Chapter 54 Narrow Path

The semi-transparent soap gauze on the curtain reached her ankles, yet it still couldn't conceal her graceful figure.

Women in the town did not wear veils; only noble ladies in the capital would be so particular about it.

The hand resting on the maid's forearm was delicate and jade-like, slender and beautiful; just looking at it, one could only imagine how wealthy a person must be to have such a hand.

After she got off the carriage, she went straight into Huichuntang without stopping for a moment. Everyone around her was stunned and couldn't recover for a long time.

The appearance of such a person in this impoverished town was like a fairy descending from heaven.

"Whose daughter is this? Is she from the Qin family?"

"I don't think so. Miss Qin isn't that aristocratic!"

"Could it be the Lu family?"

"It doesn't seem like it either."

The two largest families in town were the Qin family and the Lu family. One family had a wealthy man who married into a rich merchant family and had immense wealth; the other family had a county magistrate who held absolute power in Qingquan Town.

Their daughter was naturally extremely noble, and ordinary people had no chance to see her. But for some reason, they felt that this daughter could not possibly be from the town.

Of course, there were also those who had actually met the daughters of the Qin and Lu families, and they were truly worlds apart; the daughters of the Qin and Lu families were not even worthy of carrying each other's shoes.

The fact that such a person entered Huichuntang's door made everyone look at Huichuntang with new respect. They had even treated people to death, yet such a distinguished person was willing to come to their door. Was she stupid, or did Huichuntang really have some ability?

"Is your boss here?" the girl asked the dumbfounded Manager Wang as she entered the lobby.

Manager Wang was practically stammering. In all his life, he had never seen such a beautiful and extraordinary woman.

The maid frowned unhappily and said, "My young lady is asking you a question. Is your master here?"

Miss?

Could this be the twin sister of the young master of the Marquis's mansion?

Good heavens!

In his lifetime, he actually met such a powerful and influential person!

Manager Wang quickly came to his senses, wiping away a bead of cold sweat, and said, "Yes, yes, I'll go and call the master out right away."

The girl said calmly, "No need. Go and inform him that I will go see him myself."

"No, no!"

How could he keep the people from the Marquis's mansion waiting? Anyway, the second master had nothing to do at the moment, so Manager Wang simply took the initiative to lead the people to the study behind the main hall.

Shopkeeper Wang guessed correctly; the young woman had indeed come to pay the consultation fee, but in addition to the consultation fee, she also gave a considerable amount of reward money.

The girl was not present when the young master was being treated, and she only heard about many things afterward, but that did not prevent her from understanding what happened.

"My brother was very satisfied with that old doctor and his young apprentice; we'll have them come again next time," the girl said, then got up and left.

The fact that the young lady of the Marquis's mansion came to Huichuntang in person was to express her gratitude for Huichuntang's miraculous healing of the young master of the Marquis's mansion. It does not mean that Huichuntang is truly qualified to befriend the young lady of the Marquis's mansion.

The second boss was a smart man. He knew his own worth and that he couldn't possibly befriend him, so he didn't bother with futile attempts to curry favor.

He politely agreed to the girl's request and personally escorted her to the front gate.

"Second Master, please return," the girl said calmly.

The second master bowed respectfully and only turned and entered Huichun Hall after the young woman had boarded the carriage and left.

After the carriage had traveled for a while, the girl suddenly looked at her waist, her expression changing slightly: "Oh no, my jade pendant is gone!"

"Is that the jade pendant the Marquis gave you? You were wearing it when you went out today, so why is it gone?" The maidservant searched frantically, but it wasn't in the carriage.

The maid asked, "Could it be... that it was left at Huichuntang? We didn't go anywhere else today except Huichuntang."

The girl nodded thoughtfully: "Yes, go and look for it."

The carriage turned back and stopped near Huichuntang.

The young maidservant lifted her skirt and entered the main hall.

When Manager Wang saw her return, he was taken aback: "Young lady, why are you back? Is there anything else you need?"

The maidservant said irritably, "My young lady's jade pendant is missing! Quickly, have someone look for it!"

Upon hearing this, Manager Wang immediately became cautious: "May I ask, what does Miss Gu's jade pendant look like? What kind of jade is it?"

The maid gestured and said, "It's this big, ring-shaped, and made of mutton fat jade."

Manager Wang immediately led the shop assistants in the lobby to search around, and the little maid was not idle either; she went to the second master's study.

She remembered that her young lady had sat there, or perhaps she had left there.

The second boss wasn't home, so she didn't wait for him to return. She went inside and searched for a while, but found nothing.

She then searched carefully in the passageways and corridors, but still couldn't find even a trace of the jade pendant.

As she passed a side room, she noticed that the door was ajar. She hesitated for a moment, but still went in.

On the table in the side room sat a tattered basket that seemed out of place. Inside the basket were some mountain produce and a worn-out little box.

The maid glanced at the box with disdain, then suddenly noticed a purse next to it.

She opened her purse and, sensing something was amiss, dumped all its contents out, scattering them haphazardly on the table. A few silver coins rolled onto the floor.

The maid didn't pick it up; her gaze was fixed on the jade pendant and the jade thumb ring that had fallen out with it.

She muttered blankly, "Isn't this Miss's jade pendant and Young Master's jade thumb ring? How did they end up here?"

Gu Jiao had her period, so she went to the latrine. As soon as she entered, she saw a little girl rummaging through her purse.

She walked into the room coldly, glanced at the mess on the table and floor, and asked, "Did you do this?"

The maid looked up at Gu Jiao.

Gu Jiao was dressed like a country girl, with a red birthmark on her face. The maidservant's face showed undisguised disdain: "So what if it's me? These things are yours?"

Gu Jiao crossed her arms and looked at her quietly, without a trace of guilt or fear in her eyes.

The little maid was a servant in the Marquis's mansion. Her food, clothing, and daily necessities were no less than those of the young ladies of wealthy families. When she went out, she was feared by many. Yet, a mere village girl dared to stare at her with such eyes.

The maidservant said angrily, "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me asking you a question?"

Gu Jiao: "Heh."

"You..." The maid was angered by her attitude and said even more irritably, "You stole my master's things, and you don't dare to admit it, do you?"

(End of this chapter)