The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Chapter 946: Chapter 946: Difficult to Meet Song Ci

Because they had to go up the mountain early on the third day to pray and offer incense, Song Ci mentioned bestowing gifts upon the common people for blessings, so Jiang accompanied him for a while, then went to check on the preparations for the steamed buns and candies to be brought up, ensuring everything was ready.

Song Ci said to Song Ruqi, ”I’ll rest for a while. If you feel tired, go and take a rest. If not, stroll around the estate, but take more people with you to avoid any mishaps.”

Song Ruqi smiled and said, ”Grandmother, I understand.”

She curtsied gracefully and withdrew.

Only then did Song Ci allow Chun Fen and the other maids to assist her in reclining on the beauty couch by the southern window. Seeing Nan Shan standing by the window, she said, ”You rarely have a chance to come here, go out and have some fun.”

Nan Shan’s primary duty was that of a personal bodyguard, and she wouldn’t indulge in play and leave her side, so she shook her head, replying, ”This servant will stay by your side, so you can rest assured and sleep.”

Song Ci: ”...”

The training from the Dark Department indeed made them incredibly single-minded. This little maid, Nan Shan, only recognized her own duties, to the extent of standing by the door even when she went to the restroom.

She closed her eyes pretending to nap. The estate was by the mountains, lending a coolness to the air. A blanket draped over her waist and abdomen, Song Ci half-opened her eyes, seeing the little maid Nan Shan, and curved her lips slightly, saying, ”Bring the Heart Sutra from last night and continue reciting it to me.”

Goosebumps rose all over Nan Shan’s body.

She feared nothing under the sky, except reciting scriptures. Their complexity made them difficult to understand, and there were characters she couldn’t pronounce.

Even so, she had to recite it. She fetched the scripture book, opened yesterday’s page, stumbled through the reading while pondering whether the matriarch was genuinely pious or otherwise. Given her faltering recitation, the listening must be unpleasant, and she wondered if it was possible the Bodhisattva might be offended?

What she didn’t realize was that Song Ci herself found these scriptures equally difficult to comprehend. However, having been around for years, she performed the act of it, now understanding far more than she did upon her first arrival.

Moreover, for elderly people in an ancient house, there were few activities beyond walking around the gardens, watching the young maids play shuttlecock and cat’s cradle, observing the older maids embroider, or drinking tea and enjoying music. Otherwise, they could be like this, flipping through and reciting scriptures, or playing with Buddha beans with Nanny Gong.

Nanny Gong didn’t say anything upon entering from outside and seeing Song Ci reclining; she simply stepped back out.

As the sun set in the west, Chun Fen reported that Madam Shang was outside the courtyard, wishing to pay her respects to the matriarch.

Nanny Gong said to Song Ci, ”I’ll take a look.”

Song Ci nodded, watching her leave. It was just a moment before Nanny Gong returned.

”She is settled with a family in the estate, says she has already seen a doctor and sent someone back to the city for daily medication. She’s only had a fever and nothing serious. I had her kowtow outside the door, then sent her away,” Nanny Gong explained, ”It’s not that I look down upon this merchant’s family, but since she just cared for her husband, to prevent the spread of illness to you, caution is best.”

Another point is, despite past dealings, class distinctions remain. To use gratitude as a reason to meet Song Ci is difficult.

The hierarchy of scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant is clear. Song Ci, as a first-rank honored matriarch with an Imperial Decree, had such a noble status that not just anyone could meet her.

Standing high above, even a renowned merchant like Madam Shang had no complaints, and being able to kowtow outside the courtyard was already an act of giving her face.

Song Ci understood this logic. She enjoyed the honor her status brought, naturally, she would not contradict herself and do things that were outwardly virtuous yet inwardly compromising, thus she was indifferent about Nanny Gong’s approach.

Moreover, her help was out of pure goodwill, not seeking anything in return, so whether that person met her or not was immaterial.