Volume One, Spring Lock in the Garden, Chapter Eight: Winning Hearts and Minds
Seeing that Granny Zheng was only looking her over without saying a word, and her eyes were full of doubt, Ruan Bi guessed that she had probably heard something from Dongxue. She stood up, curtsied to her, and pointed to the brocade stool, saying, "Please sit down, Granny."
Granny Zheng didn't refuse and sat down casually.
"Mom, how's Dongxue doing?"
Granny Zheng shook her head and said, "If I had arrived a moment later, she would have had the servant boy take her away."
Ruan Bi frowned and said sadly, "So she didn't listen to me."
Granny Zheng nodded and asked, "Even if she had told me beforehand, I couldn't have helped her. The Old Madam cares most about the reputation of the Ruan family. Fifth Miss, please forgive my bluntness, but the matter you caused today—though you weren't at fault—has certainly embarrassed our Ruan family. And these young men aren't just ordinary sons… There are always marriage ties between dukes, marquises, and princes; they're all intertwined and have no secrets. If, because of what you did today, people misunderstand that our Ruan family is poorly raised, and it affects the marriages of other young ladies and gentlemen… Do you understand why the Old Madam and the First Madam are so angry?"
"I already knew," Ruan Bi said sadly, "but it was all my doing, what does it have to do with the maids?"
“You are mistaken, young lady. It was Dongxue’s fault for not stopping you.”
"Mom, is there really no way to save Dongxue?"
Granny Zheng lowered her eyes sadly and said, "If it were a trivial matter, I could still use my old face to curry favor with the old lady."
"I heard that my mother fell ill before the Lunar New Year, and the old lady even went to the Iron Threshold Temple to pray for her and lit an ever-burning lamp. Is that true?"
"That was the old lady's kindness."
"I also heard that your husband died because of the old man, Mom."
"His life originally belonged to the old master."
"I heard that my mother originally had a daughter named Tongjie, who looked very much like Dongxue, but she unfortunately died at the age of five..."
Mentioning Tongjie'er, Granny Zheng showed a sorrowful expression and said, "She's a ill-fated debt collector, don't mention her again."
"Was she truly unlucky?" Ruan Bi's dark eyes gleamed. "I heard that on the day Tonghua fell ill, Mother was summoned away by the old lady..."
Granny Zheng abruptly stood up and said angrily, "What do you mean by this, young lady?"
Ruan Bi stood up, pressed down on Zheng Mama's shoulder, and said slowly, "Mother, don't be angry. What I said were just some hearsay. If they are not true, then take them as a joke. If they are true, then please think about it. Over the years, the old lady has had many children and grandchildren, while I am all alone. What is that?"
Granny Zheng pointed at Ruan Bi's nose and said, "You have malicious intentions; you actually want to sow discord?"
Ruan Bi smiled slightly, her eyes reflecting the candlelight in a strange, shimmering light. "Mother, Ruan Bi is only trying to be kind. You've been marrying people off for so many years, it's time to plan for yourself. Now that the Old Madam is here, everyone is giving you a break because of her. But what will happen to you if the Old Madam leaves? Mother, have you thought about that?"
Granny Zheng wanted to leave, but her feet seemed to be nailed to the ground and she couldn't move them no matter what she did. She said stiffly, "I have served the old lady, and even the master cannot kick me out."
"A roof over one's head, leftover scraps, barely clinging to life—is this what Mom wanted?"
Granny Zheng was torn. On one hand, she felt that Ruan Bi's words were all poisonous and should not be listened to. On the other hand, she felt that these words echoed a voice in her heart. As the old lady's servant, she had witnessed the coldness and indifference of people in the mansion over the years. How could she not understand the fact that once people leave, the tea cools?
Seeing her face turn pale and then red, Ruan Bi knew that she was already struggling with her inner conflict. Not wanting to push her too far, she softened her voice and asked, "Did Mother take Dongxue as her goddaughter just because she resembles Tong'er?"
Granny Zheng said, "This is also a matter of fate, but not entirely. Dongxue is honest and kind-hearted."
"Mom has a good eye. Dongxue's precious quality lies in her pure heart. If I miss Dongxue, will Mom ever find another goddaughter like her?"
Granny Zheng remained silent. Back when she was the head maid, countless maids fawned over her, hoping she would adopt them as their godson. After she retired, except for Dongxue, they all gradually disappeared. Now, the maids, out of respect for the old lady, did indeed give her enough face, but the future… she dared not think about it. Such grand mansions were never short of people who fawned on the powerful and trampled on the weak.
Ruan Bi pressed her back down onto the brocade stool, poured her another glass of water, and said, "Mom, don't blame me for speaking harshly. I had my own selfish reasons, but I also wanted to help you."
Granny Zheng took a sip of water, her emotions gradually calming down. She said, "Miss, I'm not taking Dongxue for granted. Five years ago, I was seriously ill, and Dongxue stayed by my bedside, never leaving my side, taking care of my every need. When I fell ill at the beginning of this year, this girl was also there to look after me... It's just that I'm powerless to help. Although the old lady values me, this concerns the reputation of the Ruan family and the eldest young master, so how could she possibly give me face?"
“It’s not that the old lady is unwilling to give you face, but that you don’t want to put her in a difficult position. If you really want to protect Dongxue, you might be able to persuade her if you keep pestering her. But I’m afraid that this will make her feel distant.”
Granny Zheng stared at Ruan Bi for a while, then smiled bitterly. "Young lady, you have such discerning eyes. I was born into the household and grew up with the old lady since I was a child. I know her temperament very well... I have this respectable status now because I always put the old lady first and have never disobeyed her. Even when Tong'er died... I never complained about her..." Thinking of her only daughter, tears streamed down her face, and she took out a handkerchief to cover her eyes.
The five-year-old girl was delicate and adorable. She had caught a cold that day, not a serious one; if she had stayed overnight, she would have been fine. But that night, the old lady had argued with the old master's newly acquired concubine, and the baby went into labor, crying and screaming. Everyone was at a loss, so they had to call her over. She stayed with the old lady all night, and when she returned home, she discovered that Tong'er was seriously ill…
Ruan Bi felt a pang of sadness seeing this and said, "Mom, don't be sad. I have a way to prevent the old lady from distancing herself from you. You don't even need to beg her; she'll speak up on her own..."
Granny Zheng looked at her in surprise and asked, "What method?"
"Mother only needs to return to the old lady's courtyard with tears streaming down her face, fall asleep immediately, get up again at noon the next day, have lunch, and then go back to sleep... Before noon, the old lady will definitely ask about it. If she asks, don't plead for Dongxue, don't cry, and force yourself to keep your spirits up by telling the old lady jokes. When you're telling jokes, suddenly choke up. If the old lady asks, say that you dreamed about Tong'er..."
Upon hearing this, Granny Zheng understood and was stunned. She stared intently at Ruan Bi, as if trying to see into her very bones. After a moment, she came to her senses, wiped her face clean, and said, "What a brilliant scheme to win someone's heart! Miss, you are truly astute."
"Mom, Dongxue deserves your help."
Granny Zheng nodded, sat there lost in thought for a while, then suddenly laughed and said, "So, Miss, you also used a psychological trick on me just now." Nearly sixty years old, she was worldly-wise and experienced, and hadn't noticed her earlier distraction. Now, having calmed down, she understood; Ruan Bi had first provoked her, then exposed her inner fears…
Ruan Bi did not deny it. She stood up, bowed to Zheng Mama, and said with a smile, "If Ruan Bi has done anything inappropriate, please forgive me, Mama."
Granny Zheng scrutinized her closely. Her face was small and pale, but her eyes were as clear and bright as black jade. In terms of looks, she was even less attractive than the second and fourth young ladies. When she was quiet, she was simply a gentle and elegant young lady from a respectable family. However, once she moved—like just now—every frown and smile was particularly vivid, especially her eyes, which often shone with a radiant light like the sun, moon, and stars.
Is such a virtuous and upright person really the same timid and submissive Fifth Sister from before?
After a moment of distraction, Granny Zheng stood up, bowed to Ruan Bi, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, young lady. I'll take my leave now."
"Take care, Mother." Ruan Bi escorted her to the outer room and watched her leave before stopping. Turning around, she saw three servants staring at her, their eyes full of suspicion and distrust. It was no wonder they couldn't understand why this girl, who had just been confined, was now being visited by one of the old lady's favorites.
Tang Pozi, being a cunning old fox, had a slight thought. She stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Fifth Miss. My husband's family name is Tang, and he is known as Tang Pozi."
Ruan Bi helped her up and said, "Hello, Mother-in-law. Please take good care of me in the future."
"No, no," said Granny Tang as she straightened up and stepped aside.
"And you? What are your names?" Ruan Bi looked at the other two maids. The two maids were about the same age, and perhaps because they did a lot of hard work, they both looked rather robust. One had a small, square face and big eyes, with a straight gaze. The other had a round face, ordinary features, and a slightly reserved expression.
"My name is Huaihua." The girl with the square face and big eyes said while bowing, her gaze still fixed on Ruan Bi. Ruan Bi frowned almost imperceptibly. She had seen that kind of look before, and it wasn't a good sign.
The round-faced maid said, "Hello, young lady, my name is Cha Mei."
Ruan Bi nodded and asked, "Has the First Madam assigned you any tasks?"
The two maids shook their heads.
Ruan Bi wanted Cha Mei to serve her personally, but seeing Huai Hua's fearless demeanor, she suspected she had some powerful background. After thinking for a moment, she said, "How about this, Huai Hua will take care of my washing and grooming, and Cha Mei will take care of everything else."
"Yes, miss," Tea Girl and Locust Blossom replied simultaneously.
"Huaihua, go fetch me a basin of warm water, I need to wash up." Ruan Bi said as she walked towards the inner room. After lifting the curtain and going in, she quietly stood by the door, holding her breath.
A moment later, Huaihua asked Tang Pozi in surprise, "Grandma, why isn't she crying or making a fuss?" Before she arrived, the head of the household, Granny He, had already hinted to her that if Ruan Bi started crying, she and Cha Mei would have to "suppress her with force."
Granny Tang was also puzzled. She had been in the Ruan family for over thirty years and had seen countless concubines and mistresses imprisoned, each one threatening to die, screaming, hanging themselves, and starving themselves... going to extremes. But she had never seen anyone as calm and collected as Ruan Bi, who didn't seem to take her confinement seriously at all.
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