Chapter 46 Go Play
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
When night fell, the maid standing at the corner of the main hall couldn’t help but shiver.
The weather on this mountain, now in autumn, was much colder than at home.
She hugged her shoulders involuntarily. The night here in the mountains was darker and quieter than anywhere else, and the calls of unknown birds and beasts were particularly clear.
Just as she couldn’t bear to wait any longer, her teeth chattering, a soft knocking sound came from not far away.
The maid’s nerves tightened instantly; she held her breath and pressed tightly against the wall.
Not long after the knocking sound, a small figure emerged from the courtyard of the abbess and creaked open the door.
Although shrouded in the dense ink-like darkness of night, the maid seemed to discern this figure clearly. Her body trembled uncontrollably again, fingers fiercely pinching into her palms, a mix of anger and fear.
Soon, the figures of one adult and one child swiftly darted into the courtyard beyond, and the door was shut.
The maid waited another moment, trembling, before she ran off.
After struggling to steady her trembling hands, she managed to unlock the door with great effort. She hurried inside and quickly closed the door behind her. Leaning against the door panel, the maid gasped for breath in large gulps. Suddenly, she spotted a figure standing in the corridor, startling her into a cry of surprise.
“It’s me,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
The maid patted her chest, taking several deep breaths to regain her composure.
“Miss, what are you doing standing here?” she asked, stepping forward quickly. In the light from inside the house, she saw Cheng Jiao-niang standing in the corridor only wearing socks.
“Looking at the sky,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, raising her head slightly to gaze at the night sky.
It was pitch black, devoid of any starlight.
The maid averted her gaze. What was there to see?
“Miss, it’s cold. You shouldn’t stand here barefoot,” she said, guiding Cheng Jiao-niang back inside.
They sat down before the bed, the maid looking nervous.
“Miss, that man really came,” she said with a trembling voice. “What should we do?”
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“That makes it easy,” she said.
How could it be easy when the man has arrived? The maid didn’t understand, but she didn’t ask. She watched the lady under the lamp. If it were any other lady, faced with such humiliation and fear, she might have been angry, sad, and wept inconsolably. But throughout, the lady remained calm.
Looking at her serene expression, the maid’s anxious heart seemed to find solace. At the same time, she couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Who would have thought a simpleton could bring comfort to someone, and seem to be relied upon?
“If he doesn’t come, it will be dangerous. He must be desperate and might take risks. In that case, we won’t have time,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, looking at the maid. She decided to explain a bit more. Otherwise, if the maid remained anxious, there might be mistakes in her actions. “If he comes, it means he’s afraid. He wants to come and see that woman to strategize. This strategy must be aimed at me being a simpleton, saying this is a misunderstanding, then comforting you and asking you not to make a fuss. In this way, they will not trouble us again, and we will be safe for the time being.”
The maid suddenly understood, feeling calmer inside.
“Whether it is or not, you’ll know tomorrow,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, slowly lying down. Her words had exhausted her greatly.
The maid hurried to arrange her pillow, tuck her in with a thin blanket, then sat down before the bed, watching Cheng Jiao-niang who had closed her eyes.
She recalled Cheng Jiao-niang’s words just now and sat up straight.
“Miss, you mean we’re safe for now, but what about later? Will they still come after us?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Cheng Jiao-niang lay still, not moving or speaking, seemingly already asleep.
The maid dared not ask again. After all, when it came to fear, Cheng Jiao-niang was more afraid than she was. It wouldn’t help to keep reminding her like this.
She extinguished the lamp and let down the curtains.
Now, all the daily chores fell on her alone. The tasks during the day were never-ending, and things like washing and pickling vegetables had to be done at night.
The kitchen lit up with light, and a small figure busied herself.
Inside the room, Cheng Jiao-niang slowly turned over and gently opened her eyes.
“Later? They won’t have a chance anymore,” she said slowly.
At dawn, when it was said that Cheng Jiao-niang still wanted to go out for a walk, the maid was on the verge of tears.
“Miss, let’s stay home. It’s too dangerous to go out,” she pleaded.
“Staying home, you’ll never know what dangers lurk or how to deal with them. That’s the most dangerous thing,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, holding onto her arm. “Let’s go, there’s no need to be afraid.”
Was there really nothing to fear?
Trembling, the maid opened the door and was so startled that she screamed, grabbing the door latch reflexively.
“Miss, forgive me, forgive me,” the man kneeling at the door knocked his head on the ground. “Yesterday was all my fault, I offended you. I am willing to accept punishment, only begging for your mercy.”
He sobbed uncontrollably.
“I have an eighty-year-old mother at home, a three-year-old child. My whole family depends on me for survival,” he cried out, continuing to kowtow. “Miss, please spare my life.”
The abbess standing nearby also joined in reprimanding him.
“You dare to barge in and still expect to live?” she angrily exclaimed.
“Please see the truth clearly! I didn’t intentionally enter Miss’s courtyard yesterday. I heard Miss calling someone, so I went to see. I really didn’t do anything,” the man protested loudly. “If you don’t believe me, ask Miss herself.”
“My mistress has an intellectual disability. Whatever you say is taken as truth. How can we verify?” the abbess retorted.
“But that doesn’t mean you can accuse me of anything! I’m completely innocent!” the man cried out in a distressed manner, appearing aggrieved.
The maid’s heart raced with anger as she listened and watched. This must have been the scheme concocted by that vile couple last night!
They thought her mistress was foolish, so they wanted to shift the blame onto her, where whatever they said was taken as truth, and whatever a fool said was naturally untrue.
But they didn’t know her mistress wasn’t a fool.
The maid gripped the door latch and stepped forward to speak.
But Cheng Jiao-niang’s voice preempted her.
“Go play, catch butterflies,” she said.
The maid was stunned, as was the abbess, but the man kneeling down was ecstatic.
“Look, look, yesterday, it was exactly like this!” he shouted, pointing at Cheng Jiao-niang. “Yesterday, she called me in, then asked me to catch butterflies for her. I said there were no butterflies on the mountain at this time, then she started crying and making a fuss. I got scared and wanted to calm her down, and that’s when you all came in and started hitting me without listening!”
They never expected that this fool could speak, and speak so timely and convincingly.
The man’s joy was evident as he stood up from the ground.
The maid was surprised but understood Cheng Jiao-niang’s hint, so she held the door latch without stepping forward.
“Well, you can’t just enter our courtyard like that. My mistress doesn’t understand things because she’s a fool. Are you also a fool?” she said, her voice trembling.
The abbess and the man breathed a sigh of relief.
“I didn’t know your mistress was a fool,” the man grunted.
“Enough, Huang Er-lang! Don’t take advantage and play smart. I let you deliver firewood to earn some money because I saw your family struggling with young and old. But you’ve gotten too comfortable and disrespectful, wandering around in my temple!” the abbess shouted, glaring at the man.
The man pursed his lips and unwillingly fell silent.
“Alright, alright, since it’s all a misunderstanding, Ban Qin, don’t be angry,” the abbess said, glaring at the man again. “You better leave now. I’ll spare your life this time, but don’t come back to deliver firewood again.”
The man muttered a few words reluctantly and then turned and walked away.
The abbess breathed a sigh of relief, smiling as she reached out and took the door latch from Ban Qin’s hand.
“Alright, I’ve sent him away. I won’t let him set foot in the temple again. Ban Qin, calm down. It’s all my fault,” she said.
Ban Qin bit her lip, wishing she could slam the door latch on this woman’s head.
“Go play, go play,” Cheng Jiao-niang said from behind.
Ban Qin let go of the latch, and the abbess was pleased to see her obedient.
“Good, good girl. You were really frightened this time,” she said. “Tonight, I’ll cook some dishes to comfort you.”
The maid kept her head down, refusing to look at her.
“I’ll take Miss out to play,” she said.
“Good, good, go ahead,” the abbess said, patting her arm and sighing, “You’ve really worked hard.”
The maid said nothing and helped Cheng Jiao-niang walk away.
Watching the two disappear into the courtyard, the abbess’s face showed a trace of smugness.
“I told you, one fool and one little maid, easy to placate,” she said, swaying as she walked away.
In the corner, two young children sat quietly on a pile of firewood.
“Let’s run away,” one said.
This time, the other one didn’t reply. In the shadows untouched by the morning light, the two children sat trembling.
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
