Chapter 60 – A Foolish Lover (2)
Copying the young miss’ expression, Hai Tang began to explain, “Her name is Xue Liu. She has lived in the capital all her life. She used to serve third master Lu Shiming. But, when the Third master went to the Border Town without her, she pledged to Old Madam Lu that she’d wait for the master’s return! Two days ago, the Old Madam sent out for her in fulfillment of their agreement. If the third madam Pei Shi will not manage to drive her away, I heard that she would take residence in the east wing!” Hai Tang exclaimed, her voice quickly growing more fervent, more horrified.
“—That woman, she wanted to see your father and has been barging in here for three days now! She also often speaks with the Old Madam. Even if the Third Master had treated her well before, that was when the your mother wasn’t married to your father! Now the third master has a wife, what does she think she’s doing?”
Hai Tang finished with a sigh, trying to keep herself from speaking too harshly in front of Ye Zhen. If not for her presence, she would have scolded that shameless hoof!
Ye Zhen now understood that Xui Liu was Lu Shiming’s former room maid. Lu Shiming didn’t take her with him when he went to the Border Town. Obviously, he didn’t like her so much, but the woman was able to wait for so many years, not to mention being old and losing her charm of youth.
She didn’t marry and waited for Lu Shiming with all her heart.
Were they involved romantically in the past?
As far as Ye Zhen saw, Lu Shiming was a devoted husband to Pei Shi. But Xui Liu, why did she wait all these years? Especially when her service wasn’t needed any more. Pei Shi could take care of herself and Lu Shiming just fine! Back in the Border Town, Pei Shi didn’t even have a single handmaiden.
“My mother is unhappy these days. Is that the woman bothering her?” Ye Zhen asked lightly.
Pei Shi and Lu Shiming have been in love for more than ten years. Suddenly, he found that he had a maid waiting for him. It is normal for Pei Shi to feel that way, if it was indeed the reason of her sadness.
However, Lu Shiming held no affection for Xui Liu. What was Pei Shi unhappy about?
Ye Zhen felt that there was more to this than what Hai Tang was saying.
“There was another thing that she did that made this handmaiden angry!” Hai Tang snorted and stomped her feet, glaring at the closed curtain as if she could still see Xue Liu outside.
“The master has been busy recently and has been spending his time at the rear courtyard. Xue Liu took advantage of the third madam’s inattention and has one time, brought a soup personally to the master’s courtyard!
Ye Zhen’s eyebrows shot up to the sky at this information, her face quickly growing grim, her voice solemn, “Did my father spend that night with her?”
At that question, Hai Tang placed a hand on her mouth in shock, only now realizing what kind of information she was sharing and to who exactly she was sharing it to. The third miss wasn’t supposed to hear any of this!
With flustered cheeks and wide eyes, the handmaiden cried out in alarm, bowing in front of her, “Third miss, you must not say this to anyone. If your mother hears this, she will kill this handmaiden!”
At this, Ye Zhen’s face softened, her lips curling into a small smile, “You shouldn’t be afraid. I will not tell a word of this to anyone.”
At her reassurance, Hai Tang quickly adopted her previous position, looking a bit shame-faced
at her demeanor. Seeing the expectant gaze of the Third Young Miss, she quickly dove back into her explanation, wanting to reassure her, “The Third Master can’t remember her at all. He didn’t go to her house, I heard. If the Old Madam did not tell him to accept her service, Third Master would have drove her away a long time ago! Letting her stay was only to save the face of the Old Madam.”
Ye Zhen now understood why Pei Shi had lost her spirit. She was worried that the woman would manage to dig her claws into her husband!
Who wouldn’t? The woman was painstakingly desperate from what Hai Tang had told her.
