“Then, according to you, should we send her to the temple?” asked First Master Cheng.
A maid brought up the tea, and First Master Cheng took a satisfied sip.
“A new monk at Wan-ning Temple brews excellent tea. It took pulling quite a few strings to get a pot,” he said.
“What’s the big deal about spending a bit more money?” said First Madam Cheng.
First Master Cheng smiled.
He had no other hobbies in his life, only a love for tea.
“Sending her to the temple wasn’t my idea,” said First Madam Cheng. “It was Mother’s idea.”
A maid entered from outside, whispered a few words to her, and then withdrew.
“What’s the matter now?” asked First Master Cheng.
“The second household sold a maid,” said First Madam Cheng, sighing with some helplessness. “As she grows older, Qing-niang’s temper has also grown.”
“Ridiculous,” said First Master Cheng, unhappily putting down his teacup. “Can’t you do something about it?”
“I dare not intervene anymore,” said First Madam Cheng, pausing for a moment. “Ever since that child came into our home, things have been in chaos.”
“Then send her away,” said First Master Cheng.
“Do we need to inform the Zhou family about this?” asked First Madam Cheng.
Before the words were out, a maid hurried in from outside.
“Master, Madam, someone from the Zhou family has come,” she said.
It’s true what they say about not speaking of people behind their backs. How come they’ve come again?
First Master Cheng and First Madam Cheng exchanged a surprised glance.
The people from the Zhou family this time were even more imposing than the last time. There were four men and four women, all carrying themselves with the same air of as the young master from the Zhou family.
“Our master and madam sent us to take over the dowry shops and estates of our mistress,” said one of the male stewards.
The Cheng family members were all taken aback.
“Ridiculous!” Second Master Cheng sat up and shouted.
“Please, sir, do not be angry,” the steward said, bowing respectfully. “When Jiao-niang wasn’t home before, we thought she wouldn’t live long, so our master and madam made no plans. But now that Jiao-niang is back and not young anymore, she will need to take her dowry when she marries off in the future.”
The masters and madams of the Cheng family showed strange expressions.
A fool, still planning to get married?
The Zhou family people were lying without even blushing.
“So, our master and madam sent us to manage Jiao-niang’s dowry, so that she can get married in the future with great honor,” the steward continued.
“Do you think our family would embezzle Jiao-niang’s dowry?” First Madam Cheng asked with a cold smile.
“Our master and madam do not think that way. They only wish to show their care for Jiao-niang,” the steward said expressionlessly. “If there is any confusion, we could invite the authorities to verify the dowry list, so that neither our master nor madam bears any unfounded blame.”
“There is a list for everything, so how could there be confusion?” Second Madam Cheng interjected. “There’s no need to verify it so thoroughly.”
Since she wouldn’t benefit from it, she was happy to see others not benefit either.
First Madam Cheng sighed inwardly.
“Your timing is just right,” she said. “Go see Jiao-niang. In a few days, she will be going to the temple to recuperate.”
The men and women from the Zhou family were taken aback, but they had been instructed beforehand to let the steward make all decisions, so they lowered their heads and remained silent.
“Why send her to the temple for no reason?” the steward asked. “What will people say if this gets out?”
“What will they say? A priest once said that this child lacks a complete soul, and only by being in a temple can she have complete fortune,” Second Master Cheng said coldly. “You all know this already. If you don’t believe us, there are plenty of good doctors in the capital. Take her there and have her thoroughly examined.”
The steward smiled and bowed respectfully.
“I wouldn’t dare. Of course, Second Master, you are more closely related. It was foolish of me to speak without understanding,” he apologized.
Master Cheng exchanged a glance with Second Master Cheng and shook his head.
The Zhou family only cared about their own interests and didn’t truly care about Jiao-niang.
“Since you acknowledge that she is our flesh and blood, we cannot trust her entire dowry to you,” First Master Cheng said calmly. “Though my sister-in-law is no longer with us, Jiao-niang is still here, her father is still here, and I, her uncle, am still here. How does it fall to you, the Zhou family, to interfere?”
Second Madam Cheng immediately sat up straight.
That’s right, her father is still here, so it doesn’t fall to her uncle to interfere either.
It’s time to properly discuss the matter of the dowry.
The back-and-forth negotiations and scheming between the two families weren’t matters that could be settled in a day or two. The servants were less concerned about the management of the dowry. In comparison, the news that Cheng Jiao-niang was to be sent to the temple again was far more significant.
“What? Miss is to be sent to the temple?”
The maids in Cheng Jiao-niang’s courtyard were thrown into chaos.
If they went to a place like the Taoist temple, especially with this fool, they might never come out again!
Being near this fool had brought nothing but trouble: first, it led to the expulsion of maids and their families from both households, and now, it threatened to ruin lives forever. It wasn’t much better than being sold or driven away!
This fool was truly a jinx; anyone who got involved with her was doomed!
Immediately, the maids in the courtyard started to run around in panic, seeking connections and favors in hopes of escaping.
A maid sat in the corridor, quietly sewing a pair of socks.
There was a faint sound coming from inside the room. She quickly set down her needle and thread and hurried inside.
Cheng Jiao-niang was slowly getting up from the bed.
“Miss, you are awake,” she said, reaching out to assist.
After helping her change clothes and wash her face, she guided her to sit by the window and handed her a cup of warm water. The maid’s movements were smooth and practiced.
“Miss, as you instructed, I’ve made some white lotus cakes. I boiled them, added rice flour and honey, mashed them up, steamed them, and they’ve cooled down now. Would you like to taste them?” the maid asked. “I found them to be just the right amount of sweetness. I hope you’ll like them.”
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
The yellow-green cakes on the small white porcelain plate looked pleasing. Cheng Jiao-niang had a few bites.
“They’re alright,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
The maid smiled happily in response.
“Is everything packed up?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked.
“Yes, except for the book you wanted to read,” the maid replied. “On the day of departure, I’ll bring it with me.”
Cheng Jiao-niang looked up at her.
“You’re coming with me?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m here to serve you. Wherever you go, I obviously will be there too,” the maid said.
“What can you get from this?” Cheng Jiao-niang asked.
“Serving you already made me not well-regarded in the household,” the maid said with a smile, her hand on her knee. “Staying behind might sound better, but I would inevitably feel uncomfortable. I’m getting older, and in a year or two, I’ll have to be married off. Given my status, who knows who I’ll end up with. Following you, I feel more at ease. I’ve thought it over—food, drink, reputation, none of it matters. One can’t have everything in life. I don’t ask for much, just a sense of ease.”
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at her and pursed her lips.
“Could I understand all that you said, being a fool?” she asked.
The maid covered her mouth and chuckled.
“Miss, please don’t jest. If you’re a fool, then so am I,” she laughed.
Cheng Jiao-niang fell silent and lowered her head to read her book.
The maid also remained quiet, taking a few steps back and sitting down to resume her sewing.
“Having everything exactly as one wishes isn’t impossible,” Cheng Jiao-niang suddenly said.
Cheng Jiao-niang spoke a beat slower than most people, a fact the maid already knew. Hearing this, she smiled in response but didn’t take it to heart.
There was a knock on the door.
The two of them looked out the window and saw a strange maid standing there, dressed differently from those in their household.
Like everyone meeting Cheng Jiao-niang for the first time, the maid stared blankly for a moment before regaining her composure under Cheng Jiao-niang’s stoic gaze.
“This is for the mistress,” she said, bending down to push forward a square box.
“Ban Qin,” Cheng Jiao-niang suddenly spoke up.
The maid was startled and looked up in surprise.
Wasn’t it said that she didn’t remember people or things? How…
“Yes, Miss,” the maid replied quickly, reaching out to take the box.
The maid was somewhat confused, feeling like she was thinking of something but also feeling like she wasn’t.
“Miss, it’s food,” the maid opened the box and looked inside, saying with a delighted expression.
Inside the wrapped box were two layers of food trays, filled with colorful snacks and preserved fruits neatly arranged in square compartments.
“These are famous snacks from the capital. Ban… they said Miss loves snacks, so they specially picked these,” the maid said, but she addressed her remarks to the maid. “But don’t eat too much; it might upset her stomach.”
The maid smiled but didn’t say anything.
“Then I’ll take my leave,” the maid said. Despite this fool being very attractive, staying around such a fool always made her feel unpleasant.
“This,” Cheng Jiao-niang spoke again, picking up a notebook from the nearby table, “take this to her.”
The maid was momentarily stunned, looking at Cheng Jiao-niang.
Who was her referring to? Did this fool actually know who is who? That’s impossible, right?
The maid had already reached out and handed the notebook to the her.
The maid glanced at it and saw a simple handmade notebook, thin and carefully sewn together. She couldn’t read or recognize what was written. She could only take it and bow once more before walking away.
The maid personally escorted her to the corridor.
“May I ask your name?” the maid asked, stepping down the steps and turning back to ask.
The maid smiled faintly at her.
“I’m Ban Qin,” she said.
