The next day, when Boudoir Mother Tong came to see her again, Jin Chao said to her: “Last night, Guardian Xue and the others helped us for half the day, which was truly not easy. Please give each of them ten taels of silver from my account.”
After thinking a moment, she added, “Right now is the difficult period between harvests. I’ve heard that Guardian Xue’s brothers at his home in Tongzhou are all farm laborers. Why don’t you pay them another visit and bring some grain and cloth? His youngest son just turned one year old—bring a pair of silver bracelets with bells as a gift. Take it all from my account.”
Boudoir Mother Tong agreed with a smile and went to make arrangements with two work servants.
Jin Chao took a sip of Fu Ren tea, thinking to herself that she should treat Xue Shiliu well. If he held her in contempt, he wouldn’t be wholehearted in his service.
After drinking a cup of tea, it was imperceptibly noon. Jin Chao, thinking of her mother’s illness, brought some medicinal food she had stewed herself to Xie Xiao Courtyard.
Madam Ji was leaning against a large welcoming pillow with her eyes closed, seeming not to notice Jin Chao’s arrival. Jin Chao kept her footsteps extremely light, carefully walking to Madam Ji’s side to look at her. Seeing the Young Miss tiptoeing like a child, Xu Mama found it hard to suppress a smile and had to turn away to hide it.
Jin Chao just wanted to see if her mother was sleeping soundly. After examining her, she felt that her mother seemed thinner, her skin still waxy and yellow. She was only in her thirties, yet she looked as old as someone in their forties.
In a flash, her mother’s aged face overlapped with her own gravely ill face from her previous life, and they were remarkably similar—equally withered and haggard.
Jin Chao frowned, wondering why her mother wasn’t getting better and what exactly was causing it.
Madam Ji suddenly opened her eyes, and seeing Jin Chao so close, couldn’t help but be startled.
All the maids and serving women began laughing. Xu Mama said to Jin Chao: “The Young Miss is still like a child, watching over Madam!”
Madam Ji smiled with pursed lips, pulling Jin Chao to sit down. She remembered when Jin Chao was three years old, and she had gone to Tongzhou to see her. A small, fair, and delicate child sitting in her maternal grandmother’s lap, obediently nibbling on a crab roe bun, not fond of talking. With her grand-aunt sitting between them, little Jin Chao would always tilt her head to peek through the gap at her. When she followed the child’s gaze, little Jin Chao would quickly hide back, and then giggle happily. After she did this several times, Madam Ji finally understood—she wanted to play this game with her.
She had felt particularly heartbroken then. Although Jin Chao didn’t lack food or clothing at her maternal grandmother’s home, she was very lonely.
Unlike Young Master Rong, whom she had raised personally, and who had Miss Lan as a playmate.
She didn’t know how much time she had left. Jin Chao had only returned to the Gu family six years ago. She always felt she hadn’t compensated her enough and wished she could live a few more years—not for anything else, but just to see her Jin Chao marry with glory and honor into a clean and respectable family.
Madam Ji unconsciously became emotional, holding Jin Chao’s hand and saying: “Mother doesn’t know how much longer she can accompany you…”
Jin Chao smiled and said: “Don’t worry, I’ll help you recover from your illness!”
Just half a month more, and Master Xiao would arrive.
The medicinal food Jin Chao had brought was still hot. Xu Mama took it directly from the food box and brought bowls and chopsticks to serve the mother and daughter. Madam Ji ate more than usual, prompting Xu Mama to praise Jin Chao: “The Young Miss’s cooking is still the best. Madam ate half a bowl more than usual!”
Madam Ji smiled bitterly: “The usual medicinal foods are so bitter and astringent… Chao’er’s medicinal food is much better and more appetizing.”
Xu Mama could only say helplessly: “…It seems we need the Young Miss to send over more medicinal food!”
The maids laughed again.
As they were chatting merrily in the inner chamber, Mo Yu lifted the curtain and entered. After paying her respects, she said: “Madam, I just heard from the steward’s office that Second Young Miss’s maid Zi Ling is getting married. Concubine Song has already chosen a courtyard for her outside, and people from the estate will come tomorrow for the wedding procession.”
Madam Ji frowned: “…Not even a hint beforehand, and now she’s being married off so hastily. Did you find out where she’s being married to?”
Mo Yu nodded and said: “I inquired. They say she’s marrying into Bolu County in Baoding Prefecture. The Song family has an estate there, and Zi Ling is to marry the second son of the estate manager, as his second wife.”
Madam Ji nodded and said: “That maid is indeed of marriageable age. Give her one hundred taels of silver from me as a wedding gift.”
Jin Chao listened from the side, finding it strange. Gu Lan had always valued this maid. In her previous life, when she married into the Defender General’s mansion, Zi Ling had been one of her dowry maids. How was it that in this life, Zi Ling was suddenly being married off to Baoding Prefecture? Baoding was so far from Shi’an; that she would not be able to return.
And she was going to be someone’s second wife…
After returning to Qing Tong Courtyard, Jin Chao pondered for a long time before calling Cai Fu over: “…Gu Lan’s maid Zi Ling is getting married, with the wedding procession tomorrow. Take Bai Yun to have a drink with her, give her three hundred taels of silver as a wedding gift… and add a few boxes of crisp candy.”
Cai Fu was cautious, as she had never seen her mistress give so much money as a wedding gift to someone else’s maid.
She asked softly: “Is there something you want me to investigate?”
Jin Chao smiled: “I’m not sure what to investigate. Just go and see, then tell me when you return.”
Cai Fu was always clever and didn’t need detailed instructions.
The next day, Cai Fu got ready, bringing three hundred taels in bank notes. Bai Yun carried the crisp candy. After inquiring at the steward’s office about which alley the courtyard was in, they set off with their gifts.
The courtyard was on Chen Huai Alley, with a dull gray facade that wasn’t eye-catching. At the entrance stood a working servant from Concubine Song’s quarters. Seeing two second-rank maids from the Young Miss’s quarters arriving together, she quickly smiled and said: “To think that both young ladies would come in person!” She then ushered them into a side room to sit.
Cai Fu glanced at the small courtyard. It had no screen wall or hanging flower gate, just side rooms, a main room, and a reversed room to the south. There was a well in the courtyard and a locust tree—everything visible at a glance. It could hardly be called festive, with only double happiness characters pasted on the latticed windows of the main room.
There were two or three young girls in the side room, all from Gu Lan’s quarters, but their status was too low for them to dare speak to Cai Fu and Bai Yun.
The furniture in the side room was also gray and dusty, looking very old, with a musty, damp smell.
Cai Fu stood up and slipped a piece of silver to the working servant, smiling as she asked: “Where is Miss Zi Ling now? We’ve always been on good terms. Now that she’s getting married, we must at least exchange a few words.”
The servant smiled until her eyes disappeared: “Of course! Being acquainted with both young ladies is Zi Ling’s good fortune! She’s in the main room now, with Old Chen helping her get ready. The wedding party will arrive soon.”
Even among maids, status varied. Although Zi Ling was a first-rank maid and they were second-rank, they were valued by the Young Miss, while Zi Ling had lost her mistress’s trust and was being sent away. The difference in importance was obvious, and the work servant knew to curry favor with them.
The servant opened the door to the main room and invited them in.
Zi Ling sat on an embroidered stool, expressionless as she looked into the dressing mirror. The elderly servant helping her prepare, Chen, saw Cai Fu and Bai Yun enter and hurriedly paid her respects. Zi Ling turned around, surprised to see them.
Bai Yun stepped forward and gave Old Chen a piece of silver: “Trouble you, Mama. We just want to say a few words to Miss Zi Ling.”
Old Chen’s eyes shifted as she took the silver and retreated outside, closing the door behind her. Another servant saw this and whispered: “Are you willing to risk your life for money? The Concubine said to watch her until she leaves!”
Old Chen snorted: “Don’t pretend I don’t know—you’ve surely taken their silver too! She’s leaving anyway, how would the Concubine know whether we watched her or not?” Seeing the other servant’s continued disapproval, she faltered and said, “I’ll watch from outside. What trouble could Zi Ling possibly cause!”
After the door closed, Zi Ling turned and said flatly: “Did the Young Miss send you to laugh at me?”
Cai Fu smiled: “Why would Miss Zi Ling say that? Our Young Miss is very kind-hearted. Hearing that you’re getting married, she quickly sent us two maids to bring crisp candy and see you. Although there was some ill feeling between you before, now that you’re leaving the Gu family, how could we still hold anything against you…” She pulled a stool over and took Zi Ling’s hands, speaking softly. Zi Ling bit her lip but didn’t withdraw her hands.
She had only learned of her marriage a few days ago. The Second Young Miss hadn’t even asked if she was willing, nor told her what it would be like there. She had only heard from servants that it was the son of the Song family estate’s manager, whose wife had died last year… In a matter of days, all her previous duties had been given to Mu Jin, and she quickly had nothing to do. After being brought here, she felt bewildered for a while before her heart gradually sank. She didn’t even understand what mistake she had made to deserve such treatment from the Second Young Miss…
Even Mu Jin, who had been close to her, hadn’t come to see her—that showed the Second Young Miss’s attitude clearly.
She hadn’t expected Cai Fu and Bai Yun to come to see her.
Cai Fu took bank notes from her sleeve and placed them in Zi Ling’s hand, noticing how sweaty her palm was. Cai Fu’s voice grew softer: “These are three hundred taels from the Young Miss. She said you shouldn’t be without money of your own. As a precaution, don’t put the money with your dowry; keep it on your person.”
Zi Ling didn’t understand: “This… why?” Three hundred taels was too much!
Cai Fu shook her head and said: “I don’t understand either, but being careful is never wrong. The estate manager’s daughter-in-law died mysteriously… you must be cautious!” She seemed genuinely concerned.
Zi Ling grew more worried. Unconsciously, she gripped Cai Fu’s hand tightly, only realizing afterward that she had left fingernail marks on Cai Fu’s hand. “I’m sorry… I…” her voice had a hint of tears, “I don’t know what to do…”
Cai Fu and Bai Yun comforted her well, and finally, Zi Ling calmed down. Outside, there was a commotion. Bai Yun opened the latticed window and saw several men in brownish-red patterned clothes who had come for the bride. They were laughing loudly, creating a noisy scene in the courtyard.
Zi Ling suddenly gripped Cai Fu’s hand tightly!