Volume 1, Chapter 12: Tracing the Origins
Liaoyuan Garden was located in the northwest corner of the Ruan Mansion, in the most remote corner, while Shaohua Courtyard was on the central axis of the Ruan Mansion, winding and turning, which took quite a bit of walking. When Huaihua saw the Second Miss walking towards her with great pomp, she quickly hid in her room, leaving only Chamei to deal with her.
"Fifth Miss, Second Miss is here." Tea Girl called out timidly, and went up to lift the curtain for Second Miss. Just as she reached out, Chunyun had already lifted the curtain in front of her.
Ruan Bi, who was writing in the inner room, heard the noise, looked up and smiled at the second young lady. She finished writing one character before putting down her pen, standing up, and curtsying to the second young lady. "Second sister."
The second girl gave a curt "hmm," picked up the calligraphy she had just written, and was startled. Looking at her suspiciously, she said, "What a fine flying white style! When did you learn this, little sister?"
"Sister, you flatter me. I just started practicing, so I can't say I'm good at it."
The second daughter naturally didn't believe it, saying, "Look at the handwriting of my sister, it seems to have been practiced for one or two decades. How could it be that she just started practicing?"
Ruan Bi was also surprised. She had heard from Dong Xue that the second young lady had beautiful handwriting, especially skilled in the "flying white" style. She had only thought she was an enthusiast, but she hadn't expected her to actually have such talent, recognizing her skill at a glance. She had been practicing calligraphy since elementary school, and had always loved the "flying white" style for almost twenty years.
"How strange, even your handwriting has changed, little sister?" The second young lady stared intently at Ruan Bi.
Ruan Bi smiled faintly and said, "Sister, you've forgotten, I was seriously ill not long ago. People say that serious illnesses can lead to major changes."
Mentioning that serious illness, the second young lady felt slightly uneasy, as the illness was somewhat related to her. Thinking about it, it was possible; many people undergo drastic personality changes after a serious illness, so it wasn't impossible for their handwriting to change as well. She didn't press further, but instead looked at Ruan Bi's handwriting, shaking her head and saying, "The stroke in this '之' character is too long, not good. And wouldn't it be better to use a return stroke for this '风' character?"
Ruan Bi said happily, "Second sister is indeed a master. She must give me more guidance."
The second young lady immediately picked up her pen and wrote the characters "之" and "风" on the paper. Ruan Bi clapped her hands and praised, "Wonderful, truly wonderful! It is indeed as fine as a hair, yet its momentum is soaring."
The second young lady put down her pen, smiled slightly, and looked at Ruan Bi with much gentler eyes. "Then practice these two characters."
Ruan Bi looked at the second girl with admiration in her eyes and nodded vigorously, but thought to herself, "Damn it, do I need to practice with you? These two words were deliberately written to set a trap for you."
The second girl felt even more elated when she saw Ruan Bi's adoring gaze, and suddenly realized that Ruan Bi wasn't so annoying after all.
Ruan Bi then asked, "Second sister, after I finish writing, could you have the hot water bottle bring it to you so you can correct it for me?"
The second young lady hesitated for a moment, but she also loved calligraphy, and under Ruan Bi's admiring gaze, she unconsciously nodded. Once she stepped out of the east wing and the wind cleared her head slightly, she felt as if it were a dream. She had clearly come to verify the handwriting, how did it end up being a calligraphy critique?
Upon returning to the courtyard, he regretted his actions and said to Chunyun, "Tell the old woman guarding the gate that if the old woman comes again, just kick her out."
In the east wing of Liaoyuan Garden, Ruan Bi washed her brush and ink while thinking about the events.
When Dongxue was around, she always spoke of the second young lady with a mixture of hatred and fear, telling her to stay away from her. After a few encounters, however, she found that the second young lady wasn't so terrible after all; she was just a little arrogant, a little short-tempered, and a little willful... Perhaps it was because she hadn't gotten to know her well enough yet.
Lost in thought, Ruan Bi suddenly heard Huaihua exclaim "Ah!" and turned around to look at her in surprise.
Huaihua was squatting in front of the wardrobe, groping around. After a while, she exclaimed, "Girl, I found your pearl earrings!" She stood up and held a pair of pearl earrings that were constantly dangling in her hand.
Ruan Bi burst into laughter, not just with joy, but with unbridled delight.
Huaihua laughed along, a hint of guilt and embarrassment in her voice.
"So it was in my clothes. No wonder I couldn't find it anywhere." Ruan Bi said as she took the earring. Seeing the hint of resentment in Huaihua's eyes, she really wanted to burst out laughing. After laughing, she felt sad. The Second Miss had come, and she was so afraid. It wasn't because of the person, but because of the word "嫡" (di, meaning legitimate wife) and the First Madam behind it.
Her smile faded, and she suddenly seemed a little listless, saying, "Huaihua, you can go now."
Huaihua was still a little guilty and didn't want to stay in front of her, so she fled out of the inner room as if she had been granted a pardon.
Ruan Bi sat by the window, watching the light slowly dim, and felt inexplicably sad.
"Miss, it's time to eat," Tea Girl called timidly from the outer room.
Ruan Bi wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes and said, "Come in."
Tea Girl came in carrying a lacquered tray, placed the food on the table, and looked at Ruan Bi.
Tonight's meal was plentiful again. Ruan Bi ate slowly, noticing that Cha Mei kept glancing at her, her expression shifting between hesitation and a deliberate decision. Curious, Ruan Bi kept a straight face and asked, "Cha Mei, have you eaten?"
"not yet."
"Then why don't you go down to eat?"
"Miss." Tea Girl turned her head to look in the direction of the door, hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, took out a purse from her bosom and put it on the table, "This is for you, Sister Dongxue." She said this quickly and hurriedly, and after she finished speaking, she let out a big breath.
Ruan Bi looked up at her, smiled gently, and said, "Don't be afraid, it's nothing serious. Go down and have your meal."
Her composure also impressed Cha Mei, who nodded and turned to leave.
Ruan Bi took the purse and opened it. Inside was a small note written by Dong Xue, saying that she was currently busy doing laundry in the old lady's courtyard. She also said that she wanted to help Ruan Bi, but couldn't think of a way.
Ruan Bi tore up the note and continued eating, thinking slowly.
The reason she was imprisoned was because her behavior over the past ten years had displeased the Old Madam and the First Madam. Now that she was trapped here, no matter how well she behaved, they wouldn't notice. The Old Madam and the First Madam probably intended to keep her imprisoned until her wedding day, but given her status and lack of favor, the marriage would likely not be good. What if she married someone as a concubine... or what if she married an old, disabled, orphaned man...? The more she thought about it, the more disheartened she became. Her immediate priority was to regain her freedom before she could fight for her own interests.
Zheng Mama had some influence with the old lady, but she valued her position and only followed the old lady's wishes; she probably wouldn't help her willingly. Moreover, Ruan Bi always felt that there was something more to Zheng Mama's eyes when she looked at her, a mixture of probing and wariness.
After thinking for a while, she put down her chopsticks and bowl, called the tea maid to come in and tidy up, asked Huaihua to brew a pot of good tea, and then called the hot water bottle to come in and have a chat.
Tang Pozi sat down on the small stool, but dared not face Ruan Bi openly as she had a few days before. Instead, she turned to the side and asked in a fawning tone, "What would you like to hear, Fifth Miss? Just tell me."
Ruan Bi glanced at Huaihua, who was standing beside her, and said, "You can go out now and close the door."
Both Granny Tang and Huaihua were stunned for a moment. After regaining their senses, a hint of anger flashed across Huaihua's face, but she still went out and slammed the door shut. Ruan Bi frowned, and Granny Tang glared at the door, saying, "That little hussy, relying on being the daughter of the First Madam's maid and on her father being a steward, she's completely lawless."
"She's the daughter of the First Madam's personal maid, how did she end up as a lowly servant?"
Granny Tang went on and on, saying, "Young lady, you don't know, a person's fate is determined by their birth. She used to be in the inner courtyard, but she was clumsy and always bumped into earthenware pots and porcelain or broke paintings and antiques. She was really not presentable, so she was sent to the outer courtyard to manage a bunch of rough maids who acted like tyrants... But the reputation of the outer courtyard is not as good as that of the inner courtyard. Many of our inner courtyard maids are hired by outside families to become wives, while those from the outer courtyard are married to rough men and people still look down on them. So, I guess her father begged the madam to bring her into the inner courtyard... So, she'll serve the Fifth Miss and find a good husband in the future."
"I see." Ruan Bi then asked, "And what about her father?"
"Her father is the manager of our suburban farm, and her mother and several brothers live on the farm."
"How many concubines does the First Madam have?"
Granny Tang held up three fingers and said, "The three servants are Xu Baoshu's family, who manage the suburban estate. Luo Shan's family now works for her; Luo Shan is our second steward. Luo's wife, who manages the supplies for each courtyard, is Luo Shan's daughter-in-law. And Zhang Jin's family was recently sent out, but we don't know where they're in charge..."
It seems the First Madam has practically got her hands on the Ruan family mansion. Doesn't the Second Madam have any objections? Ruan Bi asked in a low voice, "What about the Second Madam's personal attendants?"
"When the Second Madam married into the family, she brought several estates and shops as part of her dowry, which are now being managed by her maids." She was a clever and experienced woman and knew what Ruan Bi meant. "In our household, the eldest son's family has always been in charge. Besides, the Second Madam's womb is not fertile, so she can't compete even if she wanted to."
Ruan Bi summarized it this way: a woman needs to be born into a good family before marriage, and she also needs to have a good womb after marriage; it all comes down to the word "birth".
Uncharacteristically generous, the woman said, "What else would you like to know, young lady? Please feel free to ask."
If she missed today, she might have to pay money to get information again in the future, so Ruan Bi certainly didn't want to miss out. She asked again, "I'm clearly Miss Lan's daughter... why am I in the manor..."
Before she could finish speaking, Granny Tang cried out in pain and slapped herself, saying, "This old woman's mouth will get her killed sooner or later." She looked at Ruan Bi pleadingly, "You mustn't ask about this, young lady. I don't have the guts to say anything. The old lady has given orders that anyone who dares to mention it will have their tongue cut out. Anyone who speaks out will be beaten to death with sticks."
Ruan Bi was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "Even if I don't mention it and the people in the mansion don't say anything, do you think others won't guess? Everyone else has a father and mother, but I'm all alone and hanging on."
The old woman said, "The girl's mother is the late Aunt Fang, the master's concubine..."
Ruan Bi suddenly realized that this was the official explanation of her background.
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