Lady Nian took a nap, but she slept in a sweat; the afternoon sun in the room was indeed intense. Several maids took turns fanning her to help her fall asleep peacefully.
After resting for a while, Nian got up, still smelling of sweat, and asked Cuiling to fetch water to take a bath.
When the Fourth Prince arrived, Madam Nian was taking a bath. The maidservant who was serving outside saw the Fourth Prince arrive and quickly invited him in, and then immediately went to inform Madam Nian.
After a flurry of activity, Madam Nian finally managed to dress properly and came out to see the Fourth Master. She saw the Fourth Master sitting on the main couch in the west wing, holding a cup of tea, seemingly lost in thought.
"Master!" A delicate, timid voice reached the Fourth Master's ears. He looked up and saw that Madam Nian was wearing a light green casual dress, and her hair was only combed into a single bun with the rest hanging down. It was clear that she had just washed her hair and it was not yet dry, so she could not put it up.
"This room is very hot. Why don't you come and stay in the north room with me?" Fourth Master said with a slight smile.
Upon hearing this, Lady Nian was overjoyed. She took light steps and walked up to the Fourth Master, saying sweetly, "This concubine dares not. How could someone of my status live in the north room with you, Master?"
The Fourth Prince pulled her over and sat her on his lap. Nian Shi gave a soft, sweet moan and nestled in his arms. Seeing this, everyone lowered their heads and turned away, not daring to disturb them.
Meanwhile, Madam Geng had already gotten up after her midday rest. Green Lan saw Fourth Master go into the west room, but seeing that Madam Geng didn't seem to care, she didn't say anything.
Fourth Master had dinner with Nian Shi in her room, and then talked with Thirteenth Master until late at night before finally going to Nian Shi's room to settle down.
The next day, Fourth Master went out with Thirteenth Master and Cui Da and Cui Er, telling the servants that they were going out to purchase goods. Nian Shi and Geng Shi were also told not to reveal their identities, and they stayed in their own rooms. Although Fourth Master offered to let Nian Shi stay in the north room with him, she refused, and he didn't bring it up again. Nian Shi increasingly felt that Fourth Master's question might just be a test.
"Cuiling, go ask that Granny Luo if she has any ice. This room is just too hot." Having nothing else to do, Madam Nian was having her maids collect some flower petals from the courtyard so she could take a petal bath. Yangzhou is located in the temperate zone, and this time of year is when all sorts of flowers bloom, a riot of colors everywhere.
Cui Ling accepted the order and left, returning shortly afterward. She angrily told Madam Nian, "That old woman Luo said there's no ice here. Look at the way she acted, as if I had made some incredible request."
Madam Nian had long loathed Madam Luo, and seeing that Fourth Master had left, she said to Cuiling, "Go and call her over."
Upon hearing that Madam Nian seemed to want to punish Madam Luo, Cui Ling immediately perked up, gave a cheerful "Hi!", and then turned and left.
Before long, Madam Luo was brought before Madam Nian. After learning that Madam Nian had moved to the west room, she felt relieved. She was indeed a concubine, not the principal wife.
"Madam summoned me here, what is it about?" When Luo Mama saw Cuiling return, she was a little displeased, but after all, Cuiling was the mistress of the house, and no matter how much she disliked her, she could not ignore her.
"You're Aunt Luo, right?" Madam Nian stood up and walked over to Aunt Luo, looking her up and down. She had never been looked down upon like this before. This old country woman dared to disrespect her and even affect her; it was truly despicable.
"Yes, this is Mama Luo. May I ask what brings you here, Madam? I have many things to do." Mama Luo still thought that Madam Nian was the head manager's concubine, and that she was too beautiful. The first wife was not usually so charming. Judging from her age, the wife living in the east room was the first wife, so it was no wonder that she misunderstood.
*Smack!*
Ms. Nian slapped her across the face in a huff, leaving Mrs. Luo speechless.
"This slap is to teach you how to read people's faces. I am not what you think. If you make excuses or deliberately delay my requests again, I will break your legs next time," Madam Nian said sternly, staring at Madam Luo.
"You, what right do you have to hit me? I'm not your servant, you're just guests renting here," Mrs. Luo said in terror, covering her face.
"You dog of a servant, I could beat you to death if I wanted to!" Madam Nian roared in anger. Before she was married, the Nian family was a powerful local clan, and they didn't hesitate to punish their servants. Madam Nian never expected to be treated so badly by this old woman, Luo, in such a small courtyard, and she couldn't hold back her anger for a moment.
"My lady, it's hot. I've already ordered the servants to make you some mung bean soup," Bai Zhi said quickly, stopping Nian Shi from getting angry. As she spoke, she also gave Nian Shi a few meaningful glances.
Sigh, Master's temper is just too much. Fourth Master is hiding his identity in front of these people. If Master loses his temper and reveals his identity, although he may vent his anger, he might also displease Fourth Master.
Remembering Fourth Master's instructions, Madam Nian felt a surge of anger rising in her throat. It was truly unbearable, but she ultimately suppressed it and ignored Mama Luo standing to the side.
Bai Zhi had no choice but to pull Madam Luo to a corner of the room and said with a forced smile, "Madam Luo, our master does have a bit of a temper, but this west-facing room is just too hot. You've been here for many years, could you think of a solution?"
Madam Luo was considered a respectable servant here, and the landlord treated her very politely because she had served countless tenants in the house and sometimes helped the landlord with many tenant matters, earning the landlord's trust.
"What can I do? Madam is afraid of the heat. Why don't you go and squeeze in with that other lady? Or you can go and talk to the head steward and ask her to move to the north room. If you're afraid of the heat, you shouldn't have moved out in the first place." Madam Luo was very angry, and her words became somewhat sarcastic.
Upon hearing this, Nian almost couldn't hold back anymore, and Zi Ning quickly brought over some mung bean water to serve her.
"Aunt Luo, this is just a small token of my appreciation. Please take it. Perhaps we could try to find some ice for our master," Bai Zhi said, slipping a purse to Aunt Luo.
When Madam Luo saw the purse, she noticed it was quite large, and the person who had given it was surprisingly generous. However, she wasn't the type to fawn over anyone who had money. Many people had stayed here before, and some had even given her large purses, but Madam Luo didn't care much for them. She certainly didn't want to serve someone as difficult as Madam Nian.
“Alright, I’ll go check out that restaurant across the street. They need ice all year round, but I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to get some,” said Madam Luo, taking the purse.
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