It had been the second time Madam Liu had encountered Qi Yue, though the first time, Qi Yue had been in such a state of shock from her recent arrival that she had only heard the sounds without seeing anyone.
“Replying to the Young Lady, a few maids were fooling around here, and this old servant dared to administer a slight punishment,” Madam Liu glanced at the women over there, the memory of the previous day’s hanging farce surfacing, a hint of undisguised scorn playing on her face.
A Hao, puffing up with indignation on this side, was about to retort when A Ru pulled her back.
“Causing trouble?” Qi Yue slammed the door open and declared, “This wretched girl, not even an hour gone and she’s stirring up trouble again! Get in there immediately and face the wall to repent.”
A Hao tried to speak again but was pulled up by A Ru, muttering an assent before lowering her head and entering the room.
See? Weren’t these two maids rumored to be getting conceited now that they had someone to back them up? Not a single word of defense did they offer? Indeed, they dared not cause a fuss as the Young Master was about to return home, afraid of being caught making trouble and thus losing face in front of him. Madam Liu exchanged a look with the other matrons, subtly curling her lip in disdain.
“Then this old servant…” Madam Liu began, making to leave.
“Ah, you’ve arrived at the perfect time. Help me tidy up a bit…” Qi Yue suddenly spoke, cutting off Madam Liu’s words.
Madam Liu and the others froze.
“Of course, we dare not disobey the Young Lady’s commands, but we are currently busy. I will go find you a maid instead…” she quickly said with a smile.
“No need, it’s just a small matter of lending a hand. Didn’t Mother say the maids are all busy?” Qi Yue smiled, fanning herself lightly. “Perhaps Mother no longer finds herself under my command?”
Madam Liu forced a smile. If the Young Lady were to lash out with harsh words and torment them, it would be easier to deal with; crying and wailing would even be acceptable. But instead, she smiled sweetly and spoke softly, leaving them with no room to argue or complain. She could only concede that her words had been too strong, and reluctantly led the other women inside.
Qi Yue directed the women first to move the stone table in the courtyard, citing the constant droppings from birds beneath the tree—a task so strenuous it nearly caused a couple of the women to throw out their backs. Then, she ordered them to carry several pots from the kitchen out, claiming they needed to be scrubbed clean after being filled with well water.
Was this lending a hand? These were tasks for the men and young servants! Madam Liu and the others were already involved and couldn’t easily back out, so they gritted their teeth and completed each chore. Meanwhile, Qi Yue stood aside watching, occasionally yelling admonishments towards the room.
“Telling you not to know the rules, running out to brawl with others while neglecting your chores! Because my temper is good, you’ve all become impossibly spoiled. Do you take me for blind, deaf, or a three-year-old child? Truly, a kind person is always bullied, and a good horse is always ridden. Just because I have a pleasant disposition, everyone wants to step on me. Even if you put on fine shoes and have support, you must consider whether they actually fit your feet…”
Her tirade left Madam Liu and the other women flushed with anger and burning resentment inside.
“Young Lady, everything is done. You can see the maids are busy distributing clothes in the courtyard. We truly dare not delay any longer. If there are still things you need done, I will summon some wet nurses and maids after I leave…” she managed to say through clenched teeth.
“Alright, alright, that’s all. It’s all finished,” Qi Yue said with a smile after taking a look around, even as she turned back to scold the room, “See the trouble you two little wretches have caused, exhausting the mothers! Aren’t you ashamed!”
“Then we shall take our leave,” Madam Liu said, unwilling to linger a moment longer or listen to or say another word, turning quickly to depart.
Once they were gone, A Ru opened the door, and A Hao peered out behind her, her face already red with suppressed mirth. She covered her mouth with her hand, afraid a laugh would escape.
“Eh, Young Lady, isn’t that the pot you used to stew chili paste last night?” A Hao poked her head out and asked quickly. “Didn’t you say you needed to boil water on the stove to thoroughly clean off the oil and spice? Was it moved out too?”
Qi Yue hummed noncommittally and casually glanced over.
“Oh, yes. I didn’t even notice. These mothers are too literal,” she chuckled.
“Young Lady, this has been handled; it must be very spicy, mustn’t it?” A Hao commented.
“Probably,” Qi Yue nodded.
Meanwhile, Madam Liu marched out of Qiutong Courtyard, her face cycling rapidly between pale and green with fury.
“This Young Lady has truly changed into a different person…”
“Isn’t that the truth? Before, she acted like a thief when seeing anyone. Now, look at her smiling and talking to us, speaking so fluently without a single stumble…”
“Could it be that she really…”
The wet nurses behind her muttered in low voices, but Madam Liu could not bear to hear any more.
“Enough, stop all this idle gossip,” she turned and snapped.
The wet nurses immediately lowered their heads and fell silent.
“This Young Lady likely harbors considerable ambition,” Madam Liu said resentfully, glancing back again at the isolated Qiutong Courtyard. She instinctively raised a hand to touch her forehead. “The Young Master’s return is drawing closer; she is becoming more spirited.”
Touching her forehead, she suddenly recalled the labor she had just completed. In her haste to leave, she hadn't washed her hands, and the anger had made her oblivious to the greasy residue left on her skin. She instinctively flicked her hand in front of her face and immediately felt a sharp, pungent burning sensation; tears instantly sprang to her eyes.
“Oh dear, Madam Liu, what is this… it can’t be that bad…”
“Quickly, don't be like this. We are, after all, servants. Haven't we all suffered a master’s temper before…”
“Yes, this mistress hasn't acted like a mistress for a long time, but according to her status, it’s not low. Don't feel wronged! Stop crying…”
The other matrons chattered volubly, rushing to comfort Madam Liu and offering handkerchiefs to wipe her tears, which only made Madam Liu cry harder out of sheer frustration.
“I’m not crying! This is residue on my hand…” she said tearfully, afraid to use a handkerchief to wipe her tears, as rubbing would only increase the burning.
Hearing this, the women quickly looked at their own hands, some even sniffing near their noses, and then they all began to weep along with Madam Liu.
“This chili is quite good. You all refuse to eat it, treating it only as decoration for platters. What a pity,” Qi Yue murmured, shaking her head in mock lament as she arranged the chili paste she had stewed the previous day in the kitchen.
When she first inquired about seasonings, there was no chili, and she assumed this foreign ingredient hadn't arrived yet. Then, a day later, she found one in a basket. Upon asking, the two maids couldn't explain, only saying it was beautiful to look at and was used to garnish cold dishes. Only then did Qi Yue realize it had been introduced, though few people were accustomed to eating it. She immediately urged A Hao to scour the kitchen for a whole basketful and made chili paste with meat.
For A Hao and the others, unaccustomed to spicy food and unfamiliar with chili, the smell was terrifying. They hadn't dared enter the kitchen all night, and upon smelling it that morning, their throats still tickled, causing them to cough.
“Young Lady,” A Ru entered from outside, her expression somber.
“Young Lady, is it our turn to receive clothes?” A Hao asked anxiously.
The official robes for the entire manor, for every single person from the oldest to the youngest, had been completed days ago. A Hao waited outside every day, unable to resist listening for her name to be called.
“Why even ask? Of course not,” Qi Yue laughed.
A Hao still looked hopefully at A Ru, who sighed and lowered her head.
“They said according to the old precedent, since the Young Lady was ill for those years, they never made any,” she murmured quietly.
“That was the past; this is the Young Master’s house now. How can the Young Lady not have any?” A Hao exclaimed, her eyes wide. “This is clearly bullying! I’ll go find them…”
“Hold on,” Qi Yue called out, stopping her. “You are not to go.”
“Young Lady…” A Hao called out, unconvinced.
“You little fool, haven't you learned your lesson today?” Qi Yue laughed, clapping her hands as she walked out of the kitchen. “There are quite a few people watching us, waiting for a chance to stir up trouble.”
“Young Lady, Xiao Zhuan and the others are from Consort Zhu’s compound, and they are very close with Su Mei. It must be because of the previous incident that they are deliberately causing trouble with me, not targeting the Young Lady…” A Hao quickly explained.
Qi Yue looked at her and smiled, raising her hand as if to poke her with her finger.
Fearing the spice, A Hao quickly shielded her face and dodged away.
“Silly child, a child is struck to show the mother. If they dare target you, they are naturally showing me, their mistress,” Qi Yue explained with a smile.
“Then… who is it?” A Ru whispered, biting her lower lip.
“It doesn't matter who it is; the target is always us. For this period, we must keep a low profile,” Qi Yue stated, rolling up her sleeves. A Hao rushed to bring a basin of water for her to wash her hands. “Clothes, food, whatever—if we lack something, we lack it. As long as no one points fingers at our faces and storms in here, let them fuss all they want. We just close our doors and ignore them.”
Though A Hao didn’t fully grasp the meaning, she nodded and agreed based on the principle of obeying the Young Lady in all things.
“I promise, I won’t cause trouble for the Young Lady,” she said solemnly.
Qi Yue smiled as A Hao dried her hands, then A Hao eagerly dumped the wash water and carefully bolted the main door shut.
“Does she not want you to go out?” A Ru, who had been silent since entering the room with Qi Yue, asked quietly.
“If she wanted me to be her dutiful daughter, she wouldn’t have locked me up here for three years. Why even ask?” Qi Yue replied.
“Then what does she want? Does she intend to confine the Young Lady forever?” A Ru asked, her eyes already welling up with tears.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s fine, it’s fine. We are people, not animals. She can’t keep us locked up forever; we have hands and feet,” Qi Yue quickly said, tossing A Ru a cloth. “What I mean is, we should go along with her for now and avoid bumping against her direct authority. The Young Master is coming home; does the mother-in-law have a valid reason to keep a married couple apart forever? A few days later is still just a few days later.”
A Ru picked up the cloth to wipe her tears, nodding, her eyes lighting up with renewed affection for Qi Yue.
“Young Lady, it’s good that you can think this way,” she said.
In the past, the Young Lady would do nothing but cry if things went wrong. If someone gave her a cold shoulder, she would lose all hope immediately. But now, the smile hadn't left Qi Yue's face; it was as if even the greatest troubles were insignificant before her.
Wonderful! So many people didn't want her to go meet them. Qi Yue leaned back on the chaise lounge with deep satisfaction. It was truly everything she could have wished for. However, if she could leave this place and return to the modern era, that would be even more ideal.
Qi Yue tilted her head back, staring at the rafters. How could she achieve that? Should she try hanging herself again? She sighed softly and slowly closed her eyes.
A Ru quietly backed out of the room, careful not to disturb the Young Lady’s rest.
On this summer afternoon, Qiutong Courtyard was utterly tranquil.