Chapter 68 Chapter 68 "This... is your aunt, right? ...
The voice sounded particularly familiar. Ever since she found out that the child was a liar and a thief, Mrs. He had never given her a good look.
If the father and son hadn't been so determined not to drive her away, how could Madam He have tolerated her? Later, she discovered something even more outrageous: this young girl had the audacity to seduce her son at such a young age!
If she couldn't afford to offend, she could afford to hide. Mrs. He packed up her family's luggage that day and left the village six months earlier than originally planned.
It is said that one's nature is hard to change. Upon learning that she appeared in Kyoto City, Mrs. He tried her best to stop the two of them.
He Congde was determined to rescue her from the Duke's Mansion, and Madam He gave in. But He Congde turned around and begged her to let him in, but Madam He refused no matter what she said.
She also pretended to be sick twice, leaving He Congde helpless.
Today, Mrs. He heard from her servants that his car turned and went to the back alley of Nanfu Street, so she rushed over immediately.
Mrs. He had always believed that Qin Baixiang had seduced and deceived her son. She was as vicious as she could be. She hated him so much.
Until now, I heard Qin Baixiang's words.
No one has ever understood her painstaking efforts, including this father and son.
I didn't expect Qin Baixiang to know.
Could it be that she has changed for the better?
That's right. She was just a little girl in her early teens back then. Her parents didn't teach her well, so what did she know?
Mrs. He recalled the person she had seen at Concubine Liang's clothing store. She had a kind smile, charming words, and generous gestures.
She worked there just to support herself.
Mrs. He had no desire to associate with a rich and powerful person. She only wanted to find a good girl for her son who came from a noble family.
If Qin Baixiang becomes a better person and her son likes her, why should she keep stopping her?
Just as the maidservant beside her was about to speak, Madam He waved her hand and turned away.
...
He Congde smiled with relief, but also with a hint of bitterness: "Mother has been ill these past few days, and things in East City have been busy. But don't worry, I won't keep you waiting too long."
Jasmine nodded indifferently.
He Congde wanted to persuade her not to go to work, but Jasmine was determined. She seemed to be more eloquent than him, the runner-up in the imperial examination.
He Congde had no choice but to let her do what she wanted. He thought that after welcoming her into the mansion, she would no longer have the time to do these things.
The courtyard had changed a lot. Seeing him looking at her, Biyue Xiyue took the initiative to step forward and want to talk to the young master.
Jasmine stood there, explaining with a smile, "I raised some chickens and grew vegetables in the backyard. I thought it would save some money, and most importantly, it would look like a decent home. It's just hard on Biyue and Xiyue, having to follow me around."
He Congde looked at the two maids, nodded and praised them: "Serve my wife well, and I will reward you handsomely when we return home."
Biyue and Xiyue's faces paled. The words of complaint they were about to say could no longer be uttered. They both bowed with bitter expressions, "Thank you, sir. We understand."
After coaxing He Congde away, Jasmine went inside. Shancha stood in the yard, her hands on her hips, commanding the two of them, "Have you swept up the chicken poop?"
After they finished sweeping up the chicken poop, Shancha munched some melon seeds and said, "Let's go mow the weeds in the backyard."
Biyue: "We have eliminated it."
Shancha: "Not clean enough."
Bi Yue was annoyed: "Isn't it normal for grass to grow in that field?"
Shancha: "You're hungry every day anyway, so why are you eating? Stop talking nonsense and go."
Jasmine's voice came softly from inside the door: "Shancha girl, don't bully others."
Shancha replied loudly, "I understand, my lady."
Shancha said to the two of them again, "My wife is kind-hearted. Okay then."
The two of them thought they didn't have to weed anymore and were very happy.
Then I heard her say, "Let's wait until you've had dinner. By the way, is dinner ready?"
Of course, there was no dinner prepared.
The two men were exhausted, their eyes were full of tears, and they turned around and walked towards the kitchen with hunched backs.
...
Early in the morning, Jasmine was squatting with the key to open the cabinet door so that she could place the jewelry and treasures on the cabinet one by one.
Jasmine heard someone come in, stood up quickly, greeted them with a smile, and shouted, "Welcome, guests."
When I looked up, I saw the eldest young lady's face full of surprise and excitement.
"You..." The eldest young lady pointed at her and was speechless.
Jasmine smiled politely like the other maids, waiting for the eldest young lady to approach.
Although she was the first one in line to enter, the eldest young lady's wife backed away step by step until she reached the door, then turned around and ran away in a carriage.
Jasmine didn't take it seriously and turned to greet the next guest who came in.
Duke Yan's Mansion.
During the day, the eldest young lady's wife had already informed the old lady that Jasmine was working as a waitress in Concubine Liang's clothing store. The old lady was already furious.
When the Duke came back in the evening, the old lady complained to him again.
"This maidservant seems to be well-behaved in the mansion, and she never wants to do anything that would expose her to the public!"
The fourth young lady supported the old lady and echoed: "If she can be shameless and go with a man, then there is nothing she can't do."
The old lady looked at the Duke with deep sorrow and said, "Why would the Duke still miss such a woman?"
The Duke was surprised that the old lady misunderstood that he still missed his concubine. How did the old lady know that he missed his concubine?
The Duke said sternly, "You misunderstood."
Seeing that he remained calm, the old lady asked uncertainly, "Why has Erlang been drinking so frequently with Deputy General Han these past few days?"
The Duke disliked drinking. In the year since he returned to the mansion, he had only been seen drinking a handful of times.
But since the concubine left, the Duke has been drunk several times in a row.
What’s annoying is that he was clearly drunk and unconscious, but he didn’t even give people a chance.
Even after Xu Qiuhuai was chased away once, the old lady refused to give up, figuring it must be because the Duke was not drunk that day. She planned to let Xu Qiuhuai launch another sneak attack.
The person was actually drunk. He was unconscious. What could he do?
The Duke said: "Chun Li came to see me, it's not easy to chase him away."
Seeing that what he said did not seem to be false, the old lady hesitated, thinking to herself, could it be that she was really wrong?
Seeing that the old lady had stopped talking, the Duke bowed and said, "If mother is alright, Zifu will be leaving first."
All that needed to be said was said. The old lady had no choice but to let him go.
On the way back to the main courtyard, the Duke suddenly stopped, turned around, and headed towards the mansion gate again.
Yan Pu chased after him and asked, "Where are you going, Master?"
The Duke: "No need to follow."
It was the end of the evening hour when He Congde returned from East City in a carriage. The carriage stopped in front of He's house, and the servant opened the curtain. He bent down and got out of the carriage.
When I looked up, I saw a horse and the Duke, their shadows stretched out long by the moonlight.
A look of surprise flashed across He Congde's face. He didn't understand why the Duke would come to him at this time.
Are they here to bring charges? He immediately rejected the idea.
impossible.
He Congde stepped forward and saluted: "Duke."
The Duke stood there as before, looking at him and asking bluntly, "Why didn't you welcome her into the house?"
He Congde hadn't expected him to ask this question. He actually felt as if his father-in-law was questioning him, "Why did you marry my daughter without integrity?"
He Congde was so ashamed that he couldn't even raise his head.
He said with an embarrassed look, "I haven't gotten my mother's consent yet. It will take a few more days."
The Duke: "What if your mother still disagrees? What will you do?"
He Congde immediately said, "No. I will definitely find a way to convince my mother."
The Duke said: "Your mother agreed reluctantly, but I'm afraid her life in the He Mansion won't be easy."
Without waiting for He Congde to reply, the Duke jumped on his horse, turned around and rode away.
He Congde watched the Duke's swiftly departing figure, his eyes filled with confusion. After a moment, he was dumbfounded.
He actually came here for Baixiang.
...
At this time, it was in a courtyard somewhere in the back alley of Nanfu Street.
Jasmine and Shancha were sitting in the yard, brewing tea, while Biyue and Xiyue were squatting on the ground, cutting vegetables and feeding the chickens.
Bi Yue rushed to Jasmine again, knife in hand, and shouted, "These chickens won't die if they go hungry. How long are you going to torture us? Don't even think you can enter the He Mansion. Madam will never agree to that. Don't even think about it!"
Jasmine's face darkened. She and Shancha had been out all day, and the two of them hadn't fed the chickens all day, even lying about having done so.
She felt the chicken's belly and knew there was none. The two of them were still unwilling to accept their mistakes.
Seeing her fuming, Jasmine turned around and curled her lips again, "What does it matter if Madam doesn't agree? As long as Young Master agrees, it's all fine. This shabby house is going to leak, and a woman is going to give birth. When the time comes, can your Madam really let her own grandson be born in this shabby house?"
Biyue and Xiyue both glared at her.
Jasmine continued proudly, "I've definitely entered the He family. So I advise both of you to work hard, and maybe..."
Jasmine suddenly looked towards the gate of the courtyard.
The other three also heard the horse's snorting and fell silent for a moment.
Shancha threw away the melon seed shells and walked forward to hug Jasmine's arm.
Jasmine dragged her and slowly approached the gate.
The four of them had nothing to be afraid of. If there were really robbers and bandits outside, they would have broken in long ago.
Jasmine suddenly opened the door and saw a tall figure standing facing the door.
The Duke had a blank expression on his face, and only raised his eyes the moment he opened the door.
He turned and left without saying anything.
Jasmine didn't expect it to be him and didn't understand why he came, but she hadn't seen him for several days.
Jasmine chased out: "Are you looking for me, Master?"
The Duke had something to say to her, but he didn't want to say anything right now. But when he heard her voice, he sighed inwardly and said, without turning around, "The He Mansion might not be a good place. Think it over for yourself."
After the Duke finished speaking, he took the horse and tried to climb onto it, but the person behind him rushed over and hugged him.
Jasmine felt extremely sad. She pressed her face against her grandfather's back and asked with sobs, "Did you come here specially to remind me?"
The Duke was furious. Not only was he angry that his concubine had feelings for someone else and had provoked him, but he was also furious at himself for not pushing her away immediately.
Responding, the Duke ripped Jasmine's hand away, pushed her away, and sternly scolded her, "How can you be so fickle, woman? Who do you think I am?"
Jasmine looked at him sadly and apologized with a sniff: "I'm sorry."
"I will never come to see you again, and you must never appear before me again."
After saying this, the Duke mounted his horse and rode away.
Jasmine squatted on the ground, howling heartbreakingly, and everyone knew it.
There were many curious heads popping up in the alley, and most of them were women.
Shancha helped Jasmine back to the house, while Biyue and Xiyue stared at her in shock. After they entered the house, the two of them exchanged glances and started yelling.
"Do you still have any sense of shame? How can you hug a man in public?"
"Madam, if you do this, aren't you afraid that we will tell you, Master?"
At this moment, Jasmine didn't bother to pay attention to them. Let them do whatever they wanted, kill them or cut them up.
Shan Cha was in a complicated mood. After waiting for her wife to calm down, she asked, "Madam, is it really that hard for you to let go of the Duke?"
Jasmine looked dazed, gazing at the full moon in the window. "He's so good, tell me how I can let this go."
Shancha sighed and fell silent. If there was a solution, how could they leave the Duke's Mansion?
I really had no choice. What else can I do now?
It wasn't until the next day at work that Jasmine wondered how her grandfather had found her. Could it be that he had someone watching her?
Jasmine didn't feel angry at all, only tenderness.
The Liang Guifei Clothing Shop also offers a delivery service. As long as the customer can afford the delivery fee, the shop maid will deliver the goods to the customer's home on time.
Yao'er, a waitress who was close to Jasmine, happened to have her period and was in so much pain that she couldn't even stand. But she was the one who took the order, so she had to see it off.
Yao Er didn't dare to ask anyone else, so he could only ask Jasmine, who had just arrived and owed him a favor.
Yao'er had taken good care of her these past few days. Jasmine knew how to repay a favor, so she readily agreed to her request.
Today is the Eighth Princess' birthday, and her husband, He De, the commander of the Jinwu Guard, has prepared a surprise for her. He has specially ordered gorgeous clothes and headgear.
Shouldn't it be given in advance? Wouldn't it be nice if the Eighth Princess could wear it on her birthday today?
Everyone seemed to know about Jasmine's problem, but they kept it to themselves, neither asking nor questioning, pretending not to know that this day was the Eighth Princess' birthday.
They don't ask questions, but simply do their job according to the customer's requirements. Even if someone wants to settle the score later, it won't be their fault.
Jasmine was merely curious. After confirming that Commander He had all the goods he wanted, she rushed to the Commander's Mansion without stopping.
The driver stopped at the main gate, but Jasmine didn't want to go through it. Her face was recognized by many dignitaries, and while she wasn't afraid of being ridiculed and mocked, being recognized was also a hassle.
"Please go to the back door."
The back door of the Commander's Mansion was also on a main street, but it was obviously much less crowded.
Jasmine got off first.
The driver took another package from the cart and handed it to her.
Jasmine held it carefully and knocked on the door.
The person who opened the door was a servant.
Jasmine smiled and said, "Hello, I would like to see Commander He."
She is a maid, so she should call herself a slave.
The servant looked her up and down for a long time, hesitating and saying nothing.
Jasmine had no choice but to let the servant see what she was holding: "I am a maid from Concubine Liang's clothing shop, and I'm here to deliver something to Commander He."
The servant looked at her again, and suddenly laughed sarcastically: "I believed you when you first said it, but now that I don't believe you, you're telling me. Who knows if you're just kidding?"
Jasmine's smile faded slightly. "You misunderstood. I am indeed a waitress at Concubine Liang's clothing shop."
The servant said, "The maids at Concubine Liang's clothing shop all come from the main gate and never call themselves slaves. How could they be so unruly as you? And your makeup, don't think I don't know. You came from Hua Man Lou, right?"
Jasmine couldn't believe her ears. She touched her face. How did she get out of Huamanlou?
The servant thought he was right and felt even more confident. He pushed Jasmine out and continued, "These days, there really are all kinds of people. You're not worthy enough. Do you even know where our mansion is? How dare you barge in so casually?"
Jasmine wanted to break the claws that the man was extending. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly heard a familiar roar.
"That person! Is it my aunt? Do you need help?"
Jasmine subconsciously turned her head and saw the eldest young lady sticking her head out of the carriage.
And there is more than just the eldest young lady.
The Duke and the master also followed the carriage on horseback!
There was quite a commotion at the back door, and everyone in the group had obviously seen her.
The sound just now was the sound of the eldest young lady discovering her and ordering the driver to stop the car.
Jasmine's gaze stayed on the Duke's face, while the Duke was staring blankly ahead.
"Today is a great day for our princess. I tell you to disappear immediately, do you hear me?" The servant pushed her again.
Jasmine finally turned back. She knew someone was watching her from behind. She had to pretend in the Duke's Mansion, but now, she didn't need to.
She has nothing to do with the Duke's Mansion anymore, so what if she is found out?
Jasmine had been feeling very unhappy for the past two days. She immediately slapped him, "How dare you! Look carefully, you little slave! I'm holding a wooden peony box from Concubine Liang's clothing store. You're welcome to take a look at what's inside, but if you don't find it, you damned slave, prepare to commit suicide and make amends."
The servant was startled by her, and then he lowered his head to look at it, and then he found that it was indeed the purple-red cloth bag unique to Concubine Liang's clothing shop, and the exposed corner was undoubtedly a wooden box carved with peony patterns.
The servant was suddenly panicked and retreated without saying a word. He even tripped on the threshold and then got up and ran inside in a hurry.
Jasmine snorted and just stood there waiting with the package in hand.
On the street not far away, everyone in the Duke's Mansion was stunned.
The old lady and the eldest young master's wife in the carriage had the most incredible expressions on their faces. After the shock, the fourth young master's wife looked clear.
The master's expression was no less gloomy. He withdrew his surprised gaze from his concubine and glared at the Duke, saying, "This... is your concubine, right?"
The eldest young lady heard what was said and replied to the master: "Yes, it is her."
The master patted the Duke sympathetically and said, "I thought your concubine was just fickle, but I didn't expect her to be so double-minded. Where did the Duke meet this woman in the first place? Could it be that he was deceived by the concubine from the beginning?"
The Duke was solemn as usual, with his eyes lowered, and he didn't say a word.
The old man wanted to continue speaking, but the old lady scolded him: "Shut up and get on with your journey."
The old man remained silent.
Inside the carriage.
The eldest young lady's wife was in shock and confusion, sighing: "How could she become like this? She was not like this before. It's not easy to make a living outside the Duke's Mansion, and she turned such a weak and vulnerable person into this."
The Fourth Young Master's wife said: "I'm afraid that Auntie didn't become like this, but has always been like this, but we just didn't know it before."
"How is that possible?" the eldest young lady's wife said immediately, "She and I often chat and dine together, how could I not know her? She is extremely weak and timid. When something happens, she either becomes paralyzed with fear or cries and says she is afraid."
The Fourth Young Master's wife looked at the First Young Master's wife with a playful smile: "Is there a possibility that Auntie doesn't want to help the eldest sister-in-law at all and is pretending to be so?"
"How is that possible?" The eldest young lady blurted out the words again, but then she thought of something and froze.
...
Jasmine was invited into the Commander's Mansion.
Thinking that she should clarify things in person, Jasmine followed the butler without hesitation.
A burly man with a bronzed complexion and bulging arms visible even in his loose-fitting double-breasted robe suddenly rushed in front of her, and Jasmine was startled.
Fortunately, the man stopped when he was two steps away from her and said, "Oh, I made a mistake! I was busy with official business and remembered the wrong date of the princess' birthday. The birthday gift was delivered late. Please trouble the maid to change the princess's clothes and put on the hairpin herself. I'm sure the maid knows how to wear this headdress most beautifully."
How could she possibly know the most? Jasmine thought, shouldn't the princess have a maid dedicated to combing her hair? Why would she be needed?
Commander He then added, "I will definitely reward you handsomely afterwards!"
Jasmine swallowed the polite refusal that rolled halfway in her throat and smiled, "It's a small matter. You are too polite, sir."
Jasmine knew that as a waitress in Concubine Liang's clothing shop, she not only had to sell things, but also had to learn how to dress herself up.
She had been here for a few days and had only learned for a few days, so her skills were unsatisfactory. However, Jasmine was good at talking, and she successfully coaxed the Eighth Princess into submission, and even said a lot of good things about Commander He to the Eighth Princess.
In short, the Eighth Princess, who had initially shed tears because Commander He forgot to prepare a birthday gift for her, turned around and threw herself into Commander He's arms.
Jasmine successfully escaped with a large bag of bounty that belonged to her alone. She still went through the back door, so she didn't see a single familiar face.
...
After the eldest young lady returned from the Commander's Mansion, she thought about it for a long time. With Cuizhu's help, she also discussed a lot about Jasmine with the fourth young lady.
When the Duke came back, she was unsure and went to ask him some questions.
The next evening, the eldest young lady's wife finally confirmed that she had indeed misjudged Jasmine.
The eldest young lady was not the type to tolerate this. The next day, near dusk, she went to Concubine Liang's clothing store.
She didn't dare to cause trouble in the shop and waited until the shop closed and Jasmine came out.
Together with the Fourth Young Master's wife, they followed her to the alley, and then the two of them, along with several maids, came forward and surrounded Jasmine and Shancha.
The eldest young lady was furious and reached out to hit her, but Jasmine grabbed her wrist.
Jasmine looked at her coldly: "I have nothing to do with the eldest young lady at the moment. If the eldest young lady hits me, believe it or not, I will report it to the police."
"Am I afraid of you? You bitch, I've been so kind to you. How many benefits have I ever given you? And you, you're so heartless, bitch! I sold you the Jade Guanyin I gave you and I'm not going to settle the score. But what did you say when I asked you to save the Third Master? You said the Duke scolded you and punished you. Now tell me, is that really the case?"
The eldest young lady's wife finished speaking in one breath, her chest heaving with anger.
Jasmine glanced away and said, "Of course it's true that the Duke is so fierce."
"You're talking nonsense! The Duke told me that it was you, a bitch, who broke the vase and caused the noise. The Duke didn't know anything about it! You're still lying now? Can you please have some shame?" The eldest young lady roared.
Jasmine hadn't expected that she would actually confront the Duke. Now that she knew, she simply admitted it: "Yes, I lied to you, so what? I'm allowed to bully the eldest young lady, but not others. Who does the eldest young lady think she is?"
Cuizhu was trying to strangle the eldest young lady, but Shancha stepped in front of her and strangled her back. Jasmine turned to look at the fourth young lady and said loudly, "The eldest young lady wants to kill someone in the street. Does the fourth young lady want to be an accomplice? The fourth master is in jail. Does the fourth young lady want to follow him?"
"You!" The Fourth Young Master's wife did not expect her to bite people indiscriminately.
Following the eldest young lady, he cursed her as a "bitch" and then grabbed her, "That's enough. Someone is watching us."
The eldest young lady was angry, but she was also timid. She wouldn't dare to cause any real trouble.
The eldest young lady looked around and saw that there were indeed many people glancing at them. She immediately stopped.
The Fourth Young Master's wife then ordered the maid who had grabbed Jasmine and her servant by the hair to stop.
Jasmine panted, smoothed her hair and collar, and said to the eldest young master's wife, "Do you two need anything else? If not, I'll leave first."
Without waiting for the eldest young lady to speak, Jasmine turned around and left.
Shancha rolled her fist at Cuizhu and followed him away.
The two of them walked quickly.
Thinking that she might have been deceived in more than one way, the eldest young lady's wife couldn't bear it and wanted to chase after her, but was stopped by the fourth young lady's wife: "Sister-in-law, do you think she was the only one deceived? I was deceived by her just like you. But like she said, she has nothing to do with the Duke's Mansion right now. If we openly cause trouble for her, we will be the ones who suffer. Don't forget that there is He Congde behind her."
The eldest young lady's wife was furious: "So, can we just let this matter go?"
The Fourth Young Master's wife said, "Why would we need to personally deal with her?"
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