Song Chuyi stood before Old Madam Song, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. She used all her strength to suppress the surging, boiling anger within her, her eyes reddening as she asked Old Madam Song, “Did Nanny Xu do something wrong? Grandmother, you know that Nanny Xu has always been very devoted to me.”
Old Madam Song knew Song Chuyi was softhearted. She took Song Chuyi’s hand and pressed the girl’s head against her chest, then after a long while, let out a heavy sigh.
“Though we’re sending her away, it’s not because she committed any wrongdoing.” Old Madam Song brought out the explanation she had discussed with Song Yi. “The estate in Tongzhou lacks a steward. Nanny Xu’s husband is a capable man, so this can be considered a promotion for them both. Your side cannot be left without someone to fill the position. Grandmother will give you Nanny Xu—it will be the same.”
Song Chuyi held back again and again, finally nodding her head with eyes full of tears.
Tears the size of beans fell onto Old Madam Song’s hand, also falling heavily upon her heart.
What a good child. She clearly knew things weren’t so simple, clearly was reluctant to part with her wet nurse, yet she forced herself to agree without making things difficult for anyone, not even asking a single unnecessary question that would put others in an awkward position.
In a daze, Old Madam Song patted Song Chuyi’s back over and over, comforting her repeatedly with assurances that things would get better, that the days ahead would improve.
When Song Chuyi returned to the side hall, her eyes were thoroughly red—one look made it clear she had been crying. Nanny Xu was so alarmed she didn’t know what to do, thinking she herself had somehow offended Old Madam Song. She grabbed Song Chuyi and anxiously inquired.
Song Chuyi randomly wiped away her tears with her own hands, calm in a way completely unlike an ordinary person. Her first words were to tell Luyi to go guard the door.
Now that both Nanny Wang and Huang Yao had been sent away, and the new people hadn’t yet been assigned, everyone in the entire side hall was someone Song Chuyi herself could trust.
Luyi went out as instructed, and Song Chuyi pulled Nanny Xu to sit down.
Nanny Xu knew something must have happened. Though she truly wasn’t as capable as those senior maids who had been at Cui Shi’s side and could handle things independently, she wasn’t stupid either. After carefully thinking for a while, she asked Song Chuyi, “Young lady, did I do something that displeased the old madam?”
Song Chuyi shook her head and lowered her voice somewhat. “The old madam says she wants to transfer Uncle Zhang and you to the estate in Tongzhou to serve as steward and manage the estate’s affairs.”
Nanny Xu was astonished. Her mouth hung open for a long while before she suddenly shook her head vigorously. “How can this be? This won’t do. I promised the young mistress that I would take good care of you. I’ll go beg the old madam.”
Song Chuyi grabbed hold of her tightly, suppressing her heartache and indignation, resolutely shaking her head. “It’s no use, Nanny. I know all too well what kind of person Grandmother is. If there were still room for negotiation, I wouldn’t have waited until now to come back.”
Nanny Xu’s body went limp as she collapsed onto the chair, choking up so much that it took her a long while to produce a coherent sentence. “Why?”
Song Chuyi’s lips curved in a mocking smile.
Yulan had said that Song Yi had come to Ningde Courtyard this morning and had a deep conversation with the old madam for most of the morning.
Ever since Song Chuyi could remember, this father of hers had never been particularly close to Old Madam Song. Though their mother-son relationship couldn’t be called bad, compared to her other uncles, it always seemed to have an additional layer of unspeakable awkwardness—even their affection carried a faint embarrassment and distance.
Second Master Song, who seemed to display guilt even when exchanging a few extra words with Old Madam Song, had been so proactive this time—no matter how one looked at it, it seemed somewhat abnormal.
The moment he left, the old madam immediately informed her about Nanny Xu. Where were such coincidences?
Li Shi had wanted to move against the people around her for a long time. This time, after Li Shi had sent away Huang Yao and Nanny Wang, she was using Nanny Xu as retaliation. Song Chuyi just hadn’t expected Li Shi would take such a roundabout approach through Song Yi. Hadn’t Li Shi always deeply loved Song Yi, unwilling to let him get involved in inner household conflicts, striving to make him a virtuous minister? Yet now there came a day when she would use Song Yi as the blade in her hand.
Nanny Xu choked up with both grievance and worry. She was truly concerned about Song Chuyi’s future. Though the old madam doted on her, behind her was the scheming Li Shi. If even Nanny Xu herself had to leave, who would Song Chuyi have around her that she could trust in the future?
“Don’t cry, Nanny.” Song Chuyi calmly comforted her. “The old madam has given me Nanny Xu. Nanny Xu is older, has seniority, and is someone the old madam favors. I’ll be fine. You must also be fine wherever you are.”
Nanny Xu didn’t want Song Chuyi to be sad. She tried hard to hold back her tears, though stroking Song Chuyi’s hand still made her somewhat sorrowful. “Poor young mistress. If only the madam were still here…”
Song Chuyi said nothing. After a long while, she suddenly looked at Nanny Xu and asked, “Nanny Xu, how did my mother die? Why were all the servants attending to her completely replaced after she passed away?”
She remembered that people from the Cui family had made quite a scene with the Song family over this matter. In the end, it was only Old Madam Song’s intervention that barely managed to convince Cui Yingshu.
Nanny Xu’s entire body trembled. Looking at Song Chuyi, for a moment she didn’t know how to respond.
“Nanny, do you know what I had Qing Tao’s parents go investigate?” Song Chuyi didn’t immediately press Nanny Xu for an answer, continuing to speak on her own. “I had them investigate where those maids who served at my mother’s side back then were sold to.”
Servants with slave status could be bought and sold at will, but they couldn’t be killed at will. If one wanted to kill over a dozen servants all at once, the commotion would be far too great.
Even if Song Yi wanted to do such a thing, Old Madam Song and Song Chengru wouldn’t allow it.
The maximum they could accept would probably be to sell these servants far away.
Song Chuyi only came up to Nanny Xu’s waist, seemingly still that little girl from years ago who would burst into tears whenever Song Yi held Song Chuning a little longer. But upon closer inspection, her brow and eyes clearly held a coldness that didn’t belong to someone her age.
Nanny Xu hesitated for a long while, finally tremblingly embracing Song Chuyi. “When you were born, the madam assigned me to stay by your side. At that time, this little girl Luyi had also just been born, and I had to look after both of you at once. Gradually I learned less and less about what was happening on the madam’s side. I only know that in the period before the madam’s incident, she acted contrary to her usual nature and was always quarreling with Second Master. The day the madam went into difficult labor giving birth to Brother Yan, her water broke on the mountain, and Second Master personally escorted her back.”
Many things she herself didn’t know clearly. What she did know came from bits and pieces she had gradually deduced over time, holding gratitude toward her former mistress in her heart. She didn’t dare speak her speculations aloud to influence Song Chuyi.
“The madam’s difficult labor lasted a day and a night before she gave birth to Brother Yan, but she herself couldn’t endure through it.” Nanny Xu finally couldn’t help sobbing again. “By the time I received word and rushed over, the courtyard was already empty. Mo Mei, Mo Hua, and the others—not a single one could be found. Everyone moving about had unfamiliar faces. Even the elderly steward nannies were nowhere to be seen. They had all come with the Cui family. Logically speaking, if the Cui family didn’t release them to be used by you or Brother Yan, they should have all returned to their ancestral home with the Cui family members.”