Seeing this, Xu Shi calmly pulled Qin Yunyun behind her, positioning herself in front of Qin Yunyun, and with a smile changed the subject: “Doesn’t Yunyun come to keep you company every day? Who in this entire mansion doesn’t know this?”
Qin Shuying said gratefully: “Yes, thank you Sixth Sister, thank you First Madam.”
Xu Shi’s expression was gentle and kind: “We’re all family—don’t ever say such distant words again. Also, all of you listen well: Seventh Miss is weak in body, so you must serve her properly without the slightest negligence! Seventh Miss, Physician Liu said your body is weak and needs plenty of quiet rest. You’ve talked quite a bit today, so we won’t disturb you further. Rest well.”
Qin Shuying pleaded: “Sixth Sister, I still have things to say to you. Could you keep me company for a while?”
Qin Yunyun’s face showed some irritation. Xu Shi looked at Qin Yunyun with alert eyes, then said gently: “Seventh Miss, your Sixth Sister naturally wishes for nothing more than your quick recovery—how could she be unwilling to spend more time with you? It’s just that your Sixth Sister still needs to study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and can’t spare a moment. Even this time was squeezed out of her schedule. Besides, your body hasn’t fully recovered yet, and your Sixth Sister needs to return to copy scriptures and pray for your blessing! Don’t be anxious—as soon as she has free time, she’ll definitely come.”
That look Xu Shi gave Qin Yunyun didn’t escape Qin Shuying’s eyes.
No wonder Qin Lianlian, Qin Feifei, and Qin Yunyun always appeared so well-mannered, sensible, gentle, and gracious in front of outsiders—Xu Shi’s teachings truly took painstaking effort!
Qin Shuying’s face was full of disappointment and sadness as she struggled to reach for Qin Yunyun. Nanny Zhang blocked with her hand, separating Qin Yunyun from Qin Shuying, and with people bustling before and after, the group departed in grand procession. Even after they left the room, Qin Shuying’s voice could still be heard: “Sixth Sister must come see me tomorrow!”
Nanny Fu gazed toward the direction where Xu Shi had disappeared for a moment before turning back to Hong Juan and Hui Qin: “You all go about your business.”
Hui Qin, who had wanted to leave anyway, naturally disappeared in a flash. Hong Juan lowered her eyes submissively, curtsied meticulously, and only then departed.
Nanny Fu called out: “Lu Ye, you’re strong—come in and massage Miss’s legs.”
Hearing this, Lu Ye entered and cleverly positioned herself behind the door to begin her guard duty.
Only then did Nanny Fu speak to Qin Shuying: “Miss, your strategy was excellent—it saves us from their chatter disturbing Miss’s rest, so Miss can recover sooner. It’s just that Xu Shi and Sixth Miss are thick-skinned and won’t consider whether Miss rests well at all. They only care about their own reputation looking good, so they’ll come again next time.”
Qin Shuying sighed faintly: “My illness is getting worse and worse. I’m truly worried about passing my sickness to Sixth Miss! But I get along so well with Sixth Sister—she’s the only one I can talk to. What should I do?”
Hearing this, Nanny Fu couldn’t help but show a slight smile: “Indeed! But Sixth Miss has such good feelings toward Miss, and Miss thinks of her every day. Tomorrow this old servant will go beg Sixth Miss to come talk with Miss.”
Qin Shuying nodded, then said: “Nanny, I have some matters here that I need you to handle personally before I can feel at ease.”
Knowing she had serious business, Nanny Fu hurried to the bedside to listen carefully to Qin Shuying’s instructions. After hearing Qin Shuying’s words, though Nanny Fu was full of doubts, thinking of how Miss had changed completely after Master’s guidance in her dream, and how her methods of dealing with Xu Shi just now were seamless, she left the room. Before departing, she carefully instructed Lu Ye to watch the courtyard well.
That evening, when Hui Qin brought the medicine, Qin Shuying was already asleep. Hui Qin suppressed her impatience and pushed her awake: “Miss, time to take your medicine!”
Qin Shuying seemed startled, her arms flailing wildly in the air, then she screamed once and suddenly opened her eyes. After steadying herself, she uttered: “How terrifying, that scared me to death!”
Hui Qin once again looked at her clothes soaked with medicine in disbelief, then she shouted viciously: “Did you see a ghost? What are you moving around for? You’ve gotten my clothes all dirty!”
Qin Shuying seemed to only then realize there was another person in the room. Startled, she expressed remorse for Hui Qin’s medicine-soaked clothes, pleading ingratiatingly and humbly: “I’m sorry, sorry, Sister Hui Qin, I really didn’t do it on purpose.”
Hui Qin angrily shook off Qin Shuying’s hand that was grasping her clothes. Qin Shuying couldn’t support herself and fell back onto the bed. Hui Qin glared at her resentfully. Qin Shuying’s eyes brimmed with tears as she looked pleadingly at Hui Qin, but Hui Qin was furious and left after giving Qin Shuying a disdainful glance.
Just after Hui Qin left, Nanny Fu entered carrying a food box. She wasn’t afraid of being seen—the maids and old women often saw Nanny Fu using the food box to store food for Seventh Miss, because the main kitchen’s dishes didn’t suit her taste, and they refused to remake them for Qin Shuying. Nanny Fu felt sorry for Qin Shuying and often went outside to buy delicious food or brought some from home.
In the past six months, the maids and old women in Spring Garden, receiving hints from Nanny Zhang beside Xu Shi, had been deliberately making life difficult for Qin Shuying. When clothes were dirty, no one would take them to be washed; when she was hungry, no one would fetch food.
Qin Shuying, being weak-natured, had actually thought of using reward money to coax the maids and old women into working! Starting from a few coins, it had reached over five coins. Most of Qin Shuying’s real gold and silver, precious jewelry had been taken by Xu Shi under the pretext of safekeeping, so she didn’t have much money on hand.
Nanny Fu took out the medicine from the food box. Qin Shuying closed her eyes and smelled it carefully before drinking it all in one gulp.
“Miss, there are some words I don’t know if I should say or not.”
“Nanny, these years without your protection everywhere, I don’t know how many times I would have died. Now that I’ve been reminded by Father and want to live anew, how could I do it without you? Nanny, between you and me, anything can be said.”
Though Nanny Fu was moved, she didn’t waste words: “Miss, this old servant thinks we should win over Hong Juan. What does Miss think?”
“Nanny truly considers everything for me—I was just thinking the same thing.”
“Hong Juan was given by Old Madam originally, and she has served Miss attentively and properly. Now that Old Madam is aged and Xu Shi is in charge, Hong Juan doesn’t dare disobey Xu Shi either. Looking at these years, she has been loyal enough, but when it comes to planning for Miss, she has her concerns. Hong Juan is a house-born servant—her father is bedridden, her mother works in the laundry, and she has a younger brother who is seven years old this year with nothing to do. If she planned everything for Miss, she’d also fear that when Old Madam passes away someday, Xu Shi would be the first to not spare her. Being able to do what she’s done so far, Miss, Hong Juan has done quite well.”
“Does Nanny have a solution now?”
“Yes. Miss, if we had money now, we could treat her family’s illnesses or find her brother a position—that would be excellent.”
Old Madam had been very fond of Qin Shuying originally. Since she gave Hong Juan to her, it showed Hong Juan was trustworthy. And with her family situation being what it was, it was actually easier to handle—it gave Qin Shuying an opportunity to bestow favor.
Nanny Fu’s considerations were thorough and practical. Qin Shuying nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and said: “Nanny is right. As for money, let’s wait a bit longer.”
Nanny Fu was somewhat puzzled—where could money possibly come from? The monthly allowance was never enough. But seeing the mysterious light in Qin Shuying’s clear, bright eyes, she couldn’t help but be startled.