Volume Two: Step by Step to Success, Chapter Nine: The Trade of Favors
Ruan Bi was not surprised that Manhua was kidnapped.
But who kidnapped them? And why? The First Madam, the Second Madam, Ruan Chi, Concubine Lin, Ruan Jiaxuan—all are possibilities. Regardless of who kidnapped them, it's not a bad thing for Ruan Bi. Only by stirring up this mess can she profit from it.
Ruan Bi took off the clothes she had tried on and changed into a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress).
Xiuzhi returned carrying a stack of clothes and asked in surprise, "Why aren't you trying on the clothes, Miss?"
Ruan Bi looked at the daylight outside the window. Ruan Jiaxuan should be back from the Imperial Academy by now. "Xiuzhi, come with me."
"Where are you going, young lady?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Ruan Bi had already walked out of the room. Helpless, Xiu Zhi put her clothes on the bed and followed her out. They walked along the covered corridor all the way to the hanging flower gate before Ruan Bi stopped. Xiu Zhi's face paled slightly. She looked around and whispered, "Why did you come here, Miss? You need to ask the Madam for permission to go to the front courtyard."
"We're not going out, we'll just wait here for a while."
Xiuzhi was taken aback again, but did not ask any more questions. Although she had served Ruanbi for a short time, she knew Ruanbi's personality. Ruanbi kept everything to herself and did not like others asking her questions.
When the old lady assigned her to be the head maid in the Fifth Miss's courtyard, several of the maids who were on good terms with her teased her, saying, "With the Fifth Miss's temperament, you'll be the head of her household in the future." She believed it to some extent at the time, but when she arrived at the east wing of Liaoyuan, she realized that it was not like that at all.
Before long, Ruan Jiaxuan strode in with Shun'er. When he saw Ruan Bi standing quietly to one side, he paused for a moment. Ruan Bi quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, elder brother. I have something to tell you. Please take the time to listen."
Ruan Jiaxuan stared at her coldly for a moment, then waved his hand at Shun'er and said, "Go and put the book box in the study, then go and tell Mother that I will come to pay my respects immediately."
"Yes." Shun'er picked up the book box and left.
Ruan Jiaxuan said coldly, "Speak."
Ruan Bi glanced at Xiuzhi, who wisely took a few steps back.
Ruan Bi first curtsied to Ruan Jiaxuan and said, "I apologize to you first, elder brother. I was rude and offended you that day. However, you slapped me... and it still hurts a little today, so we're even. But there's another matter I need to seek justice from you... Elder brother, that night by the lotus pond, I did see you and Sister Manhua..." Seeing Ruan Jiaxuan raise an eyebrow, she quickly raised her right hand and said, "But I absolutely did not mention it to anyone. If I'm lying, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."
In this era, people still revere heaven, earth, and spirits. Such a solemn oath could only be made by someone with a pure and honest heart. Ruan Jiaxuan's raised eyebrows slowly lowered again. He said, "Didn't you have something to tell me? Why are you bringing up old grievances? If there's nothing else, I have to go."
In the past, if anyone had dared to say such a thing, Ruan Bi would have left even faster than him. But now, she was under someone else's roof and had no choice but to bow her head. "Yes, I've come today to tell you something important, brother." She paused, "Does brother know that Sister Manhua was originally supposed to return to Yangzhou with Second Aunt's family's merchant caravan today?"
When Manhua was mentioned, Ruan Jiaxuan's eyes dimmed slightly, and he remained silent.
"I just received news that Sister Manhua was kidnapped at the dock."
"What?" Ruan Jiaxuan shouted, "What did you say?"
It seems he didn't abduct her. Come to think of it, he's a bit hot-tempered, but not inherently bad, and usually quite well-behaved. If someone he likes is given away, he can only lament in vain. Unlike other spoiled brats from noble families, who are womanizers at a young age. My impression of him improved slightly, and I hesitated. Was it appropriate to tell him? Then I thought, he'd find out sooner or later anyway, so I might as well do him a favor myself.
"Brother, keep your voice down."
Ruan Jiaxuan looked agitated, but still lowered his voice: "Who? Who did it?"
Ruan Bi shook her head and said, "I don't know. I was asked by someone else to tell you, brother."
Ruan Jiaxuan was taken aback and asked, "Who asked you to do this?"
"Sister Manyun."
Ruan Jiaxuan was taken aback again, looking at Ruan Bi with a puzzled expression. He wasn't stupid; he felt there was something illogical about it. "Why didn't she come to tell me herself, but instead had you do it?"
Ruan Bi made up a story: "Grandmother is furious about this, and Manyun is with her and can't leave for a while. So she asked my younger sister to pass on the message."
There was something wrong with what he said, but Ruan Jiaxuan's mind was already in a mess, with all sorts of chaotic thoughts bubbling up: Who kidnapped Manhua? Why did they kidnap her? And then he thought of her beautiful appearance; if she fell into the hands of villains, she would surely be ruined... The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, and he said, "No, I have to go and beg my grandmother to save Manhua." He turned to leave.
Ruan Bi grabbed him and said, "Brother, calm down. Sister Manhua is our family's daughter. Even without you saying anything, Grandmother will save her. Sister Manyun asked me to tell you this so you can be mentally prepared—she's afraid that if you hear the news, you'll go and make a scene with Grandmother, which will only make her dislike Sister Manhua even more, and she won't be as dedicated to saving her..."
Ruan Jiaxuan stopped in his tracks upon hearing this and said irritably, "Manhua is so well-behaved and smart, why doesn't Grandmother like her?"
"Brother, this is not Grandmother's fault, it's all your fault."
Ruan Jiaxuan stared at her with wide, puzzled eyes. Ruan Bi said, "Since you like Sister Manhua, why didn't you tell Grandmother and just ask for her? As a result, Grandmother gave her to Third Uncle, and you made sarcastic remarks at the dinner table, targeting Third Uncle at every turn. That's how word got to the Old Madam. Later, by a twist of fate, Xiuping became Third Uncle's woman, and Grandmother decided to send Manhua back to Yangzhou to avoid suspicion. If you had gone to her privately and asked her nicely, you could have brought her back after a while. But you acted impulsively and instead became violent towards me and Fourth Sister, causing a huge uproar. How could Manhua stay in the mansion then?"
A few days ago, Ruan Hong had also lectured Ruan Jiaxuan, saying things like, "A man should prioritize his career; how can he be so preoccupied with romance?" He also said, "Once you've achieved success, you won't have to worry about finding a woman." How could a young man just beginning to experience love possibly listen to such words? It was far better to hear Ruan Bi's rapid-fire "It's all your fault!" Each word resonated in his ears, and Ruan Jiaxuan's face gradually fell, filled with regret as he said, "It really was my fault; I've hurt Manhua. Now she's in trouble again; what should we do?"
"Brother, don't worry. Our Ruan family is quite prominent in the capital. Grandmother will definitely bring her back. However... you must not cause any more trouble and displease Grandmother, which would be even worse... If you have anything you want to ask or say, just quietly find Sister Manyun."
Ruan Jiaxuan wasn't stupid either. After figuring out the reasoning, his gaze towards Ruan Bi softened, and he said, "Thank you for your advice, Fifth Sister. That day... I was rash."
Such a tactful apology was not worth holding a grudge against Ruan Bi. There was no point in arguing now; it was more important to eliminate the misunderstanding and win people over. She caught a glimpse of Bao Li, the maid of the First Madam, hurrying along the covered walkway. Knowing that she was looking for Ruan Jiaxuan, she quickly took a step back and said loudly, "It's alright, brother, there's no need to worry."
Bao Li had already approached, and her long, narrow eyes lingered on Ruan Bi for a moment before she bowed to Ruan Jiaxuan and said, "Young Master, Madam sent me to find you."
Ruan Jiaxuan hummed in agreement, nodded to Ruan Bi, and strode forward.
Bao Li then said to Ruan Bi, "Since Fifth Sister is here, why don't we come along too?"
Ruan Bi understood that this was the Madam's intention, so she replied "Yes" and followed Ruan Jiaxuan towards the main house in the main courtyard. The maids guarding the gate saw Ruan Jiaxuan and said, "Young Master, you're back! The Madam was just asking why we haven't seen you since school ended." As they spoke, they lifted the curtain to let Ruan Jiaxuan and Ruan Bi in.
Ruan Jiaxuan and Ruan Bi entered the side hall one after the other. The First Madam was sitting in the main seat, leaning to the side as she listened to what Granny He was saying. Seeing the two of them enter, Granny He wisely fell silent, took a step back, and said, "First Madam, I'll go and take care of it right away."
The First Madam nodded, and Granny He withdrew.
Ruan Bi and Ruan Jiaxuan said in unison, "The children greet their mother and pay their respects."
"Get up." The First Madam picked up a cup of tea from the table, used the lid to remove the tea leaves, took a sip, and looked at Ruan Jiaxuan, asking, "Why didn't you come back to pay your respects after school? Instead, you were standing at the second gate whispering with Fifth Miss?"
Ruan Bi stepped forward and said, “Replying to Mother, it was I who stopped my elder brother. A few days ago, I had a misunderstanding with my elder brother. I was in the house recovering from my injuries for the past two days and couldn’t come out. Today, I’m healed, so I specifically stopped my elder brother at the second gate and explained the whole story. Now my elder brother and I have completely resolved our differences.”
"Oh?" The First Madam looked at Ruan Jiaxuan, who nodded without hesitation. Seeing his quick agreement, the First Madam knew that Ruan Bi's words were true, and her tone softened slightly as she said, "Fifth Girl has indeed grown up and become sensible. That's how it should be. How can there be no bumps and bruises when brothers and sisters live together? For the sake of peace in the household, we should turn big problems into small ones and small problems into nothing. We must not learn from those scheming people who use tricks like false accusations and accusations, trying to turn small things into huge ones, understand?"
The fourth sister stepped into the side hall, and upon hearing the last sentence, she paused slightly, her face turning pale.
Ruan Bi said respectfully, "Your daughter understands and will certainly remember your teachings, Mother."
The First Madam nodded in satisfaction and said, "You are much more sensible than before. I am very pleased. Come, stand next to me."
Everyone was taken aback.
Ruan Bi quickly came to her senses, replied "Yes," and walked over to stand beside the First Madam.
The fourth daughter took a deep breath, stepped forward, and curtsied. "Mother, your daughter has come to pay her respects."
"Okay, you come stand next to me too." His tone was no longer as friendly as before.
"Yes, Mother." The fourth daughter stood next to Ruan Bi, and the two met eyes with a hint of confusion.
The First Madam said to Ruan Jiaxuan, "Xuan'er, you've been home from school for so long, you should go and pay your respects to your grandmother."
"Yes, Mother, I'll go right away."
No sooner had Ruan Jiaxuan left than Granny He came in and said, "Madam, the person has been brought."
The First Madam slammed the teacup down on the table and said in a deep voice, "Bring it in."
"Yes." Granny He turned and shouted loudly towards the door, "Bring the person in."
Footsteps clattered, and two strong women dragged in a maid who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old. The maid was unfamiliar; Ruan Bi had never seen her before, but the fourth young lady beside her suddenly gasped.
(Reason for the hiatus: I'm so sorry, I edited the previous article more than five times that day, so it was locked by the system. Also, because it was the weekend and my editor wasn't working, I haven't updated for two days. Sorry, I'll update again tonight. Please vote!)
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