Xiqiu saw Tong Xiyan's mouth twitch slightly.
Shuixiang's face was ashen. She had quarreled with Siliu under the Third Miss's orders, but now she was about to be punished. Although the Sixth Miss usually seemed timid, she still stood up for Siliu, while the Third Miss hadn't said a single word for her from beginning to end.
Thinking of this, despair welled up in her heart: "Madam, please spare me, I won't dare do it again!"
The servant who had been standing by glanced at Nanny Fang, and seeing her nod, she dragged Shuixiang out before she could finish speaking.
Siliu was also led outside.
Outside the room, the heart-wrenching cries of Shuixiang and the disdainful shouts of Nanny Fang could be heard, which soon returned to silence.
However, the matter was not over. Siliu had suffered an undeserved misfortune for no reason. She was not going to let it go easily. She always tolerated things just to live comfortably, but if someone made her uncomfortable, she wouldn't let herself be bullied either. She turned and walked two steps to sit on a nearby embroidery stool, caressing her unwrinkled pomegranate red hundred butterflies floral satin narrow jacket lovingly.
Lady, seeing her like this, smiled a bit more genuinely: "This was personally sewn by your grandmother when I was young. Now that I'm old, I can't even wear it out..."
Xiqiu smiled sincerely: "Grandmother's hands are truly skillful." She added with a bashful smile: "Mother is noble and dignified; even if we live another fifty years, we can't compare. I still remember at last year's Xuanning Marquis Mansion spring feast, mother wore a standing water ripple eight treasures skirt. The next day Brocade Pavilion had the same style, spreading all over the Capital, and some people even asked our housemaids secretly about the embroideress in the mansion."
Lady chuckled gently: "Why do I feel like your words are all honeyed today?"
Xiqiu laughed behind her sleeve: "That's because it's honey made by mother herself."
Laughter filled the room again.
Tong Xiyan was also pleased: "Even in father's letters, it is mentioned that the ladies' circle in Yongzhou were all emulating it, and during that period, even Shu brocade was sold out."
Tong Xiyang had a look of pride flash across his face.
Lady's smile slightly faded.
The First Master was busy with affairs and wouldn't know such details about the mansion, much less care about women's affairs. It was obvious that it had been mentioned by Madam Wang, and how Madam Wang knew was self-evident.
Xiqiu seemed completely unaware of the Lady's change: "Father must have been full of praise."
The Master wouldn't visit other women, so who was he praising? Wasn't it Madam Wang?
Nanny Fang, noticing Lady's expression lose its smile, felt a thin sweat on her back. She wanted to stop Xiqiu but swallowed her words back.
Lady lost interest, showing tiredness: "It's getting late, you all should go and rest."
The three young misses stood up in succession, paid their respects, and walked out one after another.
Nanny Fang changed Lady's tea cup, and Lady took a sip of hot tea, squinting her eyes: "Third girl is becoming more unruly, thinking that I don't know her intentions, humph!"
Nanny Fang sat on the nearby footstool, massaging Lady's legs, and laughed: "Madam need not mind, she is just an illegitimate daughter, can't possibly overturn the sky, everything is still up to Madam."
They had been master and servant for several decades and knew each other's temperament very well, so Nanny Fang spoke without reservation.
Lady said with hatred: "What she hasn't learned, she has learned cunning from that wretched woman, thinking her concubine status can rise by having a belly, dreaming!"
"Madam is right, after all, it's just a servant, how can her arm twist past Madam's thigh?"
Nanny Fang's metaphor made Lady glare at her with amusement, finally improving her mood somewhat, though still speaking hatefully: "That wretched woman even had someone make the same thing, thinking I don't know, really thinking she's the mistress in Yongzhou, putting on the airs of a first wife." Speaking, she really got angry: "The Master too, I sent Zihuan over, but he didn't even touch, randomly assigned someone not approved by me, couldn't compare to that aging concubine."
Nanny Fang also furrowed her brows, thinking of Madam Wang's endless tricks, and now having another in her belly, she sighed inwardly: "You know Master's temperament, he holds onto old affections, add Madam Wang's... tactics, although Zihuan was trained by you, but she is ultimately young and thin-skinned."
Lady snorted coldly, threw the blue-and-white porcelain tea cup in her hand onto the kang table, tea splattered: "I underestimated her."
Nanny Fang, knowing Lady's temper, could only go along with her: "Why be angry with such a person, after all, they will be back in half a month, with water travel, land bumping, she is old, even unseen, knowing the fetus wouldn't be stable."
Lady finally showed a smile: "Stop mentioning that wretched woman! Over the years, I've seen that Sixth Girl is quite good, like her concubine mother's temperament, timid and honest." And very obedient. Lady paused and added: "Those maids should be disciplined."
Nanny Fang nodded. She was Lady's dowry maid, later married but still stayed in the mansion, most understanding of Lady's mind.
But for Sixth Miss, she did not think so. Lady, being used to being on top, lacked the previous detail in seeing people; although honest, she wasn't timid, otherwise how could she have said those words today, and how could she have stirred up Lady's aversion to Madam Wang and Third Miss.
If unintentional, it's fine, but if intentional, then Sixth Miss cannot be underestimated.
As the master and servant were talking, the gate maid outside announced: "Reporting to Madam, the carriage fetching the concubine has reached East Street."
Lady immediately set all her thoughts aside, hurriedly asking Nanny Fang to go greet at the second gate.
"Sixth Sister is getting more articulate," Tong Xiyang sneered, her delicate eyebrows and eyes strained, appearing somewhat ferocious.
She had said enough today, didn't want to continue sparring with her: "Thank you, sister, for the compliment."
"Don't be so pleased," Tong Xiyang fumed, feeling like she had punched into cotton: "You're just a dog!" With that, she shook off Moxiang, her chief handmaid's support, and strode toward the Hanging Flower Gate.
Xiqiu, ceremoniously bowing at her back, said: "Sister, walk slowly!" Unless absolutely necessary, she preferred to use others to her advantage.
Xiyan's maid, Xinzhu, tried hard not to laugh, her face turned red.
If Sixth Miss was a dog, what were the Third Miss, Fourth Miss, and Lady of this family?
This word would reach Lady's ears in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea; everyone said Third Miss was clever, yet today she was outdone by the usually quiet Sixth Miss.
Tong Xiyang stopped for a moment, then quickly passed through the Hanging Flower Gate.
Tong Xiyan tapped Xiqiu's forehead: "You're the clever one." She hooked her arm: "Come to my place, mother gifted me half a pound of pre-rain Dragonwell yesterday, your favorite." Without waiting for Xiqiu's refusal, she pulled her through the Hanging Flower Gate.