There were only two men in the Marquis's mansion.
One was a marquis, the other a sixth master.
Whose concubine will Bai Que become?
Madam Cai was a little confused. Wasn't there a rumor circulating in the manor that after the Marquis married his wife, he was going to take Lady Zhao as a concubine? How come there's now this Bai Que? Could it be that Bai Que has gotten involved with the philandering Sixth Master?
The head housekeeper, who had a large mole near her mouth, said, "Oh dear, you don't know? Bai Que and Zi He were both assigned by the old lady to serve that person, but Zi He wasn't popular and was squeezed out. Bai Que and that person are like sisters, and Bai Que's parents both say that she's going to become that person's concubine. Don't you understand? After all, that person has given birth before, and wants a confidante to help her... cough cough."
Madam Cai was shocked: "How could this be? Who does she take her for? Who does she take the Marquis for?"
That's really outrageous.
"That's just arrogance. They haven't even tasted bee droppings yet, and they're already soaring to the sky."
"That's right. She's always going around saying she's the mother of the Marquis's two children. You'd think the twins were the Marquis's kids. Bai Que is putting on airs in front of us too, acting like she's half a master. It's ridiculous. She's really fallen from grace. She's lost all face and dignity."
A group of mothers in charge huddled together, talking animatedly, as if they had long disliked Zhao Niangzi, and they were also the ones who were most eager to flatter her. Cai Mama smiled and asked, "Do you want to give a gift?"
"That's natural, but I don't dare to go all out. My family doesn't have much money. Whether we can make it depends on whether we're destined for it. As long as we can earn a little, that's enough."
"Yes, just like you, I don't dare to buy too much either."
Madam Cai asked, "Didn't Madam mention that the pepper business might also be unprofitable?"
"I already said so, so it all depends on whether I have good fortune."
Mrs. Cai nodded.
These people saw that the Lady of the Marquis was favored by the Marquis and wanted to curry favor with him, so they didn't care whether this little bit of silver was a loss or a gain.
Eldest brother, don't talk about second brother.
She initially wanted to find a good master because of the Sixth Madam's harshness.
Granny Zhao returned like a whirlwind, asking, "Have you made your decision? How much silver will you invest?"
"Of course, we'll do the same as you and put in fifty taels of silver. We wouldn't dare put in more. We're just following Sixth Madam's lead and giving it a try."
"Yes, yes, just follow their example."
Granny Zhao raised her head high and laughed, "The Lady of the Marquis has just arrived and she dares to do such a big business. She must have a plan in mind. I haven't saved up much money either, otherwise I would have invested more."
"Yes, yes, Zhao Mama is right."
However, no one took it seriously and just invested whatever amount they were supposed to.
Cai's mother remained silent, listening attentively.
As long as you're not ostracized, why talk too much and annoy people?
Granny Zhao paused for a moment and said, "Oh, I'm so busy every day. I still have to go to Fengxuan Pavilion on behalf of the Sixth Madam, so I won't talk to you anymore."
"The capable are often burdened with more work. Is Granny Zhao going to see the white sparrow?"
"What's so interesting about the white sparrow? It's just a servant like us. I'm going to see Madam Zhao. I heard she's been sick for a few days and hasn't had a doctor called. Today she's even worse. The old lady has already sent someone to fetch a doctor, so I'm going to go and see if Madam Zhao is feeling any better."
The crowd exchanged knowing glances.
In the past, when Madam Zhao was sick, the Sixth Madam would definitely go to see her in person. This time, she only sent Granny Zhao to check on her. It's clear that Madam Zhao's plan is going to fail.
Granny Zhao rushed to Fengxuan Pavilion, where everyone was weeping.
"What's wrong?"
Because she shared the same surname as Zhao Niangzi, Granny Zhao was closer to her than others. As soon as she entered the door, she asked, "Why are you crying like this?"
With a flushed face and a dizzy, listless expression, Zhao Niangzi leaned against the pillow and said in a hoarse voice, "It's Granny Zhao. Please sit down. Bai Que is crying so hard that no one can console her. I'm trying to find a way to comfort her too."
Granny Zhao twitched her lips and said dismissively, "You are the master, and Bai Que is the servant. You still have to try to persuade her after she caused trouble. You really have a good temper."
Zhao Niangzi sighed, "I can't persuade her no matter what I say, it's all in vain."
Bai Que went to Wutong Garden for her sake. If she doesn't appease her, the maids and servants will lose heart, and who will work for her in the future?
But you can't say it like that.
Granny Zhao knew this too, and said, "Crying won't help. The Marquis has ordered her to leave, and the Old Madam won't contradict him for her sake. She has no choice but to leave. If there's a chance in the future, she might be able to come back."
"It would be best if you could come back."
Zhao Niangzi had a high fever, her head was dizzy, and her eyelids drooped weakly.
Granny Zhao said, "You should drink your medicine and rest now. If a minor illness turns into a serious one, it will be troublesome."
Zhao Niangzi sighed, feeling disheartened, and said, "My body is useless, so I'll just let it go. I'm just a nuisance anyway."
Granny Zhao smiled and said, "As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. This time, the Marquis's decision to send people away was just an accident. Who told the Marquis's wife to be so powerful? If you really can't bear to part with Bai Que, why don't you try to beg the Marquis? Even if he doesn't care about you, he should at least consider the two young masters."
Zhao Niangzi's wet eyes suddenly lit up.
It was like lightning piercing the dark night.
Seeing that she understood, Granny Zhao smiled and said, "You should take good care of yourself. As long as you're healthy, you can always make a comeback. Sixth Madam knows you're sick and is eager to come see you, but she's been busy these past few days and has been held up."
Zhao Niangzi said gratefully, "I will always remember the kindness that the Sixth Madam has shown to us orphans and widows."
Granny Zhao came out and went to look for Bai Que, asking, "Are you feeling better?"
Bai Que was standing in the sun when she saw Madam Liu and fainted. Both of them knew perfectly well that this was just a pretext.
Bai Que blew her nose, her eyes red and swollen, and sobbed, "I'm much better now. Thank you so much, Sixth Madam, for bringing me back and calling a doctor for me. But I won't be able to repay your kindness any longer, and I won't be staying at the Marquis's residence for much longer."
The Marquis ordered her to leave.
Rong Momo had already sent Xiao Hong to see her. Bai Que knew what Rong Momo meant. Once she was better, she would go to the old lady to say goodbye. The old lady was kind-hearted and would probably give her something to complete the relationship between mistress and servant.
However, that wasn't what she wanted.
Granny Zhao said, "This is also your fault for not planning ahead. When the Sixth Madam came over and saw you, she didn't know what happened. She saw that you had fainted and even asked the Lady of the Marquis about it. She said that you had served the Old Madam and should have been more respectable than others. Why did you end up like this?"
Bai Que stopped crying.
"What did the Lady of the Marquis say to the Marquis? It angered him so much that he wants to kick me out."
She refused to believe that the Marquis would be so heartless towards her.
Someone must be up to no good here.
Zhao Mama said meaningfully, "The Lady of the Marquis said she had no idea who you were, nor did she know that you were standing outside and not leaving. When the Sixth Lady asked about it, she asked the maid named Hongye who was beside her. That maid was sharp-tongued and embarrassed the Sixth Lady in front of everyone."
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