Leng Shuang thought seriously and said, “Three years ago, I competed with her one-on-one, and I won three moves. But I’m not sure now.”
“Three moves was enough to win a fight.” Qin Yunuan pulled up her loose hair bun and looked at the plum tree with white flowers like the snow outside infatuatedly. It seemed that it was about to snow in this weather.
Two days after, heavy, feather-like snow fell. It was a rare perishing winter in Qi. Two news came from the palace, one was that Prince Ray couldn’t bear to see the country suffering from the disaster, and he stepped up to go to the Imperial Mausoleum and offer incense to the ancestors. Secondly, Shangguan Yuan was named Duke of Dingguo after Princess Jinhe got married.
“It’s shameless of him to sell a daughter for the title.” Xi’er was holding the last silk thread for Qin Yunuan. They were about to finish the embroidery of a crane about to be completed but couldn’t find a suitable color for the eye. The crow green was too impetuous, and the black was dull.
“He may not be at ease with his title. Why do you bother worrying for him?” Qin Yunuan took a look at Xi’er. She was a good girl in all but a little bit careless like Tong in the past. Qin Yunuan lowered her brows and prayed accidents like Tong not to happen again. She couldn’t bear another betrayal in this eventful season.
There were a few noises from outside the yard. It sounded like a group of daughters gathering and chatting. Qin Yunuan glanced out and saw a familiar figure. She frowned and asked Maner beside her, “Nurse Liao seems to be very busy this time.”
Maner couldn’t help but also frowned and fenced with her question, “Yes, now that Third Young Madam has become prominent and wealthy, flattery also came to us. Nurse Liao was the first one in charge of our yard. Those little maids would naturally try hard to please her.”
“I’m afraid it will be more than that,” Xi’er said sullenly, “How could it just be pleasing nurse Liao now? I heard that Liao arranged two third-class maids into our yard only yesterday. She let me take care of them. Those two maids couldn’t even do one thing smoothly. I guess that Liao took advantage of it.”
Xi’er spoke rashly. Maner, who was friend with nurse Liao, became uncomfortable, but Xi’er’s words were true. She had to nod her head in agreement, “It’s true. I also heard about it.”
Qin Yunuan cut off the bare threads and only left the eyes of the crane missing. She stretched her aching shoulders. Qin Yunuan said, “Go to the two third-class maids. Bring them in.”
“Third Young Madam.” Maner persuaded, “Why should you be so angry with those two nameless juniors? I can go and teach them.”
Qin Yunuan shook her head, “They were introduced by nurse Liao after all. If you taught and scalded them, you wouldn’t have shown due respect for nurse Liao. Now there’s boisterous wind and great waves outside. I also have to let the people in my yard know that since they are working in my yard. They should keep their eyes and ears clean.”
Maner nodded and took the order. After a while, the two third-class maids came. They were helping in the kitchen, but their clothes were so clean with no perspiration or oil stains on. Those white-bottomed embroidered Yuanyang shoes were not even touched by mud, and the plain silver hairpins on their heads were better than those of Ting Xue and Maner.
Qin Yunuan looked up and down at these two people. She suddenly smiled and only glanced at Maner before turning back into the inner room.
Maner immediately greeted the two people with a smile and led them into the yard, pointing to a hill of firewood and said to the two maids, “Recently, our young grandmother has a hobby. She liked to listen to the sound of woodcutting for a nap. It’s your job today. Remember, chop well. Don’t stop chopping before she gets up. Xi’er will watch you.”
Xi’er smiled, handing them two blunt choppers, “Right. Remember, chop well.”
The two servant girls stood gazing at each other in blank dismay but dared to say anything.
The chopping sound outside was endless. In the cold winter, sweat quickly broke out from those two maids. The sweaty coats were attached to their backs, making the wind even more piercingly cold. Inside the house, Qin Yunuan was enjoying a warm cup of wild jujube soup. Her appetite had become more awkward recently. Whatever was the sourest was what she liked most. The wild jujube in her soup was several times more than usual.
Sure enough, in a short while, there was a soft knock on the door. Maner went out to open. The sophisticated, dumb voice must be nurse Liao.
“Is Young Madam awake?”
“Not yet. Young Madam has become sleepy these days. You knew that, nurse Liao.”
“Oh, but it’s already this time. I’m afraid sleeping for a long time is bad for the body.”
Maner smiled and couldn’t understand nurse Liao better. She replied, “Nurse Liao, you and I are both servants only, so how dare I guess her thoughts at will?”
A scream came from outside just then.
“Oops, sister Chenxiang cut her hand. Alas, a lot of blood came out.”
Chenxiang was the slightly taller of the two maids. She looked delicate.
Nurse Liao was about to continue her talk with Maner, but Qin Yunuan was standing at the door, already neatly dressed. Her hands were folded in front of the exquisite jade in the middle of her belt. Her dignity and grace were clearly telling nurse Liao that she was the master of the yard.
“What’s wrong? So much noise.”
“Third Young Madam,” Xi’er, who was supervising the two servant girls, came in and said, “One servant called Chenxiang chopped off her finger. It’s nothing but one little finger.”
Nothing but one little finger?
Nurse Liao trembled and looked at Qin Yunuan with horror, but she saw Qin Yunuan looking down even more indifferently at the emerald bracelet in her hand, “Oh, a trivial thing. Just give her ten taels of silver and send her home. But I don’t remember when there was a maid named Chenxiang in the yard.” Qin Yunuan gave Nurse Liao a glance, “Nurse Liao, do you?”
“I… I…” nurse Liao stuttered. The two maids pleaded in the yard, “Nurse Liao, we had given you all the wealth. You promised to give me riches and honor. You even said that in the yard of Third Young Madam we could see the Third Young Master more often. And then high positions and great wealth would come to us. Nurse Liao, you have to help us.”
“Nonsense!” Mama Liao immediately rushed over with a ferocious look and slapped the maid violently, “When did I say that? You, shameless girl. How could I never know what you think about every day? I won’t give you the opportunity to contact the Third Young Master.”
“Nurse Liao, how can you be like this?” Chenxiang, who cut her finger, had tears in her eyes. Although her family had adequate food and clothing, she took out all the family treasures at the bottom of the box to please nurse Liao. She didn’t expect nurse Liao to go back upon her word. Chenxiang was not afraid anymore, “Nurse Liao, you said it clearly, that even if you can’t be taken by Third Young Master, Young Master Qin would marry when he grows up. Did I give you my twenty taels for nothing? I have a receipt, so don’t deny it.”
Twenty taels could be nurse Liao’s payment for one year.
“How could you use Young Master, nurse Liao?” Maner couldn’t constrain herself, “He’s six. You are insane, nurse Liao.”
Qin Yunuan turned slowly to nurse Liao, who seemed pale, “Nurse Liao, what more can you say?”
Nurse Liao hurried up and stopped Chenxiang from finding the receipt. She kneeled and kowtowed to Qin Yunuan, “Third Young Madam, I’m too old to consider things correctly. I thought that my boy Da Shi needed the bride price. He is 24 now and not married yet.”
“Then what’s the matter with the words you put outside?” Maner asked, “You said that the new Madam Sun was just a second wife, and this family will be handed over to Third Young Madam after all. Do you know that such a rumor spread in the mansion before the bride move in? Didn’t you deliberately provoke between the grandson and Third Young Madam?”
“I… I…”
“Enough.” Qin Yunuan didn’t get too involved, “Nurse Liao, from today, you will give Maner the key in your hand, and you will leave it to Ting Xue in charge of affairs and personnel. You don’t need to wait in the yard for the time being. You should go home first. Think about what to do in the future. Think thoroughly before coming back.”
This was tantamount to conceal nurse Liao in disguise at the moment. Nurse Liao had temper in her heart, but Qin Yunuan was her boss, and she couldn’t defy. She went down angrily. The people in the yard immediately dispersed. These two little maids were also sent out of the mansion. Maner and Ting Xue quickly picked out those without clean hands in the yard. Those who should return to their original place were sent back, and whoever had done wrong was punished for working in the backroom or sent directly out of the palace.
The investigation revealed that while Qin Yunuan was busy with the affairs of the palace, nurse Liao secretly sent many workers in. The firewood room and kitchen especially, with only two in three left. But on one side it’s good. The servants left were all carefully selected by Maner and Ting Xue, and they were also honest in doing things.
And just after the burning time of a short incense stick, in the first-class wing of one of the largest and most luxurious hotels in the Royal City, a woman was drawing her eyebrows with charcoal. Her face was already beautiful with little powder. She carefully listened as her servant reported, a tinge of beauty emerged at the corner of her mouth. She spoke with a little disdain in her tone, “I thought that Infanta Ping had so much ability. Now I see, she couldn’t even discipline the people under her hand. Heh, how could I be afraid of her?”
“Grand Miss, you’re wise.” The servant girl aside went along quickly.
The woman raised her eyes slightly, “By the way, the nanny Liao beside Infanta Ping. You just mentioned that she was sent home for her fault. Where does she live?”
