Chapter 3 Du Juan Shen Qinglu seemed to know her predicament and took the initiative to accept...
*
In the chilly early spring, several charcoal braziers burned in the house. The braziers were filled with smoky charcoal, warming the room to a temperature as warm as early summer.
Shen Qinglu kept her head half-lowered, like a wooden figure with only an empty shell and no soul.
Yu Qingxue said a lot, but seeing that she didn't react, her gaze gradually faded, and she looked at her with a strange expression, sometimes frowning and sometimes pursing her lips.
After a while, he went out without revealing his emotions.
The Quiet Courtyard was peaceful. Apart from the two masters, there were only two people who served them day and night. One was Qin Mama, Yu Qingxue's confidante, and the other was the maid kneeling in the courtyard, named Dujuan.
Du Juan was woken up by Qin's mother and given some instructions before changing into clean clothes and returning to Shen Qinglu's side to serve her.
"Miss?" she called out tentatively, and seeing that Shen Qinglu was in the same state as usual, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and sat down at the table very naturally.
First, she massaged her legs, which had been kneeling for a long time, then poured herself some tea. After drinking the tea, she still felt it wasn't enough, so she ate a few pieces of the pastries on the table and a pear.
After eating and drinking their fill, they slowly began to work. Instead of tidying up the house or organizing the cabinets, they opened the windows and took the charcoal out of the charcoal braziers. Three of the four braziers were extinguished, leaving only one in the end.
After cleaning up the charcoal brazier, she glanced at Shen Qinglu with no respect in her eyes, as if she were looking at a lowly fool.
In fact, that's what she thought too.
What do you mean he's missing a soul? He's clearly just a fool!
Her eyes held an undisguised sneer, and suddenly the puppet-like girl raised her head, her dark pupils fixed on her.
Hollow, bizarre, and chilling.
Even though she saw it every day, it still gave her goosebumps all over.
"Miss, are you hungry? I'll go and cook for you right away!"
After saying that, she ran away as if she were being chased by a ghost.
Shen Qinglu's eyes twitched slightly, revealing a mocking expression. She raised her hand, looked at it again and again, then touched her face. Her gaze swept around the room, filled with sarcasm.
The young woman, in the prime of her life, had no dressing table or mirror in her room.
Through the carved window, she saw the swaying bamboo. Even after the harsh winter when everything was desolate and life and death were in full swing, it was still full of vitality, which was truly delightful.
In a daze, she seemed to smell the fragrance of bamboo.
With three charcoal braziers gone, the air temperature dropped quickly, and with cold wind constantly blowing in through the half-open window, the difference between inside and outside was negligible.
As the door was pushed open from the outside, the chilly air caused her to shiver uncontrollably, her dark eyes fixed on Du Juan, who was carrying in the food.
The reason why the cuckoo could come and go so quickly was because there was a small kitchen in the Tranquil Courtyard.
For the past ten years or so, although Yu Qingxue has lived in the Yu family mansion, she has always kept her food, clothing and daily necessities separate from those of the Yu family. Anyone who knows the truth praises her for being sensible and understanding.
She spends her days eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers, eating rice with plain water and vegetables boiled in plain water, and she eats two meals a day.
Shen Qinglu looked at the food without any emotion.
A bowl of rice, a plate of scallion tofu, and a plate of boiled cabbage. The tofu was stir-fried until it was crumbly and grayish, and the cabbage looked soft and mushy, but it had no color because of the lack of oil.
"Dinner's ready." Du Juan placed the food on the table and said indifferently:
The tone sounded like a handout.
People will die if they don't eat.
Shen Qinglu wouldn't go against her fate. Like a puppet on a string, she mechanically fed herself bite by bite.
Seeing that she ate every last bit of food as usual, Du Juan's eyes revealed a hint of disdain.
Let alone the young lady, even the magpies and other maids serving the eldest young lady, all eat very little. Unlike this fool, who only knows how to eat, sleep, and eat all day long.
As I was clearing away the dishes, I saw her walking straight out blankly, so I immediately rushed over and blocked her way.
"Miss, Madam instructed that you should rest well and not go out again."
Upon hearing this, she stared intently at Du Juan, her eyes fixed on her.
Du Juan felt uneasy under her gaze, secretly wondering if this idiot was getting sillier and sillier.
After a while, she turned around and went back to bed, lying down in the quilt like a wooden doll.
*
The moon is bright and clear, the night is cool as water.
Dujuan, who was sleeping in the outer room, was wrapped in a thick quilt. It sounded like something had tapped her on the head. She opened her eyes groggily, as if she heard the door open.
"Squeak"
The door opened from the inside, and as the cold wind blew in, the moonlight shone on the person who opened the door, giving them an ethereal, otherworldly feeling, as if they were about to ride the wind away.
She was about to cry out when she suddenly remembered something and covered her mouth.
Is this idiot suffering from somnambulism?
Qin's mother had instructed that no mistakes could be made in the coming days. She'd heard that people with somnambulism shouldn't be startled, or they might die of fright, so she couldn't make a sound.
She got up quietly and followed them.
Shen Qinglu's lips curled up slightly when she heard the commotion behind her.
After lying around all day, it's time to get out and about at night, enjoy the scenery, stretch your muscles, and find something to do. Otherwise, how passive and boring it would be.
She kept walking forward, blank and stiff, looking much the same as usual, but in the night, she seemed particularly eerie.
The more Du Juan looked at her, the more she felt that she had somnambulism. She cursed inwardly, resenting that she had no future and had to live in fear while serving such a master.
When she arrived near Liufang Xiaozhu, she stopped and looked at the waterside pavilions and towers on the other side of the water. The lanterns shone brightly, making them look like jade palaces in the moonlight.
This is the East Courtyard, while the Tranquil Mind Courtyard is on the far west side.
East is the orthodox direction, and west is the indirect direction, much like her and Yu Liuzhu.
Du Juan stood behind her, watching her walk step by step toward the water. Her heart jumped into her throat, but a hidden thought arose within her, and she hesitated whether she should stop her.
“Grandmother…” Shen Qinglu murmured as she approached the water’s edge.
Upon hearing those two words, Du Juan quickly suppressed any inappropriate thoughts, her heart pounding. If this fool were to get into trouble again, even if she could get past the madam, she feared she would never be able to get past the old lady.
She rushed over immediately, intending to hug Shen Qinglu.
No sooner had she touched Shen Qinglu than Shen Qinglu turned around and pushed her away, causing her to fall into the water instantly.
The pool wasn't very deep, but if someone accidentally fell in, they would inevitably panic and cry for help.
The servants on night patrol rushed over upon hearing the noise. They first saw Shen Qinglu standing by the water like a wooden statue, and then saw Du Juan struggling in the water. They all cursed their bad luck in secret.
The commotion was quite loud and quickly alerted Xie, who lived the closest to the house.
When Xie arrived after hearing the news, Du Juan had already been rescued.
The spring water was still bone-chilling. She had been frozen during the day while saving someone, and now she was going through it again. Her body was shivering violently from the cold, and her upper teeth were chattering against her lower teeth.
“Grandmother.” Shen Qinglu’s empty eyes lit up again when she saw Madam Xie.
Seeing that she was dressed so lightly and was out in the middle of the night, Xie asked Dujuan, "What's going on?"
As Du Juan explained haltingly, her voice trembling, Yu Qingxue arrived with Qin's mother.
Without saying a word, Yu Qingxue took off her cloak and draped it over Shen Qinglu. "Ali, why did you come out?"
Shen Qinglu didn't look at her, but looked at Xie Shi, "I miss my grandmother, I've come to find her."
Upon hearing this, and seeing the pitiful yet cautious joy on her face, Xie couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. "My child, you should go to sleep. When you wake up, your grandmother will come to see you."
She shook her head, seemingly puzzled. "It's cold, I can't sleep."
cold?
Madam Xie subconsciously looked at Yu Qingxue, who said remorsefully, "Mother, it's my fault. I was afraid that Ali would get a high fever at night, so I had someone open the window to let in some air. Perhaps a little wind got in, so Ali feels a bit cold. I'll have someone close it in a bit and add another charcoal brazier."
After all, she was her most beloved daughter, so Xie couldn't blame her. Instead, she turned her anger on Dujuan, "What happened to you? How did you fall into the water?"
Du Juan looked at Shen Qinglu with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty in her eyes.
It was this idiot who pushed her!
But can she say it?
As if knowing her predicament, Shen Qinglu took the initiative to admit, "Grandmother, it was I who pushed her."
His words were startling, and everyone was shocked.
In the light of the moon and lanterns, she wore a white cloak, its warm jade-like hue enhanced by the moonlight and lantern lamplight, making her exceptionally beautiful features even more striking, especially her eyes. Her dark eyes shone with a brilliance, like the finest black jade, exuding a hidden, ethereal charm.
Is this still the same silly cousin?
The servants looked at each other with suspicion.
Shen Qinglu didn't realize how shocking her words were at all, and was still looking at Xie Shi with affection, saying, "She pushed me, and I pushed her."
"What did you say?" Xie's breath caught in her throat as she asked urgently, "Ali, are you saying that she pushed you when you fell into the water?"
She nodded obediently without saying a word.
Madam Xie was instantly enraged, pointing at Du Juan, "You damned servant! How dare you, a servant who dares to bully his master!"
Yu Qingxue seemed to have just come to her senses, and couldn't believe it. "Dujuan, why did you do this? Your parents were my maids, and I even freed your brother from slavery. I trusted you completely and asked you to take care of Ali. How could you do this?"
Du Juan was about to say something, but upon hearing her words, she kowtowed repeatedly, "Madam, Madam, I was bewitched! I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"
Before Xie could finish saying "Give me...", she felt her sleeve being tugged.
Shen Qinglu looked at her timidly, but her worry was not hidden. She looked at her expectantly and said, "Grandmother, don't be angry."
Looking at her, Xie felt increasingly distressed and guilty. After a long while, she calmed down and said, "Give her fifty strokes of the cane and send her to the estate."
The servant obeyed, gagged Dujuan, and dragged her away.
Du Juan was heartbroken and unwilling to accept it, but she did not offer any explanation.
As she was being dragged away, she inexplicably went to look at the person who was still unsure whether they were better or not. To her surprise, Shen Qinglu was looking right at her, her dark eyes gleaming with a ghostly blue light, like will-o'-the-wisps.
"Ugh... Hmm (ghost)..."
Everyone thought she was struggling in her death throes, shouting incoherently, and no one could hear what she was saying.
Yu Qingxue was filled with remorse. "Mother, it's my fault. I misjudged her. I thought she was a good person and did my best for Ali. Don't worry, I will take care of Ali myself from now on..."
Xie looked at her with a complex expression in her eyes.
After a long pause, he said, "Qingxue, look how much this child looks like you. You are blood relatives. No matter how much you grieve, you must take good care of her. If she can really get better, you will have done right by her. Don't you think so?"
“Mother…” Yu Qingxue burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably, “It was my negligence, I won’t do it again next time, I will take care of her myself from now on.”
"How can you possibly manage?" Madam Xie still felt sorry for her daughter and beckoned the two maids behind her to come forward. "Finding someone from the estate again might not be feasible, so it would be better to transfer someone from here to help you."
“They are all people you can rely on, how can this be?” Yu Qingxue refused.
“Between you and me, mother and daughter, there’s no need for formalities.” Madam Xie pointed to the two maids and asked Shen Qinglu, “Ali, this is Xia Chan, and this is Qiu Lu. Whichever one you take a fancy to, she can follow you from now on, how about that?”
The two women were both respectable in appearance and attire; in a humble family, they would likely have an even more distinguished air than young ladies. Qiu Lu, with her oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows, kept her head slightly lowered, avoiding Shen Qinglu's gaze. Xia Chan, with her goose-faced face and almond-shaped eyes, did not evade her gaze; her eyes were gentle yet held a hint of pity and tenderness.
Shen Qinglu knew what was going on, "Summer Cicada."
Upon hearing those two words, Qiu Lu visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Madam Xie was delighted. "Being able to call out Xia Chan's name shows that Ali really likes Xia Chan. From now on, Xia Chan will follow Ali."
Seeing that she had made a decision, Yu Qingxue naturally did not object anymore. "Thank you, Mother. You are the one who cares about us, mother and daughter."
While there was quite a commotion here, the waterside pavilion remained completely unaffected. Even after everyone had dispersed, Liufang Xiaozhu was still completely silent.
As Shen Qinglu gazed at the pool of spring water, the eerie fire in her eyes burned even brighter.
A note from the author:
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