At this point, Su Mei was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.

Seeing her condition, Nanny Zhou and the women behind her all looked shocked.

That was quite a heavy hand indeed. Given this Young Madam’s temperament, having the audacity to make maids kneel was already an extraordinary display – to actually strike someone…

Nanny Zhou couldn’t help but look toward the room entrance. Despite all this commotion on their side, the room seemed to neither see nor hear anything.

“Young Madam, this old servant greets you,” she glanced at Su Mei, then stepped forward, lowering her head to bow toward the room while saying with a smile.

“Who is it?”

A voice from inside asked, then a figure emerged, fanning herself with a small fan.

When this person appeared, Nanny Zhou and the other women couldn’t help but have their eyes light up.

This woman wore a lotus-root colored dotted crossed-collar shirt with a honey-colored long skirt, her hair in a high chignon, lightly powdered and rouged, wearing no pearl hairpins. But just this movement, this voice, even the casual way she fanned herself, all appeared so charming and captivating.

These women of status and position naturally knew what the Young Madam looked like, but this glimpse today was far more stunning than their memories.

Perhaps it was because they hadn’t seen her for so long? Nanny Zhou thought to herself, then looked at the Young Madam again, feeling it wasn’t because of that, but rather… her spirit and energy!

Yes, it was her spirit and energy!

As a capable steward under the Marchioness, she was naturally familiar with this famous Young Madam. Whether serving the Old Madam or shut away in the courtyard, due to her origins and background, this woman always gave people the impression of being timid and apprehensive. Although when she first shed her beggar’s garb and appeared groomed and dressed, her appearance was shocking, it was just that momentary shock – upon further observation, there wasn’t much flavor left.

But now it was different. It felt like an exquisite silk flower suddenly becoming a real flower – the appearance unchanged, but now with vitality. Before she was beautiful but lifeless.

Come alive… Nanny Zhou’s heart suddenly skipped a beat as she remembered yesterday’s rumors. Looking at the smile on the Young Madam’s lips again, she couldn’t help but shiver in broad daylight.

“Young Madam, this is old Zhou,” she quickly lowered her gaze, not daring to look further, and spoke respectfully.

Qi Yue made an acknowledging sound.

“Nanny Zhou comes at just the right time. I’m planning to make some flatbread, but these two clumsy maids of mine can’t do anything. Even when they go to the kitchen, they can’t explain what’s needed clearly. Since you’re passing by anyway, could you please tell the steward to send some starter dough? Eating those unleavened flatbreads day and night gives me such heartburn I can’t sleep,” she said as if suddenly remembering something important.

Nanny Zhou hadn’t expected her to say this. After a moment of surprise, she quickly smiled and agreed, while understanding clearly the implications of her words.

“They really deserve a beating. This old servant has been negligent, to think the Young Madam had to speak up,” she immediately bowed while lightly slapping herself.

“Oh my, you mustn’t hit yourself. You don’t manage that area. If you really managed it, that would be overstepping your authority and slapping that steward’s face,” Qi Yue laughed.

Look at how formidable a head steward was – regardless of what she thought of people in her heart, her surface behavior was flawless. Young girls should learn well from this.

Nanny Zhou’s expression couldn’t quite keep up. After a moment of stunned silence, she quickly smiled and bowed in thanks.

“Oh, you’re busy with many affairs, I won’t chat with you anymore. Go quickly and attend to your business,” Qi Yue said with a laugh, waving her small fan.

Nanny Zhou acknowledged and turned to leave, but fortunately was bumped by a woman behind her. She was startled by herself – after just a few sentences, she had forgotten what she had come for.

What was wrong with her?

“…Young Madam, about this Su Mei…” she spoke again.

Before she could finish, Qi Yue waved her fan and interrupted.

“Oh, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten. A few little maids had a quarrel that gave me such a headache, so I punished them by making them kneel for a while so I could eat in peace,” she said, waving her hand cheerfully. “Now that I’ve finished eating, you may all go.”

That’s it?

Nanny Zhou and the other women, as well as Su Mei and her group, all stared at Qi Yue in bewilderment.

“Does Nanny have something else?” Qi Yue asked them with a natural expression.

“Ah, no, no,” Nanny Zhou was being inappropriate for the third time today. “These maids actually offended the Young Madam, so naturally they should be punished. Just kneeling isn’t enough – proper rules must still be observed.”

Su Mei and the others immediately became anxious, with Su Mei reaching out to grab Nanny Zhou’s sleeve.

“What big matter is it? It’s not that serious. Go quickly,” Qi Yue laughed. “A’Ru, please see Nanny Zhou out.”

Su Mei’s prepared lengthy complaint and justification had no chance to be voiced.

“Hurry and thank the Young Madam,” Nanny Zhou scolded while shaking off Su Mei’s hand with a warning look.

Su Mei prostrated herself on the ground crying.

“Thank you, Young Madam,” she said these words feeling like dying, yet powerless to do otherwise. The other party had clearly stated it was maids bickering, hadn’t concealed anything, and hadn’t complained about their wrongdoing to the visitor. This left her not knowing how to voice her grievances. What kind of situation was this today!

“Please, Nanny Zhou,” A’Ru had already come over. Without even glancing at Su Mei, she smiled at Nanny Zhou.

“I wouldn’t dare trouble the young lady, please stay,” Nanny Zhou smiled while stepping away.

A’Ru saw them to the gate. Having knelt for so long, Su Mei and the others walked somewhat unsteadily, all hanging their heads in dejection. Today they had come to vent their anger but ended up with such frustration stuck in their hearts that they could neither swallow nor spit out, especially Su Mei, whose tears hadn’t stopped. She looked back at A’Ru with venomous eyes.

A’Ru merely glanced at her indifferently, then turned back inside and closed the door.

“Young Madam, we’re just letting it go like this?” A’Hao inside was asking Qi Yue with some indignation.

“Yes, I really didn’t intend to do anything anyway,” Qi Yue laughed, looking at the fan in her hand with pleasure. “Besides, what could we really do to them? Punishing her to kneel and suffer a bit – we didn’t lose out, so that’s enough profit.”

“Too easy on her. If she dared treat the Great Madam like this, never mind the Great Madam – even with any of the concubines, if she didn’t die, she’d lose a layer of skin,” A’Hao said indignantly.

“The key is she wouldn’t dare treat those people like this,” Qi Yue laughed. “She’s not stupid – she knows which persimmons can be squeezed and which can’t. So don’t blame the person squeezing persimmons – who told you to be a soft persimmon…”

She laughingly tapped A’Hao’s forehead with her fan and went into the inner room to examine “her” various decorations and objects with interest.

A’Ru quietly listened to these words, looking at Qi Yue with complex eyes, then pulled the still-puzzled A’Hao and quietly withdrew.

Meanwhile, Su Mei left Qiutong Courtyard and immediately grabbed Nanny Zhou, crying.

“Nanny, you must give us justice. They hit people first, and now they’re acting like the good ones…” she cried.

“You gave them the opportunity to act good,” Nanny Zhou said. Her usually kind face actually showed some impatience and distraction. “For better or worse, why did you go provoke that place?”

Su Mei hit a wall. In front of so many people, she felt she had lost all face for this lifetime and covered her face, crying as if about to die.

“Stop crying. I know your little schemes – you used to be beneath others and now want to gain some advantage. Girl, listen to me: get your footing stable first, then talk about other things,” Nanny Zhou said, seeing her crying severely. Thinking about this girl’s possible fortune, she patiently explained. After speaking, regardless of whether Su Mei could listen or not, and with other matters on her mind, she hurried away.

Whatever Su Mei said when she returned, or however she was instructed, she did quiet down and never came seeking justice again. As for Qiutong Courtyard, they simply received the delayed provisions sent by the kitchen according to regulations, then happily closed their doors and disappeared from everyone’s sight as they had in the past.

This small storm died before it could even rise, as if it had never happened in this great marquis household.