Hu Sanmu arranged the affairs of the mansion and returned home to tell his wife, Li, about it. He complained that the Fourth Aunt was difficult to serve and was still picky even at this point.
He originally wanted Li to pity him, but he didn't expect to be scolded by Li.
"Mr. Hu, have you also been bewitched by that little vixen? There are so many girls in the farm, why did you assign this easy job to her? Tell me, what are you thinking?"
Hu Sanmu didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "How can this job be easy? You don't know how difficult it is to serve Fourth Aunt. Besides, I asked her to serve Fourth Aunt, not me. Your temper is really inexplicable."
Li said angrily, "You said I was incomprehensible, but I think you are just lustful. That vixen killed An'er, but you spoke nicely to her and tried to get benefits for her. And that poor aunt, who is she? Why should you run around so hard for her? I think you just dislike me because I am old and ugly, and want to find someone young and beautiful. I don't care. I want to go back to my mother's house and ask my brother to seek justice for me!"
Hu Sanmu was so angry at her indiscriminate noise that he pulled her back into the room and closed the door. He suppressed his anger and said, "Are you crazy? No matter how poor my aunt is, she is still the Marquis's woman. How could I miss her? I asked Xiu'er to serve me for a purpose. Can you please stop causing trouble for me?"
"What's your purpose? Tell me." Li put one hand on her waist and pointed at his nose with the other. "If you don't tell me the truth today, I won't let you go."
Hu Sanmu sighed, closed the window, and went to the inner room with her and whispered, "Madam wrote to say that Fourth Aunt cannot live for more than a month. If the maid she arranged can't do the job, then I have to do it myself. I respect Fourth Aunt to gain her trust. I let Xiu'er go to serve her because I want her to be a scapegoat. She killed An'er, and I want her to pay for An'er's life."
"Ah?" Li didn't expect this to happen. Her expression changed again and again, as if she had just met Hu Sanmu for the first time. She looked him up and down carefully, "Hu Sanmu, I never knew you were so thoughtful. You are so scary."
Hu Sanmu sneered: "You are scared again now, weren't you very powerful just now?"
Li said with an embarrassed look on her face: "I was just talking, but you, do you really want to kill someone?"
"Do you think I want to?" Hu Sanmu said helplessly, "This is Madam's order, how can I not obey it? Don't forget, the reason why we are where we are today is all Madam's grace. Madam can help us up, but she can also destroy us."
”… “Li opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
By the evening, Xie Nanjia had calmed down. The two maids prepared dinner and instructed her to deliver it to the Fourth Aunt.
The Fourth Aunt made a fuss all night and was sulking for a long time before she fell asleep on the bed. Xie Nanjia put the meal down and went back to the kitchen, asking the two maids whether they should wake her up.
Mrs. Liu said that since she had finally fallen asleep, let her sleep, as she would not starve to death if she skipped a meal.
Xie Nanjia did not call anyone, but served herself the rice and went to eat aside.
She was the only maid in the courtyard, so naturally she had to stand guard in the fourth concubine's room at night. After washing up, she went to sleep in the partition room in the fourth concubine's room.
In the middle of the night, the fourth aunt woke up and shouted at the top of her voice, saying that she was hungry and wanted to eat.
Xie Nanjia could cook but she couldn't light a fire, so she had to go to the servants' room and ask the two maids to get up and cook.
The two maids were sleeping soundly and neither of them wanted to get up.
Xie Nanjia had no patience for the two of them, and she didn't need to hide her shortcomings, so she reminded them, "Things change. Although Auntie is in trouble now, who knows if she won't make a comeback one day. If she is really taken back by the Marquis one day, you will be the first to be punished."
The two maids were surprised. They didn't expect that the little girl who was so timid during the day would suddenly become so sharp-tongued. Aunt Liu scolded: "I really underestimated you, little hoof. Do you think you can fly to the sky by holding the thigh of Auntie? You actually teach us a lesson."
"Alright, alright, it's the middle of the night, stop talking!" Ma Pozi stood up and said, "I'll go make her something to eat, otherwise she won't be able to have a good night."
"If you want to show your courtesy, just go ahead. I'm not going anyway." Mrs. Liu turned over and continued to sleep.
Mrs. Ma put on her clothes and went out with Xie Nanjia.
She went to the kitchen to light a fire and cook, and Xie Nanjia replied to the fourth aunt.
When the fourth aunt saw her come in, she asked immediately, "What's the matter? Do you think I'm dead? You don't even want to make food for me?"
Xie Nanjia poured her a glass of water: "Auntie, you are overthinking. Ma is doing it. Drink some water to moisten your throat first."
Fourth Aunt took the water and took a sip. Xie Nanjia had been so respectful, so she couldn't lose her temper anymore. She said angrily, "You are a real person, unlike those people who are superficial."
Xie Nanjia said: "The chief steward paid me, so I naturally have to do my part well."
The fourth concubine sneered: "Are you willing to serve me, your concubine in distress, all the time?"
When Xie Nanjia heard her say this, she knew that she was still judging people from the perspective of the Marquis' Mansion. Naturally, no one in the Marquis' Mansion was willing to serve a master who had lost power, but this was the Manor, and she was the only one who could be considered the master.
Xie Nanjia advised: "Aunt, don't give up on yourself. You are the only master here, you have to show your master's demeanor. You have to look at people's faces every day in the mansion. When you come here, it's a good opportunity to relax and just think of it as a way to relax. Maybe the Marquis will come to pick you up one day!"
"Really?" Fourth Aunt's eyes lit up, "I am the only master, will the Marquis come to take me back?"
"Of course it's true." Xie Nanjia said, "No matter what situation a person is in, he should never give up hope. If you love yourself, don't get angry. A woman who is in a bad mood ages quickly. Imagine, if the Marquis comes, what kind of you do you want him to see?"
"Of course it's the beautiful and charming me." Fourth Aunt's eyes brightened. "You are right. No matter what situation a person is in, he should not give up hope. The Marquis still has feelings for me. I will wait for him happily here."
"You are right to think so, Auntie." Xie Nanjia said, "Please sit down first. I will go to the kitchen to see if the meal is ready."
"Go quickly and come back to talk to me." The fourth aunt instructed.
Xie Nanjia smiled and replied "yes".
After so many days, she finally felt like smiling.
The fourth concubine was dazzled by her smile. After she left, she said to herself, "She smiles so beautifully. If I could really go back, I would not take her with me. If the Marquis saw her, there would be no way I could survive."
Xie Nanjia went to the kitchen and saw Mrs. Ma pouring something into the pot. When she heard footsteps, she hurriedly threw the thing into the stove.
Xie Nanjia's heart skipped a beat, and he went over to ask, "What did you throw?"
(End of this chapter)