Chapter 56. A series of events triggered by a pen. ...
After Liang Ye left, Shan He went to see Qing Yue. Miao Er was applying medicine to her wound, which had begun to scab over, with a pale yellow fluid on it. Each time the medicine was applied, Qing Yue had to bite a handkerchief in her mouth because the pain was unbearable.
Shanhe held Qingyue's hand, occasionally wiping her sweat with a handkerchief. After the medicine was applied, Qingyue lay down to rest, Miao'er packed her things, and Shanhe left. But she didn't immediately return to her room; instead, she stood on the corridor, watching what the maids and nannies of Cangfeng Courtyard were doing. Caixiang, Caiping, and He Niang were all busy with their own tasks, but Wei Mama was nowhere to be seen. Shanhe asked her where she was, and Caiping replied, "She just went to pay her respects to her maternal aunt."
Shanhe nodded.
She felt relieved that Granny Wei wasn't there.
She walked casually toward Liang Ye's study. These past few days, Liang Ye had been preparing for the imperial examinations and had been staying in his study. Even she, the concubine, was only allowed to enter briefly when serving tea and snacks, never daring to look around. In the entire Cangfeng Courtyard, besides Liang Ye himself, only Cheng Min and Cheng An could freely enter and exit; even Granny Wei was not allowed to enter easily, clearly showing her wariness of others. Ironically, this Granny Wei was a source of amusement; while Liang Ye was wary of her, she helped him guard against others. She herself couldn't go into Liang Ye's study, nor would she allow others to enter, resolutely upholding Liang Ye's authority, appearing every inch the loyal servant.
Today, Liang Ye is taking the palace examination. Cheng Min, Cheng An, along with Huai Song and Huai Feng, have all entered the palace with him. Only these women remain in Cangfeng Courtyard.
This is the best opportunity to find slave documents!
Shanhe walked along, clutching the object in her sleeve tightly. She had just stopped at the study door when she saw the sliding door was firmly shut, not even a crack. Just as she was about to push it open, Wei Mama's cold, sharp voice suddenly rang out behind her: "What are you doing here, Madam?"
Her tone was serious and cold, as if she had caught Shanhe red-handed, with a hint of excitement at catching a thief red-handed.
Shanhe's heart skipped a beat. She instinctively clutched her chest and turned around, only to see Granny Wei already close in, grabbing her wrist and shouting, "What are you doing lurking around the master's study door, madam? Are you trying to sneak into the study while he's not here today? The master has said that no one is allowed to enter without his permission!"
Snap.
The pen in his palm fell to the ground, spilling a few drops of vermilion onto the brick floor.
Cai Xiang and the others gathered around upon hearing the noise, all looking puzzled.
Shanhe frowned, her gaze falling on the hand gripping her wrist tightly: "Are you holding on so tightly, Granny, afraid I'll run away?" Her voice was very soft, "Or perhaps Granny should take a look at what's on the ground?"
The bamboo-carved sandalwood pen lay forlornly on the ground. Upon closer inspection, a crack had appeared in the pen body, rendering it essentially a useless pen.
Granny Wei was taken aback.
Shanhe's face was contorted with pain as she let her hand grip her wrist. Half aggrieved and half angry, she gasped for breath, clutching her chest. "I knew it. This bamboo-carved brush is precious; Master loves using it to write annotations in vermilion ink. I've been studying for the imperial examinations these past few days, and I forgot it in my bedroom yesterday. I just found it while tidying up and wanted to bring it to the study to store it properly, but I was afraid it might get bumped or damaged. Wouldn't that be a pity? But you, Granny, I know you meant well, reminding me is one thing, but to suddenly appear and grab me like this is quite another. It scared the soul out of me; who could hold on tight like that?" With that, Shanhe struggled to pull her hand away, her wrist already red from the grip.
Cai Xiang hurriedly picked up the pen, expressing her regret. Cai Ping, standing behind her, glanced at it and said, "Oh, this was given to us by the old master. Each of the two gentlemen had one. It's been two or three years; it's quite an old item."
Upon hearing that it was an heirloom of Old Master Liang, Granny Wei panicked. She had indeed been rash just now, but she hadn't expected Xue Shanhe to come and deliver the pen! She saw her standing suspiciously at the study door, and when she called her, she didn't respond, so she had no choice but to go forward, just to stop her. Who would have thought that this would frighten her so much that she couldn't even hold the pen properly.
She stammered, "This...that...what should we do?"
Shanhe rubbed her wrist, recalling the scene of finding the pen that morning. When Liang Ye entered the palace that morning, the servants were in a flurry of activity, and bumps and knocks were inevitable. When Shanhe found the pen, it already had a faint crack and lay forlornly on the floor. Shanhe originally intended to quickly put the pen back in the study and then look for her slave registration documents. She hadn't planned to do anything to Wei Mama, but Wei Mama herself had barged in, determined to find fault with her, which led to this mess. Since Wei Mama came with malice, Shanhe had no need to be kind. It was just a pity that she wouldn't be able to enter the study today.
"I will explain to the master what to do, and he will decide the matter. Anyway, the master has always respected the nanny, and he shouldn't say anything about the pen." Shanhe paused, then changed the subject with great regret, "It's just a pity about this pen. It was a gift from the old master, and it's a pair with the second master's. No matter how precious it is, it can't compare to the sentiment behind it."
The second half of the sentence sent a chill down Wei Mama's spine. She glanced at the pen in Cai Xiang's hand, forced herself to suppress her emotions, and said with a forced smile, "No need for Madam Xue to worry. Since it's an old woman's matter, I'll find a way to solve it. Cai Xiang, give me the pen." With that, she took the pen and went straight out.
They dispersed in this manner, and no one knew what Granny Wei was going to do, nor did they bother to ask. When Liang Ye investigated, they would simply tell the truth. As for faults, both were at fault, but Granny Wei's was more so; it was up to Liang Ye to decide.
Shanhe returned to Qingyue Miao'er's room, took her embroidery frame, and sat on a chair to do needlework. After about an hour, Sheng Mama's voice suddenly rang out from outside, sounding rather anxious: "Miss Shanhe, are you not dressed up yet?"
Shanhe responded and went out. When Madam Sheng saw her, she took a few steps forward, grasped her hand, and frowned, saying, "Miss, Madam has been waiting for you for a long time. The carriage is all ready, just waiting for you!" She looked Shanhe up and down at her hair and attire, and exclaimed, "Oh dear, why are you still dressed like this?"
"What carriage? What are you waiting for me for?"
"Huh?" Madam Sheng was also puzzled. "The ladies went to Chengen Temple to burn incense and pray for Master Ye's well-being today. They just told Granny Wei to tell you to hurry up and change your clothes before going over. Why are you still doing needlework?"
Shanhe was taken aback, then immediately realized that this was a trap set by Granny Wei to get revenge. She quickly tried to explain, "Mama Sheng, Granny Wei just now—"
Madam Sheng immediately interrupted her, "Oh dear, stop wasting your breath here. Instead of arguing, you should quickly change your clothes and go over there. It's one thing for Madam to wait, but Auntie and the two young ladies from the Meng family are also waiting for you! The Shi family's carriage and the Meng family's carriage have been waiting at the second gate for an hour!" She added, raising her voice, "They're waiting specifically for you, young lady!"
The commotion alerted Caixiang and Caiping. Hearing the urgency, everyone quickly ushered Shanhe inside to help her get ready. She removed her everyday clothes and donned a formal gown for receiving guests; her hair, once loosened, was restyled, and silver hairpins and floral ornaments were carefully placed in her hair. What usually took several incense sticks to complete—dressing and dressing—was now squeezed into a full incense stick's time, with her dressing and hair combed simultaneously. Caixiang took out rouge to touch up her makeup, but Granny Sheng, impatient, grabbed Shanhe's hand and pulled her outside: "Let's go! We can touch up the rouge as we go!" She dragged Shanhe along, lifting her skirt.
Shanhe, holding her skirt, hurried along as if carried by the wind, quickly reaching the second gate where the carriages were being carried. Mrs. Zhou, Mrs. Shi, and others were helping their maids onto the sedan chairs.
Hearing the noise, Mrs. Zhou turned around and saw that it was Shanhe. She frowned, but still said gently, "I thought you weren't coming."
Shanhe immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "Please forgive me, Madam! I was doing needlework in the room just now and did not know that we were going to Chengen Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings today. Please forgive me, Madam."
Mrs. Zhou frowned, and Mrs. Shi also turned her gaze towards Shanhe. Suddenly, everyone was looking at Shanhe; some were annoyed, some sighed, and others just watched the spectacle. Meng Chiying, who had been waiting impatiently, was even angrier when she saw Shanhe kneeling in public, begging for forgiveness, her swaying figure and pitiful demeanor making her even angrier. She said irritably, "What a big shot! The Vice Minister's wife is waiting for you, the Countess is waiting for you, and I thought you were my cousin Ye's lawfully wedded wife! When my sister comes home for a visit, will she wait for you too?!"
Meng Chiying's words were sharp, and the air around them seemed to freeze instantly. Meng Chijin, who was behind her, hurriedly tugged at her sleeve. Madam Zhou frowned even more deeply, while Madam Shi half-covered her face with a round fan, but her gaze still swept towards Shanhe through the fan ribs. The maids standing nearby, and the servants from the Shi and Meng families leading the horses, all lowered their heads, but their eyes couldn't help but peek in Shanhe's direction.
Shanhe knelt on the bluestone slab, her face already flushed with embarrassment, but her back ramrod straight. This was not her fault; it was clearly Granny Wei who had deliberately failed to deliver the message. Shanhe bowed again, her voice clear and neither humble nor arrogant: "This servant truly did not receive any message. I was doing needlework in my room just now and did not see Granny Wei come to deliver a message."
Mrs. Shi was about to enter the carriage when she stopped lifting the curtain. Her face darkened, and her sharp voice cut through the air: "Enough! You're late, and you still have so many excuses! Granny Wei is my sister's dowry maid, an elder of the Shi family. Not to mention Ye-ge'er, even I have been treated well by Granny Wei since I was a child. Do you think I don't know what kind of person she is? Are you implying that Granny Wei deliberately didn't inform you, causing you to not know you were coming? Let me ask you, why is Granny Wei targeting you? She has been doing her job for so many years and has never made a mistake, so why is she targeting you specifically?"
Mrs. Zhou's face darkened, and she said, "Maotong, that's enough. It's more important to set off as soon as possible."
Mrs. Shi sneered, "Sister-in-law, I know you want to keep this quiet. After all, they're Ye-ge'er's people; it's none of our business." Her gaze swept over Shanhe, whose face was as red as a pig's liver, and she blurted out mockingly, "I really didn't know. If I was wrong, I was wrong. Just admit it and get going. Ye-ge'er is a guest, after all. Are we going to punish the people in Ye-ge'er's household? If we insist on clarifying everything, the ladies and young ladies of both families won't have time for anything else. All this arguing and buck-passing will just clear her name! Hua'er and Rui'er are talking about this now..." "They might already be at Chengen Temple, waiting for us. Good heavens! You, Hua'er, and Rui'er already have three, and I'm bringing Ying'er and Jin'er, not to mention all the maids and servants. We'll all be her judges to clear her name; there's no need to do anything else!" She grew angrier as she spoke, raising her voice, "Come, come! Call Granny Wei here! We won't go to burn incense today; we'll settle this matter clearly! Whoever is at fault will be held accountable. We won't be biased; we'll find the wrongdoer, and as soon as Ye-ge'er finishes the palace examination, we'll immediately send Xiao Yao'er to the palace to bring him back. Those who deserve punishment will be punished, and those who deserve reward will be rewarded!"
Seeing that Mrs. Shi was truly angry, Meng Chiying remained silent and stood by watching the show. Meng Chijin carefully stepped forward, took Mrs. Shi's arm, and said gently with a smile, "Why is Madam angry? Today is Cousin Ye's special day. It's not worth it for this."
Mrs. Zhou smiled and reassured them, "That's the right thing to do. We should get going as soon as possible." She called to Meng Chiying and Meng Chijin, "Hurry up and help your wives into the car. What are you standing there for!"
Meng Chiying had no choice but to help her mother into the carriage, while Meng Chijin kept pleading with her. Mrs. Zhou glanced at Shanhe and said coldly, "You come along too." With that, she lifted the curtain and went inside.
As the carriage slowly began to move, the maidservant beside Madam Zhou came over to help Shanhe up, took her arm, and followed behind the carriage with her. Seeing Shanhe frowning and weeping, the maidservant sighed, "Oh dear, it's alright. Miss, you're from Master Ye's household. The concubine was just saying that; she won't really punish you. Don't take it to heart."
Shanhe lowered her head and nodded slightly.
"That's just how the concubine is; her temper flares up quickly and subsides just as fast. If she makes a mistake in the future, just admit it. The masters don't care if you feel wronged or if you really made a mistake; they only care if your mistake affects them."
-----------------------
Author's note: I'll be taking a break tomorrow and will update every other day.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
