0133 The Golden-Clad Swordsman (Part Six)
When Ajian was sent back to the manor by Shufu, it was still early. The white steam rising from the main kitchen drifted in the pale blue sky, indicating that preparations for breakfast were just beginning.
But remembering what Doctor Meng had said, she dared not eat anything from the manor again. Fortunately, on her way back, she met a man carrying a shoulder pole selling noodles, and she bought two flatbreads, which she kept in her bosom; they were still warm.
She returned to Chunwan Tower, tidied up Shufu's bedroom a little, then sat down leaning against the green screen. She took out a sesame seed cake from her clothes and ate it. Although it was a bit dry, it was sprinkled with sesame seeds for added fragrance, and it tasted rich in wheat flavor. It was much more reassuring than the breakfast in the mansion.
With Shu Fu not in the manor and nothing to do, she sat idly for a while after eating the flatbread, then drowsily nodded her head and unknowingly fell asleep.
When she opened her eyes again, she was woken up by being pushed by Li, the old woman next to Luo.
"You silly girl, the masters in the manor feed you well, do you think they'd let you nap and slack off here?"
A-Jian looked over in a daze and saw Granny Li standing there with a cold look on her face, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at her: "You lazy and stupid maid, how can you act like you haven't woken up yet in front of the madam?"
As she turned her head, she saw Madam Luo standing gracefully beside her, dressed in a yellow silk skirt with silver embroidery and a single red shawl. Her face still wore the same gentle smile as always, like a compassionate jade-faced Guanyin.
Today, Luo was dressed in fine clothes and looked unusually radiant, but a gloomy feeling suddenly arose in A-Jian's heart.
—I'm afraid the young lady and she guessed correctly. Luo was dressed up today because she had guests coming. She was just waiting for Madam Liu to arrange a date at Xiangji Temple before she would come to visit.
A-Jian's mind was a complete blank; she sat there, unsure how to react.
It was Madam Luo who spoke up to defuse the situation: "Alright, Granny, don't scold her. Perhaps Afu is spoiled. I've made her do things too often. It's just that I, as her mother, have spoiled my daughter too much. No wonder this little maid is complaining of being tired."
A-Jian suddenly came to her senses, quickly got up from the ground, and respectfully bowed to Madam Luo.
"This servant greets Madam and thanks you for your understanding. However, Miss has always treated me very well, but I am just unwell."
Luo looked at her with surprise: "You should go back to protecting your daughter."
A-Jian kept her head down and didn't say much.
Madam Luo had no intention of continuing to stand at the door and kill time with her. She glanced at the door and told Li Mama to go up and push it open, while she herself took a step to walk inside.
“I haven’t seen Afu for several days since she last paid her respects. Has she been cooped up in her room all this time? The sun is shining so brightly outside. As her maid, you should often encourage her to go out for a walk. Don’t let her get bored inside.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the door creaked open as Li Mama pushed it open. Luo Shi gathered her clothes and stepped into the room, about to peer over the screen towards the bed curtains.
But the young lady is currently at Xiangji Temple. How could she let the lady know that the young lady is not in the mansion?
A-Jian was startled and quickly got up to chase after her. She rushed ahead of Luo Shi and saw Luo Shi looking at her with a frown. She knelt down at Luo Shi's feet with a "plop".
"Please stop, madam!"
Madam Luo indeed stopped, her previously kind expression freezing over. She looked at her with a half-smile and said, "What? As the mistress of the house, I want to visit my daughter, and do I have to ask a maid's opinion?"
"No!" Ah Jian's mind raced, and suddenly a brilliant idea struck her. She quickly said, "It's just that Miss has been feeling tired these past few days, and she's always drowsy during the day. Today, I finally managed to persuade Miss to rest in bed for a while, so please let Miss get some rest..."
"Has Afu been feeling listless these past few days?" Luo raised her delicate eyebrows slightly, looking at Ajian as if asking a question.
A-Jian dared not raise her head and repeatedly agreed.
Upon seeing this, Luo's brows gradually relaxed, and a gentle smile returned to her face, yet she still stepped forward: "In that case, I'll see her once and then leave."
"Madam—" A-Jian's heart pounded wildly, almost leaping out of her throat. She suppressed the urge to wipe the sweat from her brow and continued, "And, and the young lady seems to still be angry with you these past few days. Madam, please let her calm down by herself a bit more..."
Madam Luo chuckled, then sighed and shook her head: "She really is a vengeful young lady. Her mother only gave her a few words of advice, and she still holds a grudge like this."
As she spoke, she went behind the screen.
A-Jian wanted to say something more, but before she could open her mouth, she was forced back to her mouth by a sharp look from Granny Li.
"Madam is the mistress of the house, and she has her own rules for what she does. How dare you, a mere maid, interfere and sow discord between Madam and Miss? If you're sensible, you'd better shut your mouth. Otherwise, this old woman's big hands won't recognize any pretty face."
Stopped, A-Jian dared not say another word, her eyes fixed on the direction of the bed curtains.
Just then, the misty blue curtain moved slightly, and a hidden pouch made of silk brocade and gold thread was thrown out from inside, landing with a thud at Luo's feet.
Startled, Luo abruptly stopped and looked up, only to see a shadowy figure peeking out from behind the dark blue curtain. The person inside clearly knew someone was coming, but instead of lifting the curtain to greet them, they turned away in a huff.
Seeing this, Madam Luo was completely relieved. She smiled and said in a gentle, indulgent voice, "You stubborn little lady, alright, I won't bother you anymore. You should rest well. Perhaps some distinguished guests will arrive after noon. I will send someone to call you then."
She bent down to pick up the pouch, gently placed it on the footstool in front of the bed, glanced deeply at the bed curtains, and then turned and left with Granny Li and a group of servants.
After Luo left, A-Jian was still in shock and dared not move for several breaths. Once she was sure that Luo was really far away and would not come back, she quickly bolted the door and then lifted the curtain to welcome the person inside.
"Thank you so much. You've done me a huge favor this time. I owe you one. If you ever need anything from me in the future, I'll do my best to help you!" A-Jian bowed deeply to the man.
The young man got off the bed and, seeing A-Jian's behavior, quickly returned the greeting: "You're too polite. We entered the manor at the same time, and our relationship is extraordinary. Doing some things for you is nothing."
This man was Ah Lai, the one who had driven Shu Fu's car once before.
He entered the household at the same time as A-Jian, and they were of similar age, so their relationship was deeper than that of others.
Later, he became the godfather of Liu Bo, who was in charge of carriages and horses, and worked in the side courtyard. Meanwhile, A-Jian came to serve at Chunwanlou. They rarely saw each other, but their feelings for each other did not become distant at all.
Shu Fu went to Xiangji Temple alone this time, and she felt uneasy. She was afraid that Luo Shi would suddenly visit, and if she was caught off guard and her behavior was exposed, things would be very bad.
So she sought Ah Lai's help, and to her surprise, her prediction came true. Luo Shi did indeed come to her door, but fortunately, she managed to keep it a secret without any real danger.
A-Jian wanted to give him money, but A-Lai refused several times.
She didn't press the matter, and bent down to tidy up the messy bedding on the bed: "Since you don't want money, I'll go outside the manor in a few days to buy some food for you. If you have nothing else to do, you can leave now, and I'll change the quilt for you..."
Alai stood behind her, watching her bustling around, and suddenly spoke up: "Ajian."
A-Jian looked in the direction of the voice and smiled slightly: "What?"
His fingers twitched, his ears turned red, and he didn't know what to say, so he could only try to make conversation, finally managing to stammer out:
"You treat the second young lady so well."
A-Jian curled her lips: "You said that before."
She raised her chin, her expression serious: "Besides, as I said before, the second young lady has done me a great favor, so of course I treat her very well in return."
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