Suddenly, deliberately raised laughter and footsteps were heard outside the door.
"Oh, isn't this our precious elder sister? Living in this place is really unfair to you! Don't you love the romantic and romantic world? How did you end up in this shabby place where even the wind can't stop you?"
The one who spoke was Sang Wenhui, the third daughter of Concubine Liu. She was standing at the dilapidated gate of Taxue Garden with her two concubine sisters, looking inside with a harsh look.
A concubine's sister covered her mouth and chuckled softly: "Fifth sister is right! I heard that a woman who stole something was imprisoned here before and was beaten to death. Her ghost is still lingering here, so it's not peaceful at night! Third sister, you'd better be careful at night, don't let anything take your life!"
Another immediately chimed in, "What's she afraid of? I heard she loves hanging out with poor, ghost-like people. Perfect company! I wonder where Mr. Liao is, having snuck off with someone's money and gone off to enjoy himself. Leaving her here to die is sheer wishful thinking!"
"That's right! A poor man's leftovers are treated as treasures..."
The vicious sarcasm was like an ice-cold needle, pricking Sang Wenyin and making her tremble all over.
She suddenly sat up in bed, her face ashen, and was about to explode.
A slightly frail but exceptionally agile figure blocked the doorway. It was Cui Yan.
She was wearing a patched jacket, her head lowered, and her voice was not loud, but clear and powerful: "Miss Third, Miss Six, Miss Seven, the master has ordered that no one is allowed to approach the Snow Garden and disturb the eldest lady's rest. Please go back."
Sang Wenhui's eyebrows shot up, and she raised her hand to push Cui Yan: "You lowly bitch, you dare to stop us?! Get out of the way!"
Cui Yan, however, remained fixed in place like a nail. Even though her body was shaken by the push, she refused to budge. She simply repeated, "Ladies, please go back."
The noise at the door alarmed the steward who was patrolling not far away. The steward walked over and scolded Sang Wenhui and others with a stern face.
Those concubines didn't dare to make trouble anymore. They glared at the master and servant and left cursing.
"What the hell!" Sang Wenyin was so angry that she was shaking all over, and she cursed at the door in a low voice, "Just wait! When Ling Xi comes back from high school, none of these fence-sitters will be able to get away with it!"
Cui Yan walked back silently and picked up the bowl of rice porridge that had already turned cold and thin on the table: "Miss, please have some of it. Your health is important." The porridge in the bowl only lightly covered the bottom of the bowl, mixed with a few wilted vegetable leaves.
Sang Wenyin looked at the bowl of porridge, her eyes filled with grievance. "How dare a servant give me this? I want to see my mother! I want to see my father! I want to complain!"
Cui Yan silently handed the bowl of porridge forward again.
In the end, Sang Wenyin took it in a huff, drinking it in small, tasteless sips. The cold porridge slid down her throat, making her shiver.
Not long after, the cold and angry scolding of Grand Secretary Sang was heard outside the courtyard as he passed by. The target was Mrs. Sang who had hurried over.
"...Look at the good daughter you raised! She has brought shame to the Sang family! And you still have the nerve to run around begging for her?! If you can't take care of her, take her and get out of the Sang family!" The voice was merciless and he slammed the door and left.
Mrs. Sang's suppressed sobs faded away and never came towards Taxueyuan again.
The bowl of porridge in Sang Wenyin's hand fell to the cold floor tiles with a clang, shattering into pieces. The remaining porridge splashed on the corner of her coarse skirt.
She sat there blankly, feeling for the first time so clearly that she had been abandoned by the whole world. The servants who had once been extremely fawning on her because of her status now even wanted to throw the bowls through the crack in the door when they brought her food, and the contempt in their eyes could not be hidden.
Only Cuiyan.
It was the Cui Yan who had punished her to do the rough work of burning firewood because she had advised her against associating with Liao Lingxi; it was the Cui Yan who had been neglected and annoyed by her when she was in high spirits; at this moment, she was the only one guarding this cold and dilapidated Taxue Garden, like a silent shadow, shielding her from the cold wind at the door, the contemptuous eyes of the servants, and the malicious attacks from her concubine sisters.
It was Cui Yan, who silently cleaned up the broken bowls and cold porridge stains on the ground, and went to the kitchen to persuade them, but in return she got a cold, hard steamed bun and a plate of salty pickles.
Looking at the new bruises on her knees when she tripped over the threshold, looking at her wrists that were red and swollen from being pushed around to get back the steamed buns that the cook had deliberately put in less when she was being difficult with her...
Sang Wenyin's heart, which was filled with humiliation, anger, and despair, finally cracked open, and a trace of bitter warmth flowed out.
She struggled to get out of bed and walked over to Cuiyan, who was sitting silently on a small stool rubbing her red, frozen hands. Her voice was choked with dry sobs: "Cuiyan, I was not nice to you before..."
Cui Yan paused for a moment, looked up at her, and her eyes were a little red.
Sang Wenyin grabbed her hand, which was frighteningly cold.
She squeezed it tightly, as if grabbing the last piece of driftwood, and her tone was filled with an almost humble promise: "Cui Yan, I remember. When Ling Xi graduates from high school and we leave the capital, the day he marries me, I will definitely take you with me! You come with me! I will make you Ling Xi's housekeeper! You will never have to fend for others or do rough labor again!"
When she heard the name "Ling Xi", the glimmer in Cui Yan's eyes dimmed instantly.
"Miss..." Cui Yan's voice was low and hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor. For the first and last time, she mustered up the courage to look Sang Wenyin in the eye and spoke the bitter truth in her heart. "Do you really think Liao Lingxi can marry you? Can he give you and the child in your belly a future?"
The emotion and eagerness on Sang Wenyin's face froze instantly, and her eyes suddenly became alert: "Cui Yan! What do you mean by this?"
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