Chapter 65: Wind Through the Wall
Cai Er, wearing an autumn shirt, ran in like a little butterfly. "I told Shan Ling that we would go to Mother Liu's place together tomorrow. She was so happy. She wanted to come with me, but was temporarily pulled out by Sister Hong to work. She will come later."
"Why is it that only Shanling was sent to work, but you are not?" Su Qing said with a smile while tying her belt. After this illness, she felt that she had lost weight again. Autumn shirts are much thicker than summer shirts, but with the belt tied, her waist felt thinner.
"I'm just giving the mold to Mother Liu." Cai'er said with a smile.
"You are just lazy and you are making excuses." Yuan Dong walked in holding clothes.
Cai'er took the clothes from Yuandong's arms and started to rummage through them with great tact. "That's why you all like to serve the master. Look at your clothes, they are better than those of the housekeeper in the small kitchen." Cai'er said as she picked up one piece to measure against herself.
Su Qing took the clothes from her hand and said, "Don't run around smiling all day. What's wrong?" Su Qing said while looking up at the room.
"About the time, I don't know. Madam Liu won't tell me the truth, but I think it won't be more than next month at the latest."
Cai'er has always wanted to enter the Fourth Young Lady's courtyard and work with Su Qing and Chuan'er, but she has no background at all. It is not easy for her to get here from the West Mansion. If Qingrui had not asked for help from Mother Liu when she got married, she would not even be able to enter the East Mansion.
Fortunately, this girl was sweet-talking and diligent. Whenever she went to Qinyuan to look for Su Qing, she would give Mama Liu some small gifts and tell some kitchen jokes to make her happy. As time went by, Mama Liu really started to pay attention to Cai'er.
Jiaolian was going to get married at the end of the year, and Cai'er didn't beat around the bush, but told Liu Mama directly that she wanted to come to the garden. Liu Mama liked her straightforwardness, and didn't say no nor that it would definitely work, but she would ask Su Qing if Cai'er didn't come for a few days, which showed that there was still hope.
"But if I really come in, what will Shan Ling do? Let me tell you, before I went to the kitchen, those old women bullied Shan Ling for not having any family members, and made her do all the work, and she was a quiet person. They were afraid that if I really left, she would be bullied again."
"You think you are Guanyin." Yuan Dong tapped Cai Er's forehead with his hand. Turning back to Su Qing, he said, "I heard that Sister Jiao Lian will go home in winter. Our courtyard will be reorganized once more, and then it will be settled."
Su Qing paused while folding clothes, thinking about the situation of the people serving Meng Qi. Jiaohong has been released to marry, and Jiaolian is leaving, so Yuandong and Yuanyue must be first-class, and she is second-class. If nothing unexpected happens, Wanxiang should also be promoted to second-class. There is only Chuan'er in the third class now, but she doesn't know if Ruchun will have the chance to come back. She can always see Guangzhu's family getting close to Liu Mama these days.
It would be great if Cai'er could come to Qin Garden. As everyone was talking and laughing, Chuan'er came back. Cai'er put down her clothes and took the basket from Chuan'er, "Hey, where did you pick these flowers? The fourth lady will definitely like them."
Chuan'er said absentmindedly, "Let's go to the garden behind the big kitchen. Sister Yuandong, try to put it in the fourth young lady's room. Will she like it?"
"Yes, the fourth young lady likes these wild flowers the most. Cai'er, please bring them to me. I'll go find a glass jar. That will make them look more beautiful."
Su Qing watched Cai'er skipping and jumping after Yuandong out of the house, and turned back to look at Chuan'er, "What's wrong with you? You don't look right, are you feeling unwell?"
Chuan'er nodded in a daze, then shook his head.
Su Qing sat down next to Chuan'er, reached out her hand to touch her forehead, and then touched her own.
"I'm fine. I just saw someone. I think I've seen him somewhere before, but I can't remember where."
Seeing that Chuan'er had no intention of saying more, Su Qing stopped asking. The two of them talked casually about the third-class maid beside Meng Qi.
"I saw Wanxiang and Ruchun talking at our back door yesterday, and they seemed to have an argument." said Chuaner.
"What do you think Wanxiang means by keeping Jiaolian's family hanging like this?"
"You figured it out too?" Chuan'er simply sat up straight and said.
"Who can't see it? I noticed that Sister Jiaolian hasn't talked much to Wanxiang these past few days."
"I heard that Sister Jiaolian asked Mama Liu a few days ago, and it seems that Wanxiang's second-class job has been decided. It's really strange, if Wanxiang really wants to do that, why would she go to such great lengths to get promoted to second-class? If she gets promoted to second-class at this time, she must be married off with the fourth lady. If she goes to the Prince's Mansion, how can she marry Jiaolian's brother?"
"I guess she must have used some excuse to get Sister Jiaolian to help her like this."
"For example?" asked Chuan'er.
"For example, she could earn more money, or get promoted to the second rank to marry more respectably, or get closer to the Fourth Miss and Liu Mama. After she marries Jiaolian's brother, either Jiaolian or she could become the Fourth Miss's chambermaid. In short, these are all ready-made excuses."
Chuan'er nodded. "I think Sister Jiaolian's efforts will be in vain. Wanxiang doesn't like her brother at all. She is just using her. Just wait and see. When Mama Liu announces that she is second-class, she will definitely draw a line between herself and Jiaolian."
"Maybe, but I don't know what Ruchun will do."
When Chuan'er heard Su Qing mention Ruchun, he wanted to say something but held back. Instead of replying, he was thinking about the old woman he had just seen talking to Guangzhu's family in the big kitchen.
At night, Su Qing was lying in bed thinking about this. If Wanxiang also became a second-class, it would not be a good thing for her. Wanxiang had too many thoughts, and they were all bad. But she had no reason or ability to stop her from becoming a second-class.
The last time Ruchun harmed her, Su Qing went to find her, hoping to get the truth about Wanxiang from Ruchun, but Ruchun had no idea what benefit Wanxiang would bring her, and she insisted that it was all her fault, leaving her with suspicion but no confirmation.
Su Qing was the type of person who thought, "If no one offends me, I will not offend anyone else." It was impossible for her to fabricate a false incident to frame a little girl.
But after a few days, Su Qing found her thoughts that night ridiculous.
That day, Mother Liu called Su Qing to her room.
Mother Liu looked Su Qing up and down. It had been almost two years, and Su Qing had completely changed. She no longer had the bean sprout-like figure and complexion she had when she first entered the mansion. Although she was still not fat, she was very well-proportioned, with a rosy face, black hair, and a handsome appearance. The temperament she exuded in her every move was incomparable to those maids. Mother Liu could even see more and more of the shadow of one person in Su Qing.
"I have something to ask you. You must answer me completely without hiding anything."
Su Qing looked at Mama Liu's serious expression, stood up straight and nodded, "Mama Liu, if you have anything to say, just ask. Qing'er promises that she won't tell a lie."
Mother Liu nodded. She was very optimistic about Su Qing and was training her as a capable member of Meng Qi's dowry. In the past few days, she received an arrangement from Wang, asking her and Mother Guo to complete the remaining maids for Meng Qi. After the selection, there would be no more changes, so she was very cautious about everyone. This was also the reason why she liked Cai Er very much but had not let go.