Xie Nanjia didn't know that Zhao Jingyu was investigating her. After sighing, she calmed down and returned to the kitchen.
Before she came back, Aunt Cai had already received the news, so as soon as she returned, she was called to the manager's office.
Aunt Cai was also unable to see through her. For some reason, she always felt that she was like peeling an onion. After peeling off one layer, there was another layer. Each layer looked like an onion, but each layer was different.
Just like now, Xiu'er was standing in front of her with her hands folded. She still looked like the same Xiu'er, but she was different from before.
As the highest manager of the kitchen, she often didn't see the Marquis for a month or two. Xiu'er was fine, but when she went out, she had the job of making midnight snacks for the Marquis. Although it was an extra job on top of her main job, this kind of work was not something that everyone could get if they wanted.
"Since it was Madam who ordered you to do it, this is your blessing. The Marquis is precious, you must serve him carefully and don't make any mistakes." She carefully instructed Xie Nanjia, "When making the soup, someone should be watching by the side, and when serving the soup, someone should also be with you. In case there is something unclear, someone can be a witness for you."
Aunt Cai spoke cryptically, but she was actually telling Xie Nanjia that she had offended a lot of people today and that she had to be careful and not fall into other people's traps.
Xie Nanjia naturally knew it, and responded respectfully: "Thank you for your reminder, Auntie. I will be careful."
Aunt Cai added, "Being careful is not enough, you also need to respect yourself. Don't think that you will have the chance to go to the front yard and then have thoughts that you shouldn't have. There are many maids in this mansion who have bad intentions, but they are all gone now."
Seeing that she was being serious, Xie Nanjia couldn't help but laugh: "Don't worry, Auntie. The Marquis can be my father, so I won't have any ideas about him."
Aunt Cai glared at her in reproach. "Don't talk nonsense. I'm just reminding you to remember your identity. The Marquis doesn't have only the Marquis. The Crown Prince and the Second Young Master often visit him. In addition, there are other masters and young masters from other mansions who visit him at night. No matter who you meet, you must keep your duty and don't embarrass me. Do you understand?"
"I understand. Thank you for your teachings, Auntie." Xie Nanjia said.
Aunt Cai remembered something and asked again, "Where did you learn that medicinal diet for treating infantile vomiting?"
Xie Nanjia said, "When I was in the village, the child of the aunt next door vomited milk, and the doctor prescribed this prescription. I helped make it, so I remembered it in my heart."
Aunt Cai nodded and said, "I see. Country people do have many effective folk remedies. I'll ask someone to go to the old lady's courtyard and ask how effective they are. If they are good, you can make some more and send them over so that the young master can get better soon."
Xie Nanjia's eyes lit up: "It's better not to bother two people with one thing, I'll go ask it myself!"
Aunt Cai said, "That's good. This way you can see that you've done your best. Maybe the old lady will be happy and give you something nice."
Xie Nanjia didn't want the reward, she just wanted another chance to get closer to her son.
Later, after she finished her own business, she went to Ci'anju.
The old lady liked quietness. Her yard was far away from other people's yards. If one wanted to get to her place, one had to pass through the yards of the eldest, second and fourth young ladies. The other two young ladies lived with their aunts.
Among so many courtyards, the Yilan Courtyard of the Fourth Young Lady is the most shabby. Compared with the courtyards of other young ladies, it looks like a mixed courtyard. And the Fourth Young Lady herself is like a weed in the eyes of everyone, no one cares about her and she grows alone. Even if she gets married in the future, the best she can do is to marry a bastard of equal status, or become a concubine of some master.
This is the fate of a concubine's daughter.
Of course, if she could be favored by her stepmother, she might make some plans for her and choose a legitimate son from a slightly inferior family to give her a chance to turn things around. However, her biological mother died early, she could not please her father, and she had no say in front of Qin. Even if such a good thing happened, the other two concubines would try their best to give it to their own daughters, and it would never be her turn.
When passing by her yard, Xie Nanjia stopped outside for a while.
Although the fourth young lady was not favored, her character was the best among the sisters. She was kind-hearted, treated people sincerely, and was also the best at needlework.
In her previous life, when Xie Nanjia was diagnosed with pregnancy, several young ladies sent some insignificant gifts to congratulate her. Only the fourth young lady spent half a month carefully embroidering a pair of tiger-head shoes and a set of children's clothes and hats and delivered them personally. She didn't even dare to raise her head in front of her, but just timidly told her not to think it was shabby.
Naturally, she would not feel shabby, but instead thought that her kindness was the most precious.
At that time, she was still thinking that when the fourth young lady got married, she would definitely help her find a husband of her dreams. However, she didn't expect that before her words could come true, she was killed by someone.
When we arrived at Ci'an Residence, we could hear laughter and children babbling from afar. I guess the old lady had nothing to do after dinner, so she was playing with the children.
Xie Nanjia's heart instantly flew to the child, and she couldn't wait to step into the door, hug her son in her arms and kiss him.
Just as he was thinking this, he was stopped by the little girl before he even entered the door.
The little girl found out the reason and reported it to the old lady, who then took her into the house.
The old lady was wearing ordinary home clothes and leaning on the square couch. The child was also placed on the couch, and a group of people gathered around to watch him turn over.
Maybe there is nothing to do in this yard on weekdays, so I can watch the child turning over with great interest.
Xie Nanjia entered the house, prostrated herself on the ground and kowtowed to the old lady. The maids and servants stopped laughing and stepped aside. Only Hualou was left half-kneeling in front of the couch, watching over the child, fearing that the child would fall off.
Xie Nanjia was very pleased to see that she cared so much about the child.
The old lady asked calmly, "Why are you here so late?"
Xie Nanjia replied, "Mrs. Cai is worried about the young master, so she asked me to come and see if the medicinal food has any effect?"
The old lady's expression became much kinder. "It's rare that she cares so much. I think she's getting better. She hasn't vomited or cried for half a day. If it's convenient for you, you might as well make another can and send it to me."
"Yes, it is very convenient for me. I will make it and send it to you when I get back." Xie Nanjia was happy and had a smile on her face.
The old lady looked at her carefully and said, "You are a good girl. I can see that you really want the best for the young master. You have done a great deed today. I should have rewarded you generously. But I still can't understand why you are so sure that there will be something harmful to the young master in the nurse's room."
Xie Nanjia was secretly shocked. Although the old lady's words sounded nice, she was actually still suspicious of her. If she hadn't cured the young master, she probably wouldn't have asked her in such a friendly manner, but would have tied her up and tortured her.
"In reply to the old lady, I am not so sure. I just guessed based on what I saw and heard. I thought that the young master was healthy and well taken care of. It doesn't make sense that a spitting up of milk can never be cured. So I wondered if the nurse had eaten something she shouldn't have."
"It's just a guess, but you dared to ask me to send people to search the yard. That's a bit too bold. What if my people don't find anything? Aren't you afraid of being punished?"
"I am not afraid. Even if I am punished, I will be kicked out of the house at most. But if we can't find the cause of the young master's illness, he will keep vomiting. My life is not as important as his."
After hearing this, the old lady was silent for a long time. Finally, she asked the maid beside her to reward Xie Nanjia with an ingot of silver.
"I think that for you, silver is more practical than jewelry. This ingot of silver is a reward for your loyalty to the Lord. In your free time in the future, you should visit the young master more often."
Xie Nanjia almost burst into tears. Little did the old lady know that for her, the money was not the best reward, but the last words were.
She took the silver, kowtowed to the old lady sincerely, and stood up to leave.
She really wanted to run to the bedside and hug her son before leaving, but she held back. Although being close to her son was a true expression of her feelings, it would seem deliberate to others. Anyway, with the old lady by her side, she would be able to see her son often in the future, so she was not in a hurry.
The same thing happened to Hualou. She really wanted to chase her out and ask Xiu'er why she helped her. First, she helped her kill someone, and now she got her the opportunity to take care of the young master. But she couldn't chase her, nor could she ask. She couldn't let others see that she and Xiu'er knew each other before, so as not to arouse suspicion.
Anyway, we will have a chance to see each other again in the future, so just wait until there is no one around to say hello. The most important thing now is to take good care of the child for the young lady to comfort her soul in heaven.
***
Three days later, Qin worked hard and finally arranged the child's residence within the time set by the old lady. She renamed it Sijinyuan and went to the old lady in person to pick up the child.
The old lady gave her another severe scolding, and assigned a maid and a woman from her own courtyard to go with Hualou to serve the young master. Together with the new wet nurse, there were four people in total.
The old lady thought that four people were not enough, and she was not confident in the people picked by Qin. Later, she followed Xie Nanjia's advice and thought that the young master needed a guard, so she transferred Feng Lun from the Marquis, and also transferred Xiaofu and Xiaoxi to be errand boys.
When Xie Nanjia recommended Feng Lun to the old lady, she said that it was Feng Lun who escorted her and the fourth aunt all the way back from the farm. She felt that Feng Lun was loyal, steady, careful, and skilled, and was a very reliable person who could be trusted.
As for Xiaofu and Xiaoxi, she only said that she knew them in the kitchen. These two were the smartest, most obedient and most honest of the servants.
The old lady didn't know why, but she trusted Xie Nanjia very much. Xie Nanjia said that these three people were reliable, so she transferred them all over.
She also said that it would be great if Xie Nanjia could go as well, so that there would be just eight people in total.
Of course Xie Nanjia also wanted to go over, but now was not the right time as she had other things to do.
So she suggested to the old lady that the eighth seat should be left vacant first and then transferred to it when a suitable candidate was found later.
The old lady followed her advice, and the young master's courtyard was temporarily divided into seven people. Hualou was the leader of the seven people, and she had the final say in everything.
The nanny beside the old lady was surprised at her trust in Xie Nanjia, so she asked her why. The old lady thought for a long time and said, "I can see from her eyes that she really wants the best for the young master. That kind of sincere and genuine kindness is no less than that of a biological mother."
At this point, the few people that Xie Nanjia trusted most in the Marquis' Mansion gathered in the young master's yard. From then on, she was no longer alone in this big mansion, and she could finally do things with confidence and boldness.
(End of this chapter)