Fortunately, this time, as Steward Cao said, they were invited in, but unfortunately, Cheng Jiao-niang was asleep.
“My mistress’s health is not good, so she needs more sleep. Please excuse her,” the maid said.
Although Fourth Master Chen was not very clear about Cheng Jiao-niang’s situation, he had heard several times along the way that she had been ill since childhood.
Steward Cao’s vague remarks naturally aroused his suspicion, so he had a servant quietly investigate the details of her illness, and was quite startled by what he found.
It turned out that Cheng family’s daughter was actually naturally foolish!
How could a fool diagnose an illness? What a joke!
But he had to believe the old master’s words.
According to the people from the Zhou family, this child seemed to have recovered and was no longer foolish.
But could a fool really get better? Perhaps there’s some hidden truth behind this.
Young people might not be able to discern whether someone is foolish or not, but how could the old master be mistaken?
The fact that this girl lived alone in the temple suggested that there were indeed hidden issues within the Cheng family.
Could this be why Steward Cao advised against visiting the Cheng family?
Fourth Master Chen pondered over this.
“The temple is simple and lacks tea for guests; please excuse us,” the maid said again.
Steward Cao and Fourth Master Chen quickly said it was no trouble.
As expected, the maid was indeed not polite; she didn’t even bring them any water and then withdrew.
Having traveled day and night, and eating while on horseback when hungry, they had not even had a drink of water throughout the journey. Now, finally standing before the person they sought, though they had not yet met, they felt a slight sense of relief. As a result, the sensation of thirst and hunger surged up all at once.
Steward Cao couldn’t sit still any longer and stood up.
The daughter of the Cheng family and the granddaughter of the Zhou family lived here, so it was somewhat like being at home; there was no need to be too formal.
He looked around the room but couldn’t find even a kettle or a cup. Pushing open the door, he found the courtyard quiet and empty.
Steward Cao had no choice but to swallow his saliva and step back.
“Fourth Master, do you have any water?” he asked Fourth Master Chen.
“Endure it,” Fourth Master Chen replied somewhat irritably. He had never endured such discomfort in his life!
It was really a case of desperation driving them to seek help; if it weren’t for having no other options, why would they have come to meet this inexplicable Cheng family girl in such a foolish manner?
In the Tai Ping Palace, it was like ants on a hot pan, while Cheng Liu-niang was like a cat with its tail stepped on.
‘How dare Xuan-miao Temple say they don’t have it?’ she shouted.
“Yes, my lady,” the maid nodded, fearing the anger might be directed at her. “What’s most infuriating is that she said there wasn’t any, but then gave a big package to Jin Ge’er right afterward.”
Cheng Liu-niang was taken aback.
“Who is that?” she asked.
“It’s the young servant that Abbess Sun asked to attend to Jiao-niang,” Cheng Si-niang said.
Unlike the legitimate daughter, as daughter of concubine, she was more attuned to the comings and goings in the family, so she was aware of these novel matters.
“……Abbess Sun said that the two maids sent by Uncle had bad luck and were not suitable for taking care of Jiao-niang’s illness. She fussed and sent them back. Uncle was about to select two new ones when Old Master Zhang happened to return a maid. Abbess Sun was delighted when she saw her and took her. Uncle was initially unwilling, but the maid insisted on going and said it was Old Master Zhang’s intention, so Uncle had no choice but to let her go. Abbess Sun wasn’t finished yet; she also requested a young servant to run errands, saying that if anything came up, it would be inconvenient for them to find someone since they are all women… Chun Lan, you remember, right? The one who…”
“I remember, I remember,” Cheng Qi-niang finally had a chance to interrupt, sitting up straight and exclaiming, “The one who was supposed to help Fourth Brother with his soul.”
“It wasn’t about the soul; it was a remedy for the illness,” Cheng Liu-niang corrected.
“Wasn’t Fourth Brother possessed by a female ghost? And then Chun Lan, with her deep affection, tried to…”
Before Cheng Qi-niang could finish, Cheng Liu-niang, Cheng Si-niang, and Cheng Wu-niang all reached out to cover her mouth.
Cheng Liu-niang snapped, glaring outside. “Who’s looking after Qi-niang?”
Outside, Cheng Qi-niang’s nursemaid and maid nervously entered, kneeling and kowtowing.
“Slap yourself!” Cheng Liu-niang ordered.
The nursemaid and maid immediately raised their hands and slapped their own faces.
Cheng Qi-niang’s eyes widened in fear.
“Liu-niang, what’s this for?” she asked.
“You overheard things you shouldn’t have and learned things you shouldn’t have. It’s their fault,” Cheng Liu-niang said sternly, then looked at Cheng Si-niang and Cheng Wu-niang. “As respectable young women, we should neither listen to nor see inappropriate things. Remember, do not demean yourselves.”
Cheng Si-niang and Cheng Wu-niang responded somewhat awkwardly.
The atmosphere became a bit heavy and awkward.
Cheng Liu-niang dismissed the nursemaid and maid.
“What were we talking about just now? How did it end up like this?” she asked with a smile.
“We were talking about Jiao-niang,” Cheng Qi-niang said, pouting. “She’s always involved in every annoying matter.”
It’s related to her again? The few people in the room reflected and realized it was indeed all related to her—sending maids, wanting more maids, requesting a young servant, and the snacks…
“Are you saying that Xuan-miao Temple refused to give me snacks but gave them to that fool?” Cheng Liu-niang asked with raised eyebrows.
That’s right…
Anyway, she didn’t bring back any snacks and that young servant was Jiao-niang’s.
“Yes,” the maid confirmed.
“I’m going to find Mother! Stop the offerings to Xuan-miao Temple!” Cheng Liu-niang stood up, lifting her skirts and heading out.
Cheng Qi-niang sat back for a moment, then stood up as she figured things out.
“Aunt is giving special treatment to that fool! Not giving any to us!” she shouted. “I’ll go tell Grandmother!”
The daughters of the Cheng family dispersed noisily, while on Xuan-miao Mountain, Cheng Jiao-niang had finally woken up from her sleep.
Steward Cao and Fourth Master Chen were finally invited into the room and saw Cheng Jiao-niang through a screen. Behind the screen, they could see a young girl sitting upright, but her features were obscured and not clearly visible.
“Miss, this is made with black plums, apples, and licorice. Jin Ge’er followed the instructions and used licorice from the pharmacy, peeled and roasted. It also includes white hyacinth beans. Please try it and see if the taste is good.” The maid carried a bowl of the mixture and carefully made her way past them, speaking in detail as she approached the screen.
Just hearing about these ingredients, Steward Cao and Fourth Master Chen felt a pang in their mouths and their throats burned. The taste must be very pleasant and refreshing.
The sound of the bowl and spoon lightly clinking together could be heard from behind the screen, and through the screen, they saw the lady taking a few delicate sips.
Steward Cao and Fourth Master Chen were seeing someone eating in such an elegant manner for the first time. They found it hard to look away and felt their lips growing drier.
Shouldn’t the guests be served tea by now? Even a bowl of water would be good…
Behind the screen, while the mistress and the maid attended to the water, no one thought about this matter.
This is why you need adults at home—to set rules and proper manners!
“Ah, right, Miss, we have guests. Let them try some too,” the maid suddenly asked.
The two outside let out a sigh of relief.
“No,” Cheng Jiao-niang’s voice came through, “I want to have it.”
Steward Cao and Fourth Master Chen were immediately irritated. How could this girl be so rude!
“Miss,” the maid’s voice was gentle, as if coaxing a child, “we have guests; we should share a bit with them. It’s proper etiquette to host guests.”
Was she really… a fool?
The two outside were astonished.
“Well then, share some with the guests,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, her voice flat and lacking the pleasing quality of a young lady’s voice, making it rather unpleasant to hear.
No matter what, they decided to have a sip of water to soothe their throats first.
Steward Cao and Fourth Master Chen let out a sigh of relief.
The maid soon came out, carrying a bowl and placing it in front of Fourth Master Chen.
“Please,” she said, “try this. It’s our own homemade beverage, unique like scorpion feces.”
With a forced smile, Fourth Master Chen and Steward Cao looked somewhat distorted.
How could this maid speak like that!
Should they drink it or not?
