Chapter One Hundred: Rushing Like Ducks

  As soon as the two old women's voices fell, Fang Wanru's face suddenly looked ugly. Who was behind this matter? She probably had a number in her heart, otherwise that little girl wouldn't have run out of the hall to eavesdrop. It was just being exposed like this, and her face really looked bad.

  "Don't listen to these two women's nonsense, Mother. Second sister is kind-hearted and occasionally has a small temper, but she would never be as vicious as they say. I have a deep relationship with second sister, she wouldn't do such a thing to me. Please, Mother, see clearly."

  Her words made Ruyu feel extremely relieved, like drinking a bowl of honey water on a hot summer day. She didn't expect that even the insignificant Concubine Lin would have a day where she could help her share her worries and troubles. Thinking this, she quickly put on a benevolent motherly expression and said: "My child is right, these two women are indeed deserving of death, they have harmed our master, their hearts are punishable. Come, take them away and give them thirty lashes, tomorrow we'll sell them off." She spoke very quickly, as if afraid something unexpected would happen.

  Haitang hurriedly called someone over, covering the mouths of the two wives who were shouting non-stop, and had them tied up and taken away. Only then did the hall become quiet again.

  Fang Wanru carefully observed Qin Daihe, and the more she looked at her, the more she felt that she was different from before. The words she had just spoken were sincere and not fake! If she had such a temperament from an early age, even if she married into the Jia family, she could have been a reliable person in the household, why bother with all those troubles later on.

  "You've been wronged today, good child, come to me quickly." Fang Wanru beckoned with her hand, and Qin Dai Xin stepped forward as instructed.

  Fang Wanru held Qin Dai's hand and said kindly, "Good child, it was those two wicked women who made you suffer. You mustn't listen to their words."

  "Don't worry, Mother, I don't believe it." Qin Dai's heart smiled, with a hint of ambiguity in her eyes.

  Fang Wanru comfortingly pulled her and chatted for a while, guessing that the second young lady had finished eavesdropping outside the hall. When she returned to her residence, she let Haitang take out a small bag of fine silver coins for Qindai Xin to play with. Then, saying she was tired, she asked Haitang to send her off.

  "Haitang sister, I don't know if grandmother is tired when she comes back? At this time, I'm also not sure if it's convenient or not?" Qin Dai asked with a smile.

  Haitang saw Qin Dai's gaze change, and she respectfully said: "Madam is old, after a day of traveling by boat and carriage, you must be very tired. The madam just went to see you, but Wan's mother said that Madam has rested, if there's anything to discuss, we can talk about it tomorrow."

  But with just one sentence, she understood her own meaning and indeed became Fang Wenyu's confidante.

  "Thanks to my sister's reminder, otherwise I would have rushed over recklessly and made a fool of myself. It's better that I go again tomorrow."

  "Miss San's thoughts are meticulous, and it's great to do so." Hai Tang didn't say much either, sending Qin Dai Xin all the way to the Weeping Flower Gate, then turning back to Fang Wan Ru's courtyard.

  Then Fang Wanru called Qin Qianxin over, and the mother and daughter talked for a while in the hall...

  Qin Dai Xin returned to Chang Xiao Garden with the four maids, instructing someone to prepare hot water for her. After washing up, she called Ruyi and Xueqing in to ask them questions.

  "Has Auntie taken a rest?" She was worried about Madame Su, fearing that she would worry too much and not get any rest. With so many things to attend to in the mansion, and her advanced age with child, it must be very exhausting for her.

  "It's getting late, I'll have the maid arrange the flower lanterns that Miss has chosen and bring them to Auntie first thing tomorrow morning, she's sure to like them."

  "What about Madam?" She put her mind at ease and asked again about the situation with Fang Wanjun.

  Ru Yi sank into thought for a moment before saying, "The little maid I sent out has returned with news that Second Miss hasn't left yet."

  "Go ahead!" She sighed in her heart, after all, they were flesh and blood, but ultimately different.

  Ru Yi glanced at Xue Qing and backed out with a bow.

  Dead silence reigns indoors.

  "Although the days you've followed me are short, you've also seen a lot of things. Do you know why I went to Madam's place and said those words, and also protected Second Miss?" Qin Dai asked.

  Xue Qing thought for a moment and said, "I dare to guess that the young lady wants to teach those two women a lesson. Although there is a difference between the main wife and concubines, the lower people are still lower people and cannot be presumptuous. The two women being punished is a small matter, but the young lady wants others to understand this principle is a big deal. As for protecting the second miss, I guess the young lady is afraid of the madam's suspicion. Sisters supporting each other is a good thing, if they have disagreements over small things, it will not be pleasant for the madam either. The young lady had no choice but to do so in order to take care of the madam's face."

  She is so clear about the situation, knowing when to advance and retreat, and also understanding the twists and turns of the mansion. It can be seen that she was also a dignified person in the master's presence before. When the woman in red wanted to hurt herself, she had already made preparations to take action, with the intention of protecting herself. Who did she come from? Why does she want to protect herself? Although she clearly knows that those two women were injured by her, she doesn't get angry, as if she knows her own secrets are not yet exposed.

  Qin Dai Xin's gaze carefully measured Xue Qing, her skeleton was symmetrical, her hands and feet were slightly longer than those of ordinary women, her skin tone was slightly darker, and there was a kind of pride in her eyebrows that others couldn't pry into...

  And her shoes. It's common for women to get their shoes dirty when they go out on snowy days, but hers were always clean and tidy, as if she had some special skill that allowed her to walk in the snow with such ease.

  "Do you know that woman in red?" There was a hint of inquiry in his tone.

  Xue Qing'an shouted "No!" and indeed, what he feared most had happened.

  "I don't know her, but judging from her attire and demeanor, she should be a young lady from some noble family." She tried to make her tone as sincere as possible, afraid of revealing any flaws in front of Qin Dai.

  "Your mother has gone to the village, is everything all right?" She changed the subject in a timely manner and didn't ask about today's matter again.

  Xue Qing'an let out a sigh of relief, lifted her spirits and replied: "Alright, my mother can read, and it's also the young lady who sent someone to deliver it. Where would it be bad? I heard that there isn't much work now, but come spring, we'll probably get busy."

  Qin Dai Xin nodded, "If you miss her, take some time off and go visit her at the villa."

  Exploration, absolute exploration.

  Xue Qing took a deep breath and said, "As a servant by Miss's side, I don't have the leisure to go to the villa. When I have time, I'd rather learn from Ruyi about how to behave in this mansion. There's nothing more important than serving Miss well." Her words carried a hint of flattery.

  Qin Dai Xin smiled, "There's nothing going on here, everything is arranged as it should be. If you want to go, just mention it to Ruo Yi and that's all."

  Xue Qing hastily knelt down and kowtowed, thanking her for her kindness. Then she stood up and said: "With Sister Ruyi here, I am naturally at ease a million times over. But I entered the manor to repay Miss's great kindness. If it weren't for Miss, I'm afraid I would have died from illness with no one to care for me. Only by serving by Miss's side can I be at peace." This was her innermost thought.

  Qin Dai Xin nodded and said she was tired, so she let Xue Qing go call Ai Lian to keep watch in the outer room.

  Xue Qing withdrew with a bow, and before long, Ai Lian entered the inner chamber, bringing a bowl of fragrant white rice porridge, a small delicate corn cake, two boiled eggs, some crispy yellow cucumbers pickled in autumn, and bamboo shoots dressed with fragrant vinegar.

  "Ah! I'm starving!" Having been scolded by her mother-in-law outside, she hadn't eaten enough and now couldn't bear the aroma of the food.

  Ai Lian smiled, she still remembered Qin Dai Xin saying that eating more coarse grains was good for the body, so she carefully made thin corn pancakes with corn flour. Unexpectedly, Miss ate them and praised her for making delicious food. She saw that Qin Dai Xin hadn't eaten much today, so she went to the kitchen to cook, not knowing that it just happened to meet her expectations.

  Qin Dai Xin drank the porridge and only ate one egg, but she ate several small corn cakes. After rinsing her mouth, she let Ai Lian take away the bowls and plates.

  Ai Lian called over two little maids to clear the table of bowls and plates, she was busy making the bed and adding more charcoal, afraid that Qin Dai Xin would be cold at night, so she added another quilt, before attending to Qin Dai Xin's sleep.

  In her dream, Qin Dai's heart seemed to hear that familiar voice again. Unconsciously, her thoughts followed the other person, and her body quietly began to circulate. She seemed to be awake, yet asleep, with her physical awareness in a state of half confusion and half wakefulness. The painful endurance came instantly, she endured it, knowing that after reaching the limit, it would turn into a refreshing comfort throughout her body.

  The sky has darkened and night is falling.

  Murong Jing held a small note in his hand, not a hint of sleepiness. He opened the note he had read countless times, gazing at the few words that were already deeply etched in his mind: "Meet Iron Righteous Marquis Qianjin, three sons, disputes are harmless, seems to raise doubts."

  He knew she was clever, but he hadn't expected the person he sent to protect her would be discovered so soon. He couldn't help but think of when they first met, when she was sleeping with moonlight shining on her face, revealing a pair of tightly furrowed eyebrows. She seemed to be sleeping restlessly and vulnerably, as if having a bad dream. At the time, he had been injured, but was drawn in by her vulnerable appearance. Before he could even think about why, she suddenly woke up, her expression instantly changing to one of vigilance. She even glanced around where he was hiding, and he thought to himself that things were not good, turning to leave, only to be chased out by her.

  He had always thought that was just a woman's intuition, in order not to disturb others, he thought about quietly approaching her, touching her sleep acupoint, so she could have a good dream.

  But little did he know, she was skilled in martial arts and immediately discovered his sneak attack. The two exchanged blows for over a dozen rounds, and to his surprise, they were evenly matched.

  Although he was injured and didn't use his full strength, such skill still surprised him. Looking at her attire, she should be a young lady who doesn't go out of the house, how could she have such astonishing kung fu?

  Breathtaking, this word is not an exaggeration when used to describe her.

  Murong Duanrui couldn't help but think of the time she chased him out at Xiaofront Village, her bravery when cutting off the arrow, and her quick counterattack after being teased. He recalled the night he was being pursued, her angry yet determined expression seemed to appear before his eyes again. She had disguised herself and used that method to protect the Qin Manor from being implicated and also protected herself. When he returned to her side again, she was injured, looking a bit weak, but with a spirited and sparkling gaze, as if she never thought about why she did it, but once done, didn't regret it. And then there was the time she was robbed by bandits, yet appeared before him unscathed, wearing a ridiculous bamboo hat, her expression calm and collected. Her sharp questioning of her relatives made him look away, he felt her indifference, perhaps all she wanted was justice?

  She may not have noticed that she has never hidden her emotions in front of herself, good or bad, happy or sad. Perhaps it's because she doesn't care! Even when she turned around and left without hesitation, the pain was still her own heart.

  It seems like every time they meet, it's at night, with a few more points of ambiguity, as if there's something that can't be seen by others.

  He clenched his fist tightly around the note at this thought.

  Did she meet Tie Wenyang?

  Tie's adopted son is a talented person, and that Li Mu seems to have some skills too. With the Qin family's background, I'm afraid they will flock to these two people!

  What a pity...