Although she had long anticipated that coming here would be more difficult than being at home, when she actually encountered it, the maid was still angry and upset.
“What a vile servant, how dare he!” she said. “Hasn’t the punishment of so many servants at home taught him a lesson? Isn’t he afraid that we’ll report him?”
“If he dares to do it, he won’t be afraid,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “I suppose he has already discussed it with the abbess.”
Abbess?
The maid sat up straight.
“Miss, are you saying that the abbess is actually involved in this too?” she asked.
“Not just involved, probably the mastermind,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, her hand resting on the book cover without opening it.
“I’ll go find her!” the maid said, about to get up.
“What will you say to her?” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “Since she dares to do it, she must have her reasons. Since I was sent away, it’s clear that the elders at home are displeased with me. Besides, there’s a saying that troubles don’t come in threes, and this time, the Zhou family isn’t here.”
“Miss,” the maid said, sitting up straight as she thought of something. “The Zhou family has sent a few people here. I might as well go find them.”
“No,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
The maid looked at her.
“They came before we arrived at the temple,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “How could they not know what would happen to me once I was sent to the temple?”
The maid felt despondent.
“Yes, they didn’t intervene back then, and they still won’t,” she said, lowering her head.
“Besides, last time was just a coincidence,” Cheng Jiao-niang continued. “People have needs, and we reported it, which aligned with their interests. Now they have already gotten what they wanted. They know it’s best not to push too far.”
“So there’s no solution?” the maid said dejectedly.
“In the end, it’s all because I’m a fool,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
Otherwise, as the legitimate daughter of the Cheng family, even though her mother died early, no one would dare to mistreat her.
The maid shed tears.
How heartbreaking those words sounded.
“Miss, you’re not foolish,” she said.
“Yes, I originally wanted to recover slowly and quietly, not caring how others treated me, but it seems that’s not possible,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
The maid was saddened again.
“This place isn’t good; it’s delaying your recovery,” she said.
“No, we are doing well here,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “I like it very much.”
The girl was stunned and puzzled.
This was considered good? What’s good about it?
“It’s really good for this fool to live here.”
Late into the night, in the adjacent room, the firewood seller sat opposite the abbess. The abbess right now had none of her daytime composure.
She was lazy and gluttonous. Unable to get by at home, and with the North Cheng family never employing their own as servants, she couldn’t compete for the scattered outside jobs that weren’t meant for a woman like her. After much contemplation, she decided to join the temple here. Claiming to have had a dream from a deceased relative instructing her to enter the temple for quiet cultivation and blessings, she spent some effort memorizing a few sutras to fool the old master and secured this position.
Since then, she had food and drink provided without much effort. Although her life was fugal, it was carefree. Later on, she used her looks to form relationships with a few local men, living a more leisurely and unrestrained life.
“I thought it would be inconvenient,” remarked the man raising his glass to the abbess. “I didn’t expect such good days to come.”
He casually grabbed a hefty chunk of lamb from the table and chewed on it vigorously.
“This fool serves no other purpose. The Cheng family has always pampered her with good food and drink. Now that she’s been sent to me, it feels like I’ve been handed a well-fed pig,” chuckled the abbess, leaning against the burly man, her face flushed from drinking.
“You withheld their food and drink, are you not afraid they’ll report you?” the man asked.
“A fool!” the abbess chuckled. “Besides, I’ve made an agreement with the one who delivers provisions. He ensures not a morsel is skimmed, and in return, I offer him other benefits. When it comes down to it, he stands his ground confidently.”
“What benefits do you give him?” the man asked, smiling as he touched the woman a couple of times, eliciting giggles from her.
“Now there’s just that girl left,” the woman continued with a laugh.
When she mentioned that girl, a hint of lust flashed in the man’s eyes. Despite her plain looks, she was still young and fresh, surely better than this middle-aged woman.
“Yeah, what if that girl decides to report you for intentionally making things difficult?” the man led on.
“That girl was sent here as punishment; she couldn’t survive at home anyway. Today, I give her a bitter taste, tomorrow a sweet date. I treat her well with good food and drink, slowly revealing the pleasures of living comfortably in this temple,” the woman chuckled. “Do you think she’d rather suffer with that fool or enjoy life with me?”
“I don’t know about her, but I know I’d rather enjoy life with you,” the man couldn’t contain his joy.
Soon enough, there would be another young girl in his bed. The thought ignited a fiery passion in him, and he couldn’t wait to relieve himself with the woman.
In the autumn night, faint sounds of revelry floated in and out. Inside the firewood shed, two children nestled on straw mats, crouching low and covering their ears.
“Sister, let’s run away.”
“Where can we run to? Leaving means death. Staying here at least gives us a chance to live a few more days.”
“What about after that?”
“Let’s live as many days as we can for now. We can’t worry about what comes after.”
As dawn broke, the maid, who had not slept all night, got up. She regretted listening to Miss and disposing of the rice and grain yesterday. What were they going to eat today?
“Don’t worry, someone will bring food,” Cheng Jiao-niang assured her when she cautiously brought it up.
Who? Could it be that vile servant repenting and bringing them food?
Behind the canopy curtains on the bed, Cheng Jiao-niang was still asleep. The maid carefully opened the door and walked out, pausing to gaze at the sky in the courtyard for a moment. Just then, someone knocked on the courtyard gate.
“Ban Qin, Ban Qin.”
The maid was stunned. Could it be…
After hesitating for a moment, she approached and opened the door. Sure enough, she saw the abbess standing outside with two children behind her, each holding a basket filled with bags of rice and vegetables.
Indeed! The maid’s expression turned to joy.
She had always known Miss was not foolish, but she hadn’t expected her to be not only clever but also seemingly able to foresee the future.
Seeing the maid’s delighted expression, the abbess’s smile carried a hint of satisfaction that she couldn’t conceal.
“Ban Qin, were you frightened yesterday?” she asked gently, setting aside her brief moment of satisfaction and gesturing for the children to approach. “Here, don’t be upset. Take these provisions.”
After a moment’s hesitation, the maid stepped aside to let them in.
“These people respond to kindness, not force. In the future, let’s avoid quarrels with them,” the abbess advised. “We depend on their timely deliveries, and some grievances are unavoidable. If anything is insufficient, just let me know. I’ve been here for many years, and with age comes experience in life.”
Her demeanor remained gentle, tinged with resignation. If it weren’t for the maid already suspecting her involvement based on hints from Cheng Jiao-niang, she might have genuinely believed in this gesture of goodwill.
“What a bully,” the maid murmured quietly.
It wasn’t clear whether she meant the abbess or the servant who brought the rice and vegetables.
