“Sorry to trouble you,” Ban Qin said as she bowed and thanked the maid at the gate.
“No worries,” the maid replied politely, returning the bow.
Ban Qin quickly turned and ran into the room.
“Miss, Miss, I’ve asked. Your cousin had some wine and went to rest,” she said happily.
Cheng Jiao-niang didn’t need a nap because she already slept a lot throughout the day. Right now, she was looking at a book placed on a small table.
After the commotion between the Cheng family and the Zhou family had settled and they were all eating, she asked Ban Qin to get her a book.
Since she didn’t know what specifically to read, the servants, after hearing the maid’s request, reported to the master, and picked the thickest book from his study and sent it over.
This way, it would be enough for her to tear apart and play with for a while.
After all, a fool asking for a book would only use it to play with, not to read, right?
“Records of the Great Zhou’s Prosperity,” Cheng Jiao-niang murmured the title softly, her fingers stroking the cover. She didn’t pay much attention to what Ban Qin was saying, but she was very happy inside, though she couldn’t show it.
“Miss, once your cousin wakes up, he will come to see you,” Ban Qin said, kneeling in front of her and resting her hands on the small table, blocking the book.
Cheng Jiao-niang responded with an “Oh” and nodded at her.
“Alright,” she said.
“Miss,” Ban Qin sat back for a moment, then knelt upright again, looking excited and uneasy. “What do you want to say to the young master when you see him?”
Cheng Jiao-niang responded with an “Oh” and didn’t speak for a while.
“Is it that there’s a lot you want to say but can’t express? Don’t worry,” Ban Qin smiled. “Take your time. The young master will definitely listen to you patiently.”
Cheng Jiao-niang responded with another “Oh.” In truth, she had nothing to say to him since they were not familiar with each other.
She lowered her head, wanting to read the book.
“With the young master here, they won’t dare to bully you anymore,” Ban Qin said, feeling a mix of excitement and relief. “If we had known earlier, we should have gone to the old madam’s family first before coming back.”
Cheng Jiao-niang raised her head.
“You mentioned someone named Han Yuanchao,” she suddenly said.
Ban Qin, interrupted, was momentarily lost.
“Han Yuanchao?”
Cheng Jiao-niang picked up Ban Qin’s daily record book from beside her, opened it, and pointed to one line.
“Today, in Tong Jiang, Yuanchao, the young master from the Han family stepped in to help.”
Ban Qin remembered and responded with an “Oh.”
“I can’t remember what happened,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
Ban Qin then recounted the incident once more, but this time, she told it more simply and quickly compared to previous times.
“Miss, the young master is even younger than this Young Master Han,” she added.
“Ban Qin, Young Master Han said that lending a hand is something everyone can do and shouldn’t be considered a favor,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, not following her lead to talk about Zhou Liu-lang.
Ban Qin looked at her and nodded.
“Yes, yes, you remember now. You said that while there are many small acts of kindness in this world, not everyone is willing to do them. That’s why you wanted me to write it down, so we wouldn’t forget Young Master Han’s help,” she said with a cheerful smile.
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at her.
“Yes, Ban Qin, it’s rare to meet someone like Young Master Han,” she said.
Ban Qin was puzzled, not understanding the connection.
Maybe Miss’s slow mind had wandered off again, or perhaps thinking of Zhou Liu-lang’s support had reminded her of Han Yuanchao.
That must be it; her mind had drifted and hadn’t come back yet.
“Yes, so it’s really great that the young master could come,” Ban Qin said with a smile, standing up with the help of the small table. “Miss, I’ll go check on the tea for the guests.”
With that, Ban Qin ran out, her footsteps echoing. Cheng Jiao-niang watched her return to put on the clogs left on the veranda, and then she heard her steps fading into the kitchen.
Cheng Jiao-niang pressed her lips together, forming a faint smile, and then lowered her head to open the book.
By the time the afternoon had passed, Ban Qin’s tea had cooled down more than once, but Zhou Liu-lang still hadn’t come.
“Hasn’t he woken up yet?” Ban Qin said, “Did he drink too much?”
No one answered her. While others had finished their afternoon naps, it was now Cheng Jiao-niang’s turn to nap.
She lay asleep on the couch. Not far away, on the small table by the window, the wind gently rustled the pages of the book, making a soft sound from time to time.
Ban Qin carefully went over and turned the book over. She stared blankly at the sunlight and green shade outside the window for a moment, then stood up.
“I’m going to check on the Sixth Young Master. You keep an eye on Miss for me,” she said softly to the new maid.
The maid had a plain appearance, someone who wouldn’t stand out in a crowd. She was about sixteen or seventeen years old. She was startled and a bit scared when she heard Ban Qin.
“Ah, ah, what, what should I do?” she asked, her voice trembling.
She had never taken care of a fool before…
What if the mistress wakes up and cries or causes trouble? Would she hit someone? Should she give her water? What snacks should she offer? If she needed to change clothes, could she handle it alone?
Ban Qin glared at the maid, feeling a bit annoyed.
“I’ll be back soon. Just wait in the hallway, you don’t need to go inside. If Miss wakes up and I’m not here, she’ll stay lying down and won’t move. You don’t need to do anything,” she said softly.
The maid breathed a sigh of relief.
“Please come back quickly,” she said nervously.
Ban Qin stepped out.
She asked a few people to find out where Zhou Liu-lang was resting, but when she hurried over, he wasn’t there.
“The young master went to see Second Master Cheng,” a servant outside the door said.
It was wise to see Miss’s father first, Ban Qin thought happily. She turned and headed towards Second Master Cheng’s courtyard. She waited outside, planning to escort Zhou Liu-lang to see Cheng Jiao-niang once he emerged.
After lingering for a long time without seeing Zhou Liu-lang come out, Ban Qin became somewhat anxious. She hurriedly asked the servants at Second Master Cheng’s door, only to find out that he had actually went with Second Master Cheng to visit First Master Cheng.
Ban Qin stomped her foot in frustration, then turned and rushed towards First Master Cheng’s residence.
While Ban Qin was frustrated on her end, the maid left waiting in the courtyard was also anxious.
“Should we go in to check or not?” she asked an older maid anxiously.
The two of them had been kneeling outside the hallway for half a day. Inside, it was eerily quiet, unsettlingly silent.
“The maid said not to go in. Maybe we shouldn’t go,” the older maid hesitated, unable to make a decision.
“Why hasn’t she come back yet?” The young maid glanced outside the door. “Why must they talk for so long? They could have waited until tomorrow to discuss it.”
Ban Qin had just reached the door of First Master Cheng’s courtyard when a servant emerged.
“What? The young master is leaving already?” Ban Qin was taken aback. “He only arrived today. Why is he leaving so soon?”
Neither First Master Cheng nor Second Master Cheng looked relaxed upon hearing this.
“It’s getting dark. How can you leave now?” First Master Cheng remarked.
“No problem. It’s better to travel when there are fewer people on the road at night,” Zhou Liu-lang laughed, displaying a youthful confidence.
Second Master Cheng felt a hint of disdain.
“You came and went in haste, just to deliver a message. It has been quite taxing,” First Master Cheng said, no longer insisting on keeping him.
“Oh, besides delivering the message and checking if my cousin is safe, there is another matter,” Zhou Liu-lang suddenly recalled.
Here it comes!
First Master Cheng and Second Master Cheng’s hearts skipped a beat. After all the fuss and commotion, it seemed Zhou Liu-lang was finally going to reveal his true purpose.
“Please go ahead,” First Master Cheng said.
Zhou Liu-lang sat up straight, hands on his knees.
“I want that maid,” he said.
