Chapter 16 Asking for help
In the morning, Shen Tang woke up from a deep sleep and sat on the bed to stretch.
Ginkgo brought the copper basin into the room to help Chen Tang get up. After washing up, the maid also brought breakfast. Chen Tang had a good appetite and ate a bowl of stomach-nourishing millet porridge and a meat bun.
After breakfast, Chen Tang went out. Ginkgo thought she would go to see Chen Xi this time, but Chen Tang just walked out of the courtyard gate. Even the maids in Qinglan Garden looked at her sideways, but they didn't say anything. The eldest girl bribed the second girl's maid and framed the second girl. If the second girl was not angry, she could be compared with the Bodhisattva in the temple.
Arriving at Songhe Hall, Chen Tang winked at Ginkgo, and she left, entering the courtyard alone.
When Shen Tang paid his respects to the old lady yesterday, Shen Ran, Shen Luo and the others were not there. Today, they were all there, chatting and laughing around the old lady.
The second and third wives were also there, and when she saw Chen Tang come in, the second wife's eyes instantly turned cold, but soon recovered.
Chen Tang stepped forward and bowed to the old lady. Before the old lady could speak, the second wife spoke first, "The doctor told the second young lady to rest. Did the second young lady have something to do yesterday that made her rush to leave the house?"
The second wife is in charge of the household affairs, and nothing in the mansion, big or small, can be hidden from her.
Chen Tang didn't believe that the Second Madam didn't know that she went to Jiang's house yesterday.
The old lady didn't know that Chen Tang had left the house yesterday. She looked at Chen Tang and Chen Tang said, "I went to the Jiang family yesterday."
The old lady frowned slightly, "There's no need to be so anxious to go to the Jiang family."
After all, the Jiang family is Chen Tang's maternal family, so the old lady can't say it too obviously if she doesn't want him to go.
Chen Tang said, "In my dream, my mother asked me to pay respects to my grandparents on her behalf. I didn't dare to delay. Since my arm was not seriously injured, I quickly did it."
The old lady guessed that it was also related to Jiang. Jiang had always been filial, but unfortunately she was not blessed enough. If Yan'er had not been lost, she would not have been so grief-stricken and died so early.
The old lady didn't say anything, so the second wife instigated, "The eldest sister-in-law loves the second young lady and takes the Jiang family to heart, but she doesn't love Xian'er. If it was Xian'er who sent the dream, the marriage between our Pingyuan Marquis Mansion and Jingyang Prince Mansion would not be cancelled..."
I've seen people stirring up trouble among the living, but I've never seen anyone making trouble with a dead person.
Chen Tang would not indulge her, "It is said that what you think about during the day you will dream about at night. My eldest sister never thinks about mother. Even if mother wants to send her a dream, I am afraid she can't do it."
"If mother really appeared in my eldest sister's dream and asked her to marry the prince of Jingyang, would Second Aunt persuade my eldest sister to listen to mother, or would she suspect that mother would harm my eldest sister even after her death?"
The voice was clear but aggressive.
The second wife was speechless when asked, and her silver teeth were not broken.
When did the second girl become so eloquent? I really underestimated her before.
Chen Tang sat down. She turned around to look for Ginkgo. The maid next to her saw her and asked, "Does the second young lady have any instructions?"
Chen Luo asked, "Second sister came to pay respects to grandmother, why didn't you bring a maid?"
Chen Tang said, "I brought the maid with me, but when I got to the gate of the courtyard, I found that the golden hairpin was missing, so Gingko went back to help me find it."
The second wife served tea and said, "The golden hairpin is needed, but there is no maid with her. If the guests in the mansion see it, they will think that the maids around the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Pingyuan are not enough."
Chen Tang immediately looked at the old lady and said, "I have enough maids in my courtyard, but Doukou is dead, so the position of the head maid is vacant. Several second-class maids have their own strengths and weaknesses, and it's almost difficult to promote them. I wanted to let Second Aunt choose for me. I think this maid suits my taste. Can I ask Grandmother to give her to me?"
The maid that Shen Tang wanted was the one who had just spoken.
She would not give the Second Madam another chance to put people around her. She wanted a trustworthy person from the Old Madam to help her manage the maids in the yard who were disloyal. The Second Madam didn't dare to say anything.
The old lady didn't expect Chen Tang to ask her for a maid, so the second wife stopped him and said, "Qiu Tong is used to being ordered around by the old lady, so don't think about the old lady's people. Later, the second aunt will arrange for you to have a few more smart and capable maids."
Since the Second Wife doesn't allow her to keep it, then she has to take the maid.
Chen Tang looked at the old lady eagerly, as if she didn't dare to speak again. The old lady had never seen Chen Tang show such an expression to her, and she immediately laughed, "A maid, grandma won't be reluctant to let her go."
"Qiutong, you will follow the second girl from now on."
Qiu Tong agreed.
Shen Tang said happily, "Thank you, Grandma."
The Second Madam looked at Chen Tang's shining eyes and suddenly felt that she was out of control. She must have been overthinking. Even if the old lady gave her a maid, Mother Jiang had the final say in Qingyi Garden. Qiu Tong did not dare to go against her openly and tell the old lady about her faults.
Thinking of this, the second wife felt relieved, but at this time Ginkgo came in.
Gingko came in with her face covered, her eyes filled with tears. Chen Tang stood up immediately when she saw this. She pulled down Gingko's hand that was covering her face, and the slap marks were clearly visible. Chen Tang angrily asked, "Who hit you?!"
Ginkgo cried, "It was Madam Jiang who beat me. I was looking for a golden hairpin, and a maid told me that she saw Madam Jiang picking up a golden hairpin on the path yesterday. She didn't know if it was lost by the young lady, so I went to ask Madam Jiang.
Mother Jiang denied it and asked me to tell her which maid saw her picking it up. She wanted to tear the maid's mouth. I was afraid of getting the maid involved so I didn't dare to tell her. Mother Jiang got angry and slapped me..."
Before Ginkgo finished her words, Madam Jiang came in and said, "I knew that this little bitch would come to you to complain about me. I didn't find your gold hairpin. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to search my room."
Mother Jiang held her back straight, and anyone who saw her would believe that she did not pick up the gold hairpin. She was open and honest, and was not afraid of having her house searched.
Chen Tang looked at Yin Xing, who said aggrievedly, "I didn't doubt Mother Jiang. It was really that little maid who said she saw Mother Jiang picking it up. The time she said matched the time when Mother Jiang helped the young lady to persuade the eldest young lady yesterday. That's why I didn't doubt it and went to find Mother Jiang to ask for the gold hairpin..."
Mother Jiang said, "Then please send someone to investigate and clear this servant's name."
Chen Tang frowned, turned to look at Qiu Tong and said, "Take someone to search."
Qiu Tong was stunned. Although the old lady had given her to the second young lady, she hadn't even entered Qingyi Garden yet. Wouldn't it be bad to bring people to search Mother Jiang's room?
But the second girl had already spoken, and she had no choice but to listen.
Qiu Tong bowed and went downstairs to take care of the matter.
Chen Tang sat down, and Gingko stood behind her, covering her face. Mother Jiang’s hands were so strong that not only did they leave five finger marks, but they were also swollen.
Mother Jiang was also standing nearby. She looked calm, yet also angry as if she had been wrongly accused.
Qiu Tong was the old lady's servant, and she was very efficient. After just two cups of tea, Qiu Tong came back. Mother Wang asked, "Did you find the gold hairpin?"
Qiu Tong shook her head. "I led people to search Madam Jiang's room several times, but we couldn't find the gold hairpin."
Mother Jiang immediately knelt down and said, "Ginkgo believed a little maid and suspected that I had stolen the second young lady's gold hairpin. Please, old lady, help me."
Mother Wang looked at Qiu Tong and asked, "Is there anything else you haven't reported?"
Qiu Tong said, "I didn't find the gold hairpin in Madam Jiang's room, but I did find a pawn ticket..."
Mother Jiang knelt on the ground, her body stiffened, and blurted out, "Pawn ticket? How could there be a pawn ticket in my room?!"
She threw the pawn ticket away when she left the pawn shop.
Qiu Tong took out the wrinkled pawn ticket. Mother Jiang's face turned pale and she became frightened.
Mother Wang took the pawn ticket, looked at it for a while, and her face turned bad. She reported to the old lady, "The pawn ticket is for a gold hairpin, which is the one that the second young lady lost..."
Mother Jiang shouted, "Someone deliberately put the pawn ticket in my room. I am innocent!"
It was indeed not her who put the pawn ticket there, but no one wronged her.
Mother Jiang was cautious and did not dare to keep the gold hairpin she found. So as soon as she found the hairpin yesterday, she dragged her sprained waist to the street, pawned the hairpin, and exchanged it for twenty taels of silver. She bought a lot of things and also saw a doctor.
When Mother Jiang left the house, Ginkgo did not follow her, but he found a servant in the front yard to watch her. Chen Tang knew exactly where Mother Jiang went and what she bought.
As soon as Mother Jiang threw the pawn ticket away, the servant picked it up.
Chen Tang looked at the pawn ticket, and Mother Wang handed it to her. Chen Tang glanced at the pawn ticket and said, "A little maid saw you pick up the gold hairpin, and there happened to be a pawn ticket for the pawned gold hairpin in your room. This is too much of a coincidence. Do you want to confess yourself, or should I send someone to the pawn shop with the pawn ticket to ask?"
Mother Jiang looked pale and said nothing.
The evidence is so strong that there is no way to argue.
Chen Tang threw the pawn ticket to the ground in anger, "I treat you well. If you need money, you can tell me. I will not be stingy. You have served me for ten years, you will recognize that it is the gold hairpin I usually wear. You just pawned it like this. If it falls into the hands of some girl, it will be fine. But if... you can't accuse me of giving and receiving privately!"
Shen Tang's eyes turned red with anger and he glanced away.
It was already a serious crime for the housekeeper to steal the master's things. When Chen Tang said this, the old lady's face turned very ugly. She ordered Madam Wang, "Take the pawn ticket and redeem the gold hairpin."
Mother Wang said, "This is a death sentence..."
"Death is redemption!"
There is nothing that cannot be redeemed, it just costs a little more money.
Mother Wang quickly sent someone to take care of this matter.
Mother Jiang knew that the old lady was angry, and begged for mercy, "I was bewitched for a moment, I know I was wrong..."
The old lady said, "Drag him away and give him forty blows of the cane, and then sell him off."
The blood drained from Mother Jiang's face. She begged for mercy again and again. She was dragged out by the two maids, and she even said, "Second Madam, save me!"
The second wife wanted to save her, but how could she save someone who picked up her master's things and did not hand them over, but secretly left the house and sold them?
Mother Jiang was dragged out, and soon the sound of beating was heard.
Along with this came Jiang's mother's hysterical scream, "Second Miss, you plotted against me!"
"You planned it..."
Before he could finish his words, his mouth was blocked.
Shen Tang sat on the chair with a cold expression.
It was indeed her who schemed against Mother Jiang, the housekeeper who had served her for ten years, but without solid evidence, she could not deal with her.
It was she who asked Ginkgo to drop the golden hairpin on the path leading to Qinglan Garden when Mother Jiang was going there, but she did not force Mother Jiang to give the hairpin to her, nor did she ask her to leave the house and pawn the hairpin for money.
Do you think that if you pawn your gold hairpin and throw away the pawn ticket, no one will notice? It was her mother Jiang's own fault that she was sold today.
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