Transmigrating into the Female Supporting Character with a Good Life in a Laid-Back Novel

Since Ruan Xi had decided to send Wen gongzi a small gift, she started to think about what she should send.

Sachet… Jade pendant… Handkerchief…

Ruan Xi had three choices but her heart more inclined towards the jade pendant, since Wen gongzi’s handsomeness was akin to jade. Although her first preference was to give him a jade pendant, the jade pendants she had in her possession were not remarkable by any means and she could not take them out.

She could only choose between the sachet and the handkerchief.

From the original owner’s memories, her teacher once said that silk handkerchiefs were used to express amorous feelings since it was a metaphor for endless and sentimental desires, and silk handkerchiefs could not be casually given to men.

Ruan Xi remembered the suet jade hairpin that Wen gongzi sent her and chose the sachet in the end.

Moreover, since Ruan Xi had decided to express her sincerity by making it with her own hands, it would require some time to complete.

Ruan Xi wrote a reply to Wen gongzi first, detailing the fact that she was sending him a small gift at the end of the letter before she asked someone to send it to her oldest brother Ru Yu Wen who was in the Academy, so he could deliver it to Wen gongzi.

In a flash, the time approached noon. After Ruan Xi consumed her sumptuous lunch, she told Mama Lin about the matter of having to manage the needlework room and Mama Lin proceeded to give her a few tips in a warm tone of voice.

“Fourth Young Lady, while managing the needlework room might look simple, gives the impression that there isn’t much to learn, and can be easily tampered by others, it is actually the place where numerous doors and stewards are linked.

“When the time comes around, I will explain it to you in detail.

“I know that when most noble daughters learn how to manage a household, the Furen of the household will offer them some instructions first, and arrange for people to guide them so they can make steady progress incrementally, but perhaps Ruan furen does not walk the regular route.”

Mama Lin had learned of her situation from her two maidservants before lunch.

She also heard that the legitimate third daughter of the Earl Residence was going to marry out next year but she had not started learning the ropes of household management yet.

When Ruan Xi heard Mama Lin insinuate that her legitimate mother Zhang shi did not walk the normal route, she nearly burst out into laughter.

It seems like her legitimate mother Zhang shi’s ability to uphold her reputation was not up to par, and she had been plucked down to the roots in a moment’s work by Mama Lin.

Ruan Xi smiled with thankfulness. “One thanks Mama Lin for taking the trouble.”

Ruan Xi was barely twenty when she crossed over, and while she had read a few novels about crossing over to the ancient era during her normal days, she did not expect that she would transmigrate into a book; how could she possibly know the ways of rich and influential families in the ancient era beyond some superficial knowledge?

Before she went to the needlework room, Ruan Xi listened to Mama Lin talk about the knacks of the needlework room with rapt attention, and she was both astonished and secretly thankful for Mama Lin’s selfless guidance.

Maybe her legitimate mother Zhang shi did not foresee that so many things could be learned from the needlework room which looked useless even though it was liable to incur troubles.

“…Which is why Fourth Young Lady shouldn’t feel that taking over the kitchen or being responsible for purchases or taking care of the stores are the only channels to properly master how to manage a household.

“When it comes to the basic necessities in life – food, clothing, shelter, and transportation – there is knowledge to be grasped everywhere. Master one and you will master a hundred, and the rest is merely adapting to the circumstances and accumulating the experience.

“Of course, all these are not exhaustive, it merely ensures that you are well-aware of the circumstances so you will not be deceived by your superiors and deluded by your servants. In short, being a good matriarch doesn’t require you to be proficient in the zither, chess, calligraphy or painting, nor does it require you to be a renown talent, but you need to assume full responsibility of the overall situation, master the ways of the world and people, be flexible in handling affairs, and be good at managing the servants while appointing the right people according to their abilities.

“It is not possible to learn everything at once. I will teach them to you one by one. However, it should be said it’s better for you try your hand at managing personally rather than have more be said.”

Mama Lin’s tone was heavy with sincere and earnest wishes. Not only was Ruan si xiaojie a concubine-born daughter of an Earl Residence, it seemed like she did not have anything she could display besides her beauty which made her too mediocre. The oldest son of Rites Minister Wen was the legitimate grandson whom Wen lao-furen loved the most, and even the heir apparent to Duke An Residence could not compare to him.

When this marriage was settled, Wen lao-furen had called Rites Minster Wen and his wife on the same night to give them a harsh lecture.

In the end, it was Wen gongzi who appeared and knelt down to entreat before Wen lao-furen finally compromised.

If Ruan si xiaojie was mud that could not prop up the wall, this marriage could very well affect Wen gongzi’s position in the clan.

Fortunately, Ruan si xiaojie was intelligent and steady, like an uncut jade that could be grinded and polished.

Mama Lin was very gratified.

Ruan Xi was unaware of Mama Lin’s inner thoughts as she nodded seriously.

“Thanking Mama Lin for her pointers, I understand now.”

Now that she had been fully prepared for what was coming in her heart, Ruan Xi’s performance made the main and younger stewards in the needlework room extremely shocked when Mama Gao eventually brought her to the needlework room.

Each question posed by Ruan Xi drew blood on the first prick and she even noticed the problems in the ledger. It was just that instead of pointing them out directly, she would make a casual comment before she smiled and allowed it to pass.

Waters that were too clean would not have any fishes.

The full idiom is ‘水至清则无鱼, 人至察则无徒’ which translates to ‘water that is too clean has no fishes, a person who is too critical will have no disciples’, and it comes from Da Dai’s Book of Rites and Vol. 65 of the Han Shu (Book of Han). It is usually used to indicate that people should not be too demanding or critical.

Ruan Xi merely wanted to display a part of her strength so they would not assume that she was easily deceived, and she did not have the intention to ferret out people as a show of might.

The main and lower stewards felt a chill running their backs, cold sweat emerging instantaneously as they became more respectful.

The Fourth Young Lady was not simple indeed.

It was no surprise that Wen gongzi had set his heart on the Fourth Young Lady after only visiting her once.

When Mama Gao saw the stewards in the needlework room being reverent and respectful towards the Fourth Young Lady, she could not help but knit her eyebrows together and give them a vicious glare.

Where was the show of authority at first encounter that they agreed on?

Did all these stewards decide to back out upon seeing that the Fourth Young Lady had rapidly improved and the fact that the Wen Family’s training Mama had arrived by her side? 

They were truly a bunch of good-for-nothing wastrels!

Mama Gao became aggravated inwardly.

……

In Qingshan Academy, Wen gongzi received the letter that Ruan Yu Wen was passing on.

Wen gongzi’s good friend— the grandson of Senior Official Li by the name of Li Jing Cheng, who was endowed with garish and beautiful facial features, raised an eyebrow upon seeing the letter. Smiling, he teased him: “Zi Run, is that a letter from your fiancée?”

The sons of government officials in their vicinity who were preparing to leave halted in their steps, perking up their ears to listen to the gossip.

In the Academy, who was unaware of the fact that Wen gongzi had recently engaged in a marriage where there was a huge disparity between both parties after he had rejected numerous noble daughters?

Neither hurried nor slow, Wen gongzi kept the letter properly as he smiled and nodded his head. “Mn.”

Li Jing Cheng looked at his expression, the curiosity growing in his heart. He heard that Zi Run’s fiancée was only a small illegitimate daughter from an Earl Residence; which made him genuinely wonder what Zi Run found meaningful about her, was it her appearance?

There were rumours stating that the Fourth Young Lady of the Earl Chengyi Residence had a breath-taking countenance.

But it seemed like apart from her appearance, that Ruan si xiaojie did not have any skills she could parade.

Li Jing Cheng was puzzled, unable to comprehend his good friend’s choice.

“Zi Run, when will you bring your fiancée out for a gathering, and allow us to meet her?” Li Jing Cheng asked with a wide grin as he held Wen gongzi’s shoulder.

Wen gongzi smiled, “You will get to meet her during my paternal grandmother’s major birthday.”

Li Jing Cheng widened his eyes in shock, staring at Wen gongzi in disbelief. “Zi Run, you… you’re not going to invite Ruan si xiaojie to attend Wen lao-furen’s longevity feast, are you? What if Ruan si xiaojie exhibits a timid or unsatisfactory performance at Wen lao-furen’s longevity banquet…”

Your face would be thrown big time.

In a very tactful manner, Li Jing Cheng did not verbalise the latter half of his sentence.

It was not that he was belittling Ruan si xiaojie, but a person’s identity in their family was bound to affect their outlook and mien by a certain degree.

Wen gongzi nodded his head. As if he thought of something, his eyes and brows softened, “Jing Cheng, si niang is very special, and very interesting.”

Si niang…

Special… Interesting…

Li Jing Cheng’s jaw dropped and his entire person was dumbstruck. It was over; Zi Run had been enthralled by fiancée.

Ruan si xiaojie had to be a femme fatale.

The few sons of government officials, who had their ears perked up to eavesdrop, were shaken and stunned: “……”

This… Was he still the gentle and jade-like Wen gongzi they knew, who would always keep a fixed distance from girls?

In that instant, they became more curious about the allegedly breath-taking Ruan si xiaojie, and they secretly decided that they had to follow their elders to attend Wen lao-furen’s longevity feast.

Hence, this was how the news of Ruan si xiaojie attending Wen lao-furen’s longevity banquet spread out, and it was known by everyone very quickly.

After using his lunch, Wen gongzi took advantage of the time he had left in his afternoon break to go to the pavilion outside the Academy’s bamboo forest to read the letter, with Zhang Qing tagging along.

“A gift of gratitude?”

A smile hung on Wen gongzi’s lips as his distinctively jointed finger traced the word ‘gift’ on the letter paper gently, a smear of interest emerging in the depths of his eyes.

The gift sent by the xiao yatou…. What would it be?

Wen gongzi felt a rare intrigue.

When Zhang Qing heard his gongzi’s low mumble with his keen ears, his spirit jittered.

Ruan si xiaojie was going to send gongzi a gift?

That was good news indeed.

Zhang Qing was extremely happy.

At this moment, some noises travelled over from the distance, as if someone was coming over. Disinclined to the notion of being disturbed, Wen gongzi kept his letter and left the bamboo forest pavilion.

Zhang Qing followed in his footsteps quickly.

Just as Wen gongzi departed, Ruan Yu Wen and some of his close school friends saw the empty pavilion and the familiar, tall and straight back figure gradually fading into the distance.

Since he came a step late, a trace of disappointment flashed across Ruan Yu Wen’s eyes, but when he thought about his fourth sister, his spirit became invigorated again immediately.

As long as his fourth younger sister was still Wen gongzi’s fiancée, he could bask in the Wen Family’s light and gain instruction from the renown erudite scholars.

He had to pass the provincial imperial examinations this year.

Ruan Yu Wen clenched his fists.

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Ruan Xi did not know that a casual sentence from Wen gongzi made her become woman of the hour in the social stratum of influential officials within the capital again. It was unknown how many noble daughters were waiting and hoping that she would make a fool of herself during Wen lao-furen’s longevity feast, and see her being made a joke of.

Qi Yue An from the Marquis Huaiyang Residence was currently sitting on the grass in the garden as he held a blade of grass in his mouth, exhibiting an extremely bored expression. When he suddenly heard his young male servant mention Ruan si xiaojie, his heartbeat quickened by half a pace and he spat out the grass.

“You said that Ruan si xiaojie will be attending Wen lao-furen’s longevity feast?”

“Yes, Second Young Master.”

As if nothing had occurred, Qi Yue An held another blade of grass in his mouth and no one knew what he was thinking.

……

Ruan Xi remained in the needlework room for more than a double-hour before she returned to Limpid Heart Garden to tell Mama Lin about the handover of the needlework room and its corresponding details.

Mama Lin nodded her head internally before she pointed out some things that Ruan Xi could have done better and gave her tips on how she could improve.

In the span of one afternoon, Ruan Xi had gained a lot.

She thanked Wen gongzi for sending her Mama Lin again in her heart.

After they had talked about proper business, Ruan Xi opened her mouth to ask with some embarrassment: “Mama Lin, if I want to send someone a sachet, what kind of pattern design and implied meaning should I embroider?”

The original owner’s memories regarding this aspect was exceedingly little. Even though the original owner was quite skilled in needlework and embroidery, she only embroidered flowers for the most part, and it was not like she could embroider a scarlet kaffir lily on the sachet.

君子兰 (pinyin: jun zi lan) – it can also translate to ‘gentleman lily’.

Since this was the first time Ruan Xi was sending her fiancé a gift; it goes without saying that she had to make the gift as perfect as the scope of her abilities would allow to express her sincerity.

Mama Lin arched her eyebrows once she heard that, and she glanced at the Fourth Young Lady who was looking vexed. She was secretly amused, the person she wanted to send the sachet to was probably Wen gongzi.

“Embroidering a pattern of a fish dallying with a lotus is a decent choice.” Mama Lin suggested with a smile, though there was a hint of mystery faintly concealed in her expression

“A fish dallying with a lotus?”

Upon hearing that suggestion, Ruan Xi’s eyes brightened. A fish and lotus pattern sounded like it possessed remarkable artistic conception, which meant that Wen gongzi could wear it out if she sent it as a gift.

“That’s right. I have a few aromatic formulas for sachets with me and its effects are different. I will write it down later and you can look over which one you want.” Mama Lin continued to smile. She was looking forward to Ruan si xiaojie’s pleasant surprise.

Ruan Xi nodded to express her thanks. Fifteen minutes later, she received several aromatic formulas for sachets and she chose the formula that could freshen up minds. Then, she turned around to instruct Su Yu to collect the medicinal herbs and the perfumed ingredients.

Meanwhile, she took out her needlework wicker basket and her embroidered handkerchiefs. The original owner’s memories and muscle memory was still present, and Ruan Xi had dexterous hands to begin with. Thus, she went from being unfamiliar to picking up the skill very quickly and with proficiency.

Since the pattern of a fish dallying around a lotus was more complicated, it would require some time to finish the embroidering.

Ruan Xi was already mentally prepared to see this through, and she could only trouble Wen gongzi to wait for a few more days.

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When night fell, Ruan Xi received Wen gongzi’s return letter.

Su Yu and Su Zhu waited for the Oldest Young Master to depart before they withdrew discreetly.

Inside the quiet room, the flickering candlelight illuminated Ruan Xi’s exquisite and delicate visage.

In a rare feat, Wen gongzi brought up his day in the Academy and even mentioned a good friend of his briefly, namely the Senior Official Li’s grandson, Li Jing Cheng.

Ruan Xi was surprised but her thoughts immediately turned afterwards. Writing about their daily lives could increase their understanding of each other.

She was going to marry and become a married couple with Wen gongzi eventually. If they could cultivate mutual respect in a marriage, who would willingly treat each other as an honoured guest?

The fact that Wen gongzi was making this opening today made Ruan Xi smile slightly. Mutually understanding each other like this was not a bad feeling either.

However, the name Li Jing Cheng did sound a little familiar. It did not take Ruan Xi too long to remember who he was, and her lips twitched.

In the book, Li Jing Cheng was a man with feminine and gorgeous facial features, and he was Wen Ting Zhou’s partner in the risqué and scandalous rumours.

Returning to her reverie, Ruan Xi lowered her gaze to continue reading the contents at the bottom of the letter.

[ Si niang, it is said that sending a gift that has been invested with personal effort is the best and most sincere gift. ]

When Ruan Xi saw that line, she chuckled out loud.