Spring Rises in the Phoenix Pool Chapter 20

Qi Yuan sat quietly to the side, contemplating how she might establish a connection with Jing Wang, when she saw Xu Mama rush in anxiously from outside. She headed straight to Madam Wang’s table and whispered a few words in her ear.

Madam Wang had been chatting with her two sisters-in-law about which opera troupe to invite. But upon hearing Xu Mama’s message, she immediately stood up, her voice sharp with anger: “What?!”

Seeing her so alarmed, Second Madam and Third Madam hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong, Sister-in-law? What happened?”

Madam Wang’s expression shifted rapidly. She bit her lip and looked at Qi Zhen. “My lord… Ah Jin fainted…”

The ancestral hall was damp and drafty, and Qi Jin had always been frail to begin with.

At that moment, Madam Wang’s dissatisfaction with Qi Yuan reached a peak. She was fed up with this daughter who, ever since returning, had turned the household upside down.

A blood tie without emotional foundation was sometimes just a burden.

Qi Zhen’s face also darkened.

After all, the girl had been raised under their roof for so many years. And this incident wasn’t really Qi Jin’s fault—it was that scoundrel Qi Yunting who’d stirred things up.

He waved his hand. “Enough. Have someone help her back to her courtyard and summon a doctor.”

With this interruption, Madam Wang could no longer sit still. She rose in haste and left with the servants to go check on Qi Jin.

She completely forgot about Qi Yuan.

The cousins from the second and third branches looked toward Qi Yuan with a mixture of worry and uncertainty.

No one knew how to interact with her now.

Normally, Madam Wang should’ve formally introduced Qi Yuan to her siblings and cousins, but she had either forgotten or deliberately chosen not to. And so, no one knew how to treat her.

It was Second Madam who finally stepped forward, slightly surprised to see Qi Yuan still there. She quickly recovered and smiled warmly. “Ah Yuan, you haven’t met your younger siblings yet, have you?”

Her smile was gentle, as if she hadn’t noticed Madam Wang’s neglect.

There was no reason to make things difficult for a child.

She pulled over her two daughters. “This is your third sister, Yin’er.” She pointed to a girl in a pale yellow jacket.

Qi Yin quickly stood up and gave a polite bow. “Big Sister!”

She looked like any normal, cute little girl.

Qi Yuan smiled and returned the gesture graciously. “Third Sister.”

Second Madam pointed to the girl in the reddish-silver jacket next to her. “This is your fourth sister, Ah Nuo.”

Qi Nuo had already stood up. As soon as her mother introduced her, she sweetly said, “Big Sister.”

Second Madam was about to continue the introductions when a boy quickly interjected, “I’m Changting!”

Qi Yuan chuckled and reached out to pat his head. “Hello, Little Brother Changting.”

The tense atmosphere finally eased.

Third Madam soon arrived and quickly grasped the situation. She introduced her own children as well, though privately she sighed.

Even though her eldest brother and sister-in-law were prepared to formally acknowledge their daughter, from the looks of it, Qi Yuan’s days in this household wouldn’t be easy.

But Qi Yuan didn’t seem troubled at all. She responded when she should and smiled when she needed to.

By the end of the meal, Qi Song and Qi Bai were actually quite pleased. They spoke privately with their brother.

“Big Brother, this child doesn’t seem any different from one of our own. If you hadn’t told us, I’d never believe she was raised outside!”

Qi Zhen’s mood brightened.

Yes—having a capable daughter was far better than one who couldn’t be presented in polite company.

Feeling cheerful, he was overcome with rare fatherly affection. Since Madam Wang had left, he decided to personally escort Qi Yuan back to her room.

Under the moonlight, the father and daughter walked side by side. Qi Yuan followed a half-step behind Qi Zhen, never overtaking him.

This only further convinced Qi Zhen that Qi Yuan had received a proper noblewoman’s education.

He cleared his throat. “Now that you’re back, are you adjusting well?”

Qi Yuan replied softly, “Other than not understanding why my brother is so hostile toward me, I’m quite used to everything else.”

Qi Zhen hadn’t expected such directness and was momentarily taken aback. “Don’t worry. That disgrace—your brother—I will make sure he behaves himself and never offends you again.”

Qi Yuan didn’t believe a word of it.

Madam Wang’s partiality toward Qi Jin and Qi Yunting was obvious. Qi Zhen’s punishment of Qi Yunting was nothing more than a token slap on the wrist for poor conduct.

She’d never expected Qi Zhen to actually help her deal with Qi Yunting anyway.

Her mindset was calm.

Ever since her rebirth, every day she lived was an extra day gained.

She had no intention of repeating the suffering from her past life.

The days ahead, she could take her time to play with Qi Yunting and Qi Jin.

Back in her courtyard, Lianqiao was already anxiously waiting at the gate with a lantern in hand. When she saw Qi Yuan, she ran forward beaming. “Young Miss, you’re back!”

Lianqiao’s joy was so sincere that even Qi Yuan was affected, and she smiled back as they entered the house together.

“How’s your mother doing?” she asked.

These servant families all had homes in town, so it was easy for them to leave the residence to visit family.

Lianqiao’s face lit up. “Thanks to you, Miss, the doctor saw her today. He said if she keeps taking the medicine, she’ll get better than before.”

In just one day, their lives had been completely changed.

Lianqiao was profoundly grateful to Qi Yuan, down to her bones.

Just then, Zhang Mama came in, lifting the curtain. When she saw Lianqiao helping Qi Yuan remove her hairpins, she scolded harshly: “Stop that! What are you? Just a rough-hand maid, and you dare enter the inner room? You dare wait on the lady personally? Do you think you’re worthy?”

Lianqiao froze like a frightened quail and fell to her knees with a thud.

Zhang Mama was about to continue when Qi Yuan slammed the hairpin she held onto the table and said coolly, “If she’s just a rough-hand maid, then where is the senior maid?”

She turned and looked at Zhang Mama, tone still indifferent. “I’ve been back for a while now. I haven’t seen a pot of hot water, nor have I seen a hand warmer. Is this how you manage the maids under you?”

Zhang Mama had originally wanted to make an example of Lianqiao and kick her out.

After all, if Qi Yuan had no one loyal to her, she’d be blind and deaf in this back courtyard.

But she hadn’t expected Qi Yuan to respond so forcefully.

Panicking, Zhang Mama quickly ordered Baizhi and Baiyin to come in and serve her, while scolding them sharply, “How can you be so clueless in your duties? Even a rough-hand maid has better sense than you!”

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