Kong Nanny’s expression was deeply unpleasant. She swept her gaze coldly over the four girls in turn, her eyes sharpening in an instant to a piercing severity — like the killing chill of deep winter — as that gaze passed over them. The four girls could not help but shrink into themselves; without realizing it, they all fell quiet and stood meekly to one side, each with an uneasy heart.
For a moment the room held only the faint sound of Molan’s soft, intermittent sobbing. She cried and wiped her face with her handkerchief, the picture of pear-blossom-in-rain, sneaking glances at Kong Nanny from the corner of her eye and waiting for the Nanny to come ask about her grievances. But Kong Nanny paid her no attention at all. Without a single word, she walked directly to the seat of authority and had her small maid bring four sets of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, along with four copies of the “Women’s Precepts” — all spread out one by one before the four girls.
The girls, in frightened confusion, twisted their handkerchiefs in their fingers and looked at each other. Kong Nanny’s face was glacially cold, without the shadow of a smile, and she said in an icy voice: “Fifty copies each. Anyone who does not finish need not come back again.”
Rulan, unwilling to submit, was just opening her mouth to protest, when Kong Nanny’s austere and imposing gaze swept to her and pinned her in place; she deflated and retreated. Hualan bit her lip and picked up her brush to begin copying at once. Minglan sighed quietly and followed suit. Only Molan looked at Kong Nanny with disbelief, her tears forgotten, standing frozen to the spot. Kong Nanny paid none of them any further attention, took up a scroll of Buddhist scripture and read it on her own. With no other option, Molan also began to copy.
They copied on — all the way to dusk in the west. Seeing that mealtime was approaching, Kong Nanny still did not move; she had a maid light the lamps and, without a word, let the girls continue. By this point Minglan had written until her arm was numb and her head was spinning. She looked around at her fellow sufferers — every one wore a face as bitter as traditional Chinese medicine, and chief among them was the young Rulan, who kept stretching her neck and peering toward the outside.
Outside, several maids and nannies stood waiting — sent from various quarters to escort their young mistresses to dinner. They had already called in several times in quiet voices. The girls were hungry and exhausted, all hoping to be released, but Kong Nanny seemed not to hear any of it; she simply sent her little maid out to say “class has not yet ended.” The four girls all drooped their heads in unison. Minglan fumed inwardly — she herself was innocent! After another interval, Kong Nanny glanced at the copper water-clock, then directed another maid: “Please go and ask the Master, the Mistress, and Lin Yiniang to come.”
At that, all four girls were alarmed. They knew the situation was about to escalate. Hualan was particularly distressed; Molan stole glances at Kong Nanny; Rulan, who feared Sheng Hong most of all, had her writing brush trembling in her hand. Minglan kept writing without pause but felt a creeping panic within. This scene bore a resemblance to her childhood memory of being kept after class for an infraction, waiting in the classroom while a fierce and thunderous homeroom teacher awaited the arrival of parents to collect the culprit. Who would have thought that after being reborn, Minglan would once again experience this particular privilege — it gave her a strangely familiar feeling, like running into an old acquaintance in a foreign land.
Before long, Sheng Hong and his wife, together with Lin Yiniang, had all arrived. Swept by their father’s stern gaze, all four girls simultaneously tucked in their necks. Kong Nanny rose, ceded the upper seat to Sheng Hong and Wang Shi, but Sheng Hong first declined; only then did the two of them sit, and Kong Nanny seated herself in a large armchair padded with grey squirrel fur to one side. A low-footed stool was placed for Lin Yiniang at the lower end; she gave a slight bow but did not sit, remaining standing to one side. Minglan had not seen Lin Yiniang for some time since leaving Wang Shi’s quarters. She saw that her figure remained slender and graceful, her bearing soft and delicate — dressed in a fine outer garment of magnolia-blue brocade embroidered with paired plum blossoms, she was elegantly lovely. In her hair was a single hair pin of kingfisher feathers set with white jade and tiny jingling bells — which made a delicate ringing sound as she moved. She effortlessly outshone Wang Shi beside her, who was decked with pearls and jade ornaments.
“Wretched girls — what trouble have you caused this time? Why do you not speak?” Sheng Hong took one look and knew his daughters had gotten into mischief. He said in a low, contained voice, while casting an apologetic glance toward Kong Nanny. Wang Shi looked anxiously at her two daughters but dared not say much. Lin Yiniang, poised and composed, stood with her head bowed, unmoving. None of the four girls dared make a sound.
Kong Nanny, seeing everyone seated, gestured to her attendants; the four little maids at her side — as though trained and disciplined — moved in precise and efficient unison. Two of them went outside to keep the outer maids and nannies at a respectful distance; two of them shut and secured all the doors and windows of the Weirui Pavilion’s main room, leaving inside only the few most trusted attendants.
Once everything was arranged, Kong Nanny turned to Sheng Hong with a smile and spoke in a gentle tone: “I am sorry to have disturbed everyone this evening. In the ordinary way of things, this matter would not require putting so many people to the trouble — but since the Old Madam has entrusted me with this duty, I would not dare be negligent or delay, and so have presumed to trouble the Master. And since Mo Jie’er is being raised in Lin Yiniang’s quarters, Lin Yiniang too has been disturbed.”
Sheng Hong immediately cupped his hands: “Nanny, please say whatever you need to. These wretched girls must have been making trouble and angered Nanny.” He shot another sharp look at his daughters; the four girls shrank into themselves and did not dare speak.
Kong Nanny waved her hand in a mild, pleasant manner. “It is not exactly anger — only that the young ladies are growing older, and certain matters of right and wrong need to be sorted through. It is within my duty. That I have caused the Master such alarm today is itself a failing on my part.” Then she said: “Yan’er, come out here. Recount the events of this afternoon clearly.”
A small maid stepped out from behind Kong Nanny, came to the center of the room, performed a curtsy, and then recounted the afternoon’s quarrel from beginning to end. Though the girl was young, she was articulate, her voice clear and bright, and she relayed the words of each of the four girls in exact detail — not adding a syllable, not dropping a syllable. Hearing themselves repeated thus, the several young ladies all flushed red and hung their heads in shame.
After listening, Wang Shi found herself feeling it had been somewhat blown out of proportion — this was nothing more than a quarrel among sisters. But Sheng Hong grew more enraged with each word; by the end, he slapped the table hard and bellowed: “You wretched girls — kneel!”
The girls started to kneel, but Kong Nanny stopped them. “The floor is cold — do not freeze the young ladies’ knees.” Then she had a maid produce four thick brocade velvet kneeling cushions, arranging them side by side on the floor, and with a nod of her chin indicated that they might now kneel. The girls knelt in a row; Minglan was a complete novice at kneeling and sank down at an angle. Kong Nanny very kindly helped her correct her posture.
Sheng Hong pounded the table with a resounding crack, his voice nearly shaking the rafters, and pointed at the kneeling girls: “Wretched, wretched girls — behaving without the slightest sense of propriety, speaking such wild words — how are you any different from crude village girls? What face do you have to call yourselves daughters of the Sheng family? And it is a mercy you are girls — if you were boys, it would come to fighting over the estate in time, and right now we would be looking at the calamity of brothers turning against each other. We might as well kill you all now and be done with it!”
And he moved to retrieve the household rod. Minglan had never seen a household rod before; Rulan was too ignorant to be afraid; but Hualan and Molan were frightened into tears. Wang Shi had wanted to intercede but, seeing Sheng Hong’s rage, gripped her handkerchief without daring to open her mouth, and looked instead to Kong Nanny for help. Kong Nanny smiled and waved her hand. “Master, there is no need to anger yourself — punishment alone will not achieve much; they must be made to understand where they went wrong. I have the modest role of educational governess to these young ladies — in a stretched sense, one could say I am half a teacher to them. I am being presumptuous, but would you allow me to question them?”
Sheng Hong, beside himself with fury and full of apology toward Kong Nanny, said: “Nanny’s cultivation and discernment are of the first order — even the noble ladies of the palace you have questioned and instructed in your time. These wretched girls are as nothing — please, Nanny, question them as you see fit.”
Kong Nanny’s gaze swept the four kneeling girls. “Do you all know where you went wrong?” The young ladies immediately said they knew. Kong Nanny asked further: “Then where, exactly?” The girls’ expressions shifted — some clenched their teeth, some dabbed at tears, some sulked, some stared blankly. Hualan bit her lip and was the first to speak: “Your daughter was wrong. I should not have scolded my sister — only stirred up trouble and caused Father and Mother to worry.”
Wang Shi glanced at Sheng Hong, uncertain what to make of it; Sheng Hong’s face showed nothing. Kong Nanny gave a faint smile and looked at Molan. Molan trembled like a leaf in the wind, visibly both frightened and grieved, and choked out: “Your daughter was also wrong. I should not have talked back to Elder Sister.”
Kong Nanny’s mouth curved very slightly at the corner. Next came Rulan; she was not truly sorry, and said only: “I should not have quarreled with my sister.”
Finally it was Minglan’s turn. Minglan was on the verge of tears without being able to shed any — she had racked her brain and still could not work out what she had done wrong. After a long struggle, her small face flushed quite red, and she said meekly: “I… I… I genuinely do not know.”
Sheng Hong had relaxed somewhat. He had listened to the maid’s account of events, and no matter how he heard it, Minglan had done nothing wrong — had not quarreled, had not started trouble, had not fanned the flames — and had in fact offered a few well-meaning words of calm. Yet here she was, kneeling on the floor as well. Looking at the little one’s childlike, pitiful expression, he felt real sympathy for her, and then sweeping his gaze to Molan’s sorrowful weeping and recalling Hualan’s and Rulan’s cold and biting words, his fury rose once more. He pointed at Hualan and scolded: “You are the eldest sister — older than the rest by a good many years. I counted on you to take care of your younger sisters and set a proper example. Instead you have been this cold and dismissive, without the slightest feeling for your sister. Once you have married out, it will be you who shames our Sheng family!”
Hualan, burning with fury inside, pressed her fingernails deep into her palm, and stubbornly kept her head down without a single word of defense. Sheng Hong then pointed at Rulan and scolded: “And you are no better at such a young age — what nonsense you dare to say out loud! ‘Where did you pick up those base tricks, always wanting to snatch what belongs to others’? Molan is your elder sister — is this any way for a younger sister to speak to an elder one? And seeing your sister cry so hard, you do not even know to yield a little. Have I never told you the story of Kong Rong and the pear? Ignorant, ill-bred child!”
Rulan’s temperament was volatile and quick-burning; hearing this, she immediately retorted: “Must everything good first be given to her? Last year, Uncle sent a piece of fine seed jade to make a jade lock for me, but Fourth Sister saw it and cried until Father gave it to her! And that time Father specially brought Elder Brother a piece of premium field-yellow stone to make a seal — it was intercepted halfway and taken away by Brother! Why must Father always make us yield to her? I will not accept it — I simply will not!”
Sheng Hong’s arm trembled with rage; he was about to strike Rulan when Wang Shi intervened, clutching his arm and weeping: “Master is so partial — the children have all made mistakes here, but Kong Nanny treats them equally and without distinction. You single out only my two for scolding. Does Master resent me now? If so, I might as well leave this very moment!”
In an instant the room dissolved into chaos. Lin Yiniang stood with her head bowed and softly wiped her eyes. Molan wept in true distress. Kong Nanny glanced at the mother and daughter and her gaze held what seemed like scorn; then she set down her teacup, rose to her feet, smiled at Sheng Hong, and said: “Master, please do not be upset. This is not really so very grave a mistake — but since I am in the position of governess, it is my duty to address it. That I have put the Master to such distress today is itself a fault on my part.”
Sheng Hong shook his hands repeatedly. “Nanny, please — these words are all wrong. The fault lies entirely with my lax governance of my own household — I have made Nanny laugh at me. And since Nanny and Mother are old friends, you are to us as a senior family member. …Very well — please, Nanny, speak.”
Kong Nanny stood at the head of the room and addressed the four girls in a clear, carrying voice: “Most things in this world come down in the end to the principle of right and wrong. I have never liked the habit of saying one thing to one’s face and another behind one’s back — that only causes words to be misrepresented and misunderstood. So today, in front of all of you young ladies and before your parents, I will say everything clearly once and for all. Just now you all said you understood your mistakes — I rather doubt you do. Let me now ask you.”
The girls all fell silent. Kong Nanny continued: “Very well. Let us start from the very cause. Fourth Young Miss — raise your head. I ask you: Fifth Young Miss says you crowded yourself ahead of Eldest Young Miss at every turn and dragged her back — do you acknowledge this?”
Molan’s eyes brimmed and overflowed with tears; she said in a plaintive, pitiful voice: “It is all my lack of sense. I had only wanted to learn as much as possible from Kong Nanny, to bring credit to Father and honor to the family — I had no idea I was causing discomfort to my sisters. It is all my fault…”
Hearing this, Sheng Hong’s face softened with reluctance, and recalling Wang Shi’s previous complaints, he cast another displeased look at Hualan.
Hualan felt a surge of hatred so fierce she nearly threw herself forward to give this silver-tongued sister a pinch. Wang Shi nearly ground her silver teeth to powder. Kong Nanny gave a short, quiet laugh, then said: “Fourth Young Miss, you are a clever and perceptive person, and very thorough in speech and action — yet today I must still counsel you on something. Do not, because of a measure of cleverness, take everyone else for a fool. Remember: too much cleverness works against the clever.”
At these words, Molan stopped crying at once, her eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at Kong Nanny, and then she turned to look at Sheng Hong with an expression of grievance. Sheng Hong too seemed somewhat perplexed.
Kong Nanny went on without any change in her manner: “You have committed two errors. The first is your error in speech. When you quarreled with your sisters, you should not have opened and closed your mouth on the subject of concubine-born and legitimate-born. Though I have been in this household only a short while, Fourth Young Miss — search your conscience: how has Master Sheng treated you? When you were not accommodated, you immediately opened your mouth to speak of dying — is this the conduct proper to a lady of a good family?”
Molan’s light sobs continued; Lin Yiniang began to feel she could not remain seated still, and shifted slightly in place, looking at Sheng Hong with a pleading gaze. But Sheng Hong did not look at her; he seemed moved by Kong Nanny’s words and was listening attentively.
Kong Nanny said: “Your second error is that the intention in your heart was not right. You speak again and again of wanting to learn things, of bringing credit to your father and honor to your family — but are you the only daughter in the Sheng household? Is it only when you have brought honor that Sheng Mansion can be said to have glory? What of your sisters — do they not also need to learn things and bring honor? Never mind the fact that I came here for your Eldest Sister to begin with — you might also consider: how many more days does your Eldest Sister have to spend in the same place as the rest of you? A few months from now, she will be leaving this house. And what she is marrying into is an earl’s household, where rules and propriety are precisely of the utmost importance. Even setting aside the principle of yielding among sisters, you ought to have been thinking of Eldest Sister’s urgent need. I have heard that Lin Yiniang herself came from an official family — can she really have never taught you that, regardless of seniority or birth, one must still know how to weigh urgency and importance?!”
Sheng Hong was in his heart a clear-minded man, but because he was deeply tender toward Lin Yiniang, his heart had tilted somewhat in Molan’s favor as well. Hearing Kong Nanny’s reasoning now, his heart gave a sudden lurch — this was right; seen in this light, it was Molan who was narrow-minded and self-seeking. His gaze toward Molan and Lin Yiniang grew complex and laden. Minglan, kneeling on the floor, stole a glance at Lin Yiniang and saw that her slender fingers were clutching her handkerchief with white-knuckled tightness, the veins standing out on the back of her hand.
Kong Nanny went on: “Fourth Young Miss, I know you have always striven to be best in everything. But each person has their own fate and fortune. Today’s matter looks on the surface like Eldest Young Miss who started it — but you yourself bear a great part of the responsibility. These past ten-odd days you have competed and pushed yourself to the front at every turn, seized every first opportunity, and at every disappointment cried and accused heaven and earth and blamed your own concubine-born status. In all this conduct of yours — have you held even half a thought for sisterly feeling? Half a thread of gratitude for your father’s kindness?”
The string of questions, though spoken calmly, struck at every weak point. Molan was rendered utterly speechless — tears still on her cheeks, mouth open and closing without a sound. She turned to look at Sheng Hong and saw displeasure and reproach in his gaze; she turned to look at Lin Yiniang and saw that she too was stunned and furious, yet unable to speak up on her behalf. Molan’s heart turned cold; she sank listlessly against the floor, wiping her tears quietly.
Kong Nanny turned and performed a slight bow toward Sheng Hong, then said in a gentle voice: “Just now you said that you and the Old Madam are old friends — I take the liberty today to speak a few words further on that account. In a household of many children, the parents must above all hold the scales evenly to keep the peace of the house. Though sisters must yield to one another in turn, it is a matter of today this one yields, tomorrow that one yields — there is no principle by which only one side should always be yielding. Over time, father and children and sisters alike will inevitably grow estranged and resentful. Master — do you not think that is so?”
Her bearing was aged and her voice gentle and melodious, yet the reasoning was clear and orderly, and the listener could not help but be convinced. Sheng Hong, thinking back on his own past conduct, reflected that among daughters it might still be manageable — but if the same resentments were to arise among his sons, the Sheng family would not long endure. And besides, the legitimate children had their own way of living, the concubine-born had theirs; his excessive favor toward Lin Yiniang’s branch of the family might well bring calamity in time. Thinking this far, a cold sweat broke out on his back. He clasped his hands repeatedly to Kong Nanny and agreed.
At that moment, the proud and stubborn Hualan could no longer hold back — hot tears broke through and streamed down her face. Wang Shi pressed her handkerchief to her eyes. Mother and daughter together looked at Kong Nanny with immeasurable gratitude. Minglan listened with her eyes shining, struck with full admiration for Kong Nanny from the depths of her soul — how sharp and forthright, how utterly satisfying!
After addressing Molan, Kong Nanny turned to Hualan. By this point, Hualan’s heart had calmed and her breath had settled; she knelt bolt-upright, her posture straight and dignified, looking at Kong Nanny with an attitude of willing submission, ready to receive whatever instruction she would give.
Kong Nanny spoke gravely: “Eldest Young Miss, you are the foremost daughter of Sheng Mansion — inherently more distinguished than your sisters. The Master and the Old Madam both dote on you the most, and over time this has nurtured in you what I would call the twin airs of the pampered and the proud. In ordinary times, when your heart was discontented, you would scold your sisters directly and bluntly — and none would ever check you. And what is more, for these past ten-odd days you have been seething inside.”
Hualan nodded with difficulty. Kong Nanny looked at her and said with great earnestness: “Eldest Young Miss, I will say a few words that may not be pleasant to hear. A daughter is a cherished guest in her own home, and to be doted on to any degree is perfectly natural. But the moment she becomes a daughter-in-law in someone else’s household, she is instantly turned upside down. Father-in-law and mother-in-law must be reverenced and attended to; the husband must be considered with careful devotion; the sisters-in-law and young ladies of the household must be warmed with diligent smiles; not a single person in the husband’s family from top to bottom may be lightly offended — and if anything goes wrong, the fault will be yours, and you will not even be able to defend yourself! Your Fourth Sister may indeed have been in the wrong, but you ought not to have wounded her with cold and cutting words. An elder sister should find a way that both lets the younger sister recognize her mistake and preserves the harmony between sisters.”
Hualan could not help herself: “But Fourth Sister never listens to me. No matter how gently or firmly I approach her — it makes no difference. Nanny, what should I do?”
Kong Nanny said coolly: “That is a matter of your own skill and capability. Today you cannot even manage things smoothly between your own blood sisters — when you step out of these doors, there will be the in-laws on one side, the sisters-in-law on another, the uncles and their families on a third, and the household stewardesses on a fourth — a whole house full of strangers with no shared blood, no shared mountains and rivers — how will you navigate that entire arena? Do you really think you can have your parents come and stand up for you?”
Hualan sat stunned, still lost in thought. Wang Shi, a woman who had been through it all herself, understood that these were words of genuine care from Kong Nanny, and kept expressing her gratitude: “Nanny, these are truly words spoken from the heart. These words spoken from the innermost soul — our Hua’er must remember them well. Hua’er, quickly thank Kong Nanny.” Hualan had already gone blank; she was pressed down by the wife of Nanny Liu’s family standing beside her and was helped to bow her head to Kong Nanny.
Seeing Kong Nanny subdue both elder sisters with just a few words, Rulan had already been quietly keeping her head low for some time. Kong Nanny glanced at her without an ounce of goodwill and said sharply: “Fifth Young Miss had quite a show of authority today. The fact is, your two elder sisters had only quarreled a little; it could have been smoothed over and put behind them without incident. Instead, you were afraid the fire was not large enough — rather than persuading anyone, you jumped up and about, fanning the flames and stoking the fire. Young as you are, you still ought not to speak without any restraint or filter. And just now when your father said a few words to correct you, however unpleasant to hear, you ought not to have answered back with such insolence and impudence. If you ask me, you deserve to be punished more severely than your sisters!”
Rulan was about to cry out in protest when Sheng Hong’s fierce eyes locked onto her in an instant; she tucked in her head and kowtowed again and again: “I was wrong, I was wrong — Father, please forgive me! I will not dare speak such nonsense again!”
Seeing Rulan submit, Sheng Hong’s anger was partly appeased. He had always known this daughter of his was single-minded and unruly by nature — but now she had been brought to heel, and he let his anger go.
Finally, Kong Nanny’s gaze came to rest on Minglan. Minglan’s forehead tightened; she immediately knelt up properly and bravely raised her head. Kong Nanny looked into Minglan’s pair of clear, limpid eyes: “You certainly feel that you did nothing wrong and should not be made to suffer along with the others — is that not so?”
Minglan hesitated a moment, then nodded with determination. Kong Nanny said calmly: “Let me tell you a principle today: in a family, brothers and sisters are like branches of the same tree — when one flourishes, all flourish; when one is damaged, all suffer. Even if you yourself did not err, but your several sisters all erred — your having made no error is itself an error. Therefore I will punish you together with them. Do you accept this?”
Minglan’s mouth fell open. She turned to look — and Kong Nanny’s maid was already approaching with a tray holding several bamboo rulers. She nearly fainted then and there. This — this was outright guilt by association! Heavens — what manner of situation was this?! But this was the ancient world, and there was no refusing it; Minglan could only nod with a face of deepest sorrow.
It was actually Sheng Hong who felt Minglan was pitiable; he could not help interceding for her: “Nanny, Minglan has after all done nothing truly wrong. Besides, she is the youngest and the weakest in constitution. Perhaps a verbal reprimand would suffice — she has always been obedient and well-behaved, and I am certain she will keep this lesson to heart in the future.”
Kong Nanny was impartially unyielding: “No, that will not do. If she alone is spared, will that not encourage the brothers and sisters to stand aloof from each other’s affairs in the future? When those close to them are in trouble, will they not all simply watch from across the bank? The punishment cannot be waived. Today’s caning for Minglan is to make all of the young ladies understand what it means to be a family!”
Minglan cried out inwardly: Why must the point be made by beating her?!
Kong Nanny took a few steps and stood quietly. “You sisters quarreling — I have never interfered in all these past dozen or so days. I sat deaf and blind all this while, thinking that since you are after all blood sisters, in the end you would make it up on your own and resolve matters yourselves. Who could have thought that your quarreling is no better than the squabbling of poor children fighting over scraps of food and hand-me-down clothing? Not a trace of the bearing proper to ladies of good family — I am truly disappointed. Know this: for a family clan to prosper, brothers and sisters must work in unity and pull as one. It is so often the case that great families begin their decline from within. I trust all the young ladies here will take this as a serious lesson.”
Sheng Hong listened and nodded repeatedly — this was entirely right. If they eventually made it to the capital, they must not end up as a laughingstock. Kong Nanny’s words today were truly like gold and jade — even he himself had received an education alongside them. She was indeed a woman who had come from the imperial palace.
Kong Nanny’s final verdict: “You are each to receive ten strokes of the ruler on the palm, right now. Go home and finish all fifty copies of the ‘Women’s Precepts.’ Whoever has not completed them by tomorrow morning need not come before me again!”
With that she lifted and flourished the ruler from the tray before her. The ruler was made from aged bamboo — supple, tough, and resilient — gleaming with a faint reddish luster in the light of the newly lit lamps, and swishing with a sharp sound through the air as she waved it. The sound alone was enough to make one’s hair stand on end before it even touched skin. Rulan went halfway limp, beseeching and tugging at the hem of Wang Shi’s garment; Molan began her delicate weeping once more; Hualan set her chin stubbornly and pressed her lips together; Minglan was frozen in a daze.
Kong Nanny exhaled slowly, her gaze rolling across the few people in the room, and then said: “However, you are in the end pampered young ladies. After receiving your punishment today, this matter need not be spoken of outside — your reputations as young ladies shall be preserved.”
She then directed four maids to each take a ruler and stand beside their respective young mistress. Wang Shi, looking at the ruler, felt a pang of unwillingness and was about to appeal for mercy when a soft, melodious voice suddenly rang out —
“Nanny, please wait.”
Everyone turned to look. It was Lin Yiniang.