Chapter 2 A Strategy to Break the Stalemate "Bang!" A startled cry rang out...
"Bang!" After a startled cry, there was another sound of something being knocked over.
Hearing the unusual commotion caused by the two maids who had gone in first, the ladies and young women who were about to enter all showed expressions of surprise and uncertainty.
“Madam, inside…” A maidservant rushed out, her face flushed with obvious embarrassment and panic.
"Could something have happened inside?" Thinking of her daughter who had gone to pick lotus flowers and had not returned, Zhang suddenly had an ominous premonition.
Before she could even process what was happening, Madam Zhang, almost instinctively, stepped forward, trying to block the group from entering the waterside pavilion.
But the second wife, Zhao, was already walking in front, and she knew what was going on, so she wasn't about to let Zhang get ahead of her.
"What are you all making such a fuss about? Which stray cat in the garden has startled you this time?" Zhao scolded lightly, seemingly oblivious to the maid's unusual expression and Zhang's actions, and stepped into the room first.
Mrs. Qin had experienced a lot, and although she hadn't seen what was going on inside, the comings and goings at the door were enough for her to glean some clues.
Furthermore, the maid's expression didn't seem to indicate that she was frightened by the wild cat at all. In fact, she had a vague idea in her mind, so she quickly and subtly pulled her two daughters to stop them.
Firstly, she was afraid that there might be some unsightly scene inside that would frighten her daughter. Secondly, Mrs. Qin was kind-hearted and didn't just want to watch the spectacle; instead, she gave the two Mrs. Xiao a chance to handle the situation.
No matter what outrageous reasons they came up with for not being allowed into the waterside pavilion, Mrs. Qin felt confident that she could leave without a word and take her two daughters with her.
After being tugged by their mother, the two Qin family girls, who hadn't reacted at first, suddenly understood.
Did something unspeakable happen in this room?
Although they all stopped, the mother and her two daughters exchanged glances, and then they all saw excitement and curiosity hidden in each other's eyes.
Although I had occasionally heard those gossips about the inner quarters, they were all rumors that were covered up and concealed. What I was seeing in person was very likely a live demonstration.
Their gazes then turned to Zhao, who had already entered the waterside pavilion.
"What's with all this fuss?" Zhao complained as she strode toward the east room, lamenting that the newly promoted maid's manners were still lacking.
“These stray cats in the garden are indeed becoming increasingly wild and untamed. Let’s find another place to rest and prevent the stray cats from disturbing the young ladies,” the First Madam, who was a step behind, quickly said.
Behind her, Concubine Wan from the second wife's household also wanted to follow, but she was stopped outside the threshold by a single glance from the First Madam.
The young women were all blocked at the door by the wives and concubines, who were determined not to let them in.
Judging from everyone's behavior, it was clear that although no one said it out loud, they all suspected that something had happened in the waterside pavilion.
"It's so hot in this weather, it's not good for the girls to get over the heat. If there are any little beasts, just have the old women kick them out." The second wife, however, kept walking towards the east side room.
Then she bumped into another maid who had come out from the east side, her face flushed with a mixture of panic and shyness.
"The matter is bound to be settled!" Although the second wife still had some doubts deep down, there was no room for regret at this point, and she could only push forward.
Compared to the second wife's hesitation, Xiao Quexian, who seemed to be standing obediently outside the door, was filled with joy and smug satisfaction that everything was under her control.
Then, sure enough, two maids stammered, "Second Madam, Young Master Qin... is resting inside."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Qin, who had just been standing outside the threshold, hesitant to enter, and secretly scrutinizing everyone present with her eyes, suddenly became anxious and stepped inside: "My eldest son? Why is he resting here?"
It's no wonder that Mrs. Qin was so anxious that her accent came out when she spoke; she simply never expected that the person in the waterside pavilion would be her eldest son.
She had clearly seen before that this lotus pond separated the front and back courtyards of the Xiao family, and the only winding corridor leading to the water pavilion was in the back garden.
If her eldest son were resting here now, wouldn't that mean he had broken into the Xiao family's inner quarters? Add to that the fact that Xiao San-guniang hadn't appeared since going to pick lotus flowers, and the maid's ambiguous expression.
It's really hard not to wonder—could it be that the two of them are in the east room?
After all, if it was just a mistake and not some inconvenient place to be seen, since all the elders of the family had entered the water pavilion, the eldest son would definitely have to come out to see them and apologize.
Mrs. Qin felt as if she were walking on cotton. Her thoughts were exactly the same as the First Madam's: no matter what, they had to cover it up on the surface first.
But Zhao seemed completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere in the air, and simply pushed the door to the east room wide open.
"Did Dalang come from the front yard with my mischievous children to admire the lotus flowers? Sister Qin, please don't be too reserved with him. Our two families are close friends, and the two young ones are already engaged, so it's no harm for them to meet." She spoke in a very cheerful and generous manner.
Behind the wide-open door, the lake breeze, carrying the fragrance of lotus and the aroma of wine, wafted into the room through the open carved window. In this slightly intoxicating atmosphere, everyone could see that the eldest son of the Qin family was fast asleep on the couch.
Although his gray-blue outer robe was disheveled and loose, and even his usually neatly tied hair had a few strands hanging loosely, all of this seemingly rude appearance, when paired with that handsome face, only gave people a sense of lazy and unrestrained charm that was different from his usual gentle and refined demeanor.
He slept there quietly, yet his posture was like a bamboo stalk lying horizontally or a jade mountain tilting over, displaying an air of unparalleled elegance.
It's no wonder the two inexperienced maids were so flustered when they saw such a beautiful view as soon as they opened the door.
Even Xiao Quexian, who was determined to annul the engagement, was confronted with this shock again, and for a moment her eyes were filled with a mixture of resentment and sighs, her mind racing.
But the next second, as her mind recovered from the shock of his beauty, the emotions in her eyes turned into surprise and panic.
"Where is he? Where is Xiao Yan Hui?" If she hadn't had some basic self-control, she would have blurted out this exclamation.
If this room weren't just a waterside pavilion for people to rest in, with all the tables, chairs, couches, and antique shelves clearly visible, and no beds, wardrobes, or other furniture to hide people in, Xiao Quexian would probably have been tempted to search it herself.
But where is Xiao Yan Hui? She had planned so carefully, so why is Qin Jia Da Lang the only one in the room at this moment?
......
Xiao Yan returned, and at that moment she was struggling to swim, panting heavily.
She peeked out and saw that she was still some distance from the riverbank. Helpless, she took a deep breath and continued paddling with all her might.
The girl's body had clearly not been trained much, and in fact, according to the original owner's memories, she couldn't swim, so Xiao Yan was having a particularly hard time swimming.
Although it wasn't a very long distance, she felt her strength was almost completely depleted, and her limbs were becoming increasingly heavy. Despite having specifically chosen a body of water with few lotus plants, the aquatic plants still caused her considerable trouble on her journey from the center of the lake to the shore.
But she had to admit she was grateful for the lake breeze that had given her that brilliant idea. Although the pavilion only had one winding corridor leading to the shore, it was accessible by water.
It was also because the original owner couldn't swim at all that the person who set up the scheme completely overlooked this point.
If she accidentally falls into the water, then no matter how disheveled she appears, that's normal.
Although according to the settings of some novels, there is a risk of accidentally falling into the water and being "rescued" by an unknown man, Yan Hui believes that the drama of life will not only befall her alone.
Besides, she's not really bad at swimming, so she should be able to handle any unexpected situations.
After swimming a short distance, Xiao Yan peeked out again. This time she was closer to the shore, and there happened to be several cleaning maids passing by.
This couldn't be better.
"Help! Help me!" he shouted, waving his hands in a flurry of motion.
Acting out falling into the water was much more tiring than swimming, but luckily the maids were quick-witted and soon heard the cries for help.
Several people rushed over.
"Third Miss, look quickly, isn't that the Third Miss!" one of them exclaimed. Immediately afterward, they kicked off their shoes and jumped into the water.
She can swim, and she's quite good at it. Besides, the third girl looks like she's only a few meters from the lake shore. This is a golden opportunity that won't come easily if she doesn't take it. Otherwise, the other two will snatch it away.
Sure enough, after the first maid jumped in to save the girl, there were two more splashes. Only one person who couldn't swim was left standing on the bank, shouting loudly, "The third young lady has fallen into the water! Help! The young lady has fallen into the water!"
As soon as the commotion started, the people at the waterside pavilion noticed it immediately.
The atmosphere inside the waterside pavilion was strange.
It is indeed impolite for someone who shouldn't be in the inner quarters to appear here, but this impoliteness is far better than the scenes I had anticipated.
Moreover, he was sleeping peacefully here, and it was hard to say whether something went wrong. For a moment, everyone seemed unsure how to react.
Then, faint sounds of shouts coming from the shore could be heard that the Third Sister had fallen into the water.
The First Madam's heart has been in turmoil all day. She had just calmed down a little when she was hit with another shock.
For a moment, his legs went weak, but he still staggered to the window: "What are they shouting on the shore? I think they're calling for the Third Sister."
She looked toward the source of the sound and saw a maidservant anxiously shouting from the shore that the Third Miss had fallen into the water. However, from her vantage point, she could only see lotus flowers and leaves, making it difficult to discern the situation in the water.
Instantly, the First Madam broke out in a cold sweat and tears. She didn't care about anything else and turned around to run out of the waterside pavilion.
"Madam, Madam, please slow down! I saw someone go into the water to save her. Third Miss will be alright. Please watch your step and run slowly." The two personal maids who were with the Madam saw their mistress stumbling and running out, so they naturally followed immediately.
At this moment, the expressions on the faces of the second wife and Xiao Quexian were almost identically blank.
Where exactly did things go wrong? Why did things turn out so unexpectedly?
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com