Chapter 47 Help Me
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Cheng Jiao-niang walked around the temple twice. Unlike usual, she walked very slowly this time, stopping occasionally. The maid, preoccupied with her own thoughts, was walking absentmindedly and suddenly bumped into Cheng Jiao-niang, who had stopped without her noticing.
“Miss, are you tired?” she asked hurriedly, offering support.
Cheng Jiao-niang shook her head. Standing in that spot, she looked down at the small temple from a higher vantage point.
The maid followed her gaze, staring blankly.
“Look, the roof is damaged,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
“Huh?” The maid was startled for a moment before looking over. Indeed, it was somewhat dilapidated, but still passable. However, what did this have to do with them?
As the sunlight grew brighter, the maid placed the veil hat on Cheng Jiao-niang and walked towards the temple. Before they reached the entrance, someone suddenly dashed out from the side.
The maid, already on edge, screamed and turned to cling to Cheng Jiao-niang. This startled the person who had come running, causing him to retreat a few steps.
It was a boy of about twelve or thirteen, dressed in old, worn clothes, looking somewhat dazed.
“Are you Qing Mei?” he asked.
Before the maid changed her name to Ban Qin, her name was Qing Mei.
“My sister is Chun Lan. She asked me to find you,” the boy continued.
The maid finally calmed down.
“What’s this?” she asked, looking at the cloth bundle the boy handed over, puzzled.
“This is the money my sister asked me to bring you,” the boy said.
Qing Mei opened the bundle and was startled to see several pieces of silver inside.
“Why is your sister giving me money?” she asked.
At home, she held a lowly position, vastly different from the maids serving the young masters. Those personal maids of the young masters wouldn’t even look at them, let alone now that she had been sent away from home and might never return. Sending her money? What did this mean?
“It’s not really for you,” the boy said. “Back then, Ban Qin was kind to my sister. When she left, she asked my sister to take good care of the mistress. My sister was worried you would struggle outside, so she saved some money and asked me to bring it to you. Use it to buy some good food for the mistress.”
The maid suddenly understood, her nose involuntarily tingling as tears streamed down her face.
The boy was startled. It seemed that those who followed the mistress were indeed different from normal people, either shouting or crying for no reason.
“Thank your sister very much,” the maid said, wiping her tears.
It was truly unexpected that, among so many people at home, there would be a maid who still remembered the mistress. Although it was due to the instructions of the previous maid, most people quickly forget favors once someone leaves.
“No need to thank me, no need to thank me. I live in the back alley of the house. If you need anything, just send someone to find me,” the boy said, turning to leave.
“Wait,” Cheng Jiao-niang, who had been sitting in the back, suddenly spoke.
The boy paused, turning to look at the lady sitting under the porch, wearing a veil hat.
“Is she calling me?” he asked curiously.
“Yes,” Cheng Jiao=niang replied. “Ban Qin, give him the money.”
Both the maid and the boy were stunned.
She must still be angry at the former maid and refuses to accept her favor, the maid thought. Without any hesitation, she responded, “Yes,” and handed the cloth bundle back to the boy.
“What for?” the boy asked in bewilderment.
“I need you to do me a favor,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “This is your payment.”
Both the maid and the boy were taken aback.
“What do you need me to do?” the boy stammered.
“The roof here is damaged. Go find some roofers to repair it for me,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
So the damaged roof really did have something to do with them? The maid looked at Cheng Jiao-niang in astonishment.
As the man slipped into the room, the abbess was resting on her bed and startled awake at the sound.
“In broad daylight, how did you get in here!” she exclaimed, sitting up.
The man approached, ingratiatingly rubbing and touching the woman a few times.
“It’s nothing serious now, why can’t I come? It’s been days since I’ve touched you, I’ve been craving it,” he chuckled.
The woman struggled a few times but couldn’t break free, and the two tangled for a moment.
“I told you to stay away for a while, let me calm that maid down first, then you can come,” the woman said, while adjusting her hair.
“That little maid isn’t someone you can easily handle,” the man reclined on the bed indifferently remarked.
The woman snorted, glanced at the man for a moment, then raised her hand and fiercely hit him.
“What are you doing?” the man grimaced in pain from the blow.
The woman glared at him with resentment.
“You have no shame, even thinking about a fool!” she spat angrily.
The man chuckled sinisterly, mentioning the fool brought thoughts of her appearance to mind, reigniting his suppressed desire.
“That fool, looks so good, and doesn’t understand a thing. Wouldn’t she just do whatever I ask of her in bed…” he thought.
He got up and embraced the woman.
“Even a fool left idle is a waste,” he joked.
“If you end up in trouble, it’s your own doing, don’t drag me into it!” the woman spat angrily.
“With you around, I wouldn’t dare to die,” the man chuckled, soothing and consoling the woman with kisses and sweet talk.
“You hold all the power in this temple. Since the Cheng family abandoned the fool here, they clearly don’t want her anymore. If the Cheng family doesn’t want her, why not let me have her as my darling? It’s a win-win,” he suggested.
The woman, reluctantly entangled by the man, felt a mix of hatred and affection towards him. Knowing her beauty was fading and lacking money, she understood she needed to keep this man interested by offering him something new.
Controlling a maid and a fool was easy enough to keep in the palm of her hand. If successful, she wouldn’t fear their outcry if things went wrong, nor would she worry if they lured the man away from her. It truly seemed like a perfect match.
“Before you conquer that maid, you’re not allowed to touch that fool,” the woman pointed her finger at the man’s forehead.
The man was delighted. Since there was a first, there would be a second, regardless of sequence. Once he was in hand, it was all joy, pressing the woman down.
“You haven’t seen anything yet. I promise that little maid will be obsessed after just one taste,” he smirked lewdly.
The woman felt jealous after hearing his words, but she also had an inexplicable emotional response, leaning back to meet him.
As they were getting more intimate, there came a commotion outside the door, as if many people were talking loudly and disorderly, startling the two into quickly adjusting their clothes.
“What’s happening? Who’s outside?” the woman shouted, feeling anxious and fearful.
She heard many men talking outside. Could it be that maid reporting back to the Cheng family, and they’ve sent people here?
No, that couldn’t be. She had her novices kept a close watch on her. There wasn’t anything unusual in their report.
The woman gathered her courage and stepped into the courtyard, where she saw a group of men carrying baskets and ropes, bustling around and gesturing.
“Are you here to repair the rooms?” she asked, astonished.
“Yes,” the maid hurriedly came out from behind and said, “Abbess, the buildings on my side are a bit worn out and leaky, so I’ve arranged for repairs. Let’s have them fix yours too.”
Having the room repaired without spending any money was naturally excellent news. The woman smiled and nodded.
“That would be wonderful. It’s been raining a lot these days, and I was just about to hire someone for repairs. Let’s do it together,” she said.
The two children standing at the back exchanged a disappointed glance.
They had thought the arrival of the boy was an opportunity, but now, they realized he had only been sent away to find people to repair the rooms.
Fools indeed were just fools.
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
