Soon, the two carriages arrived at the Marquis of Anning's residence.
Even after getting off the bus, Ding was still reluctant to leave. "Mianmian, why don't you come sit at my place for a while? Rest your feet before you go?"
Chenmianmian—Hehe, if you want to hear a story, just say it directly. Why beat around the bush?
Shen Mianmian was willing to tell Ding Shi, but before that, she had another important thing to do. "Thank you for your care, Madam. How about this: Madam, you go back and rest for a while, and I will go back and settle Xiang Ning down. Later, I will go to the main courtyard to serve you. How about that?"
The Ding family had no choice but to give up.
At this moment, Jiang Yinjin stepped forward and said respectfully, "Mother, let your daughter-in-law take you back."
Ding hesitated for a moment when facing Jiang Yinjin, but finally said, "...Okay, okay."
Jiang Yinjin saw Ding's expression, but remained expressionless, and went with her, leaving Hanrong with Chen Mianmian.
Liu Xiangning's bright eyes caught the subtle changes in the expressions of the madam and the young mistress, and she thought to herself—no wonder Master didn't tell outsiders about Hanrong's matter, this madam is really unreliable.
Chen Mianmian's attention was on Hanrong.
But Hanrong's face was pale, her eyes were unfocused, and she didn't even dare to look at her.
Sleepyhead—this little cannon fodder must have been assigned some tricky task by Jiang Yinjin.
Afterwards, the three of them, master and servant, entered the gate of the Marquis's mansion and headed towards Mingyue Courtyard.
Walking along the road, Hanrong was still absent-minded, while Chenmianmian and Liu Xiangning chatted all the way.
Chen Mianmian said, "Are you sure you want to be my maid? If you are, I will go to Madam and apply for a maid's monthly salary, paid according to the standards for a first-class maid."
Liu Xiangning beamed with delight, "Thank you so much, Miss!"
Chen Mianmian said, "However, your name may need to be changed slightly, because maids cannot have surnames."
This requirement was not only true for the Southern Chu Kingdom, but also for ancient China.
Once someone is sold into servitude as a maid, the first thing they do is change their name.
Removing one's surname and changing one's given name signifies a break from one's previous family and past, and the person now belongs entirely to the new family.
Liu Xiangning said with great interest, "Great! Please, Miss, bestow a name upon me."
"You should still call yourself Xiang Ning."
"...Oh." The person looked unwilling to accept that their name hadn't been changed.
Hanrong, who was standing to the side, was shocked—when they entered the manor and changed their names, everyone secretly wiped away tears. Why was Liu Xiangning not allowed to change her name and even unhappy about it? No wonder she was a "skinny horse" (a term for a woman who is not considered attractive or virtuous), she didn't care about dignity as long as her sugar daddy was happy.
She suddenly felt a sense of crisis! Could this Liu Xiangning steal Aunt Shen away from her?
The next moment, Hanrong remembered the young mistress's instructions, and her mood plummeted again—she really was shameless, betraying her aunt while still hoping for concern; she was utterly shameless.
Hanrong became more and more frustrated. She felt like a little insect caught in a spider web, knowing that danger was approaching but unable to struggle. The more she struggled, the tighter the web became, until she could not breathe.
And so, in a daze, Hanrong returned to Mingyue Courtyard.
Upon returning, Chen Mianmian said, "Xiang Ning, find a place to rest anywhere. Han Rong, come in with me."
After saying that, he turned and went into the room.
Liu Xiangning stepped out of the courtyard and, amidst the surprised gazes of the other servants, enthusiastically toured her future work environment.
Inside the room.
With a nervous heart, Hanrong entered the room, only to hear her aunt say, "Close the door."
"Yes." Hanrong's voice trembled as her bad premonition grew stronger.
She sat up on the soft couch, her beautiful face devoid of its usual gentle smile, replaced by a serious expression.
Hanrong walked over, her knees buckled, and she knelt down with a thud.
Shen Mianmian didn't let her get up. She just lowered her eyes and quietly looked at the woman kneeling on the ground, her body trembling slightly. She said softly, "Hanrong, you are a smart girl. You should be able to guess why I came to see you alone."
Hanrong trembled even more violently, her mouth closed, her head bowed, and tears uncontrollably dripped onto the ground.
Soon, a small puddle of water appeared on the ground in front of her knees.
Chen Mianmian had no energy to torment Hanrong, so she went straight to the point, "I know you've been bribed by the young mistress, and I also guessed that she's given you a very difficult task. I can also guess that even after you complete this task, you might not survive safely."
Hanrong suddenly raised her head and looked at Aunt Chen in horror.
Looking at Hanrong's tear-streaked face, Shen Mianmian chuckled, "So surprised? Didn't you ever wonder why I said so many hurtful things to you when your brother got sick and asked me for help, making you betray me in a fit of anger?"
Hanrong suddenly remembered, and opened her mouth wide in surprise, "You...you did this on purpose!?"
Shen Mianmian nodded, "Yes, actually, I could have given you money back then, but let's not even talk about the fact that I couldn't give you much, and the money I gave you might not have been enough for you. Besides, I couldn't find any famous doctors at the moment, and your brother probably couldn't be cured by me."
The Jiang family has extensive connections in the capital, which is why the young mistress can arrange for a renowned doctor. If you seek her help, your brother has the best chance of survival.
Hanrong was shocked. "But...but...but it wasn't me who went to seek refuge with the young mistress. I met Chuyu on the way, and Chuyu brought me to the Peony Courtyard. How did you know that Chuyu would come looking for me, Aunt?"
Chen Mianmian—Silly girl, of course she saw it in a novel, otherwise what? Predictably insightful? If she were truly predictable, she wouldn't have read this lousy novel!
Although he was internally ranting and raving, his face remained inscrutable, much like the strategist Zhuge Liang, as he slowly said, "It's simple. The young master is in love with me and refuses to consummate his marriage with the young mistress. The young mistress will definitely find a way to take revenge. Either she will bribe the young master's servants or she will bribe my servants."
Guan Shui, who serves the Crown Prince, was sent by the princess, but she couldn't bribe her. So, she's keeping an eye on you. She probably already knows everything about your family situation, and may even have found a renowned doctor, just waiting for you to seek her help.
Hanrong was surprised again. "Yes... that's how it is! At that time, I only said that my younger brother was seriously ill. The young mistress didn't ask about the situation and took me directly to find a famous doctor. When the doctor arrived at my home, he quickly cured my younger brother's illness. At that time, although I was happy, I also thought that it was too coincidental and too smooth. Now it seems that the young mistress had been watching me for a long time."
"Sleepless—silly girl, you're wrong again. Jiang Yinjin isn't targeting you, a nobody. It's just that she has a huge protagonist's halo; as long as it's beneficial to her career, she can perform at an extraordinary level."
However, she didn't intend to correct her, letting Hanrong think whatever she wanted.
Hanrong grew more and more heartbroken as she thought about it. "So... Auntie, you knew all along... But for the sake of me and my brother, you pretended not to know, letting me betray you. And to lessen my guilt, you deliberately insulted me. Auntie, you had good intentions, but I... I'm sorry, Auntie. I'm not human!"
As he spoke, he began to kowtow frantically.
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