Early in the next morning, Gu Xiran didn’t wake Shu Huan up when he saw that she was still sleeping soundly. He went out first for the morning exercise.
When Shu Huan woke up, the sun was already very high.
She didn’t see anyone when she looked around. When she lazily stretched out, she saw the ring on the ring finger of her left hand. She couldn’t help but smile.
The ring was made from sterling silver and was a simple round ring. There were three small rubies inlaid on it. Although, it looked like it wasn’t worth much money, but when wearing it, it made the finger look long. It felt exceptionally beautiful and also made her heart feel a warm sweetness. She secretly pondered about when Gu Xiran had prepared this ring.
In fact, she didn’t know that Gu Xiran had bought this ring in the jewelry shop the first time he took her out. At that time, she was leaning on the counter to study the pattern on a delicate bracelet and didn’t notice.
She lay lazily like that in bed and smiled sillily for a while looking at the ring. Shu Huan discovered that love truly reduced the IQ a lot. If someone entered now and saw that silly smile on her face, probably only the word “idiot” could be used to describe her.
It happened that someone really came in!
Meijing saw that she had awakened through the curtain. She grinned and came in, “Second young mistress, do you want to get up?”
Shu Huan made a low “mm” sound and felt a little embarrassed.
In the ancient times, only wax lamps were used at night. The brightness was limited. It was not convenient to do anything. Therefore, the people cherished the morning light. They had the habit to go sleep at night and get up at dawn. Although, she didn’t need to wake up so early, it was still a bit outrageous that she slept until the sun was hanging high in the sky. Even if people didn’t want to think bad about it, they could only think bad about it.
However, the next sentence of Meijing polluted her good mood.
Meijing laughed, “Madam-in-law came and is waiting outside to meet second young mistress!”
Shu Huan was surprised, “We are at the resort, right?”
Meijing thought that she hasn’t fully awakened yet, grinned and said, “Yes.”
She (X) could even chase her to the resort. Could it be that the ten silver liang she gave her last time had already been spent?
Now, Shu Huan already had some understanding of the prices here. Ten silver liang, if used frugally was enough for a commoner family of four to live for half year from it. From the time she gave her the money till now, it hadn’t been two months. Did that Xu shi really took her as a little fat sheep and would cut out a piece when she wanted to eat meat?
Shi: clan
Her smile disappeared from her face and said, “Don’t want to see!”
If she had only guessed that the original owner didn’t live well at home when she saw Xu shi for the first time, after listening to Gu Xiran’s retelling, she thoroughly understood the extent of the tragedy of the original owner’s life. Moreover, last time Xu shi even sold out the original owner’s affairs to concubine Yun for a bit of money and hurt her indirectly. This kind of person was not worthy of being a parent. That she didn’t directly call people to drive Xu shi out was already that she was being lenient.
Meijing was a bit stunned, “What if madam-in-law ask for the reason?”
Shu Huan put on a robe and got out of bed, “Tell her, I don’t want to see her.”
Meijing went out and felt that it was truly rare that she didn’t want to see her maiden family. She (M) was afraid that she (SH) was only angry for something and if she (M) answered too resolute, there would be no leeway in the future. Hence, when she went to see Xu shi, she told her, “Second young mistress is sick and can’t meet anyone. It’s better for madam-in-law to come back next day.”
“Sick?” Xu shi had waited for a long time in the hall. She had long become impatient. The moment she heard this, she raised an eyebrow. On her whole face was written that she didn’t believe it, “She didn’t get sick sooner or later. Why did she get sick the moment I came?”
Here was the resort and not Gu residence. She had heard that only Gu household’s second and fourth young master were here. Then, the one who could be in charge of the inner matters was only Shu Huan. Hence, Xu shi put down a lot of scruples, swept twice over Meijing and said dissatisfied, “Miss, is not that you haven’t passed the message, right? How would our family’s little Huan dare to not see me?!”
The first part made Meijing very unhappy. The later part made her feel more wronged. She felt that her kindness had been regarded as a donkey’s liver, making her blurt out, “That’s right! This slave also doesn’t know why second young mistress didn’t get sick sooner or later and would get sick when madam-in-law came.”
When the same sentence was said by her, its meaning was different from Xu shi’s. It made Xu shi unhappy in her heart. When she saw that Meijing was beautiful, she said, “Fox!”
When had Meijing been scolded by this word? She was dumbfounded for a moment. Then, her face got red and said, “Madam-in-law, are you talking about me?”
Xu shi had the shrewish and craftiness of a marketplace. She looked smilingly at Meijing and said, “Yo, miss don’t think too much. I’m talking about the one who is like a fox. This has nothing to do with miss.”
There was only her and Meijing in the hall. Could this word “fox” really have nothing to do with Meijing? Due to Xu shi’s identity, it wasn’t right for Meijing to be too impudent. She could only lower her head to hide her sadness and anger and said, “Madam-in-law, please leave.”
Xu shi hasn’t seen the money yet; how could one send her away so easily? Instead, she sat down, put on high airs and pretended to drink tea. She said, “Your second young mistress is sick. Your concubine didn’t also get sick, right? Pass a message for me. I want to see her.”
Meijing was surprised for a moment and bluntly said, “Concubine made a mistake and had been punished by second young master to close herself up and ponder about her mistake. She can’t meet with people.”
This time, Xu shi’s eyebrow almost went up as high as the sky. She said, “It wasn’t easy for me to come from so far away. Miss, you shouldn’t lie to me like this. Second young mistress is sick and concubine needs to ponder about her mistake. Both happened at the same time. How could there be such coincidence?! Miss, just be sincere and quickly pass the message for me!”
Whether she believes it or not is her problem!
Meijing suppressed her anger and said, “I, a slave only knows how to pass messages. Asking madam-in-law to please not make things difficult for me.”
Xu shi opened her mouth and wanted to say something when she saw someone walking outside the hall. That appearance, that figure; if it wasn’t Shu Huan who else could it be? She immediately rushed to say, “Isn’t that your second young mistress? Sick! Can she still come out for a walk when being sick?”
Pretending to be sick was usually an excuse used to not go see someone and could also leave some face for that someone. It happened that this Xu shi had to take advantage of this pretense. Meijing was also helpless. She simply stood there and ignored her (X).
At this time, Xu shi also didn’t have the mind to argue with a little maid. She casted her (M) away, lifted her dress and chased. While she chased, she shouted, “Little Huan, little Huan…”
Shu Huan thought that Meijing had already sent Xu shi away. Now, she was going to Ji Danqing’s to learn painting. She was suddenly called. When she turned and saw that it was Xu shi, her head was immediately about to explode.
Xu shi gasped for air when she caught up. Without any explanation, she grabbed her (SH) hand. She said with an intimate tone to blame her, “Just now, your maid said that you got sick. That scared me so much. Seeing you now, my heart is still jumping! How is it? What kind of disease is it? Is it serious?”
She was talking here when Meijing also caught up. She anxiously said, “Second young mistress…”
Shu Huan raised her hand to stop what she (M) was about to say next.
When Xu shi saw this, she thought that Shu Huan was about to scold Meijing. She couldn’t help but reveal a smile that showed that she was taking joy in another’s calamity a bit. She planned to watch the play at a side. Who would’ve thought that Shu Huan would turn her eyes, looked frowningly at her and asked, “Why haven’t you left yet?”
