Du Old Madam, seeing Du Xiao Li’s look, asked, “Is there something wrong with the incense stick?”
Du Xiao Li put the incense stick back in to the box and said, “Grandmother, there’s nothing wrong with this incense stick. It’s just my first time smelling incense stick produced from the south, so ended up sniffing it a little longer.”
“This incense is produced in Nanshui. It’s very normal for third miss to have not smelled it before.” Fourth yiniang said.
(T/N: Nanshui – Norther Water; sounds weird for a country name if translated so I left as is.)
“Really?” Du Xiao Li looked to fourth yiniang and said, “Grandmother, although there’s nothing wrong with this incense stick, this isn’t suitable for the elderly to use.”
“Why?” Du Old Madam asked.
“The fragrant of this incense is too strong. If the elderly smell it too much, then will easily feel suffocated, causing blood circulation to clog, and instead will be detrimental to the body. Since this was brought over from Nanshui by fourth yiniang, don’t tell me that you don’t even know this?” Du Xiao Li replied.
“Third miss, words can’t be said recklessly!” Hearing Du Xiao Li’s words, fourth yiniang shot up in surprise.
“It’s not like I’m saying nonsense. Fourth yiniang, don’t you know yourself?” Du Xiao Li said, “Although this is my first time seeing this incense, this incense’s raw ingredient is fragrant deer grass, right? Fourth yiniang, don’t forget, I also grew up in the south. Fragrant deer grass and whatnot, I’ve still seen before, and towards its effect and medicinal use, I’ve also studied before.”
“Is this true?” Du Old Madam’s face instantly sunk and angrily looked to fourth yiniang. “Giving me this kind of incense, what malicious intentions are you harboring? Do you want to take this old life of mine?!”
Fourth yiniang instantly knelt to the ground, “Old madam, this lowly concubine wouldn’t dare. This lowly concubine has never thought of harming old madam’s life before!”
“You still say you don’t? If not for today, feeling this scent was not bad, and decided in the last moment to let Xiao Li come over to see, I wouldn’t have known this incense of yours also had this kind of affect! Speak, why do you want to harm me?” Du Old Madam firmly believed Du Xiao Li’s words without any doubt. Seeing fourth yiniang kneeling on the ground, Du Old Madam increasingly felt that she wanted to harm her life.
Fourth yiniang knelt on the ground kowtowing, “Old madam, this lowly concubine really never thought of harming you! This incense, this incense actually isn’t mine. This lowly concubine got it from fifth yiniang. It definitely must be fifth yiniang that wants to harm old madam!”
“Fifth yiniang?” Du Xiao Li glanced at Xia Yuan, unsure how fifth yiniang was also involved in this.
“Someone, go bring me fifth yiniang, then have second madam called over!” Du Old Madam shouted as she angrily slapped the table.
“Yes.”
Seeing Du Old Madam this angry, the servant girls in the room hurried replied, and shortly after, went to fetch fifth yiniang and invite the madam.
“Grandmother, don’t be angry anymore. Once everyone arrives, just properly ask them. Fortunately, you still haven’t used this incense yet, right?” Du Xiao Li consoled.
“That’s because you’re here. Today, if not for you, I would’ve been in danger.” Du Old Madam looked to Du Xiao Li and said, her anger also reducing some.
“Even without this granddaughter, grandmother would’ve still been fine.” Du Xiao Li said.
Very soon, fifth yiniang was escorted over. Zhong Mei Qing however wasn’t in her own courtyard, thus it took some time to find her. When she arrived, Ke Xin and her brother also followed in behind her. Even Du Xiu Heng came over too.
As soon as Zhong Mei Qing entered the room, she saw fourth yiniang and fifth yiniang kneeling on the ground, weeping endlessly, and a mean looking old servant woman standing to the side holding a one foot long and one inch wide disciplinary ruler, while Du Old Madam sat in the main seat looking quite angry with Du Xiao Li standing at her side comforting her. Zhong Mei Qing quickly went forward and asked, “Mother, what’s the matter?”
“What good yiniang you have brought up!” When Du Old Madam saw Zhong Mei Qing, she had all her anger directed onto her, because this yiniang as Du Yun Han’s concubine was her responsibility to look after.
“What did fourth yiniang and fifth yiniang do to anger mother? Mother please calm down, just leave these matters to me to take care of!” Zhong Mei Qing said.
“Hmph, look at the good thing they did!” Du Old Madam had the box on the table thrown onto the ground. The incense sticks inside all fell out.
Zhong Mei Qing looked to the incense and asked, “Mother, what’s wrong with these incense sticks?”
“These incense sticks were brought over by fourth yiniang, but third miss said these incenses are detrimental to old madam. The old madam is currently angry at this!” The servant girl at Du Old Madam’s side roughly explained the situation.
“Then why is fifth yiniang also kneeling here?” Zhong Mei Qing asked.
“Fourth yiniang said these were fifth yiniang’s incense sticks, thus fifth yiniang was also called over.”
Du Ke Hui looked to Du Xiao Li and shouted, “Du Xiao Li, what are you doing fanning the flames and lighting the fire at home for? Having this home stirred into a complete mess, are you happy?”
Du Xiao Li glanced at Du Ke Hui and said, “I merely said what I should say, don’t tell me I can’t say anything, even if knowing this incense is bad for grandmother?”
“Before you came, this home has always been peaceful and harmonious, but look at it now, having grandmother angered like this?!” Du Ke Hui scolded.
(T/N: Dear author please spare me from this stupidity, I feel like I’m losing brain cells as I translate.)
“Disgraceful thing!” Hearing Du Ke Hui’s words, Du Old Madam angrily howled, “Don’t tell me, you want to wait until these old bones of mine are lying in a coffin before saying anything? What kind of disgraceful thing are you!”
“Grandmother, I didn’t mean this.” Getting yelled at, Du Ke Hui quickly explained himself.
“Mother, don’t be angry, this matter, leave it to this daughter-in-law to take care of.” Zhong Mei Qing consoled.
“Just do the questioning here! I want to see, exactly for what reason made them do this!” Du Old Madam pointed to the two on the ground and said.
“Yes.” Zhong Mei Qing curtsied.
Du Xiao Li came over from Du Old Madam’s side to Du Xiu Heng’s, standing together to one side.
“Are you alright?” Du Xiu Heng looked to Du Xiao Li in concern and asked.
“I’m fine, how come you’re here?” Du Xiao Li softly asked.
“We’d returned from school and just happened to see them looking for second mother. After asking about the situation, I just followed them over.” Du Xiu Heng replied.
Zhong Mei Qing walked before fourth yiniang and fifth yiniang, “You two have always known your place all these years, yet now you’v begun stirring? Speak, who exactly do these incense belong to? Fourth yiniang, since these were brought over by you, you speak first.”
“Older sister, these really aren’t mine.” Fourth yiniang said through tears, “I merely saw these incenses in fifth yiniang’s courtyard and thought that they smelled nice, thus thought of sending some over to the old madam. I really didn’t have the intention to harm the old madam! It must be fifth yiniang, she framed me!”
“Older sister(addressing fourth yiniang) shouldn’t carelessly say nonsense!” Fifth yiniang hurriedly cried out her grievance, “As soon as I’d gotten ahold of these incenses, you said you liked them and insisted on taking them. At the time, I even asked what you were going to do taking that many, but you just said you felt they smelled nice and wanted to light them in your entire courtyard. You never said they were going to be for the old madam! Else, I definitely wouldn’t have given them to you! Second sister, you have to believe me! I really didn’t have the intentions to harm the old madam. These incenses, if used by younger people, are very good!”
“Fourth yiniang, are fifth yiniang’s words true?” Zhong Mei Qing asked.
“Yes, it’s true……….” Fourth yiniang weakly replied, “I took them from fifth yiniang’s place. She at the time asked if I was going to use them myself. I was afraid that she also wanted to use this to win the old madam’s favor, so I said it was for myself.”
“So you didn’t know beforehand that she was going to give them to the old madam?” Zhong Mei Qing looked to fifth yiniang and asked again.
“This younger sister really didn’t know! If I’d known, how could I have let fourth sister give them to the old madam?” Fifth yiniang said as she used her handkerchief to wipe her tears.
“Second sister, I didn’t mean to either. I really was just thinking that since this incense smelled so nice, giving it to the old madam will make her happy. That’s why things turned out like this! I don’t have an understanding of incenses, so I really didn’t know the old madam can’t smell this scent!” Fourth yiniang tearily said.
