Mother Qiao left Ziyun Hall, lowered her head, and without looking at the people around her, she hurriedly turned out of the courtyard, turned left and right, walked through the small garden, the rockery and stone forest, the nine-curve bridge, and entered the long folding corridor. Then she looked up and around, and went straight to Huifangyuan where Second Grandma Bai Jingyu lived.
In the upper room of Huifang Courtyard, Bai Jingyu was leaning on the couch, wearing a red satin cotton robe embroidered with peony flowers, which still could not hide her pale and bluish face. A fluffy rabbit fur forehead protector inlaid with gems, which covered half of her forehead and was wrapped around her bun, made her look even more fragile. If it weren't for the pair of dark eyes that radiated a sharp light that could kill people, indicating her strength, this image would probably be no different from the haggard look of Qin Meiniang when she was ill before.
Standing in front of the couch and waiting on her were her maids. Xiangyun wanted to go forward to feed her porridge, but she pushed her away. She pointed her snow-white hand at Xiangrui who was standing far behind her and said harshly, "Let her come! I want to see how capable this bitch is! She has been with me for more than ten years, but I didn't know she was so good at serving people. Even in this state, she can still charm me. Last night, she slept at her place and didn't even want Xiangxue!"
Xianglian glared at Xiangrui, whose expression had changed: "Can't you hear what grandma said? Why don't you come over here!"
Xiangrui held back her tears, supported her bloated waist with one hand, and staggered to the couch with her swollen belly. Before she could stand still, Bai Jingyu grabbed her hand, pulled out the golden hairpin from her head, and stabbed it into her hand and belly without thinking, gritting his teeth and cursing:
"You conscienceless bitch! I treated you like that on a daily basis, only asking you to serve me, but you dared not take the medicine secretly, and didn't tell me that you were pregnant, and ran to the mistress to take credit. The mistress said that you were a good hairdo and asked me for you, but I was still in the dark... You are capable, you are really promising, the mistress protected you, right, but what about now? You have fallen into my hands, haven't you? The mistress went to the Gui Mansion at noon, and she won't be back before dinner - you keep shouting, shouting, I will strangle you and the evil child in your belly to death today!"
Xiangrui protected her belly with one hand. The plump and delicate back of her hand was immediately pierced with several bloody marks. She screamed in pain. She knelt down with tears in her eyes and cried:
“Grandma, spare me! It’s not that I don’t want to take the medicine, I just accidentally spilled it. I thought it wouldn’t happen… I dare not say it, I’m afraid of miscarriage… Chun’er, Chun’er died because of this last year!”
"Are you afraid of death?" Bai Jingyu was tired. He threw away the golden hairpin in his hand and pointed at Xiangxue, who was huddled aside with a pale face:
"Slap her in the face, slap her a few times, then strangle her stomach with a towel. She deserves to die long ago!"
Xiangxue hesitated, and Bai Jingyu glared at her fiercely: "Why don't you do it? What are you waiting for?"
Bai Jingyu's wet nurse, Huang Mama, brought in a bowl of steaming medicine and was surprised to see this scene: "What are you talking about? Xiangrui's date is almost up. If something goes wrong at this time, I'm afraid that Madam and Second Master will..."
Bai Jingyu glared at Mama Huang and said, "What are you afraid of, Mama? This bitch is my dowry maid, not the one the Xu family spent money to buy! You don't need to discuss with them how to deal with her. You should be smart. Just tell Madam that Xiangrui missed the people in the yard, so she walked back to check on them, and accidentally fell into the goldfish pond and drowned!"
Xiangrui was so frightened that she collapsed into a ball, holding her stomach, kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly, in great sorrow.
Huang's mother handed over the medicine and said, "Grandma, take the medicine first. It won't be too late to deal with her later!"
Bai Jingyu turned his head and said, "Take it away! I don't want to eat this bitter and smelly medicine anymore..."
Xiangrui suddenly stopped crying and raised her head, with hope in her eyes: "Grandma, you should take the medicine. Once you get better, Madam will have nothing to say... If you find the medicine too bitter and don't want to take it, there is a way to get better!"
Bai Jingyu stared at Xiangrui: "Bitch, what do you know?"
Xiang Rui kowtowed to Bai Jingyu and said in a trembling voice: "Grandma, please have pity on me. I am not even as good as the dust on the bottom of your shoes! I only want to give birth to the baby in my belly. When the time comes, I will let you decide whether I live or die!"
Bai Jingyu sneered: "You still dare to bargain with me? Well, tell me if it's worth exchanging your life!"
Xiangrui just lowered her head and said nothing. Bai Jingyu grabbed a teacup on the low table and was about to throw it at her. Xianglian quickly caught it and advised:
"Grandma, don't let this little bitch get you upset. This old kiln porcelain is my favorite. Let's see what she wants to say!"
Bai Jingyu exhaled: "Okay, I'll let you go today, and I'll let Mother Huang take you back to the Madam's Courtyard in a while, tell me!"
Xiangrui kowtowed again, and then slowly said, "Yesterday, I accidentally heard Zhenzhu and Yuzhu gossiping in front of the Madam. They said... Madam found a girl from a good family as a concubine for the Third Master. They are a family of scholars, but they have declined in recent years. Madam personally saw the girl and asked for her fate. The Third Master originally agreed to marry her, but for some reason, before dinner yesterday, the Third Master came to Madam and said: The Third Madam has found a good prescription, and there will be news in a month or two. He doesn't want a concubine! Madam tried to persuade him, but the Third Master just wouldn't give in. Madam was so angry that she smashed the tea bowl. Later, she told Madam Zhao beside her: I really can't bear to give up such a good girl, and I didn't tell her which master she was going to give her to. The Third Master is stubborn and doesn't want her. Now that the Second Madam is sick again, it's better to ask for her to be given to the Second Master..."
Bai Jingyu's chest rose and fell sharply, and two blushes appeared on her pale face. These were symptoms of anger and hatred, and the blood boiling. Huang Mama and Xiangxue hurriedly massaged her chest and comforted her softly, while scolding Xiangrui:
"You lowly thing, if you dare to gossip about other people, I'll cut off your tongue!"
Xiangrui lowered her head and said, "I am also a maid in this room. My mother taught me since I was young. How dare I not listen carefully to everything about grandma? I didn't lie!"
Bai Jingyu pointed at Xiangrui and said, "I mean what I said. I will let you go back to the Madam's Courtyard. Don't forget that you are mine. I can take your worthless life anytime. Keep an eye on me. If you say that again, send a message to me immediately! Get up and get out of here!"
Xiangrui kowtowed twice, supported herself on the ground with one hand and held her stomach with the other, and struggled to get up.
Mother Huang glanced at Xiangxue, who walked to the door and raised the curtain. Xiangrui lowered her head and was about to leave when Bai Jingyu called her:
"Tell me, other than taking medicine, what other ways can I take care of my body?"
Xiangrui paused and said timidly, "Grandma, why don't you go to Third Grandma's courtyard and ask her? She should have found a good prescription. She is doing well now and goes to Ziyun Hall every day to help First Grandma with affairs!"
Bai Jingyu nodded and squinted his eyes to look at Xiangrui: "Good girl, you..."
A message came from the maid outside the door: "Mother Qiao is here to answer Grandma's question!"
Bai Jingyu hurriedly said to Huang's mother, "We are waiting for her, let her in!"
While sitting up straighter with Xiangyun's help and letting Xianglian put a pillow behind her back, Xiangyun took the opportunity to look at the door. Xiangrui was no longer there. She snorted:
"This little bastard is so lucky. She ran away so fast! Grandma is so easy to talk to. She let her go as soon as she said so!"
Bai Jingyu flicked off a speck of dust on his sleeve and sighed, "It was just a scare. Did he really strangle her? If she had to die, she couldn't die here. It would pollute the place and let Madam and Master find fault with me. Madam has never liked Aunt Yan. But the Fifth Master, born by Aunt Yan, had a grandson first. Master loves his grandson and runs to Aunt Yan's yard every few days. He treats Shen Ge'er as his legitimate grandson. Madam's illness in the past two years is because of this! She eats vegetarian food and chants Buddhist scriptures. She dreams of our Master and Third Master giving birth to a legitimate grandson. Unfortunately, my stomach is not good. After giving birth to my sister, there has been no news... Let's see what Xiangrui can give birth to. If it's a boy, even if I am destined to be childless, it will still be useful. As long as I give birth to one or two sons, no matter how many boys or girls are born from other branches, none of them will survive!"
Xiangxue lifted the thick velvet blanket on Bai Jingyu's knees. Her hands paused slightly, and she carefully tucked the blanket in for her, then quietly stepped aside.
Mother Huang led Mother Qiao in and bowed deeply to Bai Jingyu: "Second Madam!"
Bai Jingyu looked at Mother Qiao: "How is it? Is everything okay?"
Mother Qiao sighed, "It was clearly arranged. I told each of the twenty-odd servants about it and promised them benefits. But the eldest grandmother didn't ask me about it this morning. I don't know which damn idiot told the eldest wife about it!"
"ah?"
Bai Jingyu was stunned: "Who could it be?"
Mother Qiao said anxiously, "Grandma actually knew about the increase in the number of staff in the garment workshop! We only recruited people from the courtyards of the second branch, and did not touch the people from the first branch... Could it be that Third Madam told her? Third Madam is now turning her elbow outward, not caring that I am a person in front of the Madam, and helping Grandma to scold me... Losing face is a small matter, but Grandma is extremely shrewd and ruthless. She can quickly sort out any messy things. I'm afraid she will find out about the things in our garment workshop!"
Bai Jingyu pursed his lips tightly, his face full of resentment: "Rulan really doesn't know what's good for her. She is a good lady from a noble family, but she has to get involved with that woman from a humble family. She doesn't mind losing face, but I am ashamed for her!"
Mother Qiao turned around to look at the door, then stepped forward and said to Bai Jingyu, "Grandma, please keep your voice down! The eldest grandma is different now. She is very well behaved, her words and actions are elegant and generous, her face is neither smiling nor angry, and when she sits in Ziyun Hall, the maids dare not even breathe. That aura, that aura... Grandma didn't see it, it's as majestic as the first wife!"
Bai Jingyu snorted, "Dignity? You are afraid of her because you see the eldest wife standing by her side to support her. A poor and downtrodden girl who wants to climb up the social ladder by relying on her pretty face, you should also consider how much weight she has on her body! What do you mean by eldest grandson's new wife? She is not even greeted by the elders when she enters the house, and her handkerchief is not shown until the second night of the wedding. How can she have a good life? She will be miserable for the rest of her life! I hate to see her poor and miserable appearance the most. She dares not raise her head when she walks, and she keeps hiding from people, like a mouse crossing the street. Seeing her early in the morning means that nothing she has done has gone well for the whole day... But after giving birth to Heng, the first wife lost the Seventh Master, so who in the mansion didn't understand her thoughts about taking Heng away? Just wait and see, the best is yet to come, the old lady is here, she said long ago: I will find another wife for the eldest master who is of noble birth and of equal status. When Miss Zhuang comes, will there still be a place for Qin Meiniang? It's good enough to raise her in another courtyard. The old lady and the first wife, there are arguments here, openly and secretly, let's just keep our own people stable and take it slowly..."
"But now..."
"Don't be afraid!" Bai Jingyu comforted Mother Qiao, "Try to get them to work as quickly as possible. I'll ask Mother Liu to bring a few people over to help, and we'll be able to finish the work. The twenty embroiderers won't be back until tonight, and the work in the embroidery shop has to be done by the afternoon. We'd better buy the favor of the wife of Duke Dingguo, otherwise we won't be able to get such a large amount of work in the future. You should just keep up the good work as usual, and don't worry about the things in the garment workshop, I'll take care of it!"
Mother Qiao was worried: "Grandma, do you think we should report this to the Second Madam?" (To be continued)