Cui Jin poured a cup of hot tea, walked to the bedside, and softly said, "Miss!"
Susu Ruan awoke from her memories and looked at the young girl in front of her, who wasn't exceptionally beautiful but had a very soothing presence.
She wore a white silk jacket over a light blue vest, with a goose-yellow skirt beneath, around fifteen or sixteen years old.
Susu Ruan had been in her rebellious phase at fifteen or sixteen, while Cui Jin had already become the main maid of the room, serving the original owner for seven years.
This was also why Susu Ruan seldom spoke, fearing to give herself away.
Susu Ruan took the teacup from Cui Jin's hand, realizing from the smell that it was of the finest quality, though drinking it herself seemed a waste like a cow chewing peonies.
Seeing the Miss had started to drift off again, Cui Jin sat down on the footrest, looked at Susu Ruan, and softly said:
"The maid knows Aunt has gone, and it's sad for you, but, Miss, life always goes on despite the sadness.
Aunt was most at ease about you and Sixth Young Master when she passed. Miss will be turning eight after the New Year, and you need to think about Sixth Young Master; you can't let him always worry about you."
Saying this, Cui Jin sighed, "The Imperial Physician said you should take good care in recovery, so Miss has really stayed indoors for half a month, lest people talk.
Now, in my view, you've largely recovered, and you should go to greet the Duchess and Old Madam."
Susu Ruan knew from memories that the original owner's health was poor and courage weak, and most of the household responsibilities fell on Cui Jin, who was very loyal.
Upon hearing these words, she realized she truly couldn't hide any longer, like Cui Jin said, life must continue.
Thinking of Ruan Sixth Son, just twelve years old, sad for Aunt's passing while having to take care of his sister and attend school, already visibly thinner than when first seen.
Not being a true child herself, hiding for half a month was shameful enough.
"Cui Jin, I understand. Tomorrow I'll go greet Mother and Grandmother to ease my brother's mind."
On hearing this, Cui Jin joyfully wept, "Miss, you finally see things clearly."
Then Cui Jin began arranging the clothes Susu Ruan would wear the next day.
Due to Aunt Su's mourning period, naturally, the attire could not be too bright, but as Aunt was the birth mother, not the formal head, funeral clothes weren't necessary.
Cui Jin chose a jade-colored inner garment, over which was a moon-white plain sea blue bordered open-front jacket, paired with a white silk pinstripe skirt.
She added matching sachets, underskirt, pouch, shoes, jewelry, totaling over a dozen items, which made Susu Ruan dizzy.
Finally, Cui Jin picked several cloaks, settling on a pink-blue Shu brocade embroidered with white cranes.
"It's autumn now, and with Miss's weak constitution, it requires attention."
...
At Duke Li's Mansion, the young ladies had the same visible amenities: one wet nurse, two maids, four second-class, four third-class, and six sturdy servant maids, at age ten they'd have two governesses.
When the original owner was four, she fell gravely ill, and for unknown reasons, the wet nurse was let go, but she still had sixteen people around.
Even in these half-month of mourning for her dearly loved birth mother, due to the pressures from her Legitimate Mother and brother, plus Cui Jin's strong presence, none dared to neglect Susu.
This moment, as Susu awoke, she saw a room full of maids, holding basins, offering towels, handing toothbrushes and salt, assisting with dressing and hair styling, filling the spacious room completely.
Susu Ruan genuinely felt the life of the wealthy was not a fit for someone like her.
...
For someone who loves sleeping in, waking at six in the morning was indeed a painful affair.
The maids helped Susu dress up in the outfit accessories Cui Jin prepared yesterday, and she herself was still a bit dazed.
Thinking yesterday about stepping out of the courtyard to truly face the original owner's life made Susu anxious and excited, unable to sleep for half the night.
In her free time, she had read many novels, including plenty about inner-house struggles; was she to stage her own "Concubine Strategy" enactment?
But based on her observations over the past half-month and the original owner's memories, though the biological father was somewhat wretched, the Legitimate Mother wasn't vicious.
In the original owner's memory, the biological father Duke Li never showed a smiling face.
Though the Legitimate Mother was of exquisite beauty, she didn't seem loved by the wretched father, while Aunt Su was more favored.
Yet the wretched father didn't favor the children born of Aunt Su; he'd neither cold nor warm to them.
Besides deeply loving the biological son of his first wife, he barely paid any regard to the legitimate daughter of the Duchess.
Also, the Legitimate Mother, the current Duchess Qin, hailed from a family more powerful than Duke Li's Mansion, the Duke Zhen's Mansion.
Duke Zhen was one of the four Dukes among eighteen peers appointed by the Great Chu Dynasty's Founding Holy Ancestor Emperor, hereditary without demotion.
The Qin Family is truly an aristocratic lineage, not only the maternal clan of the Founding Empress but having produced four Empresses over the 150 years the Great Chu Dynasty has been established.
Though Qin was born of a concubine, she was raised under the care of the Legitimate Mother, her upbringing naturally excellent.
Even her own brother had told Susu that the Legitimate Mother did not oppress talented sons of concubines, rather she cared and strictly taught them.
Thinking over and over, Susu Ruan felt she was likely overthinking, worrying unnecessarily.
Not to mention how the biological father and Legitimate Mother are, she herself is not cut out for inner-house conflict.
Moreover, she lacks a Golden Finger, not qualifying as a transmigrator protagonist.
In this era, Susu had never heard of it, clearly an alternate setting from novels.
And the acts of the Founding Emperor clearly showed he was a transmigrator.
Founded over 150 years ago, Chu Dynasty had long unified Central Plains, analogous to ancient Chinese Han and Tang, admired by nations.
With the transmigrated Emperor's influence, glass, clocks, and such were common among affluent families.
Duke Li's Mansion had a glass conservatory, said to be built when the elder aunt was home.
From the original owner's memory, this aunt was Duke Li's sister, now Princess Liang.
Prince Liang was the current Emperor's first son, favored Imperial Consort Zhenzhen, more beloved than the Crown Prince.
Susu Ruan listened to the Duke Li's Mansion, Duke Zhen's Mansion, and Prince Liang, feeling familiar.
But upon deeper thought, couldn't grasp it, resigned it to the original owner's memories causing this familiarity.