Do you know? Do you know? It should be Green Fat Red Thin Episode 4

  Many of the people under the Sheng family were bought locally, and those who couldn't bear to leave their hometown and relatives were released by the Sheng family, and some were even given disbursement money. Everyone praised Mr. Sheng for being kind and loving to his people. Sheng Hong chose a suitable day for departure according to the almanac, and early in the morning, he set off with his entire family, big and small. The Sheng family had dozens of people, plus luggage and heavy goods, which filled seven or eight boats. Sheng Hong was worried that it would be too showy, so he sent trusted servants to escort a few boats ahead to head north first, also to prepare the mansion in advance.

  Yao Yiyi lived on the right side of the ship's hull with Wang Shi, and the servant girls around her had changed to a few new faces again. She was too lazy to remember them, and as usual, she spent her days eating and sleeping, not being able to eat much but sleeping too much. Except for the first few days when she felt seasick, she and Sheng Rulan, a young girl who was traveling with her, were both very excited to watch the scenery on the water. While watching, they would jump up and down and talk to this "dumb" sixth sister of hers who couldn't speak.

  Like Orchid, the little girl probably hadn't been out much, and even if a big crow flew by, she would get excited for half a day, waving her chubby hands and making a fuss. When Wang couldn't take it anymore, he scolded her a couple of times. Little Orchid was sulky and didn't dare to stick her head out the window all the time, but whenever she came over to talk to Yao Yiyi, she would chatter on for half a day, and Yao Yiyi would respond with a weak "uh-huh" or a nod.

  "Sister, I think Liu Mei is really stupid and can't even talk." Little Rouran, who was six years old, expressed her dissatisfaction with her new companion.

  "Fourth sister, don't talk nonsense. Minglan is ill and I heard her speaking yesterday. She's a year younger than you and has just lost her mother, so you can't bully her." Twelve-year-old Sheng Changbai sat by the window reading, with clear eyebrows and a straight posture.

  "Yesterday she only said four words - 'I want convenience', big sister, you also heard it." Xiao Rulan pulled at Yao Yiyi's braid, Yao Yiyi remained motionless leaning on the soft couch, as if she had fallen asleep again.

  "Alright, like an orchid." Thirteen-year-old Miss Sheng Hualan was at the height of her beauty, as delicate and lovely as a white orchid that had just bloomed. She sat beside the soft couch, flipping through embroidery patterns, "What's all the fuss about? I've been hearing you chattering nonstop on the way here, not even a bit of propriety. If you keep making noise, be careful, I'll go tell Father, and he'll have you copy books as punishment. See if you still have time to bother others, just mind your own business."

  Xiao Rulan pouted, seemingly a little afraid of her elder sister, and reluctantly jumped down from Yao Yiyi's soft couch to play with the maid. As she walked behind Sheng Hualan, she still made a face at her.

  Not long after, the big maid beside Hualan came in. Hualan put down the embroidery in her hand and asked: "How is it?"

  That maid smiled and replied, "As expected by the young lady, that matter is indeed in a state of turmoil. Since it's on the boat, they can't make too much noise about it. Right now, she's probably wiping away tears. I was going to ask more questions but was chased out by Old Lady Liu."

  Hua Lan smiled, feeling happy in her heart. Chang Bai put down the book and frowned, saying: "You've gone to ask again, Father has already instructed you not to ask many questions, why don't you ever listen? You're always snooping around like a young lady from a wealthy family."

  Hua Lan gave her brother a glance and said, "What are you nagging about? My affairs don't need your care, just read your book." Then she muttered to herself softly, "...she really did provoke Father, but why was that? Tonight I must ask Mother... serves her right!"

  Yao Yiyi closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. As the only person in the know, she thought that the scenery inside the ship was much more interesting than outside over the past few days. Just ten days after setting sail, Sheng Hong had already gotten rid of two or three managers at a dock where they were replenishing supplies. Note that all of them shared the surname Lin.

  They were originally the fallen relatives who came to Lin Niang's house, and in recent years they had become Lin Niang's left and right arms. They managed the shops and farms outside, and took charge of purchasing and errands inside. They were very powerful both in front of people and behind their backs. This time, Sheng Hong wanted to drive them away, but they naturally refused. They begged Lin Niang to intercede for them, which shocked her greatly. She was thoughtful and cautious, knowing that something was wrong. Immediately, she went to beg Sheng Hong to spare them, but this time no matter how well or poorly she spoke, Sheng Hong remained cold-faced and ignored her. Moreover, they were on a boat, where the master and servant could hear each other's whispers. She couldn't bring out the skills of playing the zither, blowing the flute, or shedding tears like Xi Shi, so she could only watch as her arms were being cut off.

  Wang's heart was filled with joy, but she didn't dare to reveal it on her face. She had to force herself to maintain a solemn expression and not show any signs of happiness in public, which was extremely difficult for her. Her mood became more pleasant, and she started to act more generously. She treated Yao Yiyi with increasing warmth, dressing her up like her own daughter and feeding her well. As soon as the boat docked, she went to invite a doctor to come and take Yao Yiyi's pulse to see if she was really stupid. Unfortunately, Yao Yiyi didn't cooperate and still looked sickly, unable to eat much food and sleeping soundly every day.

  Sheng Hong often came to see Yao Yiyi, and every time he saw her, he became more worried. Every time he held his daughter in his arms, he would weigh her carefully, and his eyebrows would furrow even deeper. He urged the boatman to hurry up and row quickly, thinking that once they arrived at Dengzhou, he could have his daughter thoroughly examined after settling down.

  Early summer, the south wind is strong, and the boat travels from south to north very smoothly. When they arrived at the Beijing-Tianjin area, Sheng Xuan led a few attendants to disembark and take the land route to the Ministry of Official Affairs in Beijing to handle the promotion procedures. He also wanted to thank the emperor's grace and bid farewell to his teachers, colleagues, and other relatives. The rest of the family members were led by their eldest son to continue northwards to Shandong first.

  When Sheng Hong left, Lin Niang became even more honest and didn't show her face anymore. She only taught and educated her children in her own cabin. When the servants, sailors, and other ships passed by, they often heard the sound of reading coming from Lin Niang's cabin. They all praised the Sheng family for being a family of poetry and books, with a deep foundation of learning. Wang Shi became angry again and forced Long Bai to read out loud so that others could hear. Long Bai was a man of few words and steady temperament. When he heard his mother's request, his pale face suddenly turned into a big eggplant.

  Yao Yiyi said, eggplant can't read books either.

  Yao Yiyi slept with a dizzy head, completely unaware of how long it had been. Anyway, by the time Rulan got bored on the boat, Changbai finished reading three volumes of books, and Hualan embroidered four handkerchiefs, everyone finally stopped the boat and docked. There were already people waiting to receive them at the dock, and neither the ash-covered people on the shore nor the dizzy people on the boat had anything good to say, so they directly changed cars and continued to bump along for several more days. Fortunately, Dengzhou was also a place near the water, and by the time Old Lady Sheng was about to be shaken to death, everyone finally arrived.

  Yao Yiyi was a southerner, not prone to seasickness, but terribly carsick. She vomited yellow bile for several days, almost bringing up her gallbladder as well. This time she didn't just pretend to sleep; she actually fainted dead away in the arms of a robust woman named Kong Wu and was carried into the house. She had no idea what their new home in Dengzhou looked like. By the time she came around a bit, she was already on the kang bed. Every time she opened her eyes, she saw a doctor shaking his head beside her. The first time it was an uncle about forty years old; the second time it was an elderly gentleman with a shock of white hair; and the third time it was an old man with a completely white beard. According to the law that a traditional Chinese doctor's medical skills increase with age, this doctor should be more brilliant each time.

  Three doctors were invited one after another, all saying that the young daughter of the Sheng family was in a precarious condition. It wasn't that the medicine was ineffective, but rather the problem lay with Yao Yiyi herself - she had completely lost the will to live. Wang Shi looked at the little girl who was nothing but skin and bones, and her heart began to feel anxious. Recently, she had just started to improve her relationship with Sheng Hong, and Sheng Minglan was someone that Sheng Hong had personally brought to her to raise. If Sheng Hong were to return and see his young daughter dead, then Wang Shi would truly be in trouble.

  Sheng Hong returned to see his daughter weak and frail, and he became even more furious with Lin Niang. During the day, he handled official business, but as soon as he returned to the mansion, he began to deal with the servants. The Sheng family had just arrived in Dengzhou, and no one outside knew what was going on inside; they all thought it was just a new official taking office, and that there were some adjustments being made within the household.

  Sheng Hong was seething with anger and avoided seeing Lin Niang. For two days in a row, he dismissed several of her skilled maidservants from her quarters, either demoting or expelling them, or selling them off. He spent every night sleeping in Wang Shi's room, and Wang Shi was overjoyed. She took out the ginseng she had been saving to help Yao Yiyi recover her health, but each piece of ginseng was larger than the last, and Yao Yiyi felt a chill run down her spine as she looked at them.

  On this side, the spring light is bright and beautiful, but on that side, it's bleak and rainy. Lin Niang had tried to see Sheng Zong several times, but was blocked by the servants outside. However, she wasn't an ordinary person after all. That evening, after dinner, Sheng Zong and Wang Shi were discussing Sheng Minglan's illness. The children had all returned to their own rooms, leaving only Yao Yiyi still lying drowsily on the window-side bed. The couple sat on either side of the stove, chatting, when suddenly the topic turned to buying property in Dengzhou. Just then, a commotion broke out outside, with the maids shouting and trying to stop someone. Wang Shi was about to send Liu Kun's wife to take a look when a gust of wind blew, and the light blue soft satin curtains were lifted by an unseen hand. Who should appear but Lin Niang herself?

  She was seen with no ring or ornament, her hair was combed into a simple bun, not a single pearl or gemstone adorned her face, which was naturally smooth and delicate. Her skin was as pale as snow, her eyebrows were curved like a new moon, slightly furrowed but not quite. Her waist was slender, seemingly thinner than before, and she looked pitifully lovely.

  Outside, the sound of maids and servant girls pushing and shoving each other came through, apparently Lin Niang had brought a group of women to force their way in. Sheng Hong turned his head away, not looking at her. Wang Shi was furious, slapping the kang table: "What kind of ghostly appearance is this? Who are you putting on a show for? I told you to stay in your room properly, what are you doing by bursting in here? You're making such a racket that everyone in the house knows about it! Do you think others don't have any shame just because you don't?! Quickly, take her out!"

  Several maids came over and started pushing people away.

  "Don't touch me!"

  Lin Yiniang struggled to open her mouth, and with a loud "thud", she immediately knelt down in front of Sheng Hong, her voice like the sound of metal clashing against an iron plate, her face resolute: "Master, mistress, I have made up my mind today. If you don't let me speak, I'll smash my head to death right here, rather than suffer a slow and painful punishment!"

  Sheng Hong Leng shouted: "You don't have to seek death, measuring how I usually treat you is not thin, and learning from the city's women, doing a crying and making a fuss for who to see!"

  Aunt Lin burst into tears and said in a sorrowful voice: "These days, I've been suffocating with words to say, but Master has been avoiding me and refusing to see me. My heart has died several times already. But Master, as the father and mother of the people, you should at least allow someone to defend themselves, let alone that I have served you for so many years and raised a pair of children. Even if you want me to die, you should at least make it clear why!"

  Sheng Hong recalled the death of Wei Niang's mother and was enraged. He smashed a teacup on the ground: "You did it yourself, good deed!"

  Lin's aunt burst into tears and sobbed: "...... Nang Lang!" Her voice was mournful.

  Wang's anger flared up, and he jumped down from the kang, shouting at the servant girls: "Don't you have any energy? She's dead, why don't you take her out?"

  "Are you afraid I'll say something I shouldn't?!" Madam Lin said with a raised head.

  "What nonsense are you spouting? Stop babbling here! What is there for me to be afraid of?"

  "If you're not afraid, then let's settle this once and for all today with a single spit, make things clear, and the truth will be self-evident."

  Wang's chest was heaving, Lin Niang still had tears in her eyes, and the room fell silent for a moment. Sheng Xiang, being an official, knew that it would be better to clarify things today, so he called for the servant girl to find Qiantai Lai Fu. Liu Kunjia's household was very lively, and soon all the servant girls and women were called out of the house. Before long, Lai Fu came in, and Sheng Xiang gave him some low-voiced instructions. Lai Fu nodded and led a few rough-looking servant women into the room, separating all the female servants from the main courtyard.

  There were only five people left in the room: Sheng Hong, Wang Shi, Lin Niang, Liu Kun's family and Bing Lai Fu. Oh, and Yao Yiyi was still sleeping on the couch, probably forgotten by everyone. Yao Yiyi once again vowed to the mudslide that she didn't want to stay here for the trial of the three halls, but... it would be better if she just kept pretending to be unconscious.

  Madam Lin gently wiped away her tears and said sorrowfully, "These days I don't know what I've done wrong. The master not only ignores me but also punishes the people around me one after another. First, it was the two relatives who came to rely on me, then the two maids by my side, and even the nanny who has been serving me since childhood is being driven out! The master handles things, I don't dare to interfere, but can't he at least explain why?"

  "Alright! I'll get to the bottom of this today. Tell me, how did Wei Niang die?"

  Miss Lin seemed not to be surprised, but instead smiled slightly: "Since the day Wei's sister passed away, I knew this day would come. At that time in Quanzhou, the maids and servants in the mansion were all secretly discussing it, saying that I had killed Wei's wife. I thought it was just a few ignorant people slandering me, and since Master was about to be promoted, I didn't dare bother him with trivial matters, so I quietly endured it, thinking that time would clear my name, but...but Master also suspected me!"

  As she spoke, tears rolled down her face like pearls and she burst into uncontrollable sobs.

  Sheng Hong angrily said: "Am I still wronging you? On the day of Wei's childbirth, why did you not go to invite a midwife in time? Why was there no one in her courtyard to serve her? Why were none of the maids in our house who knew how to deliver babies present? That day, my wife and I both went to the Wang family, leaving only you at home. Wasn't it you?"

  "Master, do you still remember what the mistress said a few years ago when Third Miss passed away? She told me to mind my own business and not interfere with the other ladies. Since then, I've been keeping to myself in my own courtyard. Master, now that both you and the mistress are away from home, don't you think the servants in the mansion would want to slack off and take a break? And what about those lazy maids who sneak back home? Not to mention the few experienced midwives! I've only been here for a few years, but those maids have been serving this household for decades. How could I possibly order them around?"

  Sheng Hong hummed coldly and didn't say anything. Wang Shi turned her head to look at Liu Kun's house, with a hint of anxiety in her eyes.

  "Later, the servants came to report that Wei's wife was in labor and wanted to give birth. I hastily called the maid to pass on the message, asking them to call for a midwife. But who knew that the second gatekeeper and several other servants were drinking and gambling? My maid begged Grandfather to tell Grandmother, but they only went after being summoned repeatedly, and it took them several hours to arrive. Afterwards, I asked those servants, and they just said that the nearby midwife was not at home, so they had to run several miles to find one in the west of the city, which delayed Wei's wife's delivery. Heaven above, earth below, every word I say is true! If I intentionally wanted to harm Wei's wife, may heaven strike me dead and I won't die a good death! Sir, Madam, if you still don't believe me, go ask those servants what time I went to call the midwife that day. There are people who heard it!"

  She began to cry again with a sob.

  Sheng Hong turned his head and looked at Wang Shi deeply, causing her heart to skip a beat. She glanced at Liu Kun's family, who furrowed their brows at her. It was well-known that those experienced midwives were mostly her attendants, and the wives and children of the second gate had always been under her management. Even if Sheng Hong didn't harbor any suspicions, she couldn't avoid being accused of dereliction of duty and indulging her subordinates.

  "So you're completely innocent? What a clever tongue!" Wang couldn't say more, as it would make her seem like she was also in the know.

  Lin Yiniang took a few steps on her knees, crawled to the front of the bed, and a clear face was full of tears, even more radiant than the bright moon. She choked back sobs and spoke slowly: "If you say I didn't do anything wrong, that's not true; I'm timid and afraid of trouble, I don't want to take responsibility for things. If I had accompanied Wei Meimei personally that day and directed the servants, maybe Wei Meimei wouldn't have... I was just afraid of taking on responsibility, afraid of being gossiped about. I was wrong, but if you say I intentionally harmed Wei Meimei, even if I went to the underworld, I wouldn't admit it! After all, I'm an educated person, don't I know that human life is at stake?"

  Sheng Hong's heart moved slightly, and he sat silently.

  The Wang family was furious, and just as they were about to scold her severely, they were stopped by the gaze of Liu Kun's wife. They could only force themselves to endure it, and Lin Niang again sobbed twice, her voice trembling with sorrow. "Master, mistress," she said, "I am a person without any backing or support, and this whole life I have been relying on Master to survive. If Master abandons me, I would rather die right now. Originally, I was also the daughter of a good family, but it was I who did not want to lose face and insisted on staying in the Wang household, admiring Master's character. Being ridiculed by everyone, being looked down upon by the servants, I have all acknowledged and accepted. ...I also know that I have angered my sister, making her unhappy, and she resents me and dislikes me. I understand all this and do not dare to defend myself... I only hope that my sister will forgive my foolish devotion to Master, treat me like a small cat or dog in the vast Wang household, and grant me a place to hide, as long as I can see Master from time to time. Even if I am scolded by thousands of people and spat upon by tens of thousands, I would have no regrets! ...Mistress, today, in front of Lai Fu's steward and Liu sister, I kowtowed to you, please pity me!"

  As he spoke, his head really started to hurt, thumping and throbbing with pain. Xing Rong's heart ached, and he quickly jumped down from the kang, grabbing Lin Daiyu: "What are you doing, all of a sudden?"

  Lin Yiniang raised her head, gazing at Sheng Hong with tearful eyes, filled with a thousand tender feelings and ten thousand grievances. She stared for a moment, but said nothing, then turned her head and buried it in Wang Shi's lap, sobbing as she begged: "Please, madam, have mercy on me! I'll accept any punishment or scolding, just don't think of me as a deceitful person... If I've done something wrong, call me out for it and I'll listen to your reprimand... My heart is true towards Master..."

  She wept with a hoarse voice, low breath, red and swollen eyes, and fell onto Sheng Huang's leg on the other side. Sheng Huang couldn't bear it, was deeply moved, and gently supported her.

  That's too awesome!!!!!

  Yao Yiyi finally couldn't help but open a slit in her eyes to look, Sheng Hong's face was unbearable, Wang Shi's face turned green and her lips were white, but she couldn't say half a sentence, her whole body trembling like a leaf, Lai Fu looked on with his mouth agape, Liu Kun's family sighed in dismay.

  Ms. Lin's incredible talent miraculously awakened her classmate Yao Yiyi, who had been wanting to sleep all along. She asked herself, as a young lady from an official family, although she had fallen and been pampered for over a decade, why did she have the courage to declare her determination in front of the servants, kneeling down when necessary, begging for mercy, crying, and arguing? Why was she so weak and unwilling to face reality? Wasn't it just a lousy fetus that she had aborted?

  On a cool summer night, a professional and skilled career second wife finally awakened Yao Yiyi's courage to survive.