Chapter 9: Severe Punishment
Granny Yang first asked Hong Xing, “I’m asking you, are you deliberately being lazy?”
“This servant did not,” Hong Xing said tearfully, her voice choked with sobs as she knelt, “I was a little late today, but it wasn’t intentional.
Granny Yang, you know me. I’ve been in this mansion since I was a child. How could I be someone who shirks work?”
“Nonsense!” Zhang Ma interrupted her. “Are you only late today? Aren’t you always dawdling? And that Zhui Zi, whenever you’re asked to do some work, you either use an embroidery needle to pick at the soil, never doing anything with enthusiasm. Or you disappear, and no one knows where you’ve gone.
You keep saying it’s not intentional, does that mean we’re making things difficult for you?”
Zhang Ma had a fierce appearance. At this moment, with her hands on her hips and her thick eyebrows raised, she looked even more menacing.
Zhui Zi, who had been standing by, was intimidated by her aura and also knelt down unconsciously.
“Elder Sister, please don’t get angry yet,” Granny Yang said, playing the good person. “These young maids sometimes are stubborn and inflexible. Or they are forgetful and absent-minded, as if they’ve lost their souls. They need us to guide them properly!”
“I also know that no one is perfect, but the most important thing for a servant is loyalty. It’s not a big deal if they don’t do well once or twice.
But if their hearts are tainted and their lungs are corrupted, that is unacceptable.” Zhang Ma also put on a smile, though her smile was not pleasant to look at, making her seem like she was about to bite. “Don’t you agree, Granny Yang?”
“That is natural, that is natural,” Granny Yang certainly would not disagree with this.
Zhang Ma brought over the food boxes and said to Consort Song, Granny Yang, and everyone present, “Never mind if it’s a little late. Everyone, please take a look at the meals the two maids have brought for Madam and Young Master these past few days.”
The food in the food boxes was already cold, and it was not the Master’s meal.
“What’s going on with you two?” Consort Song preempted them. “Who allowed you to do this?”
Hong Xing and Zhui Zi were also flustered at this moment, stammering, “That… that was all that was available when we went to the kitchen…”
“It seems Zhang Ma was not wrong about you at all! If the food in the kitchen is insufficient, you should have come to me. It’s not for you to make your own decisions!” Granny Yang reprimanded. She didn’t want to implicate the kitchen staff in this matter, as her in-laws managed that department. So, she decided to let these two maids take all the blame. “Hurry up and apologize to Madam!”
Consort Song also apologized profusely to Wen Mingqian, “I’ve been ill these past few days and have been quite negligent. I never expected these two maids to be so presumptuous. You and Fourth Young Master have truly been wronged, and it’s no wonder Zhang Ma is angry.”
At this moment, Wen Mingqian, who had been silent, finally spoke, “Zhang Ma is not looking for trouble for no reason. It’s just that these two are too unacceptable.
I had originally thought perhaps they were careless and made a mistake, and that we shouldn’t make a fuss over trivial matters and lose our composure.
But later, I saw that they were doing it intentionally. If they are not punished, it will not only embolden their malicious intentions but also ruin your reputation for virtue.
Those who don’t know the truth will surely spread rumors that they were mistreating us mother and son at your behest.”
“Madam, please see, I truly did not know these two audacious girls dared to harbor such thoughts.” In front of everyone, Consort Song certainly could not protect these two maids, especially since she had not instructed them to do so. “Thank you more, Madam, for knowing it wasn’t me who ordered them and for preserving my reputation.”
“Concubine Song, I shouldn’t have to say this, but you are too lenient with your subordinates, which is why these people have no fear. Today is a good opportunity to make an example of these two short-sighted girls, to prevent such absurdities in the future,” Zhang Ma said with a curl of her lip. “Let everyone present hear this: although Madam has not been in this mansion for many years, she is not someone you servants can slight. Otherwise, whether you are beaten or sold, let’s see who loses face!”
Upon hearing this, everyone’s faces looked somewhat embarrassed. Consort Song smiled and asked Wen Mingqian, “Madam, how do you wish to deal with these two?”
“Concubine Song, why do you need to ask Madam? Are you unaware of the rules of this mansion, or do you intentionally want Madam to be the one to offend people?” Zhang Ma asked Concubine Song with a half-smile.
“Granny Zhang, please don’t misunderstand. I am asking Madam out of respect for her. If Madam has any special instructions, I will naturally obey them,” Concubine Song quickly explained.
“I have no special instructions. Just handle it according to the rules,” Wen Mingqian replied indifferently. “After all this commotion, Chang An should be studying. Everyone disperse!”
“Then, according to the rules, let’s have a matchmaker come and sell them both,” Concubine Song said. “I will handle this matter; you don’t need to trouble yourself, Madam.”
Upon hearing this, Hong Xing and Zhui Zi naturally cried and begged for mercy. It wasn’t that this mansion was particularly good, but rather that the reason for their dismissal was mistreating their masters, which was a grave taboo.
Servants also need to protect their reputation. If their reputation is ruined, how can they find good employers?
But at this point, who would speak up for them? Several older women came and dragged them away.
“Madam and Fourth Young Master haven’t had breakfast yet,” Granny Yang said. “Have the kitchen quickly prepare a table of food, so that Fourth Young Master can eat his fill before studying.”
“Let’s skip this meal!” Zhang Ma said. “We’ll talk about it at lunch.”
After the servants dispersed, they all gossiped privately. A starving camel is still bigger than a horse. No matter how much Wen Mingqian was out of favor, she was still the matriarch of this mansion. Those two maids were truly blind, and even Concubine Song couldn’t protect them now.
“As expected, they finally took action,” Granny Yang said, supporting Consort Song as they walked back. “But I thought that old hag surnamed Zhang would lose her temper on the first day. I didn’t expect her to wait until today.”
“That Zhang Ma is subtle despite her roughness,” Consort Song said with a light laugh. “If she had acted on the first day, at most she would have scolded those two maids a couple of times, and they wouldn’t have dared to be so blatant afterward.
Their silence at first was intentional, to let them become more and more presumptuous. Then, to make a scene in public, so as to kill one and warn a hundred.”
“Little Madam, now that you say it, it’s true,” Granny Yang nodded. “Are we really going to sell those two maids?”
“Of course, we’ll sell them,” Consort Song’s smile deepened. “Not only will we sell them, but we’ll do it with great fanfare, so that everyone knows our Madam’s might.”
Granny Yang immediately understood and clapped her hands, “Wonderful, wonderful! What Little Madam said is indeed reasonable.”
“In addition, arrange for two maids to go and serve them,” Consort Song said. “This time, you should know what kind of people to send.”
“This old servant knows. We need to send someone clever, intelligent, and loyal.” She emphasized the word “loyal” heavily.
