Ban Qin arranged the items from the food box.
“Miss, there’s plenty of delicious food here,” she exclaimed joyfully.
Cheng Jiao-niang glanced over.
“It’s better to have quality food than a lot of it,” she remarked, picking up one of the cakes.
Ban Qin quickly handed her a small piece, revealing the dates inside.
“These cakes are much better than the ones at the temple,” she said cheerfully.
“They’re not tasty,” Cheng Jiao-niang shook her head, taking only a small bite before setting it aside.
Since Miss recovered, although she ate sparingly, she became unusually picky about food. Most of the money they earned, aside from travel expenses, was spent on food. It’s a mystery how she came up with those exquisite dishes.
For instance, Miss’s preferred cold noodle dish was crafted with juice extracted from green locust leaves mixed into the dough, and fried pork oil. Though a bowl of noodles required few ingredients, the effort rivaled what others might put into a whole pot.
Luckily, Miss’s modest appetite meant that sometimes just a few pastries a day suffice. Otherwise, they might still be struggling to make it home.
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at the food box and pointed.
“Fry this one, and tear up that steamed cake to cook in the soup. That will be enough,” she said.
Ban Qin, used to these requests, cheerfully carried out the orders.
“You, squat down, squat down,” Cheng Liu-niang instructed, turning this way and that before pointing at the little maid.
The maid was nervous and uneasy.
“Miss, let’s go back. Madam is probably looking for you,” she said.
Cheng Liu-niang shushed her.
“Keep your voice down! Don’t scare the simpleton!” she whispered sternly.
The maid was almost in tears.
“Miss, please don’t look. The simpleton can be violent,” she said, trembling.
To a child in their teens, the simpleton was a frightening figure.
“This is my house, there’s nothing to fear. Quick, crouch down. I’ll climb up and take a look at the simpleton,” Cheng Liu-niang said, waving her hand to prompt the maid to crouch.
Reluctantly, the maid obeyed, tears held back. Cheng Liu-niang steadied herself against the wall, stepping onto the maid, gripping the windowsill, and peering inside.
Footsteps echoed loudly, startling Cheng Liu-niang into a crouch, while the maid’s unsteady movements nearly caused her to stumble.
“Miss, the pancake is ready for you to eat now. I’ll start preparing the rice cake porridge.”
Cheng Liu-niang cautiously poked her head out to see a maid in a green dress running past, accompanied by a tantalizing scent of something cooking.
“What smells so delicious?” she wondered quietly, peering over the windowsill on tiptoe. Behind the bamboo curtain to the left, two figures sat facing each other faintly.
“Miss, I’ll bring the soup…”
“Miss, would you like to taste this?”
The maid’s brisk movements and clear voice filled the room, but there was no response besides her own echo.
“That simpleton can’t talk,” Cheng Liu-niang whispered to the maid, her voice filled with the excitement of discovering fresh news.
The maid, trembling with fear and pain, could barely keep herself from collapsing.
“Miss, let’s go quickly,” she pleaded in a quavering voice.
“Don’t move. I haven’t seen what she looks like yet, how long her snot is, or whether her eyes and mouth are crooked…” Cheng Liu-niang said, turning her head again.
Suddenly, a pair of large eyes stared at her.
Cheng Liu-niang let out a sharp scream and fell to the ground.
The maid, equally terrified, screamed along with her. Seeing Cheng Liu-niang lying on the floor, she screamed three times in succession, then desperately pulled Cheng Liu-niang up and fled.
Cheng Jiao-niang watched as the two figures hurriedly disappeared into the distance.
“Miss, who were they?” Ban Qin asked, her face showing surprise and concern as she approached.
Cheng Jiao-niang appeared dazed.
Ban Qin muttered to herself briefly, then hurriedly moved away when the stove emitted a sizzle of cooking oil.
“I don’t know who they were,” Cheng Jiao-niang finally spoke.
After saying this, she felt a bit stifled herself.
Her mind had twisted in several directions before the words came out of her mouth.
“You chatterbox, I should have you come back in your next life with a wooden mouth, to silence you!”
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Cheng Jiao-niang’s mind. She felt a sharp pain in her heart, spreading from between her bones. Her ears buzzed, and she couldn’t stand steady. She reached out to grab the windowsill, but it was too late by the time her hand extended.
Ban Qin came over happily, holding the food box. Suddenly, there was a loud thud, and as she turned to look, Cheng Jiao-niang had already fallen to the ground.
The loud scream and the noise of the food box hitting the ground finally drew the maids from the front door.
First Madam Cheng arrived after the doctor had left, finding the maids in discussion.
“It’s nothing serious, just a bit startled. She’ll recover with some rest,” she explained.
Second Madam Cheng’s complexion was pale and strained after just a day and a half, evident in the shadows under her eyes.
“How could she get startled when everything was fine at home?” she asked First Madam Cheng, her tone a mix of frustration and inquiry.
“It’s likely due to the change in environment,” First Madam Cheng replied. “Children like her have the understanding of a few-month-old infant, they don’t comprehend much.”
Second Madam Cheng forced a smile.
“You’re right,” she said. Then she raised her eyebrows and looked at the maids.
“Don’t think I’m unaware. Each of you going to First Lady’s place, like in a circus. If I catch anyone else doing that again, I’ll them and they can see all sorts of things on the street.”
The maids lowered their heads and remained silent, knowing it wasn’t about them going to the simpleton but rather their gossiping that had been discovered.
They quickly knelt down, repeatedly apologizing and promising not to do it again. Second Madam Cheng dismissed them.
“You’ve had a hard time,” First Madam Cheng said, looking at her.
Second Madam Cheng immediately began to sob. She didn’t know why she was crying, she just felt wronged and stifled.
“Qi-niang is just starting to learn proper manners, Little Xi is still very young, and your husband has to prepare for his new position. My three daughters are all married, leaving only Liu-niang at home. With my husband managing the household, I don’t have to worry. Let me take care of the simpleton for now,” First Madam Cheng said after some thought.
Second Madam Cheng stood and bowed.
“How can I trouble you with this? It’s my responsibility,” she said, her voice choked with emotion.
“We’re family; there’s no need for such formalities,” First Madam Cheng replied, patting her hand. “Since they’re staying in the courtyard, I’ll have an old maid look after them. You don’t need to worry about anything else. Just focus on teaching the children well and let your husband prepare for his new post. Our family relies on him.”
At this point, further refusal would seem insincere. Second Madam Cheng graciously and sincerely expressed her thanks.
The maids outside gathered together again.
“Quick, tell us, what does she look like?” a few of them curiously asked the maid who had the chance to go inside and attend to Cheng Jiao-niang after hearing the scream.
“She looks just like the late Madam,” one maid said in amazement, clicking her tongue.
Madam Zhou had been very beautiful, and several of the old maids still remembered her clearly.
“It’s such a pity, though. She can’t even walk properly and can fall while just standing,” the maid continued, shaking her head with a sigh. “She’s completely dazed, not even aware if she’s awake or not. She seems like she’s missing a soul. The food we brought in for her hasn’t been touched. I wonder if she can even feed herself.”
While the maids were chatting, the daughters of the family also gathered together.
“Her eyes are so big…” Cheng Liu-niang said, using her hands to illustrate the size on her face.
The seated sisters all looked surprised and frightened.
“And she doesn’t even have pupils!” Cheng Liu-niang added dramatically, widening her eyes for emphasis.
The girls couldn’t help but cry out in fear, clutching each other’s hands on the mat.
“That’s so scary,” they all exclaimed. “Liu-niang, you shouldn’t go see her again. I heard that the simpleton can even hit people!”
Cheng Liu-niang, feeling a bit proud, said, “I’m not afraid. I have my brother. If she tries to hit me, I’ll have my brother hit her.” She stood with her hands on her hips as she spoke.
The second household only had one son, Little Xi, who was still nursing. The first household had three sons. Having an older brother for protection was something the girls greatly envied, as there was a difference between a immediate brother and a cousin.
The sound of wooden clogs echoed loudly as Cheng Qi-niang entered the room, not bothering to take them off. She walked straight in, leaving clear marks on Cheng Liu-niang’s favorite mat adorned with bird and flower patterns.
“Liu-niang, that simpleton is now your sister,” Cheng Qi-niang announced loudly, fanning herself with a small fan. She stood gracefully, draped in light silk.
