Chapter Twenty-Five: Aftermath

  Old Lady Tan finished speaking and then called for Mama Chen to help her leave. She didn't want to stay here a moment longer.

  Liu Xuan followed up wanting to speak, but Madame Tai didn't even acknowledge her. This time she was really angry, not even noticing when her own beloved granddaughter approached.

  "Is... is that it?" The maids standing outside the Mei Garden couldn't help but speak up as they watched Tai Fu Ren, Da Fu Ren and Chang Gu Gu leave one after another.

  "It's...it's actually turned out like this! Shouldn't it be Eldest Young Miss being grounded instead?" Liu Fu's personal maid muttered to herself, staring at the back of the madam.

  Liu Fu was stunned. She... she was going to be locked up, or rather, locked up for three months! How could this be? Hadn't she always spoken well of him? Hadn't she been confident that not a single word she said was wrong?!

  Suddenly, she saw Liu Xuan standing not far away from her, and hastily rushed forward to grab the corner of Liu Xuan's clothes: "Ninth Auntie, please help me! I don't want to be locked up. It's rare for Eldest Auntie to be invited into the mansion, as long as I follow Eldest Auntie for a few months, later... everything will be fine, I... I can't miss this opportunity!"

  When Liu Fu heard the words, Liu Xuan suddenly lowered her head, her face and calmness different from usual, and even had some ferocity: "Help you? Joke, why should I help you! A good thing was messed up by you, and even implicated me to be scolded by my grandmother. You still want me to plead for you, are you dreaming?"

  Liu Fu was stunned and completely didn't expect Liu Fu to speak like this, she was dazed for a long time before speaking foolishly: "I... I did all of this for you..."

  "Shut up!" Yu Xuan's gaze quickly swept around, and the surrounding maids hurriedly retreated. Yu Xuan's face turned even uglier: "What are you talking about? What do you mean by 'for my sake'? Did I ever instruct you to frame Rong Jie?"

  "That's not it..." was Lǚ Fú's habitual response.

  "Everything is your own doing, it's because you can't stand Xiang'er, a concubine-born daughter, arriving at the plum garden later than you and yet doing such things. You still don't understand until now, and you even want to frame me! I've been kind-hearted and willing to help you all along, what are you thinking!"

  Liu Xuan said, looking at the maid beside Liu Fu: "Don't you take your master away to face the wall, lest someone sees another joke!"

  As she spoke, Liu Xuan flung her sleeve and left, not even willing to give Liu Fu another glance.

  Liu Fu sat stupidly on the ground.

  "Miss, let's go back and prepare first." The little maid spoke softly, worried about touching her forehead.

  "Lian'er, I... what did I do wrong? Why was everything fine and then suddenly changed?" Liu Fu looked up at the little maid Lian'er in confusion.

  Lotus hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Rong didn't ask Liu any questions at all."

  "What!" Lian Yu's eyes widened, and she gritted her teeth: "You're so vicious, Lian Rong, you actually plotted against me!"

  But completely forgot it was his own move, harming others instead.

  Dong Er happily followed Liu Rong to his own courtyard, swinging his little fists and looking very proud of himself.

  Liu Rong couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight.

  "Miss, what are you laughing at?" was laughed at by Liu Rong, and Dong Er couldn't help but ask with a feeling that something wasn't right.

  "It's nothing, seeing you so happy makes me feel like there are no troubles in this world at all." Liu Rong said to Dong Er, and offended another person. Her alliance didn't work out, but her speed of making enemies was indeed top-notch! However, thinking about the old lady's humiliating departure, she couldn't help but curve up a smile.

  "Of course we should be happy, we've won a victory! Fourth sister is so bad, Miss, you didn't do anything, but she's slandering you, saying you hit Sixth sister. If it wasn't for your cleverness in separating the two of them and asking them the same question, making them reveal their own flaws, now it's you who should be punished to face the wall!" Dong Er said seriously to Liu Rong, unknowingly, this time's matter had made him closer to her than before.

  "I didn't actually ask Liu Jie questions." said Liu Rong calmly.

  "What! That... how could Miss say that Fu Jie answered incorrectly at the last moment? If Fu Jie insisted that what she said was true, wouldn't you be finished?! Dong Er looked at Liu Rong with concern, thinking of the bad possibility, her small face scrunched up: "Miss, why didn't you ask Liu Jie? Maybe if you asked carefully, Liu Jie wouldn't be able to answer and would directly admit defeat, it wouldn't have to be so suspenseful!"

  Liu Rong smiled: "I have an 80% chance of success, and besides, Liu Jie is only five years old. This matter itself has little to do with her, and she may be scared out of her wits already. If I ask her these questions in front of a crowd, she won't be able to answer them, and it will likely leave a shadow on her later."

  Children are always innocent, especially a completely helpless and struggling concubine-born daughter who has had a very hard life. At such a young age, she is already living an unequal life with other children just because of her unfortunate birth. Why must she add more misfortune to this already unfortunate child?!

  Moreover, human nature is originally good. This child has remained silent from start to finish, and even when she was beaten and caught off guard, she still cried out for help, after all a kind-hearted child, just living in desperation.

  "Miss, you're too kind-hearted, this will bring bad luck in the mansion!" Dong'er couldn't help but say.

  Liu Rong couldn't help but burst out laughing. She had just said that she was reckless and impulsive, worried that she would really take action against Liu Meng. Now, she has become too kind-hearted. She finally understood why there were no maids left by Zhong Shi's side, except for this timid and clumsy one.

  Life is already tiring, if there's someone with complicated thoughts by your side, it'll be even more exhausting. On the contrary, having someone simple-minded around is better, at least in a space with just two people, life can be carefree and effortless.

  "Let's hurry back, we still need to go to the Buddhist hall and tell Mother about today's events, so she won't worry again." Liu Rong said as she looked at Dong Er, quickening her pace as they walked back.

  Dong Er hurriedly ran to catch up with him.

  After the two people left, a small figure emerged from behind the plum tree next to it. It's unknown how long this little figure had been standing there, and how many words it had heard between Liu Rong and Dong Er. All that could be seen was her staring blankly at Liu Rong's receding back, until Liu Rong's back disappeared into the distance of the cobblestone road.

  "Sixth Miss, what are you doing here? What are you looking at? We've all been searching for you frantically, and Yang's wife has been waiting anxiously in your courtyard. Hurry up and come back with us!" Just then, a worried voice came from behind the small figure, speaking as it pulled her hand forward.

  The sixth sister lowered her head and took another look at the end of the road before obediently letting Nurse Ren lead her away.