Chapter 12: The Young Master's Wife (Part 2)

  Madam Hou looked at the time and saw that it was getting late, so she called for her maidservants to attend to her, and they all returned to the Wang estate.

  The lady of the house was busy having people bring out the carefully prepared jade cups, colored lanterns, wrist pearls and other fine objects, along with the opera troupe that had just performed at the ancestral hall.

  Before leaving, Madame Hou remembered something and ordered the maid to bring up a crimson lacquer box with an inlaid plum blossom design, "Look at me, I was so happy to see you that I forgot. The other day when I went to the palace for the ceremony, Her Majesty asked me to bring this to you."

  The lady hastily took it over and stood aside until Mrs. Cai's carriage was no longer in sight, then turned around and returned to the mansion.

  Along the corridors on both sides of the hanging gate, they entered the inner courtyard. The old lady opened the box and took a look, it was a copy of "Preserving Peace and Prolonging Life Sutra". She picked up the scripture, below which was neatly stacked a handkerchief made of palace silk, embroidered with a peony flower.

  The empress dowager couldn't help but snort, if it weren't for the fact that her niece was born with a beautiful face and was knowledgeable and reasonable, and was also born at an auspicious hour, she wouldn't have sent her to the palace, who knew she would be so disappointing, now she's just a noblewoman.

  Madam Chen looked at the Buddhist scriptures and smiled to comfort the Grand Lady, "The young lady is a filial one. After entering the palace, she didn't forget that you like Buddhist scriptures, so she had someone bring them out."

  The madam sneered, "What's the use of being filial? Spending a lot of money doesn't seem to have made her achieve anything. Arrange for some more silver to be sent in and let her make an effort to get a higher position."

  Madam Chen hastily agreed, but in her heart she couldn't help feeling some reluctance. The young mistress was an ethereal being with a kind heart and knowledge that wasn't inferior to the fifth miss of the mansion. At the time, Madam Chen had been searching around, wondering which family would be able to marry such a mistress, yet unexpectedly, the Grand Mistress sent her into the palace instead.

  So quiet a person, had to rely on Niangniang's hands to beg for help from the elder lady, I suppose life in the palace must be very difficult.

  Once you can't get the emperor's favor in the palace, after a few years when you're old, it's all over.

  The lady handed the box in her hand over to Chen's mother after closing it.

  Madam Chen hastily followed and said: "There's nothing suspicious about Sixth Miss, but Eighth Miss is nowhere to be found. I've brought the wooden ruler here, would you like to ask her yourself?"

  "Take it to my room."

  The lady walked back and forth, the atmosphere in the house suddenly became tense, most of the maids and servants dared not look at her face, all serving carefully.

  "Mother Chen said: 'I've already sent someone to secretly look for her, and she's not in the garden.'"

  "Where is the other miss?"

  "Not here."

  The big wife looked at Chen Mama and said, "Tell me in detail about what happened when you went to Sixth Miss's place."

  Mrs. Chen hastily and carefully said a few words, not daring to miss a single detail.

  "I was afraid it might be fake, but after careful examination, they are indeed the handwriting of Sixth Miss. It seems that Eighth Miss is even more suspicious than Sixth Miss. Although Eighth Miss has just entered the mansion, I've heard that Seventh Aunt is not an ordinary person, and she must have taught her something outside the mansion before entering. Before entering the mansion, she must have made some preparations, and it's not surprising that she had contact with other maidservants in other mansions."

  "It's precisely because they were raised outside that people's hearts are even more unknowable, which is why you need to be extra cautious."

  "Right," said Mrs. Chen. The old lady would never easily believe anyone, let alone the young ladies who were not born to her and whom she had not seen grow up. "Otherwise, shall we call in those maids who have been in contact with Qian's wife and ask them?"

  The madam said, "Are you afraid that there are still few people in the mansion who know about it?" As soon as Madame Hou left, she was making a big fuss in the mansion. If this matter were to spread to the Hou Mansion... and they also started investigating, it's possible that they would also catch her planted spies. Either way, it would be troublesome. Before her plan was implemented, she didn't want any unnecessary branches sprouting out.

  Only a few people around her knew that she was deeply suspicious, all because of the fifth young lady's affair. If it wasn't for the old master seeing through it back then, she would still be in the dark. In the end, the fifth young lady died, and the old master blamed her for being too lenient with the household, bringing it up several times a year. Over the years, she had become like a startled bird, afraid that another fifth young lady would appear, so she was cautious about everything, and her suspicious nature grew worse with each passing year. If the people around her hadn't received her kindness, she absolutely wouldn't have used them. The people in the mansion wouldn't be trusted by her without several tests.

  Whenever she thought of Fifth Miss, Old Madam's hatred made her gnash her teeth. If she had known that this hoof would cause trouble, it would have been better to deal with her early on.

  Madam Chen looked at the gloomy face of the lady, before Eighth Miss entered the mansion, the lady had been thinking of marrying her off quickly, if today's matter is true, Eighth Miss's days in the mansion are numbered.

  Mugwort followed behind, the madam didn't ask any questions, and she also didn't dare to say anything. As they were walking, she felt someone approaching her side, she turned her head to look over, it was Cui's family, then her arm hurt, knowing that Cui's family had pinched her hard.

  Mugwort didn't dare to speak out, only listening to the low voice of Cui's family scolding: "You dead hoof, what kind of trouble have you gotten into again? If there is a mistake, admit it yourself, don't implicate your old mother."

  Choi Jae's words were finished, and the maid Dongui beside the madam looked at Mokgae with a thoughtful glance.

  Madam entered the courtyard and saw Chunyao coming out of the house. Chunyao was good at needlework, so she specifically instructed Chunyao to think about creating some new designs in the next few days. With Old Madam's 70th birthday approaching, relatives from the clan would inevitably gather together, and it would be necessary to make some gifts for them.

  Chun Yao looked at the large group of people following behind the mistress, but didn't know what was going on inside. He hastily stepped forward and took another look, only to see that the wooden frame in the back had been scared out of its wits, and his heart skipped a beat as he suddenly understood a bit more.

  "Today shouldn't have sent you on an errand, should have let you follow Eighth Miss instead. After watching the play, Eighth Miss went to the garden, now who knows where she's gone, might get lost."

  "Ah, this is all my fault," Chun Yao hastily said. "I knew where Eighth Miss was, but I forgot to send someone to inform the madam."

  The lady couldn't help but feel a little surprised, her eyes flashing as she looked at Chunyao carefully.

  Chun Yao nodded, "Miss Eighth is in the mistress's room." As soon as he finished speaking, the curtain moved again, and Miss Eighth indeed lifted the curtain and walked out.

  Ronghua saw that it was the mistress outside, and hastily went forward to pay her respects. The mistress was taken aback for a moment before smiling and scolding, "You naughty child, how did you end up here? I thought those servants had lost you again, and was just about to have them search everywhere."

  Rong Hua hastily said, "I've troubled Mother. I was originally just taking a look around the garden and didn't think I'd end up here at Mother's place. Just as I happened to see Chun Yao, I thought of something I wanted to ask her, so I followed her in."

  The madam smiled, "If it were any other day, it would be fine, but today there are actors in the inner courtyard, I'm afraid you might run into someone you shouldn't see." She reached out and pulled Ronghua up, "It's cold outside, let's go inside to talk."

  Madam Chen saw that Eighth Miss had been found, and knowing that her previous plan was no longer valid, she immediately dispersed the unrelated people, leaving only Xia and Dong, the two maids in the mistress's room, and Mugui, who remained in Eighth Miss's room.

  The lady sat in the main seat, letting Ronghua sit on her right hand. After the maids had served the tea, the lady picked up her teacup and took a sip, then turned to look at Ronghua drinking tea beside her.

  Deng Ronghua put down his teacup and Mrs. Deng smiled, "What are you doing in the house?"

  Ronghua's face turned red, "It's nothing, Mother will just laugh at me."

  Just as they were talking, Chunyao had already taken the needle and thread basket from the round stool, and while walking, took out something from inside. Everyone looked and saw that on the autumn-colored satin, half a gold chrysanthemum was already embroidered.

  Chun Yao said: "Miss Eighth is thinking of making a leg warmer for her mother-in-law, but there are some needlework things she doesn't quite understand, so it's just right to ask me."

  "Is this for warming legs?"

  Ronghua nodded, "I heard from Chen's mother that my mother has leg disease and is most afraid of the cold. I used something similar before, so I thought that since it's already Lichun (the beginning of winter) and the weather is getting colder, my mother might need it."

  Madam Chen smiled and said, "I saw it at Miss Ba's place and thought it was exquisite, so I made a comment. I didn't expect Miss Ba to be so thoughtful."

  The old lady showed a kind smile, "Quickly bring it over and let me take a look."

  Chun Yao hastily handed over the things in her hand, and the madam carefully examined them for half a day. "It's said that those who are good at needlework have a good temperament too. There aren't few young ladies in this mansion, but none of their embroidery is as beautiful as yours."

  Ronghua heard the mistress's praise and couldn't help but smile shyly, "I don't know much of anything, I just have nothing to do usually, so I come here to do some work."

  The old lady patted Ronghua's hand and said, "It's best for girls to learn these things. When I was young, I also liked to do some needlework, but now that I'm older, my eyes aren't good either." She looked at Chunyao again, "I've been worried that there isn't a skilled needlework mistress in the mansion to help me with these things. Fortunately, you're here, so this task is yours now."

  Ronghua didn't know what was going on and just listened quietly.

  The lady said, "Old Lady's birthday is approaching, and relatives will inevitably come to celebrate." The lady paused and continued, "Gifts for the ladies are indispensable, some of which need to be made by ourselves to have new ideas. Chunyao is a good needlework maid in the mansion, you discuss and see what kind of good things to make, just hope that you think thoroughly and don't mind the trouble."

  Rong Hua busily replied: "Yes."

  Madam said: "If we can get a seamstress, let Chunyao find one from the Cui family's household. It would be best if they could come up with some designs for me to take a look."

  When it comes to the embroiderer, Chun Yao's heart moved, thinking of the lotus flower on the handkerchief and her own life experience, she couldn't help but take a few more glances at Eighth Miss. Looking at the quiet and gentle Eighth Miss, Chun Yao couldn't help but feel relieved that this matter had fallen on Eighth Miss' head, when the time came, she would ask Eighth Miss to introduce her to the embroiderer who could do that lotus flower embroidery technique, Eighth Miss would probably agree.

  Rong Hua said: "My daughter will definitely try her best."

  The lady nodded in satisfaction, "Your sixth sister's needlework is also passable, I'll let her help you with the lining." She then called out to Chen Mama, "Go and invite Sixth Miss over."

  Seeking PK votes... Seeking pink votes.

  Thanks for your support, thanks for catching bugs, this is what I want, haha.