Chapter 106 Planting the Roots of Disaster
It was late at night, and the young couple fell asleep in each other's arms after enjoying the pleasure of love.
But Xi Qingmian from the Xi family couldn't fall asleep for a long time. She had been troubled for several days since Chuntao came back and told her what Qingwu said.
Although Chuntao said that her sister was living well in the palace and seemed to be living better than at home, Xi Qingmian didn't quite believe it. She thought that her sister and Chuntao were colluding to deceive her so that she wouldn't worry. It was a pity that she couldn't escape from the Xi family to see for herself.
After thinking for a while, Xi Qingmian got up, put on her clothes, and lighted the candlestick carefully.
The dim candlelight cast a swaying shadow on the paper. She bit the pen and pondered for a long time before putting pen to paper. After writing the last word, Xi Qingmian folded the letter paper into a small square and stuffed it under the insole of the embroidered shoes she made for her aunt.
This was a secret agreement between her and her aunt. Before her aunt went to Jingzhou with her father, she had instructed that anything that could not be said openly should be conveyed in this way. She also put all the other handmade embroidery items and miscellaneous items in a bundle.
The next morning, she personally handed the bundle to the old housekeeper who came from Jingzhou and said, "This is something for my aunt. Please help me, Uncle Cheng, to bring it to my aunt."
Cheng Bo had already accepted the favor from Concubine Liu when he came, so he naturally agreed: "Okay, I will definitely help you bring it."
Looking at the bundle that Cheng Bo put into the carriage, Xi Qingmian couldn't help but clench her hands in her sleeves.
I hope the decision she makes is not wrong, and I hope my father can help my sister as soon as possible.
In the mind of the young Xi Qingmian, how could Qingwu be as comfortable in the palace as he was in the Song family? Moreover, the deposed prince's legs were also disabled.
*
In the end, Song Yunhe still didn't find out why the little maid was crying so late at night. The little maid Dong Ning just perfunctorily said that she missed her parents and quickly ran back to the low row of houses in the backyard, which was where several little maids of the Song family lived.
But Song Yunhe could see Dong Ning's panic, but she was just a little maid after all, so he didn't take it too seriously. He just let her go, walked around for a while, and then went back to the study to sleep.
If it were normal, the matter would have just passed. However, who would have thought that he would have bumped into Dong Ning sweeping the yard the next day. Seeing her slightly red and swollen cheeks, he couldn't help but express his concern.
"What's wrong with your face?"
Song Yunhe's voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and was overheard by Xi Qingtong, who was doing some needlework behind the window. She paused slightly on the embroidery frame, and the needle left an unnatural wrinkle on the brocade.
"To answer my lord's question," Dong Ning lowered her head and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito, "I accidentally bumped into the door frame when I woke up early..."
Song Yunhe frowned. The scars were clearly the marks of a slap. Seeing the little maid trembling with fear, he couldn't help but frown. After thinking of Qingwu, he no longer liked girls who were too timid. Since the little maid didn't speak up, there was no need for him to control her. He just nodded and turned to leave.
After he left, Xi Qingtong gently put down the embroidery frame, tapped the table with her fingertips twice, and then couldn't help but raised her voice:
"Dong Ning," she said softly, "Come in."
The little maid moved into the inner room tremblingly. Just as she bowed, she heard a "crash" sound - Xi Qingtong "accidentally" knocked over the teacup beside her, and the tea spilled all over Dong Ning.
"Oh, how could you be so careless." Xi Qingtong put down the embroidery frame and looked up at Dong Ning. "What a pity to waste this excellent Yunwu tea."
Dong Ning froze for a moment, but she didn't dare to refute. She could only say, "It's my fault..."
Hearing this, Xi Qingtong snorted coldly, glanced out the window to make sure there was no one around, and then suddenly raised her voice, her gentleness completely disappearing.
"You still know you're wrong, you slut!" Her eyebrows shot up. "I just taught you a lesson yesterday, and you dare to act pitiful in front of my husband today?"
"Madam, please understand!" Dong Ning knelt down with her forehead touching the ground, "I really didn't say anything..."
Xi Qingtong snorted again, and suddenly raised her foot and stepped hard on Dong Ning's hand that was supporting the ground.
"Ah!" Dong Ning cried out in pain, her fingers curled up on the bluestone ground, but were crushed even harder by the embroidered shoes.
Xi Qingtong was unmoved. She lifted Dong Ning's chin with the tip of her shoe and looked at her carefully. The little maid looked quite pitiful with tears in her eyes and a slightly red nose. Although she was not stunningly beautiful, she had a unique fresh charm.
"A mere servant girl, are you worthy enough to act pitiful in front of your husband?" She suddenly chuckled, her voice as cold as ice. "Why? Do you think you can fly to the top of the social ladder just by shedding a few tears like those foxy women?"
"You despicable thing that seduced the master!" Xi Qingtong kicked Dong Ning hard, knocking her down. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!"
Seeing Dong Ning lying on the ground begging for mercy, Xi Qingtong put away the evil smile on his lips: "It's good that you know you are wrong."
Xi Qingtong picked up her needle and thread again and said nonchalantly, "Go wash all the clothes in the east wing."
"Yes, yes!" Even though this was not her job.
Dong Ning hurriedly retreated to a quiet place. The little maid rubbed her aching left hand, finally letting her tears fall. But she still had to go to the side room in a cowardly manner. When she opened the door, she was stunned. The wooden basin was filled with not ordinary clothes, but several menstrual belts stained with blood.
"This..." Her fingers trembled. This was a blatant humiliation, worse than a slap in the face. These masters' menstrual belts were always washed by their personal maids, but what else could she do if she didn't wash them?
The maid bit her lip, still bending down to pick up the filth. The cool touch of silk chilled her whole body, and the rich stench of blood filled her nostrils. Fighting back her nausea, she carried the wooden basin to the well.
“Crash—”
The well water poured into the basin, instantly dyeing it a pale red. Dong Ning numbly rubbed the cloth, her face reflected in the water, distorted and horrifying by the blood-stained stain.
A tear fell into the basin, creating tiny ripples. She suddenly stopped moving, staring at her shattered reflection. The blood that flowed over her swollen hand gave her a strange thought—this must be the blood from somewhere else in the lady's body.
"Sister Dong Ning?" The little girl's voice came from behind.
Dong Ning quickly shook her head to get rid of this terrible thought, but some things will take root once they get into the heart.
After finishing the work and returning to the townhouse at night, the maid in the same room finally dared to come over and ask her what happened. Dong Ning couldn't help but say, crying, "I didn't seduce my husband..."
The maidservant in the same room couldn't help but come over to comfort her, sighing, "The Madam seems to have changed recently. She's not as kind as before. She used to be so nice."
They were all maids bought before Qingwu got married, so they had been with Qingwu for three months.
"yes……"
Dong Ning couldn't help but fall into the shadow of being bullied by Xi Qingtong during the day, but she heard the little maid in the same room say: "But Sister Dong Ning, you are indeed quite beautiful. If it were me, my wife would not doubt it."
The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. When Dong Ning heard this, he suddenly stopped.
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