The Noble Lady's Rebirth: She just wants to Rest in Peace!-Chapter 280 - 281: Avoidance
After breakfast, they continued their journey by carriage. Lin Youning was seated inside, working on needlework with the two maidservants. Since the weather was extremely cold there, they all sat in the carriage sewing padded jackets.
In the evening, Gu Yifeng would join them in the carriage, at which point Shanmoi and Hailan would move outside to sit with the coachman.
Lin Youning pondered throughout the morning. She believed it was better not to ask since Big Brother hadn’t mentioned it on his own; otherwise, if Big Brother found out, he might feel uncomfortable, thinking she was secretly inquiring about his whereabouts.
The further they traveled, the colder it became, so they rested at a post station overnight and continued their journey the next day.
When Lin Youning saw the post station, she was increasingly thankful she hadn’t asked.
The entire matter of delivering the letter from the Marquis Mansion seemed to have passed with little attention.
Lin Youning refrained from inquiring about the matter, which was appropriate, as Gu Yifeng hadn’t mentioned it. Half a month later, the group finally arrived at the border city.
Gu Yifeng had a residence here, and the group went directly to the mansion. There were few servants; only some maidservants and an elderly couple, the rest were guards.
For the servants, who had served the Marquis for years, it was the first time seeing him arrive with female companions. Even though she wore a veil, stepped directly off the carriage, and went to the backyard in a soft sedan, they only saw the two maidservants beside her. The maidservants appeared to be from a noble family, indicating what kind of lady the Madam must be.
The maidservants were all locals who had never seen noblewomen from the Capital’s large mansions.
Though some officials from the Capital were here, most of the mansion’s female companions were ordinary, lacking the grandeur of even the maidservants.
Thus, the mansion’s young maidservants were increasingly curious about the new Madam.
Shanmoi seemed less composed than Hailan during the journey, yet after entering the mansion, she regained her composure. She assisted the young maidservants in preparing hot water and arranged for the luggage to be moved in. Shanmoi and Hailan handled the items in the main room themselves, while Nanny Guo directed others on placing things, and inquired about the mansion.
It was only after Lin Youning washed up and changed into clean clothes that the young maidservants saw the new lady for the first time. Some even stared blankly at her.
They had never seen such a beautiful woman before; her elegance was breathtaking, and her every move exuded indescribable grace. Even the Marquis, usually so cold, behaved and appeared so gentle in her presence, something they had never seen.
Guided by Big Brother, Lin Youning briefly toured the mansion. It wasn’t very large, just two courtyards with simple decor. The front area was where Gu Yifeng worked, previously used for entertaining guests. The backyard was where Gu Yifeng lived, currently with Sister Ning residing there, along with Aunt Wu, so Gu Yifeng’s belongings were moved to the front courtyard.
The backyard was bare and desolate.
However, the courtyard had a jujube tree. Since it had snowed here, the tree was bare except for a few dry leaves.
Seeing the simplicity, Lin Youning felt a pang of sympathy for Big Brother, realizing that while admired in the Capital, he was staying in such a place here, facing the dirt and fearing the food was of poor quality.
"We’ve been traveling for a while now, eating at post stations occasionally, though I haven’t had a proper meal in days. I’ll ask for some noodles to be cooked; tonight, we’ll warm up with a hot noodle soup and prepare something to eat tomorrow."
Lin Youning nodded, and the two walked to the mansion’s main room. Midway, Li Si came in with a message, saying that the disciples outside heard about the Marquis’s return and were waiting to see him, and some people from the camp had arrived.
Gu Yifeng nodded, and Lin Youning urged him, "I’m fine on my own; hurry along, Big Brother. If I’m unsure about anything, I’ll have someone find you."
Gu Yifeng explained a few things and then strode off, while Lin Youning returned to the main room. Despite staying at post stations overnight during their travels, Lin Youning hadn’t rested well due to the poor conditions. She asked for food to be served promptly, ate, and then changed out of her clothes to retire early.
Before going to bed, she instructed Shanmoi to find out when they would dine in the front courtyard and, if necessary, ask the kitchen to prepare some hot noodles and send them over.
Lin Youning realized things were different here compared to the Capital, where rules often felt burdensome, and less emphasis was needed.
Shanmoi and Hailan finished dining, leaving Hailan behind while Shanmoi went to the front courtyard. She joined Li Si in getting information, and Li Si was naturally pleased. The young maidservants greeted them with respect, watching them go before subtly observing them.
Manager Li had served the Marquis for years, and everyone knew he never smiled at them.
Yet they saw Manager Li acting cautiously in front of the major maidservants accompanying the Madam. They couldn’t help but be surprised.
Secretly, they envied how the Marquis, usually aloof, behaved differently in the presence of Madam.
As did Manager Li.
In this open-minded border city, news spread quickly of the Marquis arriving with a celestial-like female companion.
Some merchant families, wishing to curry favor with officials’ female companions, began plotting how to connect with them upon hearing the Marquis had brought a companion.
The next morning, many posts were sent to the residence, the first in years since the Marquis disliked socializing, and everyone understood this. They never delivered posts here until now, but having female companions in the mansion, receiving them seemed normal.
