Chapter 71: A Sudden Realization
This day, as soon as Gong Xu returned, he saw Yun Ying waiting by the second gate, looking as if she had been waiting for a long time. She was first stunned upon seeing him, then broke into a smile.
With a hint of shyness, she walked up to Gong Xu and said softly, “Master has returned. Madam went to First Madam’s room to talk, and before she left, she instructed this servant to serve you well. Zhang Ma has already prepared dinner. I wonder if Master would do us the honor of joining us?”
Hearing that Wen Mingqian was not present, Gong Xu knew she wouldn’t be back anytime soon, so he dismissed his last lingering concern and said, “Since the meal is prepared, I shall go! Wouldn’t it be a waste otherwise?”
He then turned to the young attendant following him and said, “Go tell the people attending Little Madam that she should eat her meal well by herself! I will dine at Madam’s place. Afterwards, I will go to the study to write a few letters. Have her take her medicine and go to sleep early.”
“Little Madam is taking medicine to nurture the fetus, so she must have many dietary restrictions,” Yun Ying said with a slight smile. “From now on, just have them prepare meals for Little Madam alone. If Master is home, let Zhang Ma serve you well; I’m sure it will suit your taste.”
Gong Xu did not speak, as if he hadn’t heard what Yun Ying said.
Yun Ying quietly pursed her lips and smiled, then gracefully led the way.
Her figure was graceful, charming yet dignified, and her every move and word carried an inexhaustible gentleness. Even when she smiled, she never showed her teeth.
Every time Gong Xu saw her, it was as if a person from a painting of ladies had come to life.
Wen Mingqian’s courtyard was quiet. Many lotus flowers had bloomed by now, and the evening breeze, carrying the fragrance of lotus, was refreshing.
“Does Master wish to admire the lotuses?” Yun Ying sensed his thoughts from Gong Xu’s slight pause. “Then this servant will bring the food and drink to this pavilion. Wouldn’t it be elegant for you to drink wine while enjoying the scenery?”
“You are truly thoughtful,” Gong Xu smiled. “How many taels of silver did Madam spend to buy you into the manor?”
“Replying to Master, it was two hundred taels,” Yun Ying lowered her head slightly, a blush appearing on her cheeks.
Gong Xu immediately understood. Generally speaking, even a maidservant sold with a death contract would only cost twenty to thirty taels of silver, and that would be for a good one.
Wen Mingqian paying such a price to buy her clearly meant she wasn’t meant to be a mere maidservant.
“Master, please wait here for a moment. This servant will go and fetch the food and drink.” Yun Ying turned with a shy smile, but accidentally dropped her handkerchief.
She walked a bit too quickly, and Gong Xu, unable to call out to her in time, bent down to pick up the handkerchief.
The fabric, made of gauze, was embroidered with a pair of colorful mandarin ducks. Beside them were two lines of poetry, which read: “Without the wings of a colorful phoenix flying in pairs, there is a telepathic connection.”
A moment later, Yun Ying, with the young maid Mei Er, brought the food and drink.
“Good sister, go and bring the two new dim sum that were just made,” Yun Ying said gently to Mei Er.
After Mei Er left, Gong Xu smiled and asked Yun Ying, “Do you also know how to read?”
“How did Master know? This servant can recognize a few characters,” Yun Ying said, quite surprised.
“Did you embroider this handkerchief yourself?” Gong Xu asked, holding out his hand.
“Oh dear, look at me, how clumsy. I didn’t even realize I dropped my handkerchief,” Yun Ying’s face turned red again. Gong Xu noticed that she really blushed very easily.
“Do you know the meaning of these two lines of poetry?” Gong Xu couldn’t help but feel like teasing the young girl.
“This servant doesn’t understand very well, but when I read these two lines by Li Yishan, I don’t know why, but I felt both happy and sad,” Yun Ying sighed softly. “Since then, I’ve always remembered them and embroidered them on my handkerchief. This servant is foolish and has made Master laugh.”
“I am not laughing at you; the meaning of these two lines of poetry is excellent. It’s just that you are young. Even if you understand the meaning of the words, you still don’t understand the deeper implications,” Gong Xu sighed with a hint of melancholy.
“It’s all this servant’s fault,” Yun Ying blamed herself. “I won’t use this handkerchief again.”
As she spoke, she reached out and took the handkerchief from Gong Xu’s hand. Her slightly cool fingertips brushed against Gong Xu’s palm, like a falling petal.
“I am not sighing because of you. You are intelligent and perceptive, which is good,” Gong Xu comforted her. “If you like to study, you may do so.”
“Master doesn’t laugh at me and even tells me to study more. It’s truly strange,” Yun Ying was puzzled. “People like us would be laughed at for studying.”
“Only by being knowledgeable can one understand reason. What is wrong with studying? Just study, and don’t be afraid,” Gong Xu’s tone carried a gentleness he himself hadn’t noticed.
“But I can’t understand it by myself; I need a master,” Yun Ying bit her lower lip and looked at Gong Xu. “I wonder if Master would take me as a disciple?”
Seeing the expectation in her eyes, Gong Xu couldn’t bear to refuse. “If I have free time, I can naturally answer a few of your questions.”
At this moment, Consort Song was not having a good time. Gong Bao’an had fussed himself to sleep, but was still murmuring in his dreams, “I want rose cake…”
He had made Consort Song dizzy and her mood even more vexed.
“Little Madam, why don’t I invite a shaman to take a look?” Granny Yang asked tentatively.
“What’s the point of inviting one? Do you want everyone to know that this courtyard is haunted?” Consort Song snapped.
“Little Madam, please don’t get angry. Let’s wait a bit longer. Perhaps it will be better tomorrow,” Granny Yang quickly agreed with her.
“I think it’s that little devil Gong Changan who’s causing this. That child is full of mischief. Why didn’t he die on the road back then?!” Consort Song gritted her teeth in hatred.
“Little Madam, someone from Master’s side said that you should eat dinner by yourself! He also said to ask you to rest early,” Liuyun said, entering with some trepidation.
They all knew that Consort Song was currently agitated, and hearing this would surely incur her displeasure.
As expected, Consort Song sneered after hearing this, “Heh! He must have been seduced by that little vixen from that courtyard! This one surnamed Wen doesn’t know where she found two little playthings, and has so bewitched Master that he can’t tell north from south!”
“Little Madam, please calm your anger. There’s no need to get angry over them. It’s important to recuperate. If you have the green hills, you don’t have to worry about firewood,” Granny Yang tried to pacify her.
“I said long ago, to catch the thief, first catch the king. As long as Wen Mingqian, that king of thieves, is here, wild fox spirits will always be attracted. Once she is brought down, the rest will be nothing to fear,” Consort Song knew she had to remain calm at this moment and could not afford to be utterly defeated.
“Then has Little Madam thought of a method to deal with her?” Granny Yang asked.
Consort Song placed her hand on her lower abdomen and was silent for a long time before saying, “This child is unlikely to be kept anyway. Rather than having him soaked in bitter medicine every day, it would be better to let him go quickly. It would be considered helping me.”
Upon hearing this, Granny Yang didn’t think Consort Song was wrong. Instead, she helped by saying, “As the saying goes, ‘A ruthless person cannot enjoy prosperity.’ The first time Wen Mingqian was sent back to her hometown for seven years. This time, we must completely cut off her retreat.”
“Moreover, ever since she became pregnant with this child, I haven’t had a moment’s peace. I feel in my heart that he is unlucky. Since that’s the case, it’s better to endure short-term pain than long-term suffering. I will properly deliver his soul afterwards.”
