Chapter 13: The Good Servant Girl Red Crape Myrtle

  "Hui'er doesn't dare!" Yao Cun Hui hastily stood up, sincerely and fearfully saying: "Hui'er obediently follows mother's teachings!" After a pause, somewhat resentfully explaining: "How could Hui'er have known that Second Aunt would come over? And Second Aunt was so enthusiastic, while Warm Mama stood by without saying a word... as the younger generation, how could she refuse Second Aunt's kindness..."

  Ma snorted coldly and gritted her teeth, saying: "This is no wonder for you, Mao's doing this is aimed at me! She deliberately wants to provoke me! Humph, jumping up and down is just a clown, thinking that this can bring me down? Bah, she also thinks too highly of herself!"

  Yao Cunhui's face was calm and unruffled, her eyes slightly closed, standing quietly on the spot, as if she hadn't heard anything.

  "Sit down! What's with the formality?" Mr. Ma regretted his words, he shouldn't have said that in front of Yao Cunhui.

  However, after scolding her, she felt much better. Madam Ma picked up the teacup, lifted the lid, took a light sip to moisten her throat, raised her head and sighed heavily: "Hui'er, your mother is all for your own good, who is close and who is distant, you must carefully distinguish between them, don't let people deceive you! After all, your second aunt is not really good for you, she's just using you to annoy me! You must remember, you are the daughter of the main house, in the future you will marry out from the main house, and the dowry will also be provided by the main house! You have nothing to do with her!

  Yao Cun's heart skipped a beat, her drooping eyes suddenly shrinking. Marriage? Was Ma Shi threatening her? Was she warning her that her fate was firmly in her own hands?

  Yao Cunhui secretly sneered in her heart, and suddenly a strong sense of determination surged up. Her fate could only be controlled by herself! She would never let the Ma family manipulate her at will!

  In a society that is particularly lenient and accommodating to women, if her marriage still has to be tightly controlled by the Ma family, then she might as well not have lived!

  "Yes, Hui'er understands! Hui'er remembers everything!" Yao Cun Hui's palms tightened, her voice extremely gentle.

  Ma smiled with satisfaction, her half-closed eyes sizing up Yao Cunhui, flashing a few rays of light. She thought she had grasped Yao Cunhui's weakness, because no woman was not afraid of having her marriage controlled by others at will.

  Ma was secretly pleased, and her complexion improved a lot. She asked Yao Cunhui some words, asking what Mao said about this morning's affairs? And also asked about last night, how she and Old Master Yao went to Mingfeng Xuan to visit Yao Shizan's situation?

  Yao Cunhui replied, trying to be objective - Lixiang and Xiangxiang were originally Ma Shi's people, even if she wanted to deceive him, she couldn't deceive Ma Shi.

  It wasn't until almost an hour later that Madam Ma finally let her go back.

  Back at Rakumon-in, Kōji and Shōshi had already returned.

  Four maidservants kowtowed before Yao Cunhui and thanked her, then each retreated.

  "Miss, are you hungry? I've just brought lunch back from the kitchen, and it's still warm!" Hong Lian said gently.

  Yao Cunhui looked up at her, feeling warmth in his heart. Apart from his sister and brother, only this little girl had been genuinely good to him. Only she remembered that he hadn't eaten yet after being busy for half a day.

  "Come on, let's eat together." Yao Cunhui smiled.

  Hong Li smiled and brought in the lunchbox, taking out four dishes and a soup, as well as a bowl of rice, which she placed in front of Yao Cun Hui.

  Yao Cunhui insisted on having Hong Lian accompany her, but Hong Lian refused. Finally, Yao Cunhui joked: "Hong Lian, don't you think the food I prepared is not good?"

  Hong Li smiled and then thanked him, standing aside to accompany Yao Cunhui as he ate.

  Yao Cunhui bore the title of Miss Qianjin, but the food she ate was actually not as good as that of a senior maid with a good reputation, let alone the powerful and influential housekeepers.

  Wood Mustard, Braised Carp, Tofu with Preserved Egg, Stir-fried Soybean Sprouts, and Mushroom Stewed Chicken Soup.

  The wood ear fungus used in the dish was all fragmented, mixed with a lot of unwashed mud and sand. The meat was also pitifully small, just slightly larger than toothpicks. The carp was only three fingers big, topped with a thick layer of ginger, scallions, and garlic, which overpowered the tiny fish. The pickled egg and tofu used old, coarse tofu that tasted like chewing wax in the mouth. The soybean sprouts had long roots and wore "hats" made of bean shells, were half-rotten, and had a musty taste when eaten. The chicken soup was as bland as plain water, with only two or three mushroom stems, where was the chicken? Except for the head, feet, and neck, there wasn't a single decent piece of meat. Even the served rice was coarse grain rice that ordinary people eat.

  So, Yao Cunhui would say such playful words about Hong Lian. It can also be inferred that as the mistress, she eats such things, what can Hong Lian and others eat?

  "Red Lotus, you've followed me through so much hardship, why are you still being so good to me?" Yao Cun Hui finally couldn't help but ask Red Lotus.

  At first, she hated Hongzhi's betrayal and overbearingness, but now she has to admit that Hongzhi's approach is the normal person's way of doing things. Admitting this fact is very painful, yet it cannot be denied.

  Hong Lian blinked, looked at Yao Cun Hui with a strange gaze, saw her serious and solemn expression, and realized she wasn't joking. Hong Lian gently put down the bowl and chopsticks, and said naturally: "I am Miss's maid, of course I have to treat Miss well! I promised Madam before that I will always stay by Miss's side, serve Miss, and I won't go back on my word. Moreover, I really want to serve Miss."

  Yao Cunhui was stunned, secretly sighing in her heart. The first wife had saved Hong Lian's life, it was she who brought the starving and dying Hong Lian back to the mansion, but unexpectedly, she received this unrequited return from Hong Lian!

  There must be a cause for every effect.

  "Don't you feel bitter? If I'm going to be like this for the rest of my life, are you going to follow me for the rest of your life too?"

  "Why would I be sad? Having food to eat, clothes to wear, and being able to stay by Miss's side is enough for me! My mother taught me from a young age that one should be content with what they have, and repay the kindness of others. I've always remembered that! Moreover, I don't think Miss is useless, she's just...just too kind-hearted, just like the previous madam..." Hong Lian lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly.

  "Alright! Let's eat!" Yao Cunhui smiled and gently squeezed Hong Lian's hand, saying seriously: "Hong Lian, thank you. I won't let your efforts be in vain."

  Hong Lian was stunned, staring at Yao Cunhui in confusion, not quite understanding what she meant.

  Yao Cunhui couldn't help but burst out laughing again: "Let's eat first! As long as you remember, your mistress will never abandon you!"

  "Yes, miss!" Red Lotus understood and nodded happily.

  The master and servant exchanged a knowing smile.

  After lunch, Yao Cunhui remembered Yao Shizan and walked out of Luomei Courtyard, slowly heading towards Mingfeng Hall.

  As soon as I stepped into the yard, I heard a burst of noise coming from inside the house.

  Yao Cunhui stopped in her tracks and listened intently, only to find that Li Xiang and Qing Xiang were coaxing Yao Shizan to take his medicine, but he was being stubborn and refused to drink it. The two maidservants wouldn't give up, and an argument ensued.

  Yao Cunhui's palms were clenched tightly, and her heart ached as if cut by a knife.

  That's poison! It's a gradual accumulation, a gradual erosion, and it will eventually turn her beloved younger brother into a useless person!

  With his own ears he heard Li Xiangqin forcing him to drink poison, Yao Cunhui was so grieved and indignant that he almost died.

  "Stop! What are you doing!" Yao Cunhui, unable to bear it any longer, rushed in and saw Xiangxiang pinning down Yaoshizan, pinching his nose and forcing him to open his mouth, while Lixiang held a medicine bowl, trying to force-feed him. Yao Cunhui's blood surged up to her head as she shouted loudly.

  Li Xiang and Qing Xiang did not expect someone to come at this time, both of them were startled. Yao Shi Zan took the opportunity to break free from Qing Xiang's restraint, raised her hand and knocked over the medicine bowl in Li Xiang's hand, and with a small body slipped down the soft couch, stumbling towards Yao Cun Hui, calling out for help: "Second sister! Second sister!"

  Yao Cunhui's nose turned sour, her chest ached with a sharp pain, and she felt heartbroken to the point of tears. She reached out and pulled Yao Shizan into her arms, gently patting his back and softly comforting him.

  "Second Miss!" Li Xiang and Qing Xiang came back to their senses, their faces filled with displeasure. Qing Xiang picked up the broken pieces of the medicine bowl, while Li Xiang walked over to Yao Cun Hui, frowning: "Second Miss, you'll harm Young Master if you do this! Qing Xiang, warm up the medicine and pour another bowl!"

  "I don't want to, I won't drink!" Yao Shizan tightly grasped Yao Cunhui's collar, her eyes wide with anxiety and pleading: "Second sister, the medicine is so bitter, it's hard to swallow, I won't drink it, I don't want to drink it!"

  "Second Miss, you can't let Master be so reckless! Otherwise, I won't be able to explain it to the old master and mistress!" Li Xiang was clearly very dissatisfied with Yao Cun Hui's sudden intervention.

  "I won't drink it, I just won't!" Yao Shizan shouted loudly, her pale little face flushing with anger, a few wisps of blue veins visible on her forehead.

  Yao Cun's heart was filled with great pain, Yao Shi Zan didn't know how many times he had resisted, how many times he had refused, but he was so weak and small, his refusals were laughable in their eyes! In the end, he still had to swallow the poison they handed him, mouthful by mouthful, until the last moment of his life! What kind of despair and struggle was that!

  Even if he doesn't die from an accident, he will definitely die from this chronic poison!

  "Good, good, well-behaved, well-behaved!" Yao Cunhui comfortingly patted Yao Shizan's head and sat down with him, asking Li Xiang: "Did the kitchen cook congee today? Has the young master eaten yet?"

  Lixiang saw the inquiry and only nodded: "It was delivered at noon, and the young master's appetite is better than usual. He drank more than half a bowl of porridge, used a lot of dried radish, sesame oil mixed with napa cabbage and cold mixed lettuce."

  "That's it!" Yao Cunhui lovingly stroked Yao Shizan's head and smiled: "It's rare for the young master to have a big appetite today, and his parents will definitely be happy. Let him have his way this time, and he won't need to drink this medicine!"

  "This——"

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