Volume 2, Step by Step to Victory, Chapter 11: Penniless
At the exact hour of Xu (7-9 PM), Ruan Bi had just finished bathing and was sitting by the window with her long, wet hair drying in the wind.
Xiushui came in and asked, "Miss, the moonlight is lovely tonight. Would you like to take a stroll in the garden?"
Ruan Bi paused for a moment, looked out the window, where a thin crescent moon had just appeared on the willow tips, nodded and said, "Okay."
Xiuzhi, who was making the bed, said in surprise, "Miss, you just washed up and are going out again. You'll sweat all over. Wouldn't that make your wash pointless?"
Ruan Bi turned around and smiled, saying, "It's alright, I'll just wipe it again when I get back." Before Xiuzhi could speak, she added, "Xiushui can stay with me. You make the bed and go back to your room to rest. You don't need to wait for me."
She preferred to be alone and didn't like having maids keep her company at night. Besides, she was also uneasy about having someone of unknown background in her room while she slept.
Xiuzhi glanced at her silently and then added, "Miss, don't wander around for too long. We're going to the Marquis of Yanping's residence tomorrow."
"I know."
Walking along the flower path towards the lotus pond, I saw Manyun standing by the willow tree in the distance, her slender waist even thinner than the willow branches.
Hearing footsteps, she turned around, her usually smiling crescent-shaped eyes now showing a hint of anger, and asked, "Fifth Miss, Manyun treats you with utmost sincerity, why do you still want to tease me?"
"Sister Manyun, what makes you say that?"
Manyun said, "Why pretend to be stupid, young lady? The young master came to see me at dusk..."
Ruan Bi had already prepared a speech, and said calmly, "Sister, please don't be angry. Listen to me, Ruan Bi is doing this all for your sake. You know that eldest brother still thinks about Sister Manhua. Even though Grandmother arranged for you to marry him... it's not good that he has someone else in his heart. Why don't we help him now, so that he can talk to you about his feelings and treat you as his confidante? What do you think?"
Manyun wasn't stupid; she understood immediately, her cheeks flushing crimson, her earlier anger vanishing completely. After a moment of embarrassment, she said, "What do you know, you little girl!"
Ruan Bi slid down the pole and said with a grin, "I don't understand, it's all nonsense. Sister, just take it as crazy talk."
After a while, Manyun reached out and gently poked her forehead, saying, "It really is just nonsense."
Ruan Bi smiled, but her soul wasn't truly innocent and carefree. She quickly tired of feigning ignorance and changed the subject. "Sister, during the evening greetings, I heard that Grandmother wasn't feeling well. Is she alright?"
"It's nothing much, it's just that I was so angry and upset because of Manhua."
"Any news?"
Manhua shook her head and said, "The carriage wasn't marked, but there were a few eyewitnesses who said it headed towards Chenqiao Gate. Now, having the Third Steward lead a few people to search for it isn't a good thing, and we don't want to cause a commotion... The Old Madam, the First Madam, and the Master all want to keep it from the Eldest Young Master... but you've ruined things. If they find out..." She wanted to say that if they found out, they definitely wouldn't let her off the hook, but then she thought that if they found out, she herself wouldn't escape the consequences either. She broke out in a cold sweat and turned to look at Ruan Bi.
Ruan Bi met her gaze calmly, a harmless smile on her face. "Sister, what's wrong?"
Manyun stared at her for a while, then smiled sadly and said, "Fifth Miss is truly clever and extraordinary."
"Sister, please don't make fun of me. My current situation depends on your decision."
Man Yun thought to herself, "Isn't my situation just as precarious as yours?" She was utterly baffled. She'd only met her twice; how had she become entangled with her? She secretly regretted letting Xiu Shui tell her about Man Hua's disappearance. She must have been out of her mind. Now that things had come to this, she could only hope for the best. She took Ruan Bi's hand and said with a smile, "I heard that Fifth Miss is also going to the Marquis of Yanping's residence tomorrow. I just remembered something."
"Please speak, sister."
"The lotus viewing party at the Marquis of Yanping's residence tomorrow was personally invited by the Marquis's wife. Only the second, third, and fourth young ladies were invited. Three days ago, the second young lady received a letter from Miss Xie, who told the old lady that Miss Xie had specially invited her. The old lady had been pleading for a long time, but the old lady still wouldn't agree. Yesterday, Miss Xie sent another invitation, and only then was it approved..."
Ruan Bi suddenly realized why she had felt something was amiss; she had forgotten that this era was refined and courteous, and invitations were naturally required for gatherings. The Second Miss's casual invitation, while perfectly acceptable in later times, was highly inappropriate according to the customs of this world. Hearing Manyun's words, she realized that the Old Madam hadn't yet agreed when the Second Miss invited her—what were the Second Miss and Xie Er Miss's true intentions in insisting on taking her to admire the lotus blossoms?
He then bowed slightly to Manyun and said, "Thank you for reminding me, sister."
Seeing that she was very polite and courteous, Manyun felt a little better because she was annoyed by her schemes.
Seeing that it was getting late, the two parted ways and went back to their respective courtyards.
Ruan Bi returned to the east wing of Liaoyuan Garden, where Xiuzhi was still waiting for her, ironing clothes by candlelight.
"Didn't you just iron it once?"
"Since there's nothing else to do, I'll just iron it again," Xiuzhi said, yawning.
"Xiuzhi, would you like to visit the Marquis of Yanping's residence?"
Xiuzhi nodded casually, then suddenly realized something was wrong. She looked up at Ruan Bi and said, "If you don't want to go, then forget it. I was just saying it casually."
"You've described it as unparalleled, so of course I'm going to see it." Ruan Bi made up her mind that she would go even if it meant going through fire and water, and she refused to believe that she would be fooled by two little girls. "Go to bed. If you haven't finished ironing it, you can do it tomorrow."
Her tone left no room for argument. Knowing her temperament, Xiuzhi dared not linger any longer, extinguished the candle, and left.
Perhaps because she had something on her mind, Ruan Bi got up earlier than usual the next day and went to the First Madam's courtyard. She entered through the side gate at the back and walked along the covered corridor. The maids and wives she encountered along the way were all holding their breath and not smiling, which made her feel strange. When she reached the main house, the little maid guarding the door stepped forward a few paces and said in a low voice, "Madam said that she is not feeling well today, so she is exempt from paying her respects."
Ruan Bi asked anxiously, "What illness do you have? Is it serious?"
The maidservant refused to speak, but simply waved her hand and said, "Fifth Miss, you'd better go back quickly. It would be bad if you disturbed Madam."
Seeing that her expression was serious but not tense, Ruan Bi guessed that it was not a serious illness and nodded. After leaving the First Madam's courtyard, they went west through a narrow alley to reach the Old Madam's courtyard. Unexpectedly, the maid guarding the gate said, "The Old Madam said that she is tired today and will get up late, so there is no need for greetings."
Ruan Bi was very puzzled and had no choice but to return to Liaoyuan.
Each courtyard had a gatekeeper, but they were usually lazy and would just sit in the side hall with a teapot. Therefore, Ruan Bi had lived in Liaoyuan for over three months and hadn't seen the two old women many times. This time, as soon as she entered, a person suddenly appeared from inside, blocking her way and bowing: "Greetings, Fifth Miss."
Ruan Bi took a step back and looked closely; it was actually the hot water bottle. "Honey water bottle, what are you doing here?"
"The First Madam assigned me a new job, which is to guard the courtyard gate here. I came here last night, and I didn't dare to disturb the young lady's rest, so I didn't go over to pay my respects."
"Was this arranged by the First Madam?" Ruan Bi's heart tightened, but she said happily, "Mother-in-law hasn't come over for a long time. Last night I was thinking that I would ask someone to invite you in for a chat another day. Heaven must have heard my words and sent you back to work again... By the way, Mother-in-law still has a lot of interesting and wonderful things to tell me about the capital. I must return them to you one by one in the future."
Tang Pozi scratched her head and said happily, "This old woman has a whole basket of stories in her belly. As long as the girl likes them, that's all that matters. I'm not bragging, but there's no one in this courtyard that this old woman doesn't know?"
Ruan Bi's heart skipped a beat. This hot water bottle vendor was two-faced, always willing to do anything for money, but she was certainly quick-witted. Although she didn't know whether the First Madam had sent her to keep an eye on the Fourth Miss or on her, if she could use her well… Immediately, she glanced at her sideways and asked suspiciously, "Really?"
"It's real, even more real than a pearl. If you don't believe me, just ask anyone."
Ruan Bi looked at her for a while and said, "Grandma, you just got up, right? Come in and have a cup of tea to refresh yourself."
Tang Pozi didn't stand on ceremony and followed Ruan Bi into the house.
Ruan Bi instructed Xiuzhi to make tea, and after she had gone some distance, she whispered, "Then tell me, Mother-in-law... what illness does the First Madam have?"
The hot water bottle gave a knowing smile but remained silent.
Ruan Bi took a purse from her purse and handed it to her. "This is for Grandma to buy some wine."
The old woman took the purse and weighed it in her hand, knowing it contained at least three hundred coins. She was pleased and stuffed the purse into her bosom, saying, "Miss, you are too kind. That old woman is being disrespectful in refusing it." She lowered her voice and said, "Madam is not ill at all. It's just that when Master came back last night, he argued with Concubine Lin and cried his eyes out... Miss, you don't know, but last night the old lady had to get up in the middle of the night because of the commotion."
No wonder these two people skipped the greetings today. Ruan Bi couldn't help but sigh that she was too out of touch with the world and that she must set up an information network. After thinking for a moment, she took out two hundred coins from her money box and handed them to Granny Tang, saying, "In the future, if Granny hears anything strange or unusual, tell me about it so I can have some fun."
"No problem, no problem."
Just then, Xiuzhi served tea. After drinking the tea, Tang Pozi said she wanted to visit the Fourth Miss. Ruan Bi didn't try to keep her and asked Xiuzhi to see her out.
Ruan Bi took the money box and counted it, then couldn't help but feel worried. Her monthly salary was only three taels, less than that of a first-class maidservant in front of the old lady. She had no other income, and even daily tips were almost too little to spend, let alone anything else. And the servants in this mansion had huge appetites, not even bothering with a hundred or two coins.
Just as she was worrying, Tea Girl brought her breakfast, and Ruan Bi put her worries aside. She ate her fill and then lay down on the couch for a short rest. After a while, she heard Xiu Shui outside announce, "Fifth Miss, Sister Chunliu has arrived. She said that Second Miss and the others are waiting for you to go to the Marquis of Yanping's residence together."
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