Chapter 161: Sending Someone Over
Sang Er sent a letter to the Cui Family.
Cui Baozhu’s stepmother, Leng Shi, heard from a servant and guessed that Cui Baozhu intended to take her own life.
She couldn’t help but sneer, “What a chaste and virtuous woman! To be so distraught over marrying a man, completely disregarding her parents and siblings, she’s as foolish as her dead mother!”
“Madam, leaving the second young lady outside is not very appropriate, is it?” the butler asked.
“Even if it’s just for show, it must be for outsiders to see. You take Granny Hu with you! I don’t need to teach you what to say, do I?” Leng Shi said. “Bring that shameless bitch back, and from now on, let’s see if she dares to step out of this door!”
“Madam, that’s what you say, but what if the second young lady insists on not coming back?” the butler asked. “We can’t exactly fall out completely, can we?”
“Yu’er is ill, and Master is overwhelmed with worry every day. If she had any conscience, she wouldn’t be so willful,” Leng Shi said. “She is with Madam Wen now, so we can’t be too forceful. But as long as Madam Wen doesn’t speak up, you can just coax her back.”
Thus, the butler of the Cui Mansion went to Wu Qiu Nunnery with the companion.
The companion entered and first paid respects to Madam Wen, then said, “Madam Wen, we are truly grateful for your great kindness. However, it is too late today, our young master is ill, and the master has not yet returned. The madam cannot come herself, so she has sent this old servant and the butler to bring the second young lady back. Tomorrow, the madam and master will definitely come to thank you in person.”
“Thank you is not necessary, we are old acquaintances,” Madam Wen said with a smile. “It would be too distant to thank each other. However, your second young lady has just taken her medicine and fallen asleep. She is sweating now. The Reverend Mother said it is absolutely forbidden to expose her to the wind again, otherwise, her life would be in danger. It would be better for her to stay here for now. It is a nunnery, after all, so there is no need to worry about harming the second young lady’s reputation.”
The companion listened and chuckled twice, saying, “Although that is so, our master and madam will surely be worried. Moreover, how can we let Madam take care of a patient? That would be too inappropriate. We have brought several quilts, and if she is wrapped up tightly, it should be fine.”
“You are indeed thoughtful, but we feel that no matter how tightly wrapped, there might still be drafts,” Madam Wen said. “I’ve also said long ago that you don’t need to be so formal with me. If your madam is still worried, she can come here to look after the second young lady, that would be acceptable. There are many empty rooms here anyway, and my maid and I can move to another room.”
Seeing that Madam Wen refused to let Cui Baozhu leave from beginning to end, the companion could not insist further and could only say, “If that is the case, then this old servant will stay behind!”
She feared Cui Baozhu would say something reckless, so by staying by her side to care for her, she thought she could prevent it.
She had no idea that Cui Baozhu had already told Madam Wen the truth.
That night, Cui Baozhu indeed had a burning fever. Sang Er and Granny Hu took turns caring for her, giving her medicine, water, and wiping her body, keeping busy all night.
Early the next morning, Hui Ming came to say that someone was looking for Madam Wen.
When asked what kind of person, she said it was an auntie with a twelve or thirteen-year-old young girl.
Madam Wen thought for a moment. She didn’t recognize such people, but she still said, “Then please trouble the young nun to invite them in!”
After a while, Hui Ming led the mother and daughter over. Upon seeing them, Madam Wen realized she indeed did not recognize them.
The woman was over thirty years old. Although she wore a coarse cloth dress, it was clean.
The girl beside her was clearly her daughter. She looked a bit shy, but her gaze towards Madam Wen was filled with curiosity and friendliness.
“Greetings, Madam. I am Sun Liu Shi,” the woman introduced herself. “I am the wife of Sun Xiucai, the accountant for the second branch of the Gong Family.”
“So it’s Eldest Sister-in-law Sun,” Madam Wen said with a smile. “Is everything well at home?”
“Everything is well,” Eldest Sister-in-law Sun also smiled. “I came to visit Madam a few days ago, but there were matters at home, and I couldn’t get away.”
“You have elders at home and children to care for, and Sun Xiucai is busy with his work all day. The household relies on you alone,” Madam Wen said, understanding her situation.
“Actually, I should have kowtowed to Madam long ago, but I kept procrastinating and got delayed, which is truly inexcusable. My husband told me that Madam is now living here with only one maid. Therefore, I thought of sending my eldest daughter to serve Madam, as a way for us to contribute our part.” Sun Xiucai’s wife was also an honest person. Her whole family was grateful for the help Madam Wen had given them and always thought of repaying her.
Now that they heard Madam Wen had divorced, Sun Xiucai thought of having his daughter come to help.
“Thank you for thinking of me, but I don’t have much to do here, and one maid is enough. This child is still young and should be by her parents’ side,” Madam Wen said, looking at the young girl. “What a good child.”
“Madam, please don’t be so formal. We discussed it as a family before bringing her here, and besides, she herself is willing to come. She has been urging me for days,” Madam Sun said. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask her.”
“Madam, please accept me! I can do any kind of work at home, and my parents said you have been a great benefactor to us. One should repay kindness. I am not a child anymore and won’t cling to my parents. If I do anything wrong, Madam, please punish me. I promise I will only make a mistake once and never again.”
The young girl’s voice was clear and her speech articulate, clearly a bright and capable girl.
“What a clever child! What is your name? Can you read?” Madam Wen asked her.
“My name is Sun Aoshuang, and I can read. When my brothers were studying, I listened nearby and learned,” the young girl said. “Madam can test me.”
“No need to test, I believe you,” Madam Wen said. “Your name is very good; it has backbone.”
“If Madam likes my name, then let me stay by your side!” Sun Aoshuang said. “I will do my best.”
“Yes, Madam, please keep her. If she is not useful, you can send her back,” Madam Sun also said.
Madam Wen knew it was hard to refuse. The Sun Xiucai family had integrity, and they had brought their child with such earnestness. To refuse outright would hurt their feelings. So she said, “I like this child very much. Since you and your wife are willing to part with her, then let her stay by my side for now. However, there is one condition: the maid I currently employ receives two taels of silver in monthly salary, and it will be the same for this child. But she is still a free person. If she has other plans at any time, she only needs to inform me in advance. If you can agree to these two conditions, then I will keep her. If not, then it’s settled.”
“Oh my! How can you give her so much money? That won’t do, she’s so young! And she can’t do much work,” Madam Sun said, her face flushing.
She had originally intended to repay Madam Wen, but she hadn’t expected Madam Wen to offer such a high salary. It seemed her family was taking advantage of her.
