The group walked to the West Side Courtyard of Yahe Courtyard. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they heard Second Miss Li Jiāo’s moaning sounds, one after another, each louder than the last.

Liu couldn’t help but smile: “Old Madam, listen—Second Miss seems to be seriously injured!”

Old Madam Deng walked forward with an unchanged expression: “How serious the injury is, we’ll know after examining it.”

The little maid Shiliu saw so many masters coming and shrank her head in fright, running into the room: “Madam, Miss, the Old Madam is coming!”

The broken porcelain scattered on the floor plus Li Jiāo’s moaning sounds made Lady He panic. Upon hearing the little maid’s report, she jumped up with a start, accidentally stepping on a piece of broken porcelain. She immediately grimaced and fell back into her chair.

Afraid her daughter would think her useless, she bit her teeth and didn’t make a sound.

“Did Mother step on broken porcelain?” Qiao Zhao naturally crouched down and reached to lift Lady He’s skirt hem.

Lady He instinctively pulled her foot back, saying hurriedly: “No, no—”

A pair of soft, slightly cool hands held her still, with a gentle voice: “Don’t move.”

Qiao Zhao extended both hands to lift Lady He’s right foot. Seeing there was a mark on the sole of her shoe, but fortunately it hadn’t penetrated through, she sighed in relief and looked up with a slight smile: “It’s fine.”

Lady He seemed to have had her acupoints sealed, staring blankly at Qiao Zhao as her eyes slowly moistened.

At this moment, Old Madam Deng happened to walk in. Seeing the scene inside, she couldn’t help but wonder: “Lady He, what’s the matter?”

Lady He came back to her senses and smiled dazedly: “Just now, this daughter-in-law accidentally stepped on broken porcelain. Zhaozhao was worried I might be hurt and was checking my foot. Old Madam, look how thoughtful Zhaozhao is!”

So whatever happened to Second Miss getting injured must be her own doing—Old Madam, you must see clearly!

Lady He got excited and tears immediately flowed down, not forgetting to glance proudly at Second Madam Liu through her tears.

Liu curled her lips disdainfully, but felt somewhat uncomfortable inside.

Her two daughters had never been so attentive to her!

Liu glanced sourly at Qiao Zhao as she stood up, thinking: Why hasn’t this wretched girl returned to normal yet? She wasn’t used to this at all!

Qiao Zhao, who could never return to “normal,” greeted the arrivals: “Grandmother, Second Aunt.”

Old Madam Deng looked at the broken porcelain scattered on the floor and frowned: “Why wasn’t this cleaned up?”

Second Miss Li Jiāo, upon hearing this, shot Qiao Zhao a warning glare.

Qiao Zhao smiled and told the truth: “Second Sister said to preserve the evidence.”

Old Madam Deng walked around the mess on the floor toward Li Jiāo sitting in the chair: “Your foot is injured? Let your great-aunt take a look.”

The East Residence had only Li Jiāo as their legitimate daughter. Named with the character “Jiao” (pampered), she was truly spoiled and pampered. Now that her foot was injured, she was afraid to remove her shoe due to the pain. Instead, she extended her injured hand, looking pitiful as she said to Old Madam Deng: “Great-aunt, look, I not only injured my foot but also my hand. It hurts so much—it’s all Li Zhao’s fault…”

The young lady’s tender, white palm had a shallow scratch with dried blood.

Old Madam Deng saw the injury wasn’t serious and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but not knowing how the foot injury was, she instructed: “Nanny Gui, examine Second Miss’s foot.”

Nanny Gui was the Old Madam’s servant who knew some basic medical skills. The West Residence wasn’t a wealthy household, so when the female family members had minor ailments like headaches or fevers that weren’t worth calling a physician for, they would call Nanny Gui to examine them.

“Yes.” Nanny Gui responded and walked toward Li Jiāo.

Li Jiāo saw the approaching woman with big feet and rough hands and felt utterly disgusted. She frowned and pulled back her foot, acting coquettishly toward Old Madam Deng: “Great-aunt, did you tell my grandmother and mother? I want Nanny Dong to examine me.”

This Nanny Dong had some real skills. Her godmother surnamed Dong had once been a medical woman in the palace. When County Lady Jiang married, her mother personally requested a palace noble to grant Physician Dong as part of her dowry.

Physician Dong stayed in the Li residence for over twenty years. When she grew old, she took a maid in the residence as her goddaughter and taught her all her medical skills—this was the current Nanny Dong. After Physician Dong passed away, Nanny Dong took over her position in the East Residence.

Of course, Physician Dong’s medical skills couldn’t compare with the imperial physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy, so her student Nanny Dong’s medical skills naturally couldn’t be too advanced either. But compared to common women who roughly understood medical principles, she was much better.

However advanced Nanny Dong’s medical skills were, Nanny Gui was still capable enough to handle an ordinary foot injury. Hearing Second Miss speak this way, she could hardly be pleased.

She stood aside, waiting for the masters to decide, showing no emotion on her face but coldly snorting in her heart: Look how capable Second Miss thinks she is—believes she has the fate of a princess!

Old Madam Deng respected the East Residence, but she wasn’t the type to be manipulated by a child, much less argue with a little girl. She smiled and persuaded: “Jiāojiāo, your foot is bleeding. If it takes too long, the wound will stick to your sock, and it will be troublesome to separate them later.”

Li Jiāo’s face paled. After thinking, she reluctantly extended her injured foot: “Then please have Nanny Gui take a look.”

Nanny Gui looked toward Old Madam Deng, who nodded lightly at her.

Nanny Gui then knelt down and carefully removed Li Jiāo’s shoe.

Li Jiāo winced in pain and scolded: “Be gentle!”

“Yes, yes, this old servant will be careful—” Nanny Gui was annoyed in her heart, but remained expressionless. When she picked up scissors to cut away the silk sock stuck with dried blood, her little finger, hidden below, lightly touched the exposed wound.

“Ah, it hurts so much!” The sudden pain combined with her earlier anger toward Qiao Zhao brought Li Jiāo’s fury to its peak. She immediately forgot all of Grandmother Jiang’s ladylike teachings and lifted her foot to kick Nanny Gui hard in the face, sending her tumbling backward.

The sudden incident made Fifth Miss Li Shu, who had been trying to remain invisible, cry out involuntarily before quickly covering her mouth.

Li Jiǎo was first stunned, then quickly walked over and bent down with an anxious expression: “Second Sister, are you alright?”

Li Jiāo hugged her leg, her willow eyebrows bristling as she scolded: “Clumsy thing!”

Old Madam Deng’s expression grew slightly cold as she said calmly: “Nanny Rong, quickly help Nanny Gui up—be careful the scissors don’t pierce her hand.”

Nanny Rong went over to pull Nanny Gui up. Nanny Gui fearfully begged Li Jiāo’s forgiveness: “Second Miss, please forgive me—it’s all this old servant’s clumsiness that hurt you—”

The servants in the room looked at Second Miss Li Jiāo with somewhat changed eyes.

These people usually couldn’t bear to call a physician for minor ailments and would seek out Nanny Gui instead. Nanny Gui was kind-hearted—well-off maids and women would give her handkerchiefs or sachets, while those without means came empty-handed, and she never minded.

The maids and women were all thinking simultaneously: Tsk tsk, everyone says Third Miss has a bad temper, but looking at it now, Second Miss is the one who’s truly arrogant and domineering.

A cold smile flashed in the eyes of Nanny Gui as she bowed her head in apology: A good reputation is hard to build but can collapse with just a flick of the finger—too bad the high and mighty young ladies don’t understand this principle.

At this moment, Binglu called out loudly: “The County Lady and Great Madam are here—”