Resplendent – Chapter 431

Chapter 431 — Making Room

Jun Miao had attended several gatherings of noble young ladies in the capital. Those truly highborn girls wore clothes from Nichang Pavilion, adorned their hair with gold-and-jade jewelry, and even occasionally displayed rare treasures from Yinzhen Pavilion.

But she and Jun Li could only look on with envy. After all, they were merely the distant nieces of the Duchess of Zhen, not true young mistresses of the Duke’s Manor.

Jun Miao stared at the exquisite outfit on Gu Ye and twisted the handkerchief in her hands furiously. 

If… if her cousin had never been found, with how much her aunt doted on her, the one who would eventually be adopted as the daughter of the household would definitely have been her. What right did that fool, Jun Li, have to compete with her? 

Everything in Mingzhu Pavilion should have belonged to her. All of it! 

She was so jealous she was on the verge of losing control!

Jun Li, who had been smiling cheerfully at their cousin’s playful antics, glanced over and noticed the twisted, pale expression on Jun Miao’s face. She thought she must be feeling unwell and asked with concern: “Cousin Miao, what’s wrong?”

Jun Miao instantly forced her emotions back down. Under the gaze of her aunt and her cousin, she kept her face as pale as before and quickly improvised: “These past few days my stomach hasn’t been very comfortable, and at lunch I gave in to greed and ate too much seafood. I’ll be fine after I go back, drink some warm porridge, and rest.” 

“If you’re uncomfortable, you must say so. You mustn’t endure it. Small illnesses turn into big ones if you ignore them. Why not have Doctor Lin take a look?” Madam Jun truly cared for both of her nieces. In her eyes, every young girl was adorable and deserved to be pampered.

“No need, it’s nothing serious. I’m perfectly fine—some hot soup will fix it!” Jun Miao forced a smile. 

Doctor Lin was the specially hired physician of the estate, renowned for his skill. If he came to check on her, wouldn’t her lie be exposed immediately?

“Cousin, I know a bit of medicine. Let me take your pulse?” Gu Ye had already sensed something but deliberately reached out as if to examine her.

“No!” Jun Miao dodged her hand, her voice a bit sharp. Realizing her reaction was too abrupt, she swallowed nervously and softened her tone: “Thank you for your kindness, Cousin.

I really am fine, so there’s no need to trouble you. You should spend more time with Aunt. She’s been longing for your return for years. Aunt, I’ll take my leave now…”

Lady Jun watched her niece walk away and let out a quiet sigh. How deep could the thoughts of a young girl really be? She understood very well what her niece desired.

But what Miao didn’t understand was this: Even if her precious daughter had never been found, she would never adopt another girl to replace her or take away what belonged to her treasure. Only her precious pearl had the right to live in Mingzhu Pavilion!

Hopefully, that girl will come to her senses soon. Otherwise… she would have no choice but to send her back to Yan City. She would never allow even the slightest potential danger to exist around her daughter!

“Bao’er, I heard from your father that you plan to build a small pharmacy in Mingzhu Pavilion? And you also mentioned your stomach isn’t good, so you need to eat small meals throughout the day, meaning the small kitchen must be set up as well…Looking at it this way, the courtyard of Mingzhu Pavilion really is a bit too small. How about… we open up the neighboring Chunwu Garden and convert it into the pharmaceutical workshop you want? What do you think?” Lady Jun sounded slightly annoyed. She had focused too much on the garden and furnishings of Mingzhu Pavilion back then, and indeed, hadn’t considered the number of rooms enough.

Jun Li blinked and softly reminded, “Aunt… Cousin Miao is living in Chunwu Garden right now…”

Lady Jun’s brows furrowed slightly. Having that niece so close to her daughter didn’t seem like a good thing after all. She smiled and said, “Chunwu Garden is a bit small. Back then, I placed you there because it’s close to Rong’an Garden, so it would be convenient. If we’re talking about convenience… I think Qiuhua Courtyard isn’t bad either. Miao’er loves chrysanthemums, right? That place has over a hundred varieties of precious chrysanthemums—she should like it.”

Qiuhua Courtyard is on the other side of Rong’an Garden, a place Lady Jun cultivates and admires her chrysanthemums. It is exquisitely elegant. 

Jun Miao has always loved refinement and elegance; she should enjoy it. 

Lady Jun thought that giving Miao’er a better courtyard as a replacement would make her happy. Little did she know that Miao’er actually thought her aunt chose a better place just to make room for her cousin. This only fueled her resentment.

Afterward, Gu Ye noticed an even stronger sense of hostility from Jun Miao.  She understood it somewhat but didn’t dwell on it. After all, it’s just a little girl’s jealousy. At most, she might glare a few extra times or hear a few unpleasant words. She has her parents, grandfather, and brothers to care for her. Everyone else is irrelevant!

Lady Jun saw that her daughter, usually as gentle as water, could actually be quite impatient. She immediately arranged for someone to start renovating the small kitchen first, so as not to delay her daughter’s meal plans.

Gu Ye accompanied her mother for afternoon tea, then watched her take a Blood Rejuvenation Pill. When her mother began to feel a bit tired, she took her leave along with the two young ladies.

With nothing pressing to do, she invited Jun Li and Ding Fang to her waterside pavilion in Mingzhu Pavilion to enjoy some fruit and chat.

The waterside pavilion sat over the lake in the garden, surrounded by water on all sides. The rippling waves shimmered in the sunlight, and a gentle breeze made the air moist and cool—it was very pleasant. As they laughed and chatted while passing through the moon gate, they went by the former small kitchen, and Gu Ye spotted a familiar figure.

“Aunt Yan, when did you get here?” Excellent—Aunt Yan had finally arrived. During her afternoon tea at Rong’an Garden, she had struggled to eat; only the pastries were barely acceptable, and the rest… well, it was hard to describe. Now that Aunt Yan was here, her picky taste buds could finally be satisfied.

Aunt Yan bent her knees in a polite bow and smiled. “I came as soon as I got news from your grandfather this afternoon. I heard the small kitchen was going to be renovated, so I came to take a look and offer some advice.”

Gu Ye nodded repeatedly and said to the steward of the small kitchen, “Aunt Yan is an expert in cooking. From now on, she’ll be using the small kitchen the most, so follow her instructions on how to renovate it!”

The maids and matrons of Mingzhu Pavilion knew that the young lady who had just been found was the absolute favorite of the Duke and Duchess. Not just in Mingzhu Pavilion, but in the entire Duke’s residence, whatever she said carried more weight than anyone else. Of course, no one dared disobey her orders!

The steward respectfully accepted the command and diligently assisted Aunt Yan, ensuring that the kitchen was renovated to perfection. Half a month later, the small kitchen in Mingzhu Pavilion had doubled in size. There were separate stoves for steaming, boiling, stewing, and stir-frying; ovens and roasting stoves were all included. It was even more luxurious than the main kitchen.

When the Duke and Duchess came to inspect it, they still felt it wasn’t enough. They wanted the very best for their daughter. If Gu Ye hadn’t stopped them, the Duke would have even dug an ice cellar just to store vegetables and fruits for his daughter!

Which noble household didn’t have an ice cellar?  The Duke’s main kitchen already had an ice cellar larger than most. Digging another one would have been a huge waste of manpower and resources. 

Gu Ye didn’t want the moment she returned home to become a massive construction scene in the mansion—too flashy!

Still, between building a pharmaceutical workshop and renovating the small kitchen, the activity was hardly quiet.