Many of the Sheng family's servants were purchased locally. Those who were reluctant to leave their hometowns and relatives were released by the Sheng family, even receiving some severance pay. Everyone praised Master Sheng's kindness and love for the people. Sheng Hong chose an auspicious day for his journey and set out early in the morning with his entire family. The dozens of people from the Sheng family, along with their gifts and baggage, filled seven or eight boats. Fearing a potential oversight, Sheng Hong sent a trusted steward to escort several of the baggage boats northward, allowing him to prepare the residence in advance.
Yao Yiyi lived with Wang on the right side of the boat. The maids and servants around her had changed to several new faces, but she was too lazy to remember them. She still ate and slept every day. She couldn't eat much but slept too much. Except for being a little seasick in the first few days, the little girl Sheng Rulan who was with her was very excited to watch the scenery on the water. While watching, she jumped and talked to her sixth sister who was "silly and couldn't speak".
Little Rulan probably had rarely been out of the house. Even if a big crow flew up, she would be excited for a long time, waving her fat fingers and making a fuss all the way. When Wang couldn't stand it anymore, she would scold her. Little Rulan was depressed and didn't dare to lie on the porthole all the time. Whenever she came to talk to Yao Yiyi, every time she chattered for a long time, Yao Yiyi would just make a weak "hmm" or nod.
"Mom, I think my sixth sister is really stupid. She can't even speak." Six-year-old Ruolan expressed her dissatisfaction with her new friend.
"Fourth sister, stop talking nonsense. Minglan is sick. I heard her talking yesterday. She is one year younger than you and just lost Aunt Wei. You are not allowed to bully her." Twelve-year-old Sheng Changbai was sitting by the window reading a book, with handsome eyebrows and an upright posture.
"Yesterday she only said four words - 'I need to go to the bathroom'. You heard it, big sister." Xiao Rulan pulled Yao Yiyi's braid. Yao Yiyi leaned motionless on the soft couch, as if she had fallen asleep again.
"Alright, Rulan." Thirteen-and-a-half-year-old Miss Sheng Hualan was at the peak of her graceful and elegant years, as delicate and beautiful as a newly-emerged white orchid. She leaned against a soft table, flipping through embroidery patterns. "Don't be noisy. I've been hearing you making such a fuss all the way here. You have no manners at all. If you keep making such a fuss, I'll tell father and ask him to punish you by making you copy books. I'll see if you still have the time to bother with others. Go and have fun by yourself."
Little Rulan pouted, as if she was a little afraid of her elder sister. She jumped off Yao Yiyi's soft couch unwillingly and went to the side to play tangle with the maid. When she walked behind Sheng Hualan, she made a face at her.
Not long after, the maidservant beside Hualan came in. Hualan put down the pattern in her hand and asked, "What's going on?"
The maid smiled and replied, "Just as Miss expected, there's a lot of noise over there. But since we're on the boat, there's not much noise. She's wiping her tears right now. I wanted to ask more, but Aunt Liu chased her out."
Hualan smiled, feeling happy. Changbai put down the book and frowned, saying, "You're asking questions again. Father has already told us not to ask too many questions, but you never listen. You keep asking questions all day, acting like a young lady from a wealthy family."
Hua Lan rolled her eyes at her brother and said, "Why are you nagging? None of my business is your business. Just read your book." Then she muttered to herself, "...She really did piss off Father, but why? I have to ask Mother tonight... She deserves it!"
Yao Yiyi squinted her eyes and pretended to be asleep. As the only person present who knew what was going on, she felt that the scenery inside the ship these days was much more exciting than that outside. Just ten days after sailing, Sheng Hong sent two or three managers to the dock for mooring and resupplying. Please note that they all had the surname Lin.
They were originally impoverished relatives who had come to seek refuge with Concubine Lin. For the past few years, they had become her right-hand men, managing the shop and farm outside and taking on purchasing chores inside. They were very powerful in front of everyone and behind everyone. This time, Sheng Hong wanted to kick them out, and naturally they refused. So they came to Concubine Lin and pleaded with her, which shocked her. She was cautious and knew something was wrong. She immediately went to Sheng Hong to plead for mercy, but this time, no matter how much she tried to persuade him, he remained cold and ignored her. Moreover, they were on a boat, and the master and servants were in constant contact. She couldn't bring herself to play the piano and flute, or to weep like Xi Shi, and could only watch helplessly as her arm was cut off.
Wang was delighted but she dared not show it on her face. She had to keep her face straight and not show her joy in public. It was very difficult for her to hold on. She was in a good mood and acted generously. She treated Yao Yiyi more and more close to her and prepared food and clothes for her as if she were her own daughter. As soon as the boat docked, she asked a doctor to take Yao Yiyi's pulse to see if she was really stupid. Unfortunately, Yao Yiyi did not cooperate and still looked sick. She could not eat much and slept all day long.
Sheng Hong often came to see Yao Yiyi, and he became more worried every time he did. Every time he held his daughter in his arms and weighed her, his brows furrowed even more tightly. He urged the boatman to go faster, thinking that they should get to Dengzhou as soon as possible so that he could give his daughter a good look after she settled down.
It was early summer and the south wind was strong, so the voyage from south to north was very smooth. When they arrived in the Beijing-Tianjin area, Sheng Hong and several of his staff got off the ship by themselves, and went by land to the Ministry of Personnel in the capital to handle the promotion procedures. They also had to thank the emperor for his grace and pay their respects to their teachers and colleagues. The rest of the relatives, led by their eldest son, continued to head north to Shandong.
After Sheng Hong left, Aunt Lin became more and more honest. She simply didn't show up and only raised her children in her own cabin. The maids, boatmen on the boat and other ships passing by could often hear the sound of Aunt Lin reading aloud in her cabin. They all praised the Sheng family for being a family with a long history of poetry and literature. Wang became angry again and forced Changbai to read aloud for others to hear. Changbai's brother was taciturn and steady, and when he heard his mother's request, his face turned red like a big eggplant.
Yao Yiyi said that Eggplant is even worse at reading.
Yao Yiyi was so sleepy that she had no idea how much time had passed. Anyway, when little Miss Rulan was tired of riding the boat, Brother Changbai had finished reading three volumes of books, and Miss Hualan had finished embroidering four handkerchiefs, the boat finally docked. A steward and a group of servants were already waiting at the dock to pick them up. The dusty people on the shore and the dizzy people on the boat had nothing to say, so they just changed to a carriage, and then they were bumpy on the ride for several days. Fortunately, Dengzhou was close to the water, and when Old Madam Sheng was almost dying from the shock, they finally arrived.
Yao Yiyi was from the south and was not prone to seasickness, but she was very sick in carriages. She vomited yellow water for several days and almost vomited bile. This time she was not pretending to be asleep, but fainted directly in the arms of a strong old woman and was carried into the house. She had no idea what her new home in Dengzhou looked like. When she recovered a little, she was already lying on the kang bed. Every time she opened her eyes, she could see a doctor shaking his head beside her. The first time, it was an uncle in his forties, the second time, it was an old man with gray hair, and the third time, it was an old man with white hair and beard. According to the law that the age of a Chinese medicine doctor is proportional to his medical skills, this doctor should be more skilled each time.
Three doctors were called in, and all of them said the Sheng family's young daughter was in grave condition. It wasn't the medical treatment that was wrong, but Yao Yiyi herself, who had completely lost her will to live. Wang Shi, looking at the little girl, emaciated and reduced to mere skin and bones, began to feel uneasy. Her relationship with Sheng Hong had recently improved, and Sheng Minglan had been brought to her care by Sheng Hong himself. If Sheng Hong returned and saw his daughter dead, Wang Shi would be left with nothing but grief.
Upon returning home and seeing his daughter so frail, Sheng Hong grew even more furious with Concubine Lin. She handled official business during the day, then dismissed the servants upon returning home from the yamen. The Sheng family had just arrived in Dengzhou, and no one outside the household knew about the buying and selling of servants. They simply assumed it was a new official taking office, and the servants were being reshuffled. Sheng Hong, furious, avoided Concubine Lin. For two days, he dismissed several of her capable maids and servants, demoting them, driving them away, or selling them off. He also spent every night in Wang's room, much to Wang's delight. She brought out ginseng plants, each larger than the last, each as big as a radish, to nourish Yao Yiyi. The sight of them made Yao Yiyi cringe.
It was a beautiful spring day here, but a bitter rain over there. Aunt Lin wanted to see Sheng Hong several times, but was stopped outside by the servants. However, she was not an ordinary person after all. After dinner one day, Sheng Hong and Wang were discussing Sheng Minglan's condition. The children had all returned to their own rooms, and only Yao Yiyi was still lying drowsily on the kang bed by the window. The couple sat on either side of the kang table, and the topic turned to the matter of buying property in Dengzhou. Suddenly, there was a noise outside, and the maids' voices of scolding to stop them were heard. Wang was about to send Liu Kun's wife to check it out, when suddenly a gust of wind blew, and the thin curtain of soft lake blue silk was pulled open. A person came in. Who else could it be but Aunt Lin?
She was completely naked without any jewelry, her hair was tied in a bun, and she was not wearing any pearls or jade, and her face was not made up. She was naturally graceful and elegant, and her dark blue dress made her skin look whiter than snow. Her pair of dark eyebrows were curved like crescent moons, and she seemed to be neither frowning nor frowning. Her waist was slender, and she seemed to have lost a lot of weight today, and she looked very pitiful.
From outside came the sounds of maids and servants shoving and hitting each other. It was obvious that Aunt Lin had brought a group of women to break in. Sheng Hong turned his head away from her. Wang slammed the table in anger, "Who are you trying to show off to? I told you to stay in your room, so why did you barge in? You've made such a commotion that everyone in the room knows about it. Do you think others are as shameless as you? Get her out now!"
As they spoke, several maids came over and pushed the people away.
"Don't touch me!"
Aunt Lin struggled to break free and immediately knelt down in front of Sheng Hong with a thud. Her voice was like iron hitting a knife and anvil, and her face was determined: "Master, Madam, I have made up my mind today. If you don't let me speak, I will die here. It is better than suffering in pieces!"
Sheng Hong shouted coldly, "You don't have to be so desperate. Seeing how I've always treated you well, why are you acting like that common woman, crying, making a scene, and then threatening to hang yourself? Who are you going to show me?"
Aunt Lin burst into tears and said in a sad voice, "These past few days, my heart has been like boiling oil. I have a lot to say, but Master has avoided me and refused to see me. I have died several times in my heart. But Master, you are the father and mother of the people. Even if you want to deal with a petty thief, you should let me argue. Besides, after all, I have served you for so many years and raised a pair of children. Now, even if you want me to die, you have to let me know!"
Sheng Hong thought of the death of Concubine Wei and became furious. He smashed a tea bowl on the ground and said, "You did this to yourself!"
Aunt Lin burst into tears and choked, "...Honglang!" Her voice was sad.
Wang was furious. She jumped off the kang and yelled at the maids and wives, "Do you have any energy left? She's dead! Why don't you drag her out?"
Aunt Lin raised her head and said, "Madam, you won't let me speak. Is it because you're afraid I might say something?"
"Why are you foaming at the mouth? Stop talking nonsense here! I have nothing to be afraid of."
"If you are not afraid, then you can make it clear today. The master will be able to distinguish right from wrong."
Wang's chest was heaving with anger, and Aunt Lin was still crying. There was silence in the room for a while. Sheng Hong was an official after all, so he knew that it would be better to make things clear today, so he asked the maid to find the steward Lai Fu. Liu Kun's wife was very smart and called all the maids and wives in the house out. After a while, Lai Fu came in. Sheng Hong whispered some instructions to him. Lai Fu took the order, turned around and brought in a few servants, and separated all the servants and wives from the main courtyard.
There were only five people left in the room: Sheng Hong, Wang, Aunt Lin, and Bing Laifu from Liu Kun's family. Oh, and classmate Yao Yiyi who was sleeping unconscious on the couch. I guess everyone had forgotten about her at this moment. Yao Yiyi swore to the mudslide again that she didn't want to stay here to listen to the trial, but... it would be better for her to continue to be unconscious.
Aunt Lin gently wiped away her tears and said in a sad voice, "I don't know what I have done wrong these days. Master has ignored me and has also been punishing everyone around me one after another. First, the two relatives who came to seek refuge with me, then the two maids who were with me. The other day, they even wanted to expel the wet nurse who has served me since I was a child! I dare not interfere in the master's actions, but I must explain the right and wrong!"
Sheng Hong said coldly: "Alright! I'm going to get to the bottom of this today. I want to ask you, how did Aunt Wei die?"
Aunt Lin didn't seem surprised. Instead, she smiled sadly. "Ever since Sister Wei passed away, I knew this day would come. Back in Quanzhou, the maids and servants in the mansion were all gossiping, saying that I had killed Aunt Wei. I thought it was just a few ignorant servants gossiping, and since Master was about to be promoted, I didn't dare to bother him with trivial matters, so I secretly endured it, always thinking that the innocent would be cleared and that the rumors would soon dissipate. But I didn't expect... I didn't expect that Master would actually suspect me too!"
As he spoke, he couldn't stop crying with tears rolling down his face.
Sheng Hong angrily said, "Have I wronged you? On the day Concubine Wei was about to give birth, why didn't you go and ask for a midwife? Why wasn't there even a servant in her courtyard? Why weren't the several midwives at home? My wife and I went to the Wang family that day, leaving you alone at home. Who else could it be but you?"
Lin's jade-white fingers brushed across her cheek, and she said mournfully, "Master, do you still remember what Madam said when the third young lady died a few years ago? Madam told me to mind my own business less and take care of myself. After Master and Madam left home that day, I quietly stayed in my own courtyard. Master, you know, both masters are gone, and the servants in the mansion don't want to relax and rest. There are so many maids who have gone home for laziness, and not just the few who can midwives! I've only been married a few years, and those maids have been in the family for decades. How can I order them around?!"
Sheng Hong snorted coldly without saying anything. Wang turned to look at Liu Kun's family, with a hint of anxiety in her eyes.
Aunt Lin went on to say, "Then a servant came to report that Aunt Wei was having a stomachache and was about to give birth. I quickly sent my maid to tell the doorman to call the midwife. But the second doorkeeper and several other doorkeepers were all drinking and gambling. My maidservant begged and pleaded for a long time before they finally came slowly. It took them several hours. I later asked the doormen, and they said that the midwife who was nearby was not at home, so they ran several miles to the west of the city to find her, which was why Aunt Wei was late for delivery. Master, Madam, there is Heaven above and Earth below, and every word I say is true. If I deliberately want to harm Aunt Wei, may I be struck by lightning and die a miserable death! If you still don't believe me, go ask the doormen and the doorman what time I went to call the midwife that day. Someone will hear it!"
As he said this, he started to sob again.
Sheng Hong turned and gave Wang a long look. Wang's heart skipped a beat, and she went to look at Liu Kun's family. She frowned at him. After all, most of the midwives were her companions, and she had always been in charge of the wives and servants of the second family. Even if Sheng Hong didn't suspect anything, she would still be blamed for not supervising them strictly and letting them go.
"So, you are not guilty at all? You have such a clever tongue!" Wang couldn't say much, as it would not be good to appear that she knew the inside story very well.
Aunt Lin crawled a few steps on her knees and climbed to the front of the kang. Her beautiful face was covered with tears, as bright as the moon. She choked with sobs and slowly spoke, "If you say I'm completely innocent, that's not true. I'm timid and afraid of things, and I don't want to take the blame. If I had been with Sister Wei that day, giving orders to the maids and wives, perhaps Sister Wei wouldn't have died so young... I was just afraid of taking on the responsibility and being gossiped about. I was wrong, but if you say I intentionally killed Sister Wei, I won't tolerate it even if I go to hell! After all, I grew up with an education. Don't you know that human life is at stake?"
Sheng Hong's heart moved and he sat in silence.
Wang was furious and was about to curse, but was stopped by Liu Kun's eyes and had to endure it. Aunt Lin sobbed twice again, her voice was sad and trembling, and she said: "Master, Madam, I am a helpless person. I have been relying on you all my life. If you hate me, I might as well die now. I was originally the daughter of a good family. The old lady wanted to choose a family for me. It was me who was shameless and insisted on staying in the Sheng family. But I admire the character of the master. I accept being ridiculed by everyone and looked down upon by the servants. I did it willingly. ... I also know that I have angered my sister and made her unhappy. She blames me and hates me. I understand all this and dare not defend myself. ... I only hope that my sister will forgive my infatuation with the master and treat me like a little cat or dog, granting me a place to hide in the huge Sheng Mansion, with a little food to eat. As long as I can see the master from time to time, I will have no regrets even if I am cursed and spitted on by thousands of people! ... Madam, today, in front of Steward Lai Fu and Sister Liu, I kowtow to you. Please have mercy on me!
As he spoke, he actually started to kowtow, one after another, making a banging sound. Sheng Hong felt a pain in his heart, and quickly jumped off the kang and pulled Aunt Lin up: "What are you doing for no reason?"
Aunt Lin raised her head and looked at Sheng Hong with tearful eyes, full of tenderness and grievance. She stared at him for a while, but said nothing. She turned around and threw herself at Wang's legs, crying and begging, "Please have mercy on me, madam. You can beat me or punish me, but don't treat me as that evil person... If I am not sensible, call me to scold me. I will listen to you in everything... I am sincere to the master..."
She cried till she was hoarse, her breath was hoarse, her eyes were red and swollen, and she fell on Sheng Hong's legs on the other side due to exhaustion. Sheng Hong couldn't bear it and was quite moved, so he gently helped her up.
——It’s so awesome!!!
Yao Yiyi finally couldn't help but open her eyes a crack to look. Sheng Hong's face was filled with unbearable anger. Wang's face turned blue and her lips turned white with anger, but she couldn't say a word. Her whole body was shaking as if she had the hiccups. Lai Fu was stunned and Liu Kun's family felt inferior.
Ms. Lin's astonishing talent miraculously awakened Yao Yiyi, who had been desperately trying to sleep. She asked herself, "A young lady from an official family, though down and out, yet pampered for over a decade, how could she have the courage to declare her determination and devotion in front of the servants? She knelt when she was told to, begged for mercy when she was told to, cried when she was told to, fought for it when she was told to. Why was she so cowardly, unwilling to face reality? It was just a matter of being born into a rotten family."
On a cool summer night, a professional mistress with excellent professional skills finally awakened Yao Yiyi's courage to survive.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
