Resplendent – Chapter 506

Chapter 506 — In the Lakeside Cottage

Back then, when Lady Jun was so heartsick from missing her daughter that she fell ill, crying day after day, her mother and sister-in-law had come from Yan City to visit her. Her sister-in-law tried to comfort her, saying that if she liked little girls so much, she could adopt one from the clan to raise at her knee. Lady Jun had been angered by those words.

In her heart, her daughter was irreplaceable.

When the child was born prematurely, she was so tiny that Lady Jun could hold her with both hands. Red and wrinkled though she was, her delicate features were already visible. She was the daughter she and her husband had hoped for over more than ten years. She carried the blood of both parents, connected by a bond of flesh and bone that could never be severed. 

How could she possibly let anyone take her daughter’s place?

Her sister-in-law had said that since the baby was born weak, she might not survive and that Lady Jun should not waste her emotions on her. She had flown into a rage, turned cold on the spot, and driven her out.

Her Bao’er had wailed loudly the moment she was born, kicking her legs with such strength. How could she not survive? She firmly believed that her daughter was somewhere out there, waiting for her to find her.

The two little girls sent from Yan City were indeed obedient and well-behaved: one demure, the other lively. But in Lady Jun’s heart, neither could compare to her precious daughter.

The thoughts Jun Miao was developing displeased her greatly. If not for her own weak health, which left her lacking the energy, she would have already sent the girl away. Now that her long-lost, beloved Bao’er had been found and returned, Jun Miao was acting as though the wealth she had claimed was being snatched from her.

Who did she think she was?!

This couldn’t go on. Girls were delicate and sensitive by nature. If her Bao’er sensed these thoughts, would she misunderstand her own mother? And as someone raised in comfort and already full of schemes, might Jun Miao harm her daughter?

Lady Jun’s mind churned with worry, turning over countless possibilities. In the end, she made a decision. She would find an opportunity to send the two girls back. They were already of an age to discuss marriage. She, as a distant aunt, had no right to make decisions for them…

“Aunt, look. Once Cousin wears the pink-diamond hair flower, she’s so delicate and lovely, just like peach blossoms in March.” Jun Li placed the jeweled flower upon Gu Ye’s small bun. Against her jade-like face, she looked as beautiful as one of the little fairies under the throne of the Queen Mother of the West.

Lady Jun snapped out of her thoughts and looked over. Instantly, her face blossomed with a gentle smile. “My Bao’er is truly beautiful. So beautiful I can hardly believe she came from my own womb.”

Jun Li let out a silver-bell laugh. “Aunt, you’re being too modest. Cousin looks seventy percent like you. Praising her is the same as praising yourself, isn’t it?”

Lady Jun laughed even more heartily. “You little girl, your mouth is as sweet as honey.”

Jun Miao forced a polite smile along with the others, but when she turned her face away, her lips curled in disdain. 

Jun Li truly was a master at flattery. No matter how much she coaxed and pleased the lady of the house, she could never surpass the affection owed to a biological daughter.

“Madam, the goat’s milk has finished simmering. Would you like to have it now?” Another senior maid, Yayi, walked across the bridge toward the lakeside pavilion with a bright smile.

“Sister Yayi, what about my ginger milk custard? Is it done yet?” Gu Ye looked at her with eager anticipation. At the mention of food, her eyes sparkled instantly. 

Good food and handsome men were both among her favorite delights!

Yayi gave her a gentle smile. “The chefs followed your method and have already made the ginger milk custard. Would you like to have it now, Miss?”

“Yes!” Gu Ye nodded vigorously.

The dairy cows at the estate were a new breed the Duke had heard was introduced from the Pagan Kingdom, known for high milk production. 

Cow’s milk was rich in nutrients and didn’t have the strong gamey smell of goat’s milk, so he had spent a large sum to bring them back. Since his wife and daughter were both physically weak, drinking more milk was good for their health. In his opinion, the expense was well worth it!

Lady Jun’s goat milk and the young lady’s ginger milk custard were served together. Almond-flavored goat milk was topped with a layer of fragrant black sesame and sweetened with honey. 

Even Gu Ye couldn’t resist drinking half a bowl. Lady Jun knew her daughter had a small appetite and worried she’d fill up on snacks and not be able to eat dinner later, so she only allowed her half a bowl of goat’s milk and a small cup of ginger milk custard.

The ginger milk custard was white as fine mutton-fat jade and filled with a sweet, milky aroma, winning unanimous praise from all the girls present. Rich, smooth, and delicately fragrant, even Lady Jun couldn’t resist having a cup.

Jun Li couldn’t help exclaiming, “The taste is simply incredible. Cousin, your little head must be hiding a huge treasure, one you couldn’t finish digging out even in a lifetime!”

Gu Ye smiled. “It’s not as exaggerated as you say. I’m just focused and persistent about the things I’m interested in, that’s all.”

“Where’s Fang’er? I haven’t seen her around these past few days. What’s she been busy with?” Seeing an extra serving of ginger milk custard on the table, Lady Jun remembered the quiet, shy little girl.

“Oh, she’s very busy these days!” Jun Li pressed her lips together with a smile. “She’s been learning to identify herbs from Hua Hao, and she’s also learning to read. Even scholars preparing for the imperial exams might not study as hard as she does!”

Gu Ye instructed the kitchen to deliver a few portions of ginger milk custard to her temporary pharmacy room. Then she explained to a confused Lady Jun, “Fang’er wants to study medicine with me, so I told Hua Hao to teach her the basics for now. Xiaoxiao is learning along with her. What I lack most is an assistant with talent for pharmaceuticals. With an extra helper, I’ll be able to relax more in the future.”

“Learning pharmacy is good! It gives the girl a proper livelihood,” Lady Jun said, nodding in approval. Her husband and eldest son had secretly brought the girl from a remote, impoverished village to stay by her side for almost a year. It was false to say she hadn’t developed feelings.

Now that their own daughter had returned, the girl’s position in the household had become awkward. Simply sending her away would seem heartless and ungrateful, like abandoning the bridge once it had served its purpose. If she could learn a craft and gain a means to stand on her own, she could also contribute to the household.

Jun Li laughed and said, “Cousin Ye, why don’t I learn how to make medicine with you too?”

“Sure! As long as you have the patience to memorize all the pharmacopoeias in my study, I guarantee I can train you into an intermediate pharmacist!” Gu Ye replied straightforwardly.

“What?” Jun Li let out a wail. Each of the pharmacopoeias in her cousin’s study was two inches thick. She feared memorization above all else. To have her memorize all of them was practically asking for her life!

“Then never mind!” Jun Li dropped her head in defeat. “I’d better stick to reading storybooks and practicing my calligraphy every day, something more realistic. Cousin, did you actually memorize all those pharmacopoeias?”

“Of course! I can even recite them backward. If you don’t believe me, I’ll recite some for you. Compendium of Materia Medica, Herb Section, page two: Astragalus: sweet in flavor, slightly warm in nature, non-toxic…” Gu Ye began reciting casually, without a single hesitation.

Jun Lier hurriedly stopped her, “All right, all right! I believe you, okay? If I had even a little of your cleverness, my mother wouldn’t always scold me for having a blockhead. With your intelligence, if you took the imperial exams, you might even become the first female top scholar!”