Gu Ting wasn't stupid. After learning that Steward Wang's family had been sold, he secretly sent people to check on them several times.
It's so strange. He's the head steward of the inner courtyard of the Marquis's mansion, after all, but several days have passed and no one has come forward to inquire about the price.
They made a show of it, and within a few days, news spread that almost the entire family had died.
At first, I comforted myself by saying that it had nothing to do with Aunt Yang, but now even if I wanted to lie to myself, it wouldn't make sense.
She was only a teenager, and although she had heard the second master's saying that "no poison, no manhood," she was still afraid.
He had been quite pleased with himself, and even considered sending an invitation to Xu Shaoqing's brother to use that as an excuse to meet him and quickly fool Xu Shaoqing.
He is a descendant of a marquis and has also passed the imperial examination. Even if it is the Anbo family, how could they not give him face?
But now that I've seen the truth, I'm a little scared, so I stayed home obediently for half a month.
…………………………
Chunxi has had a very difficult time these past two days. She was originally the niece of Steward Wang, and ever since she entered the courtyard, everyone, young and old, has been accommodating to her.
Now that Wang Pozi's family is in trouble, not to mention others, her former roommates immediately started kicking her.
Chun Cui wanted nothing more than to humiliate her, "See? What did I tell you? She has such a thin, pointed face, she doesn't look lucky at all."
After speaking, her voice suddenly turned shrill, and sarcastic and bitter words poured out, stabbing straight to the heart.
She moved a stool and sat by the door, holding a handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose, looking utterly disgusted.
"If you know what's good for you, you'd better get out of here now. Staying in the madam's courtyard, you never know when you'll be trampled to pieces and smashed to pieces!"
But this is for the best; perhaps she can go down sooner and join her relative who's probably dead somewhere."
Chunxi has heard a lot of sarcastic remarks these past two days, and most of the time she has remained silent in response.
But today, Chun Cui, that sharp-tongued and foul-mouthed woman, not only mocked her but also cursed her aunt's family.
"If a gentleman can tolerate this, then he cannot tolerate it!" Chunxi lost control and pounced on her, and they started fighting.
Chun Cui was knocked down by Chun Xi, and the two of them tore at each other on the ground. Chun Xi was small but agile, and even when they were tangled up, she was still able to kick Chun Cui in the waist.
Chun Cui winced in pain and grabbed Chun Xi's hair, tearing out a lock of hair. But Chun Xi didn't utter a sound and just kept kicking her as if she wanted to kill her.
They didn't have Chunxi's ruthlessness. After a while, seeing that Chunxi wouldn't let go, they started biting and kicking her.
Only then did they become frightened and loudly called for people to stop them. They didn't know where she got the strength from, but they couldn't muster any strength in their own hands.
The howling didn't attract anyone; it couldn't be heard in the front yard. It wasn't until Zhiju came to call Chuncui to go to her shift that they bumped into her.
"What are you doing? Stop it! Stop it!" But she couldn't hold them both off by herself.
Just then, Aunt Sun faintly heard noises coming from her small kitchen. She brought Fuling over to see what was going on.
Only with the help of Aunt Sun could they be separated. Zhiju tried to pull them apart for a long time but couldn't, and felt she had lost face.
Moreover, given the current situation, it's clear that helping Chun Cui would give them a greater advantage. Not to mention that Chun Xi has lost her backer, even the Madam would definitely dislike Chun Xi even more.
So Zhiju started to take sides, first helping Chuncui up from the ground.
Chun Cui felt like she had escaped death. Just a moment ago she was so arrogant, but after this fight, she was so frightened that she wailed loudly.
It was horrible; her hair was a complete mess, and her hairpins were nowhere to be found.
"Why are you causing trouble like this? Do you want to end up like your aunt?"
Zhiju glanced at Chunxi sideways, then looked her up and down. "It was just a few words, how could you be so vicious? Trying to kill your roommate!"
Chunxi remained silent, but Granny Sun and Fuling couldn't stand it anymore.
Fuling was so angry that her lips trembled. She looked up at Zhiju.
"Why don't you ask her what she said that angered Chunxi like this? You've all been saying a lot of sarcastic things these past few days, has she ever responded?"
Zhiju scoffed, "Even if what I say is unpleasant, will it cost me a piece of flesh? It's just a few words."
Fuling was about to retort when Chunxi pulled her back. Zhiju looked down at Chunxi.
Seeing the undisguised hatred in her eyes, she was so terrified that she forgot to say what she was going to say next.
Qingyu was summoned over by Chunlu, who had just witnessed the incident. Her expression turned serious. "Speak, what happened?"
Chunxi simply kept her mouth shut, not uttering a sound. Chuncui, on the other hand, was sobbing, but she didn't stop talking and recounted the whole story.
She portrayed herself as so righteous and awe-inspiring, and changed the tone of her harsh words, trying to change the fact that she was deliberately provoking people.
But Qingyu was several years older than her and had seen more, and Chuncui's emotions were impossible to hide.
Qingyu, being straightforward, rolled her eyes impatiently after hearing this.
"Now those of you who are on duty, go on duty. Neither of you are allowed to eat dinner tonight."
"It's amazing that such a young girl is fighting like this; luckily it happened in the backyard. If you dare to fight like this outside today, see how I punish you!"
He then gave Zhiju a cold look, "You're second-class now too. Think before you speak and act. Harsh words can be hurtful."
Such unreasonable and domineering behavior! If I were to take you out, it would be a disgrace to my wife…!
Qingyu was angry that she had said those words so bluntly in front of people, and she didn't intend to save face for her.
This is an extreme case of taking sides; instead of calming things down, they're stirring up trouble.
Another thing she knew was that, although the entire Wang family had been severely punished.
But the Marquis and his wife are currently looking for opportunities to support Chunxi's father.
After all, Steward Wang's family had been servants for generations, and such a ruthless and decisive treatment of them left many of the servants in the mansion feeling disheartened.
The Marquis has been bringing Chunxi's father with him whenever he goes out lately, and no one in the outer courtyard dares to step on their head.
However, in the inner courtyard, the senior maids have been busy these past few days. If you're not careful, they can manage to put Chunxi in such a difficult position.
Thinking of this, Qingyu glared fiercely at Zhiju. If this matter were to reach the Madam's ears, none of them would escape unscathed.
It's a shame that this idiot has been promoted to the second tier, yet he's still not as good as Zhi Mo and Zhi Ruo back then. He has absolutely no sense of propriety.
She was even stirring up trouble just now. I'm afraid she thinks that the madam is also tired of Chunxi, and that doing this is a way to please and curry favor with her master.
"You'll be punished too. Don't eat tonight. Cleanse your stomach and clear your waterlogged brain!"
Zhiju responded awkwardly, but inwardly she harbored deep resentment towards Qingyu.
Qingyu was right; Zhiju thought that by dealing with Chunxi, she could ask the Madam for a reward. What a fool!
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