Sickness came like a landslide but went slowly like spinning silk. This did not quite apply to Yuxi though. After taking a patch of medicine, she did three rounds of wuqinxi the next morning which made her sweat all over and feel relaxed. When she did another three rounds of wuqinxi in the evening, the illness was almost over and she did not drink the rest of the medicine. But Yuchen and Qiu Shi were not well yet. Both of them were still lying limply, resting in bed!
When Qiu Shi was ill, the household duties were left to Ye Shi, who was just out of her birth confinement. People mostly spent a month in birth confinement, while Ye Shi had to spend two months. However, the effect was remarkable. Once she was out of her confinement, she looked more energetic than before.
Bingmei served Yuxi a bowl of lean pork congee with American ginseng and dendrobium.
After Yuxi finished eating, she stood up and went out. She didn't go out of the house but took a walk inside her study instead. The cold wind blowing in through the doorway makes it unbearable to walk outside without a coat to cover one with.
Kufu came into the study with a small basket and added charcoal to the copper basin, saying, "Miss, we are almost out of charcoals, and the charcoal room hasn't delivered new ones to us yet."
Yuxi didn't think much of it and instructed, "If the people over there haven’t delivered anything yet, then have someone go and rush them. Would they dare to skimp my things?" It wasn't Yuxi being too confident of herself, but who out of the old women servants in the residence had the guts to withhold her things. As for Ye Shi, it was even more unlikely for her to do so.
Kufu glanced at Yuxi and said after a moment of hesitation, "Miss, Da Nainai has already changed three stewardess mama in the past two days. I'm afraid it's because of this confusion, it has caused the charcoal delivery to be delayed."
Yuxi didn't ask much about the affairs of the residence for the past two days because she didn't feel the need to do so. "What did all the stewardess mama do wrong?"
Kufu answered, "It's not really a grave mistake. They only drank some wine at night to warm their body. Miss also knows how cold it is at night, so it should not be a problem for them to have some wine."
Yuxi gave Kufu a sidelong glance and said, "Not only did they drink some wine, but they also gambled, didn't they? How much money did those mama stuff onto you to come to my side to beg for leniency?" If they had only been drinking wine to warm themselves up, Ye Shi would not have ordered for their disposal.
When Kufu looked at Yuxi's cold expression, her heart trembled. She knelt on the ground and begged for mercy, "Miss, this handmaiden would never have the guts to do so."
Yuxi coldly warned, "I'll say it again, remember your duty. If there is another time like this, I won't keep you here anymore." Kufu put so much weight on her selfish motives, but she was still her personal maid. So Kufu could not be expelled if she had not done anything wrong. But if she repeatedly did something like this, Yuxi would never dare to keep such a person beside her.[+]
Kufu's legs went soft.
When Zisu noticed Kufu’s reaction, she asked, "What's wrong?"
Kufu shook her head and replied, "It's nothing." She did not dare to say that her older sister-in-law had received benefits from a few mama and she wanted her to beg her Miss to intercede with Da Nainai. She knew her weight. She originally wanted to mention it politely, but she didn't think that before she said anything, Miss seemed to be able to read her mind and saw right through her intentions.
Naturally, Yuxi could not read minds, but rather, Bingmei had long ago told her what had happened in the residence. Yuxi had asked for Bingmei from Qiu Shi that day in order to share the power with Kufu.
Zisu also frowned at Yuxi's words just now, "Miss, Kufu is fifteen years old this year. Isn't it time to release her?"
Yuxi replied, "Wait until next year. For the time being, train up Caidie. That girl is good." She had watched Caidie with unbiased eyes. That girl had acted in a measured manner. She had never acted proud or impatient.
Zisu nodded and responded, "I will. By the way Miss, I heard that someone from the Qiu family in Hebei is coming over here, though I don't know what it is about?"
When Yuxi heard that it was not Qiu Yanfu's parents who would be coming, but Qiu Yanfu's siblings instead, she didn't even want to care about it.
The next day was the fifteenth day, the day to pay daily respects to Wu Shi. After breakfast, Yuxi went to Tingun Pavilion and went with Yuchen to Biteng Courtyard.
On the way, Yuxi smilingly inquired, "San Jie, I heard that a member of the Qiu family is coming over, but I don't know what this person will be doing here. Do you think this person comes to pick Qiu Yanfu up?"
Yuchen swept a glance at Yuxi and said, "How did you become dumb after being cured of your illness?" The Qiu family had allowed Qiu Yanfu to come to the capital because they wanted her to marry high, so how could they possibly take her away.
Yuxi smiled a little, "Qiu Yanfu will be seventeen years old next year. If she isn’t getting betrothed soon, it will be even harder for her to get married."
After hearing this, Yuchen asked, "Once the year turns over, Si Mei will be thirteen years old. What are your plans for the future?" Yuchen's words were subtle. Her meaning was to ask what Yuxi wanted from her future husband's family.
Yuxi didn't feel embarrassed either and smiled at Yuchen's words, "I wish the other person is a hardworking one from a family with good family values and for me to get along well with my future mother-in-law."
Yuchen found Yuxi's requirements were easier said than done. "You should go out more and meet more people from now on. Don't stay locked up in the study all day long." Yuxi should go out more so that more ladies and grandmothers would know her, and her husband selection pool would be wider.
Yuxi responded crisply, "Okay, I'll go out more in the future."
Soon, the two of them walked through the entrance of the Biteng Courtyard. At this time, a man happened to come along with Mama Chen.
Yuxi looked at the other man and saw that his face was four or five times similar to Qiu Yanfu. She knew that this man was Qiu Yanfu's elder brother, Qiu Lirong. However, this man was twice the size of Qiu Yanfu. [T/N]
When Qiu Lirong saw Yuchen, he was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even walk. He just stood still, not daring to blink. My God, there is such beauty in the world. Even the lead prostitute of Piaoxiang House was not even worthy enough to carry the shoes of the beauty in front of him! If Yuchen knew that she was being compared to a prostitute, she would have flipped out on the spot.
Yuchen's complexion was unusually ugly. Many people would have stared in awe when they first met her. However, this was the first time they had looked at her in such a lustful manner.
Yuxi tugged at Yuchen and urged, "San Jie, let's go in!"
Seeing the beauty walk away, Qiu Lilong unexpectedly followed after her. Feeling bad, Mama Chen lowered her voice and blocked him, "Young Master Biao, please wait before you go in!" Despite Fourth Miss being the one who usually kicked up a row, Mama Chen felt that the worst person to deal with was Yuchen. It was just that Yuchen highly treasured her reputation. Otherwise, she would have joined Fourth Miss in dealing with her own Lady and Mama Chen afraid that her Lady's would have been gone by now.
Qiu Lirong couldn't even hear Mama Chen's words as he was unable to control himself from following Yuchen.
After Yuchen had finished giving her greeting to Wu Shi, she felt scorching attention towards her. Before she could turn around, she heard a voice that sounded like a duck quacking, "This is Yuchen Biaomei, isn't it?" Qiu Lirong had heard of Yuchen's reputation for being a beauty but he had never expected her to be so stunningly beautiful.
Qiu Lirong inquired as he walked towards Yuchen. Shiqin and the others' reactions were quite slow, mainly because no one thought there would be such a bold person there.
Influenced by her regular practice of wuqinxi, Yuxi had become very much sharp. She turned around and saw Qiu Lirong walking towards them while looking at Yuchen with a particularly lecherous look. Yuxi stood in front of Yuchen, as she asked, "What do you want to do?"
Yuchen also turned around and saw the way Qiu Lilong looked at her as if he wanted to swallow her in one bite. A layer of frost seemed to form on her face. Yuchen turned towards Wu Shi and said, "Mother, I have things to do in my courtyard, so I will have to go back first." She didn't want to stay here for a second longer.
When Wu Shi heard this, her face turned a little ugly. However, looking at Yuchen's appearance, she also knew that if she dared to stop her, she was afraid that Yuchen would just simply leave, and then she would lose even more face, "Alright, you girls go back first!" Despite how Yuchen would usually be respectful towards her, Wu Shi knew in her heart that Yuchen didn't look up to her either.
After Yuchen and Yuxi had left, Wu Shi's face sank as she looked at Qiu Lilong and reprimanded, "Have you never seen a woman in your life?"
Qiu Lirong didn't know that he was being scolded since his mind had been filled with the beauty's figure only.
Yuxi looked at Yuchen's gloomy look and comforted, "San Jie, don't be angry. If we had known that we would come across such a disgusting creature, we wouldn't have gone over today." As far as Yuchen's looks were concerned, any man would not be able to look away when he saw her. It was just that Qiu Lilong was so unrestrained that he looked at Yuchen as if he could just strip her of her clothes right there and then. For Yuchen, who had always been proud and arrogant, would be so nauseated with this act that she would be unable to eat for the whole day.[+]
Yuchen did not say anything. Her face was still looking as ugly as ever. It was obvious this incident had made her furious.
Back at Taoran House, Yuxi instructed Bingmei, "Find a way to reveal what happened today to the maids around Grandmother." The maids around the Old Lady probably had known, but the Old Lady probably not.
This incident completely annoyed the Old Lady. She then called Wu Shi over and said, "Miss Fu has been with us for two years, so it is not appropriate for her to stay here any longer. It's just as well that her brother is here, so let her go back with him!"
Wu Shi was dumbfounded.
The Old Lady was not that unreasonable as she continued, "It's not a good time to travel in the eleventh lunar month, so let them all go back when spring starts next year!" If it weren't a matter of their face, she would have thrown these people out, so they wouldn't ruin the family principles of their State Residence.
Wu Shi, herself, wanted to insist on keeping Qiu Yanfu here, but she couldn't bear to be disliked by the Old Lady, so she said, "Because of what happened to the Qiao family, the Lord promised to find a good family for Yanfu."
The Old Lady coldly said, "I will speak to Yan-er about this." If it wasn't for Qiu Yanfu, there was no need for them to offend the Qiao family. Although the Han family did not fear the Qiao family, it was naturally better to have one less enemy if they could.
This matter was not a secret, and soon it spread out. Now, not only Qiu Yanfu was being despised, even Wu Shi was looked down on by the servants of the residence.
After Yuxi found out about this, she just stayed silent, which made Zisu puzzled. Zisu couldn't help but ask, "Miss, the Old Lady reprimanded Wu Shi and tried to get rid of Qiu Yanfu. This is a good thing, but why does Miss look a little unhappy?"
Yuxi shook her head and replied, "I'm not unhappy. Just thinking about things." There was no such thing happening in her last life. Because of her, a lot of things had changed.
Tags:
The Rebirth of Han Yuxi