“Master, what matter is so urgent? I see you’ve grown thin lately—is it because of work matters? Although I don’t understand these things, if you don’t mind, please come sit with me. I’ll massage your shoulders and help you relax—that would be good.”
Qin Yongtao paused. If only she had always been like this, why would she have been confined now, unable to interfere in household affairs? Although Dong Shi was also quite capable, she was after all a daughter-in-law—many matters weren’t as convenient as having one’s own wife manage the inner household.
“It’s nothing serious. You should rest. I must go. Also, regarding Yunyun’s matter, you can rest assured—she will live peacefully and smoothly in the future.”
With that, Qin Yongtao strode out with large steps.
“Master…”
Qin Yongtao walked quickly and had already disappeared from sight.
Xu Shi stood dazedly at the doorway. Nanny Liu came in and knew the matter had failed, though she had been listening carefully to the sounds inside. When Qin Yongtao left, his expression had been quite calm.
Nanny Liu felt relieved and consoled, “Madam, take it slowly. The master will eventually remember your good points, and then you’ll be able to leave this place.”
Xu Shi wrung her hands anxiously: “But Yunyun and Kaiyu’s marriages are about to be settled!”
Nanny Liu’s eyes rolled, “Madam, as long as they haven’t married, nothing is set in stone. This old servant told you before—Seventh Miss’s engagement to the Liu family fell through. The master wanted to arrange for her to marry Chang Daocheng, and Chang Daocheng nearly succeeded, but didn’t that also fall through in the end? Who would have thought she’d ultimately be granted an imperial marriage to Liang Zhe.”
Nanny Liu’s original intention hadn’t been about Qin Yunyun at all, but rather her own revenge. How could she care when Qin Yunyun became engaged or married?
Xu Shi sat down, dispirited.
Nanny Liu thought to herself that if she didn’t let Xu Shi know about Qin Feifei’s situation, Xu Shi probably wouldn’t resort to more drastic measures.
However, the matter of Qin Feifei was something the master had personally arranged for her to handle, absolutely forbidding her to tell Xu Shi. So how could she let Xu Shi know about this?
Nanny Liu thought it over and came up with a good plan.
At dusk, as Xu Shi took her usual walk in the courtyard and rested by the wall, she “accidentally” overheard several maids outside the wall discussing Qin Feifei.
“Third Young Madam has been tortured terribly by the Lu family—her face has been scratched raw!”
“I’ve never seen such shameless people. Old Madam Lu actually forces Third Young Madam to come beg for food at our manor’s gate every day, like a beggar!”
“That’s right. Each time she comes, she has to bring the young master with her, and the young master cries so pitifully! Did you hear? Someone actually mistook Third Young Madam for a real beggar and threw steamed buns at her!”
“Third Young Master probably won’t hold out much longer. I heard that during his episodes, he doesn’t recognize anyone and just bangs his head against the wall. His whole body is covered with injuries, head bleeding!”
A clear voice interjected: “Third Young Master seemed like such a fine person—how could he do such things?”
“Who knows?”
The clear voice continued: “Didn’t they say Third Young Madam burned Second Miss to death? Could it be that Second Miss has found Third Young Master?”
“We shouldn’t talk about this…”
The clear voice said: “I remember now—it must have been three or four months ago when everyone in the Lu household jumped into the water, saying they were being haunted by Second Miss’s ghost.”
“Oh my, what you’re saying reminds me too. The Lu family had some Nanny Yuan who stole from Old Madam Lu and was about to flee far away, but was forced back to the Lu household by Second Miss’s ghost.”
The clear voice continued: “Didn’t they also say Second Young Master was being haunted by Cai Luan’s ghost, and Sixth Miss was also being haunted by Second Miss’s ghost?”
“What relationship does Sixth Miss have with Second Miss? Second Miss wasn’t killed by Sixth Miss.”
The clear voice said: “Oh, you don’t know? Third Miss killed Second Miss, so Second Miss can haunt Third Miss and can also haunt Third Miss’s biological sister! If not for this, Sixth Miss used to be such a gentle person—how could she suddenly change her nature and torture Caiying until there wasn’t a single good piece of flesh on her body?”
“We shouldn’t talk about this. Let’s just discuss the Lu manor’s affairs…”
The clear voice said: “What are you afraid of? Now, everyone knows about Second Young Master and Sixth Miss being haunted by ghosts… uh, except Madam doesn’t know…”
The people outside seemed stunned for a moment, then immediately scattered like birds and beasts.
Nanny Liu’s face looked very ugly. She had only wanted them to talk about Qin Feifei’s situation—who told them to mention Second Miss’s ghost? Such worthless wenches, they couldn’t even handle such a simple task properly!
But Nanny Liu instinctively looked around. Second Miss’s death was also related to her! Would the ghost come looking for her too…
Nanny Liu had known about these rumors for a long time.
Xu Shi had also heard some of this from Nanny Liu’s mouth. Originally, though afraid, she was now filled with even more anger on top of her fear: “What? Feifei… what exactly is happening with Feifei! What’s going on with the Lu family?”
Nanny Liu hurriedly said: “My good madam, please calm down…”
Under Xu Shi’s repeated pressing, Nanny Liu was “forced” to reveal everything.
Xu Shi immediately collapsed and couldn’t be helped up.
“The Lu family actually had problems? Not to be employed for three generations? He, he actually ruined his own bright future like this? He, he… is letting Feifei live such a living death? I really misjudged him! Back then, even if we had let Feifei remain a widow and die in the Qin manor, she shouldn’t have gone to the Lu family…”
Xu Shi began to cry.
After crying for a while, Xu Shi said: “No, I must go find the master. The master must save my daughter!”
“Madam, you must think thrice! The master forbade this old servant from telling you about this. If the master knew this old servant told you, this old servant’s life would be in danger!”
“But we can’t just watch Feifei’s life and death without caring…”
Nanny Liu held Xu Shi tightly, “Madam, you heard everything—everyone is spreading the story about Third Miss killing Second Miss. Third Miss came back once, and the old madam declared she’s not allowed to enter the door again. Madam, think about it—if Third Miss returns and the Lu family reports it to the authorities, once Third Miss’s killing of Second Miss is investigated and discovered, what would be the consequences! Third Miss would probably be thrown in prison and lose her life! At least now her life is safe. If she suffers a bit and endures, once Old Madam Lu dies, she’ll be the head of the Lu household, and she still has the young master to rely on!”
Xu Shi cried until her heart and lungs felt torn, but had to admit Nanny Liu was right.
“Madam, if you truly want to help Third Miss, you should start planning how to get out of confinement now. Once you’re out and can speak with authority, and the master will listen to you, Third Miss’s situation won’t be a worry. But if you go out and make a scene now, and the master becomes angry and never sees you again, my good madam, I’m afraid you’ll never see Third Miss again in this lifetime!”
Xu Shi wiped her tears and began to ponder.