his hair in order to watch her play with his hair.
His mother exuded happiness through her whole body. Her voice sounded clear and upbeat. Her pink lips stretched into a huge smile, showing all of her teeth. She looked at him with an intense love that Wen Xu greedily soaked in.
There was a stark difference between the sad woman who visited him some time ago and this new woman. Something happened to change his mother for the better.
Relishing in her attention, Wen Xu didn't care to know the reason.
His mother was in front of him, doting on him in the same manner as other children. Children that he stared at with barely hidden envy on his face. All Wen Xu wanted was to have his parents spend time with him.
His mother was the main person he especially wanted to have back in his life. Once he grew older, he might spend more time with his father. As sect leader, his father was always busy with something.
"Do you want to come with me?"
Instead of answering, Wen Xu put his arms up.
His mother giggled before she grabbed him, got up, and rushed down the hallway. Clutching onto her robes, he heard his mother muttering about snacks. Wen Xu was kind of hungry. He hoped the servants brought plenty of plates of food.
"Wen Gongzi!" His nanny screamed far behind them.
Instead of his mother stopping or returning, she picked up her stride and turned the corner. Wen Xu clutched onto her robes even tighter. Excitement coursed through him as his mother laughed breathlessly.
Once they were far enough of a distance away, his mother slowed her run into a slow jog. Wen Xu snuggled against the crook of his mother's neck, almost falling asleep in her arms. His mother tickled his sides, making him playfully swipe away at her hands.
At some point, He Jiao joined them, clearly shocked to see Wen Xu away from his rooms. Wen Xu rarely left his rooms unless there was an important event Wen Xu needed to present himself for. The last time Wen Xu left his rooms, it was for his father's birthday.
He Jiao sighed. "Wen Furen."
Almost pouting, His mother huffed. "What? I wanted to get my son to get some fresh air. Am I not allowed to do that?"
"Yes, you're allowed to do as you please." He Jiao said. "Did you inform the nanny that you removed Wen Gongzi from his rooms?"
"Uh…." His mother chuckled. "This is a little joke. I wanted to see the reaction time of the caretakers and guards in looking for Xu-er. If they haven't found me in such a short amount of time, they need to get better at surveillance."
He Jiao arched her brow. "You're…testing them?"
"Yes!" His mother nodded her head.
Ignoring their conversation, Wen Xu inhaled his mother's sweet perfume. He rubbed his face against her skin, wanting to transfer some of her scent onto him. His hands dug into her robes, keeping her as close to him as possible.
He didn't want this dream to end.
When his mother kissed his forehead, his chest warmed up. Lifting up his head, he parted his fringe, giving her the clue to kiss him again. His mother chuckled before giving him multiple kisses.
He Jiao said with a smile. "Wen Furen, you will suffocate the young heir if you continue on kissing him."
"There's nothing wrong with a kiss. My Xu-er loves A-Niang's kisses!" His mother looked down at him with her bright eyes. "Don't you?"
"Hm. I do." Wen Xu tipped his head back enough for her to kiss his forehead again. Instead of his forehead, his mother kissed his lips and his cheeks.
At some point during their exploring, his mother took him inside of her private garden. Closed off to everyone but his mother, his father, her servant, and the gardener. No one dared to enter inside. Wen Xu always demanded his nanny to take him there, but she distracted him enough for the day to end.
His mother told He Jiao to bring a blanket to place on the grass. Forgoing the wooden pavilion to sit underneath a large tree near the middle of her garden. Wen Xu didn't care that his robes received grass stains. His mother certainly didn't care about her own robes. She sat down after growing impatient in waiting for He Jiao to return with the blanket.
He Jiao's scandalized look at the sight of them on the grass made his mother crackle out loud. His mother hastily got up as He Jiao rushed to put down the blanket and food basket to inspect their robes. Wen Xu tolerated her fussing as his mother teased her servant about her mother henning.
Once the fussing lessened, He Jiao removed plates of food and tea containers from the basket. Before He Jiao got up, his mother told her to sit back down. He Jiao didn't hesitate to sit down beside them. His mother handed her a cup of tea, telling her to enjoy herself.
Wen Xu didn't mind He Jiao's company. She didn't intervene between him and his mother. Better than his nanny and caretakers. They might have never let him leave his rooms to visit her, butting into his quality time with his mother.
For the rest of the afternoon, Wen Xu sat on his mother's lap.
Wen Xu experienced the best day of his life.
His mother spent almost the whole day with him. There were no scared servants or his pushy nanny to stop him from hiding in his mother's arms. His mother didn't set him aside to smooth down her robes, she kept an arm around him to keep him from leaving her lap. Of course, Wen Xu would follow his mother's wishes.
Who was he to leave her lap?
She fed him bites of food. While he chewed, she ate her own bite of food. This went on for a majority of his mealtime. His mother fed him by hand, not at all bothered to do so.
Whenever he tried to deny a piece of vegetable, his mother let out a disappointed sigh, making him eat the disgusting vegetable.
"I'm so happy that my Xu-er is not so picky!" His mother cooed. "You need to eat all of these vegetables to grow big and strong."
Wen Xu didn't believe her claims. Vegetables tasted gross. There was nothing good about them. But the approving smile on her face was worth eating another yucky vegetable.
"Are you sure?"
"Yup! Look at your father, he is tall and fit." His mother's smile appeared dream-like. "He ate every single vegetable on his plate and became so powerful." She coughed. "All great cultivators know to keep up healthy eating habits. If you don't eat well, you will be short and weak."
Wen Xu's eyes widened. "I don't want to be small!"
"Then, eat every single vegetable!" His mother said. "I want to live long enough to see my Xu-er grow taller than his mother."
Wen Xu tolerated another mouthful of vegetables and meat. He chewed and ate it. Opening his mouth, he showed his mother his mouth was empty.
"Good job!"
Wen Xu beamed.
Zhang Xuehua wondered if the nanny concealed the fact Wen Xu was missing. From her garden, there were no sounds of frantic guards, servants, anyone in a panic state, looking for Wen Xu.
She spent more than enough time outside of the castle waiting for a lockdown procedure to occur. To her disappointment, there was no lockdown procedure. Everyone was walking around doing their duties and laughing without a care in the world. If there was a real emergency, she was certain everyone would panic and run around as if their heads were chopped off.
She will have to explore all of Qishan Wen, map in hand, to build up a plan for various emergencies. As far as she knew, there was nothing concrete in place. They were susceptible for infiltration and break-ins. It was only because of Qishan Wen's dangerous notoriety that kept most robbers from breaking into her home. Adding onto the fact that Wen Ruohan would behead anyone who dared to step foot in his castle without his permission.
On her way to the garden, the concealed guards appeared in her peripheral, giving her a bow of acknowledgement before they dispersed into the darkness. They saw Wen Xu in her arms, happy to be in her presence. They knew he wasn't kidnapped and left without issue. Wen Xu was safe with his mother.
A dawning realization made her want to dissipate into the ground.
She didn't tell the guards to reassure the nanny she had Wen Xu. This was a huge mistake on her part. These guards didn't have to relay information to the nanny. These guards probably assumed she had told this woman she would take Wen Xu for the afternoon. They had better things to do than to be messengers unless they were told to send word.
Original was a ghost of a wife, keeping to her rooms instead of making her presence known. The Dreamer herself had not established herself into the role of Wen Furen as well. She needed to have established a meeting with the caretakers, making sure to create controlled tests and appropriate reactions for this scenario. Also, she needed to meet with the heads of every sector of Qishan Wen to go through the books and balance the budget.
She was far from being able to do this sort of test.
Who was she to do this to an innocent woman?
Original's memories showed the nanny was not a cultivator. She was a normal person who accepted the job due to connections with distant family members of Qishan Wen. She must have thought bothering the guards would be a waste of her time.
Zhang Xuehua looked up to the sky, feeling the waves of shame come onto her.
Looking down at her drowsy son, Zhang Xuehua found herself smiling. Wen Xu laid in the middle of her crossed legs, slowly falling asleep after eating his midday meal.
He Jiao had since disposed of their food basket to the kitchens. Returning with a shawl to cover Zhang Xuehua to cover herself with on account of the incoming chill of the afternoon. Considering she held Wen Xu in her arms, he was more than warm enough to battle off the chill.
All of a sudden, the sound of incoming footsteps brought Zhang Xuehua and He Jiao's attention. The nanny appeared through the threshold of her garden gate, ghost faced and terrified.
Zhang Xuehua sighed.
Slowly gathering Wen Xu in her arms, she cradled him close to her chest, making sure to maneuver him into a comfortable position. He turned his head to burrow his face into her chest. Almost falling asleep in her arms, but the encounter with the nanny would wake him up.
The nanny stopped before her, bowing deeply. "Wen Furen!"
"Do you have any idea how long I have waited here?" Zhang Xuehua asked. "Hours. Multiple hours. I thought I would have an appropriate reaction to the disappearance of my son."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't think I didn't notice that he was left alone in his room for who knows how long. I happened to have passed by his room and saw him by himself. Someone else could have taken him and none of us would have known any better." Zhang Xuehua kept her voice leveled.
The nanny, whose name Old Zhang Xuehua didn't care to remember, kowtowed deeply. She didn't dare lift up her head as she pressed her face against the floor. Zhang Xuehua was certain this woman's nose was getting dirty from the exposed ground.
Beside Zhang Xuehua, He Jiao inputted. "When Wen Furen informed me that she was testing you for your response to Wen Gongzi disappearing, I thought this was going to be a short endeavor. Wen Jia, this is not acceptable."
Zhang Xuehua didn't expect to find out that the nanny was of the Wen family. Although, making a member of the Wen family Wen Xu's nanny did make sense. Better to have a family member care for the heir than an outsider.
Wen Jia cried out. "My apologies for not succeeding in my test! I thought I would have found Wen Gongzi immediately. The last time he disappeared, I found him wandering near the kitchens! I swear! I would have never left him alone if I was not needed to fix an issue with Wen Gongzi's robes. They were dyed the wrong color by the dye experts."
"Get up." Zhang Xuehua commanded.
Wen Jia scrambled onto her feet, her nose was indeed brown and green from pushing her face onto the grass.
"He Jiao, please wet a handkerchief and hand it to her." Zhang Xuehua continued speaking as He Jiao did as she was asked. "Remember this lesson, Wen Gongzi is the most important person, besides Wen Zongzhu, in this whole sect. I wanted to see how fast you would react to his disappearance. There are hidden guards around this whole sect. Use them. If they cause trouble or refuse to provide assistance, come to me and I will deal with them."
Wen Jia cleaned up her face, sniffling into the handkerchief. "Yes, Wen Furen."
"And I apologize for my place in this whole debacle." Zhang Xuehua bowed her head.
"N-No, Wen Furen, there is no need to apologize! This one didn't think to ask the guards-"
"I didn't inform them about having taken Xu-er." Zhang Xuehua interjected softly. Lifting up her head, her grimace was plain to see. "I have not established a line of communication with you to begin these tests. I took it upon myself to do this without forethought. A huge mistake on my part. Add onto the fact that Qishan Wen guards do not report anything unless prompted or the perpetrator is a danger to the sect. As Wen Furen, I am not a danger until I become a danger to Wen Zongzhu and Xu-er."
Zhang Xuehua slowly transferred Wen Xu into the nanny's arms. "I will slowly change procedures in Qishan Wen alongside Wen Zongzhu. I cannot, in good conscience, let this sect run without proper procedures. This sort of incident will not happen again."
Wen Jia looked down at Wen Xu with a soft smile. "Wen Gongzi is an exceptional boy, Wen Furen. He is well loved by all the caretakers. A bit standoffish, but children always prefer their own parents over a caretaker."
Zhang Xuehua fiddled with Wen Xu's fringe. "Please, accept my apology for having mortified you. You are free not to accept it, of course." Slipped out before Zhang Xuehua could stop herself.
He Jiao looked at her, her gaze piercing and questioning.
Zhang Xuehua shivered from the intensity. Out of anyone who would know Zhang Xuehua was acting off, it was her own servant. The Dreamer did well so far, but she felt that this time, He Jiao might call her out because of her actions.
Depression or not, Zhang Xuehua was different before she was married.
She prayed she didn't screw up badly.
Not seeing anything was amiss, Wen Jia didn't hesitate to nod her head. "I accept your apology, Wen Furen."
On their way back to Zhang Xuehua's rooms, He Jiao said nothing, but kept looking at Zhang Xuehua.
Zhang Xuehua continued on behaving the same as usual. At least, close enough to the memories Old Zhang Xuehua graciously left behind for the Dreamer to interpret. Blips of rebellion were subdued whenever she entered the Zhang sect.
In the privacy of her rooms, Zhang Xuehua broke the tension. "He Jiao."
He Jiao paused in leaving out her room. "Yes?"
Zhang Xuehua let out a deep sigh and gathered her bearings. "Is something wrong? You've been quiet the whole time we walked back to my rooms."
He Jiao shook her head in denial. "Nothing is wrong. I'm just... curious on your future plans."
"Plans?"
"As Wen Furen," He Jiao said. "You muttered about finding or building escape routes while we waited for Wen Jia to appear. How you were disappointed on the lack of communication between the servants and guards over this incident. Why the sudden change?"
Zhang Xuehua stammered out. "W-Well...I need to find ways to contribute as Wen Furen. I haven't done the other roles of my position since I became pregnant, gave birth to Xu-er, and remained in my rooms. I can't stay inside of my rooms for the rest of my life. I have to assume my role before Wen Zongzhu realizes I am useless to him. He is probably doing my paperwork and speaking to the staff leads."
He Jiao nodded.
Zhang Xuehua continued on. "I suspect that the servants, guards, and elders, respect my position on the surface. Don't lie and reassure me that they do. I am almost certain they see me as a gold digger."
"Gold digger?" He Jiao wrinkled her brows, confused on the euphemism.
"A-Ah, like a woman whose only goal in life is build relationships with wealthy men, waste her wealthy husband or lover's money, and contributes nothing to her family." Zhang Xuehua hastily explained.
"You are not that sort of woman." He Jiao said. "You have done your duty as Wen Zongzhu's wife."
"Part of my duty." Zhang Xuehua paced around her room. "I know nothing about the dynamics of the staff leads, the budget, trading agreements between sects, there are so many aspects of Qishan Wen I am ignorant about!" She spun to face He Jiao. "I have to begin my tutoring, today!"
The next morning, He Jiao woke up Zhang Xuehua while holding an expectant Wen Xu's hand.
Rubbing away the crust from her eyes, Zhang Xuehua sleepily greeted them. "Wow…aren't you two a sight for sore eyes?" Sitting up on the bed, she reached out her arms, silently asking for Wen Xu.
He Jiao bowed. "Good morning, Wen Furen. Wen Gongzi, may I?"
Wen Xu nodded his head.
She picked up Wen Xu, set him onto the bed, and informed Zhang Xuehua. "Wen Jia knows that Wen Gongzi has been taken to your rooms for the morning."
"Thank you, He Jiao." Zhang Xuehua smiled. "I will take my breakfast here with Xu-er."
He Jiao nodded. "Yes, Wen Furen. I shall inform the kitchen staff to send Wen Gongzi's food alongside yours."
"Thank you, kindly." Zhang Xuehua cuddled with her son, kissing his temple and his cheek.
He Jiao bowed before she left the room.
Zhang Xuehua tickled Wen Xu's sides, causing him to giggle. "You couldn't want for me to visit you, Xu-er?"
"No." Wen Xu shook his head. "I wanted to see A-Niang."
Zhang Xuehua kissed his little face; tension left her body at the sound of his voice.
She might not have had a child in her past life, but she always wanted to have a married life and children. This child version of Wen Xu was obedient, eager to soak up his mother's attention. The Dreamer wanted to strangle the Original for her carelessness, but depression was a bitch to deal with.
Wen Xu stayed pliant in her arms, not wanting to leave her arms.
This was much better than memorizing numerous aspects of Qishan Wen. She might have Original's memories, but even she forgot many of the aspects He Jiao lectured her about. He Jiao, who stood beside her during her studies, knew just as much about sect wife duties as Zhang Xuehua. On matters of Qishan Wen, He Jiao communicated with various individuals who knew slight aspects of private Qishan Wen information.
The deeper information was for Zhang Xuehua to find out for herself. Once she began her household duties. she would know about the budget and business dealings. Zhang Xuehua hoped the budget was readable enough for her to change to her liking. Even in her past life, she figured out her own organizing system to record every piece of information for her clients to easily read. She placed everything in well titled folders, color coordinated in great to low investments.
Without a computer, she would have to do everything the old-fashioned way. With pen and paper. She would make do with these limitations. Paper could be made into folders and dyed in accordance with her view of a great investment. Green folders were exceptional while red would be dangerous.
Maybe, she wouldn't find new pieces of claimed land that was certainty not originally Qishan Wen's.
Who was she kidding?
Wen Ruohan slowly began absorbing other sects to reap the benefits of their lands. He started his reign of terror when he first ascended into the role as Wen Zongzhu. The rumors of his callousness were not unfounded. He was a slowly growing sadistic dictator. These tendencies were amplified through his ambition of overruling every single sect.
She didn't even know if he already pissed off the Nie sect through sabotaging Nie Zongzhu's saber yet. Thinking about it for a bit, she calmed herself down. Wen Xu was about the same age range as Nie Mingjue. The incident happened when Nie Mingjue was a teenager.
She had enough time to attempt to prevent one of the sects from hating their guts.
She shook her head.
Qishan Wen matters could wait.
She had to spend more time with her son.
"Does my Xu-er want snacks?" Zhang Xuehua cooed at her son. He looked up at her, nodding his head with a small smile on his face. "When He Jiao returns, I will let her know to bring a small dessert alongside our breakfast."
"Okay!"
During one of their after-dinner study sessions, He Jiao brought up Wen Xu. "Wen Furen, are you changing your stance in Wen Gongzi's upbringing?"
Zhang Xuehua lifted her head up from her notes. "Huh? What do you mean? I'm present in Xu-er's life."
He Jiao asked. "Not before this week. You were distant with Wen Gongzi."
"Yeah..." Zhang Xuehua firmly nodded her head. "I am involving myself in Xu-er's life!" Remembering Original's mother's form of parenting, she harrumphed. "Mother was wrong. I am not letting my son grow up without his parents guiding him along. He means everything to me."
Thrilled at her mistress' conviction, He Jiao nodded in approval. "I am happy to hear you confirm your presence in Wen Gongzi's life."
Zhang Xuehua tapped her fingers on her forearms. "He Jiao, be honest with this one." She looked deep into her eyes. "Has Wen Jia acted inappropriately with Xu-er?"
He Jiao furrowed her brows. "In what manner?"
Zhang Xuehua bit into her lower lip, not wanting to paint the woman as a kid toucher. Then again, she should speak to Wen Jia instead of asking He Jiao. Too late to take back her words. "You know… has she said anything to deter Xu-er from his parents? From me?" He Jiao's widening eyes made Zhang Xuehua panic. "She has?!"
"She has kept Wen Gongzi from your presence, but you allowed her the freedom to entertain your son. You were always indisposed to visit him, Wen Furen. There were days where you stayed in bed, uninterested in wanting to cohabit with him."
Zhang Xuehua grimaced. Ah, so Original was depressed and received no help to deter her distance. Not that she would receive help in the mind healing arts. There were not many people who specialized in this aspect of medicine. Add on the time period they were currently living in. Mental illness was far from being acceptable to admit.
"Oh…well…that stops now!" She placed her hands on her hips. "My apologies if I implied something improper. Xu-er's nanny has been exceptional in rearing him in my absence."
He Jiao shook her head with an amused smile. "No apologies needed, A-Hua. You have no need to defend your position as Wen Gongzi's mother." She reached out her hands, grasping Zhang Xuehua's hands in a tight grip. "If I may speak, I'm exceptionally thrilled that my mistress is returning to her old self again."
Zhang Xuehua blinked back tears. A surge of emotion rushed through her, almost causing her knees to buckle. He Jiao removed her hands from Zhang Xuehua's to use them to dry her tears with her calloused fingers. Zhang Xuehua spent minutes sobbing in those rough hands, almost inconsolable.
He Jiao stood before her, unbothered in calming her down. At some point, she removed a handkerchief from her inner sleeve and dabbed Zhang Xuehua's eyes. Careful in patting the skin instead of wiping them away.
Remnants of the Original were possibly left inside of the Dreamer's consciousness. Maybe, even her cultivation skills were buried deep inside, waiting for the Dreamer to unlock them. This wasn't an odd conclusion to come to. The Dreamer received an onslaught of Original's memories to guide her along.
Zhang Xuehua managed to calm herself down enough to utter. "Thank you,"
He Jiao pinched her cheek softly. "Again, there is no need for thank you."
Zhang Xuehua grinned. "And I will thank you as many times as I can possibly say with my own mouth. You are irreplaceable, He Jiao."
He Jiao's eyes watered but controlled herself enough not to let them fall.
Feeling touched, Zhang Xuehua gave her a long embrace. Catching He Jiao off guard, but the woman embraced her back, gentle in her holding her close.
A brief moment passed before Zhang Xuehua said. "I kind of want a big pot of ginger tea, it's been far too chilly these days."
"As you wish,"
"Oh! And send some to Xu-er and his caretakers. No need for them to catch a chill and get sick."
TBC