Duan Jinxing sent a letter home, stating that he would remain at the academy studying until the autumn imperial examinations and would not return until then.
Jiang Zhaohua knew her husband’s studies were of utmost importance and dared not disturb him with household matters.
After all, those people were only there to serve Duan's mother. As long as they didn’t bring lice or disease into the house, whether they served well or poorly had nothing to do with her!
Before the autumn examinations, ten maidservants returned from the estate to the Duan residence. Jiang Zhaohua went to great lengths to clear out two rooms, squeezing them all inside.
She couldn’t help but suspect that Duan's mother, seeing she had eight personal maids, had deliberately bought ten just to one-up her!
The already cramped Duan household became even more crowded, forcing Jiang Zhaohua’s eight personal maids to live in tighter quarters.
To make matters worse, these ten new maids had never been properly trained. The youngest was only ten, while the oldest was seventeen, and even delivering a simple message left them stammering.
What infuriated Jiang Zhaohua the most was how Duan's mother, who had once scolded her own maids without mercy, now doted on these clumsy newcomers with maternal affection, even ordering Jiang Zhaohua to add extra dishes to their meals daily.
Jiang Zhaohua’s chest tightened with anger.
Duan's mother’s words came easily—didn’t she realize the extra expenses would come from Jiang Zhaohua’s dowry?
With the Duan family’s income, how could they possibly afford to support ten maids?
Since Jiang Zhaohua had taken over managing the household, all expenses had been covered by her own funds.
Though she didn’t mind the small sums, it galled her that while she footed the bill, the ten maids’ gratitude went solely to Duan's mother—because it was her command!
After more than half a month at the estate and another half at the Duan residence, the ten maids finally shed their refugee-like appearance, their faces and bodies filling out, with the younger ones even beginning to grow taller.
With their bellies full, their minds also sharpened.
Jiang Zhaohua soon noticed one maid, Furong, standing out in Duan's mother’s presence.
Every day when she went to pay her respects, she found Duan's mother being personally attended to by Furong—dressing, hair combing, meals—everything.
Duan's mother also took particular delight in chatting with Furong, likely because they hailed from the same hometown, giving them endless topics to discuss.
Furong had a sweet tongue, expertly currying favor with Duan's mother. Jiang Zhaohua overheard a few snippets and realized Furong relied on one simple trick—lavishing praise on Duan's mother for raising such an accomplished son.
Whenever Furong complimented Duan Jinxing, Duan's mother bloomed like a flower.
So Furong made sure to sing his praises incessantly while serving her.
The same phrases repeated over and over, yet Duan's mother never tired of hearing them!
Furong’s admiration for Duan Jinxing sounded utterly sincere.
Jiang Zhaohua couldn’t help but study Furong more closely.
At once, her heart clenched.
Furong lived up to her name—she was as beautiful as a flower.
When she had first arrived, gaunt and sunburnt from hardship, Jiang Zhaohua hadn’t noticed her striking features. But after a month of proper meals, Furong’s delicate beauty could no longer be hidden.
At seventeen, she had a slender, willowy figure, her tiny waist swaying gracefully with every step.
Though her complexion remained slightly dark, it couldn’t overshadow her exquisite features—an oval face, high nose bridge, and almond-shaped eyes… Such a young, pretty maid, praising her husband day after day in front of her mother-in-law…
An unavoidable sourness settled in Jiang Zhaohua’s heart.
Yet she couldn’t say a word. Furong’s flattery was merely to please Duan's mother—she hadn’t even met Duan Jinxing since arriving. If Jiang Zhaohua voiced her displeasure, she’d only come across as petty and jealous.
She swallowed her irritation. After all, what trouble could one mere maid possibly stir up?
Then, days later, Duan's mother cheerfully announced to Jiang Zhaohua, “Who would’ve thought? Furong and I are actually distant relatives! Six generations back, we share the same ancestors.”
“That makes Furong my distant niece—and Jinxing’s distant cousin.”
Jiang Zhaohua’s heart lurched, but then she saw an opportunity.
Smiling, she said, “If she’s a cousin, how can we keep her as a maid?”
“Mother should return her contract and treat her as family from now on.”
This was her chance to send Furong far away!
Duan's mother chuckled. “What contract?”
“These ten maids aren’t bound by permanent contracts—they’re only hired for two years.”
When Duan's mother had bought the maids, it was mostly out of spite toward Jiang Zhaohua.
Though her son had given her the silver, parting with such a sum pained her.
A permanent contract meant purchasing a servant’s lifetime—naturally expensive.
A temporary contract, however, merely hired them for a few years at a fraction of the cost!
Once Duan's mother realized this, she opted for ten temporary maids instead.
Jiang Zhaohua was stunned.
The Marquis's Mansion had never employed temporary servants—only permanent ones could be trusted… Why go through the trouble of training them if they’d leave in a few years?
More crucially, permanent and temporary servants differed fundamentally—one was a slave, the other a commoner!
The distinction was enormous.
A maidservant taken as a concubine would be a lowly one.
But a commoner girl as a concubine? That was a respectable one!
Jiang Zhaohua’s gaze swept over Furong’s face. Against her will, the thought surfaced—if Duan Jinxing took Furong as a concubine, she’d be a respectable one…
No, no, where was her mind wandering?
Duan Jinxing was a man of unwavering loyalty—in his past life, even as Prime Minister, he’d never taken a concubine or kept a single bedmaid.
This lifetime, with a diligent wife like her instead of her lazy younger sister, he’d surely have even less reason to glance at another woman.
With that reassurance, Jiang Zhaohua dismissed her concerns over Furong’s status.
Soon, the autumn examinations arrived. Jiang Zhaohua prepared her husband’s writing materials and provisions, sending him off with high hopes.
As autumn rains fell, so did the temperature.
On the first day of the exams, a night-long downpour brought a sudden chill.
Duan's mother fretted, “I hope Jinxing isn’t freezing… What if he falls ill?”
The examinations were grueling—every year, candidates were carried out on stretchers. Harsh weather only worsened the toll, making her worries valid.
Jiang Zhaohua reassured her, “Mother needn’t worry. My husband will undoubtedly pass with honors.”
Her tone brooked no doubt—after all, in his past life, Duan Jinxing had topped all three levels of the exams!
Seeing Jiang Zhaohua’s complete lack of concern, Duan's mother’s displeasure grew.
This daughter-in-law of hers clearly didn’t care for her son at all!
Of course Jinxing would excel in the exams—but instead of worrying about his health, she only cared about his results!
Days later, when the examinations concluded, Duan's mother rushed to fetch her son while Jiang Zhaohua waited in the carriage.
Her coach was parked a street away—with the chaotic crowds around the examination hall, she wouldn’t risk stepping out and encountering strange men.
“I’ll await you and my husband here,” Jiang Zhaohua said.
Though irritated, Duan's mother had no time to argue—her son’s return took priority.
A moment later, Duan's mother helped Duan Jinxing into the carriage. After fussing over her son with endless concern, she couldn’t resist taking a jab at Jiang Zhaohua: "Noble ladies are truly different—too refined to show their faces in public."
Hearing this, Duan Jinxing immediately shot his mother a disapproving look and interjected, "Mother."
Then he took Jiang Zhaohua’s hand and said, "I’m delighted that my wife came to fetch me."
Duan's mother’s expression darkened further, but in front of her son, she held her tongue.
Jiang Zhaohua’s heart swelled with sweetness. With her husband so willing to defend her, even the most difficult mother-in-law was nothing to fear.
What she didn’t know was that beneath Duan Jinxing’s tender facade, his heart was icy with resentment. Jiang Zhaohua plays the chaste and virtuous maiden, he thought bitterly, yet she was already carrying another man’s child before our wedding.
On the day of the imperial exam results’ release, Duan's mother rose before dawn, eager to station herself at the announcement site and be among the first to see the rankings.
Jiang Zhaohua sighed inwardly. While Duan's mother rushing to the exam hall to fetch her son was one thing, squeezing into the chaotic crowd to check the results was hardly suitable for a woman of her age. She might break a bone in the jostling.
"Your son is certain to rank highly," Jiang Zhaohua advised. "Why not wait at home, Mother, and receive the congratulatory visitors in comfort?"
Seeing her daughter-in-law’s lack of urgency, Duan's mother fumed. "You can sit idle at home, but I can’t bear a moment’s delay!"
Resigned, Jiang Zhaohua arranged a carriage for her, instructing, "Please wait inside the carriage, Mother, and let the coachman push through the crowd to check the results."
These days, Duan's mother insisted on being attended by two maids whenever she stepped out.
At Jiang Zhaohua’s words, Duan's mother remained coldly silent, but her maid Furong chimed in with a smile, "Rest assured, Madam. This servant will check the rankings for the old mistress. She won’t be jostled."
Jiang Zhaohua frowned again. The announcement site would be packed with men—how could a young maid dive into such a crowd without tarnishing the family’s reputation?
Yet when her gaze fell on Furong’s delicate, pretty face, she swallowed her words.
Her mother-in-law’s maids were not hers to discipline.
Jiang Zhaohua waited calmly at home, and true to her expectations, within hours, messengers arrived bearing joyous news—
Just as in her past life, Duan Jinxing had claimed the top spot on the golden list, earning the title of Provincial Champion!
