The Double

After a night of rain, the next day dawned clear, and all the bedding in the house was soaked.

Tonger was drying the bedding, while Jiang Li sat inside, with a stack of shoe soles on the table. This was also her daily task, after sewing fifty soles, she would earn a string of copper coins. Copper coins weren't very useful in the mountains, nor could Tonger go down the mountain; they could only wait for the trader who came up the mountain to buy some sugar cakes from him.

This was the only luxury for Jiang Li and Tonger.

Looking out the window, Tonger was standing on a stool to hang the bedding, and not far away, a nun in a gray robe walked past without giving them a glance.

They had no control over these nuns, and originally, Jiang Li had been sent here for making a mistake, with only Tonger by her side. Tonger had been chosen by Ye Zhenzhen to be Jiang Li's maidservant and had been with her ever since.

The little maid had quite the temper, spitting out in disdain while watching the two nuns walking away, and cursed, "Bald chickens!"

Jiang Li knew she was upset about being refused dry bedding that morning and couldn't help but laugh.

Like master, like servant; after six years here, Tonger remained the same, which probably meant that the original Miss Jiang the Second had an even fiercer temper. Thinking about it, it made sense—without such ferocity, she could not have taken the desperate step she did.

Would someone of such a fiery disposition cry out in injustice after being accused of causing their stepmother's miscarriage?

Contemplating the details she had gleaned from Tonger, it was said that Miss Jiang the Second had vehemently denied harming her stepmother. Jiang Li thought, if it really had been her doing, she likely would have admitted it loudly and unabashedly.

But none of that mattered now.

After Tonger finished hanging the bedding and returned, she sat down beside Jiang Li. Tonger was frightened by Jiang Li, fearing she might try to throw herself into the lake again if left unattended, and had not left her side for the past few days. Seeing Jiang Li spacing out, she picked up a shoe sole and started to work on it. Jiang Li, observing the dense stitches at the tips of the little maid's fingers, snatched the sole away and threw it down, "Stop doing that."

"Eh?" Tonger was puzzled, "The trader is coming in three days, doesn't Miss want to eat malt sugar?"

Jiang Li shook her head and countered, "Do you want to spend your whole life sitting here, just waiting for a monthly treat of malt sugar?"

"Of course not," Tonger said, then muttered, "But right now we can't leave this place." She continued with a pout, "I've already written letters to the old master and Old Madam Ye before, but there's been no response at all." Her little face fell, "Could they have forgotten about us?"

Jiang Li sighed. It wasn't just about sending letters; she feared that even their slightest movements were being watched by someone. Usually, a mistress who had made a mistake would be sent to the Family Temple, and since the master's family also provided silver coins for their care, the people at the Nunnery wouldn't treat them too poorly. But the nuns here were clearly making their lives difficult; after Jiang Li fell ill, they hadn't even called for a doctor, all likely orchestrated by someone in Yanjing City.

As for who it was, there was no need to guess—it was that stepmother.

If Jiang Li had really caused her miscarriage, Ji Shuran would certainly not let Jiang Li off the hook. And if Jiang Li had not been responsible, Ji Shuran's staging such a drama had the same purpose—to not let Jiang Li go free.

Moreover, now that Jiang Li's marriage had also been stolen from her, she was left with nothing—a distant maternal family she hadn't kept in touch with? A discarded legitimate daughter in this place could even be killed without causing much of a stir.

But why hadn't Ji Shuran taken her life?

Jiang Li didn't believe it was because of any mercy or soft-heartedness; perhaps she still had some other use for the stepmother, or for the Jiang Family. It was a common occurrence, wasn't it? Daughters used as stepping stones for alliances, paving the way for their fathers' and brothers' careers, just like Shen Yurong. The difference was that Shen Yurong had used herself as a chip for marriage alliances, while treating Xue Fangfei as a stumbling block.

Miss Jiang the Second reminded her of herself—both had their belongings taken away by others, both had their nests usurped, and both were unable to defend themselves.

Tonger watched as the color on Jiang Li's face darkened and couldn't help but shiver.

Tonger didn't know why, but she felt Miss Jiang the Second became a bit strange after she woke up. Miss Jiang the Second had always been straightforward and blunt, even to the point of fighting with the nuns in the nunnery, easily excitable, and quick to anger. Of course, it wasn't Miss Jiang the Second's fault; it was all the fault of those bad people.

But ever since Miss Jiang the Second woke up, she hadn't once become angry. She was gentle and mild, and she spoke softly and slowly, leaving people unsure what she was thinking. And when she was silent and deep in thought, Tonger felt somewhat afraid.

Jiang Li's fingers brushed over the insole she had sewn in front of her. The stitches on the insole were fine and closely spaced. Although Tonger was a bit noisy, her sewing was indeed not bad.

She had to figure out a way to leave this place.

Xue Fangfei in Yanjing City must be dead, but how creatures like Princess Yongning and Shen Yurong managed to lie about it, she didn't know. She had to go see Xue Zhao again, and figure out a way to return to Tongxiang for a visit. Xue Huaiyuan was dead, and so were his two children; who was there to claim his body? She hadn't seen Xue Huaiyuan for the last time.

She wanted to leave this place, but now, in Yanjing City, within the entire Yan Dynasty, no one remembered her, Jiang Li. A person forgotten by everyone wouldn't be taken away from here.

If that was the case, she would have to take the initiative to leave.

Being forgotten by everyone wasn't a difficult matter to remedy.

Jiang Li suddenly laughed.

Tonger looked at her in surprise. This was the first time Jiang Li had laughed in these days—not a cold laugh or a bitter one, but a content and comfortable laugh. This laugh momentarily brought life to her sallow complexion, as radiant as the morning flowers.

"Tonger," Jiang Li asked her, "do you think a trader would come up the mountain?"

"Yes," Tonger said. "Trader Zhang comes here around noon on the tenth day of May every year. We've arranged with him to bring us good eats like cakes and candies first, so we can choose whatever we want."

The maids from great households still had a commanding presence when they spoke, even if they had fallen on hard times and could only produce a string of copper coins.

"Is there a lot of sugar?" Jiang Li asked.

"A lot." Tonger said. "Do you want to eat some sugar, Miss?"

Jiang Li smiled lightly: "I do."

Life had been too bitter, and because of its bitterness, she longed for the sweetness of honey. This sugar could allow her to taste sweetness and make some people feel the bitterness.

Tonger said excitedly, "It's great that Miss wants to eat sugar. We've saved up some copper coins recently, enough to exchange for several baskets. Miss, you can eat as much as you want!"

Jiang Li said, "You told me Helin Temple is nearby, right?"

Tonger looked at her blankly and asked, "Do you want to go and offer incense too, Miss?"

"No," Jiang Li said. "I don't believe in Buddha."

Tonger was puzzled.

The smile on Jiang Li's face softened a bit more as she said, "What's there to believe in about Buddha?"