CHAPTER 321: CHAPTER 290: THE SONG FAMILY’S YOUNG LADY (PART 1)

Da Ya didn’t want to come to the Capital, not because she wasn’t curious about it, but because she felt abandoned by her own parents.

As they entered the Capital, she had once lifted the curtain to sneak a glance outside.

The bustling prosperity of the Capital was far beyond her imagination.

Especially when she saw the well-dressed people passing by on the streets, most of whom exuded an uncommon elegance, and then glanced at her own earthy and rustic outfit, that disparity made an unprecedented sense of inferiority well up inside her.

Already upset, and upon entering the door being scolded by Granny Song, Da Ya felt indescribably uncomfortable.

Only the comforting words of her third aunt finally warmed her heart.

...

After bathing, she changed into the jacket and skirt sent by Wen Wan.

Da Ya was only twelve, naturally smaller than Wen Wan, and the clothes seemed a bit large on her.

Wen Wan explained: "The materials for making you clothes have been bought, but because you weren’t here and I feared they wouldn’t fit, I dared not make them in advance. You can wear mine for now, and tomorrow I’ll have Mrs. Jin take your measurements and make you some new clothes."

Da Ya lowered her head and looked at the clothes she had on.

A thick, rice-white short jacket embroidered with orchids, and a skirt of bamboo-like color on the lower half, the hem similarly embroidered with orchids but with added spiral patterns, matching.

The refreshing color combination was invigorating to the eyes.

Da Ya reached out and gently touched the soft fabric of the skirt, quietly asking Wen Wan, "Can I make a set of clothes like this one Auntie has?"

The young girl had a unique fondness for the beautiful clothes she wore for the first time.

Wen Wan laughed and said, "Of course you can. I’ve bought several pieces of fabric, plus there are leftovers at home. You can make a few sets. When the time comes, you can decide how you like to match them."

Upon hearing this, Da Ya gave Wen Wan a grateful look, finally revealing a smile.

Wen Wan found it amusing, thinking that indeed it’s girls’ common trait to not be able to move when they see beautiful clothes.

Oh well, as long as she is willing to stay, making several outfits is not a problem.

Mrs. Jin had already finished preparing the meal and came specifically to inform them.

After Wen Wan acknowledged, she quickly returned to her room, fetched her skincare cream, and handed it to Da Ya, "Take this, apply it on your face morning and night after washing; it’s good for you."

Da Ya, though inexperienced, knew it was skincare cream, and after taking it, she thanked her.

Her voice no longer as stiff as at the main gate earlier, now carried shyness and bashfulness.

After that, Wen Wan took her to eat.

It was already past lunchtime, and everyone else had eaten. Mrs. Jin prepared the meal especially for the little girl, following Wen Wan’s instructions, making a rather sumptuous four-dish and one-soup meal.

During the journey, Mrs. Cao and Da Ya mostly had dry food to eat, and the young girl was quite hungry. But with no one else at the table except for her, and her third aunt sitting nearby, she felt too shy to start eating.

Wen Wan, understanding the young girl’s thoughts, told her: "Don’t be so reserved, treat this as your own home."

Wen Wan’s voice, just like her name, was soothing and comforting when she spoke gently, relaxing Da Ya’s tight nerves and finally allowing her to eat freely.

After the meal, Da Ya returned to her room.

When Wen Wan arranged the room, the furnishings and decorations used were much like those in their rooms, all quite ordinary, not too expensive. Yet, her attentiveness, knowing that young girls liked to have their own private space, paid special attention to details.

Overall, it didn’t have the extravagant luxury of a large household, but it was something Da Ya loved at first sight.

Before coming to Beijing, she lived in the same room with her two younger sisters, where there was no such elaborate setup; besides the sleeping kang, there was basically no furniture inside, appearing just like a sleeping place.

But the room before her eyes was divided into inner and outer rooms, not only spacious but also with a round table, a writing desk, and an Arhat bed for resting in the outer room. The inner room was a sleeping chamber with a carved, exotically designed canopy bed, the drapes of which were pink, matching the veil in the partition in the middle.

Everything, from the long-necked vase with fresh flowers to the hexagonal lampshade by the bedhead, or the red-lacquered dressing table with its small dressing box, was crafted with such delicacy that one could not resist loving them.

When Da Ya first entered to bathe, because she was in a bad mood, she didn’t examine it closely. Now, having looked around thoroughly from inside to out, she was amazed and turned to look at Wen Wan standing by the door, murmuring, "Auntie, is such a large room really just for me?"

Wen Wan smiled, "Do you like it?"

"I like it, love it so much," Da Ya nodded eagerly, always dreaming of having her own room.

In her hometown, their family did have extra rooms, but they weren’t furnished like this, and not every room had heated kangs, so the three sisters simply shared a room.

What girl doesn’t have a girlish heart, especially a girl of her age, easily captivated by things full of youthful charm.

Wen Wan said, "If you like it, stay in it first. If you need anything in the future, I’ll add it for you."

"Yes, thank you, Auntie."

After, she slept on the soft canopy bed and awoke around evening.

——

Song Wei returned from Lower Court only to find out that Da Ya had arrived in the Capital. He had Wen Wan call her to the main hall to ask questions.

In front of Wen Wan, Da Ya still felt at ease, but when facing Third Uncle, that awkwardness surged up again.

Song Wei looked at her calmly, "Didn’t your parents give you a proper name?"

Da Ya was stunned for a moment, then shook her head, "No."

Song Wei thought for a moment, "Then from now on, you shall be called Song Jiao!"

Jiao, meaning beautiful.

Da Ya didn’t speak, seemingly pondering the meaning of the word, and also, perhaps, considering whether she should use a name given by someone other than her parents.

Song Wei noticed the young girl’s hesitation and smiled, "If you truly don’t like it, next time you write a letter, I’ll have your parents choose a name. Once they respond, you can use the name they give you."

There was no intention to force her at all.

Da Ya snapped back to reality and quickly said, "Thank you, Third Uncle, for bestowing the name."

Her parents never went to school, what good name could they come up with? If they really tried, it would definitely be something like Peach Blossom or Apricot Blossom.

One doesn’t realize until arriving in the Capital just how unsophisticated one is.

While Third Uncle and Grandparents were talking, Da Ya quietly asked Wen Wan what Jiao meant.

Wen Wan patiently explained to her.

After listening, the young girl’s mood seemed to improve a lot, her eyes no longer dark and melancholy, but faintly showing a few glimmers of anticipation.

——

With the name settled, Song Jiao became the young lady of the Song family mansion.

The young lady of an official family shouldn’t always have her hands soiled with crude and tiring work. Wen Wan suggested to the two mothers that while tailoring clothes for her, they should also consider hiring a nanny for her.

Since she needs training, it shouldn’t be done perfunctorily with a few words.

Song Jiao had lived in the countryside for twelve years, many things were already ingrained; without a dedicated educator, she could not undergo a complete transformation.

The Hongwen Academy is a good place, but unfortunately, the family didn’t have a spot.

Besides, Song Jiao just arrived and didn’t even know how to read, even if there was a spot, it wouldn’t be suitable for her to enter the Hongwen Academy immediately. She still needed to learn to read first.

Therefore, when Wen Wan proposed hiring a nanny, the in-laws did not oppose.

"Hiring someone to teach her is not impossible, it’s just..."

Granny Song didn’t finish the sentence, just pointed in the direction of the West Wing.

The population in the mansion was growing, what if it disturbed the peace of that concubine, what would be done?

Even though it was generally ’isolated’ and under normal circumstances, no one would go over, but after all, they were in the same residence; if the concubine got unhappy, the whole family could suffer.

Faced with the in-laws’ question, Wen Wan did not decide immediately; she waited for Song Wei to return and discussed it with him.

Song Wei didn’t even think about it, and directly said, "Go ahead!"

Wen Wan asked him, "Aren’t you afraid of disturbing the concubine?"

Song Wei told Wen Wan not to be overly concerned about Princess Consort Duan, as being too anxious could easily reveal flaws. As long as they ensured that the concubine wouldn’t come to harm, they should just ignore her in their daily life as if she didn’t exist. The family should live as they normally would; otherwise, it would defeat the Emperor’s original intention of sending the Princess Consort to the Song family.

Wen Wan quickly understood Song Wei’s meaning and started to fret again, "Where do we hire a nanny from? If we hire the wrong one, it could easily lead the person astray."

"You don’t have to worry about this matter, Wanwan; I’ll take care of it."

——

Two days later, Xu Shu personally brought a nanny over.

Wen Wan was somewhat surprised, having not heard Song Wei mention anything about this before.

Xu Shu led the person into the room and explained to Wen Wan, "This is my sister’s nanny. Starting this year, my sister will attend Hongwen Academy. The nanny is no longer needed, and hearing that the young niece has arrived, I thought of sending her over to teach her some things."

If it’s someone from the Xu family, there’s nothing to worry about. Wen Wan accepted the nanny and wanted to keep Xu Shu for a meal, but to no avail, he insisted on returning to take care of Song Fang.

Wen Wan could clearly see that he was afraid of his mother-in-law. After quietly chuckling, she personally sent him out.

...

With the addition of a nanny to the household, life became even more vibrant.

Song Jiao learned etiquette from Nanny Qi during the day and learned to read with Wen Wan in the evening.

After a period of adjusting to the changes, Song Jiao finally got on the right track. In her words and actions, she always wished to emulate the Third Aunt she admired.

...

Time flew by, and before they knew it, the day of Su Xiang’s entry into the court had arrived.