Chapter 254 - 253: Triumph
With a flurry of paddles, Nanny Hua collapsed onto the bench, utterly motionless.
The matrons wielding the paddles were skilled hands; they knew how to measure their blows. The masters merely ordered a beating, not a death, so those punished would certainly not die.
After the paddles had finished their work, Nanny Zhao ordered expressionlessly, "Take her home; there’s no one to attend to her in Anhua Courtyard."
The observing maids and matrons shrank back in fear.
Although they would usually gossip with Nanny Hua, when it came to true loyalty, there was none.
Already fearful of Nanny Zhao, and terrified by the sound of the paddles striking, none dared to waste time. Immediately, two dragged Nanny Hua off the bench and carried her away. Another brought water to wash away the few bloodstains on the ground.
Mrs. Xue Si whispered to Jin Rui, "I have something to discuss with you."
Jin Rui nodded and led Mrs. Xue Si into the side room.
Mrs. Xue Si shut the door, her sharp eyes having noticed the wary glances everyone cast at Jin Rui, whether in rejection or fear.
"You’re on duty today, so honestly stay by the young lady’s side and do your work; you needn’t escort me back," Mrs. Xue Si said, pouring a bowl of water from the teapot and gulping it down, "I see everyone in this courtyard is up to no good, Sister Rui. Be careful not to let them scheme against you and pull you down."
"Not up to any good—they have the heart of a thief but lack the courage. This beating will scare them into behaving for ten days to a fortnight. Don’t worry; if they could pull me down, they would have done it long ago, not waited until today," Jin Rui took out two delicate silver bracelets from a box by the bed and handed them to Mrs. Xue Si, "The young lady rewarded me a few days ago. You can take them to Ping’er."
Mrs. Xue Si squinted at the bracelets, thinking how generous Fifth Miss was with her maids, often rewarding them with jewelry and rouge.
"You always favor Ping’er. Now she’s all dressed up with jewelry, she can go out with me to the street and the shopkeepers think she’s the daughter of a merchant, while I’m just her old maid," Mrs. Xue Si smirked.
Jin Rui giggled, "Aren’t I serving the young lady? These styles and designs are what she likes. If I were in the presence of Old Mrs. Xia or the madam, wouldn’t I also prepare these things for you?"
"I’m just an old maid anyway, what’s the harm," Mrs. Xue Si scoffed, "If only you could help Ah Bao save up some things..."
The items Xue Bao used were all men’s things.
Jin Rui’s smile fell instantly.
Mrs. Xue Si knew she had misspoken. If Jin Rui helped Xue Bao save things, she would need to serve the young masters, and after a few of Nanny Hua’s words rumbling down, it wouldn’t be just a beating today, it would be a bloodbath.
"Well, Sister Rui, it’s getting late; I should go now." Mrs. Xue Si tucked the bracelets away, turned, and briskly departed.
Jin Rui escorted her out of the Du Mansion.
Jin Rui wasn’t worried about those bracelets; she knew Mrs. Xue Si wouldn’t dare covet such jewelry.
The things were gifts from the masters; since they rewarded them, how to handle them was up to the recipient.
Mrs. Xue Si had once considered melting down the jewelry to make a gold locket or a gold collar for Xue Bao, but Jin Rui quickly dissuaded her.
Jin Rui said, what if the masters someday ask about them, and hearing they’re gone, become displeased—wouldn’t reward anymore? Besides, the processing fees at the street’s gold shops were exorbitant, casting a gold locket would cost quite a bit, and the workmanship wouldn’t be satisfactory.
Mrs. Xue Si didn’t want to kill the goose that laid the golden eggs, and feared bad craftsmanship would embarrass Xue Bao, so she abandoned the thought.
Mrs. Xue Si hummed a ditty, happy, as she went to buy a roast chicken and a fish on the street, before returning to Front Street.
Passing by the Hua’s threshold, her eyes darted around, and she spat heavily before heading home.
"Back already? I told you, the masters in the mansion wouldn’t care about such trivial matters."
"Hey, didn’t see Mrs. Xue Si with a chicken in one hand and fish in the other, right? If she’d suffered at the mansion, would she happily go buy things?"
"She couldn’t buy, then what would Xu Bao eat—that fat one! What kind of person is Mrs. Xue Si? If Nanny Hua were punished, she’d be outside Hua’s gate mocking them by now."
Dispute arose, with no one convincing another, suddenly noticing a flatbed cart pushed in from the alley.
The pusher was a stout matron, fierce looking, and atop the flatbed lay an immobile person.
Several exchanged glances and gathered around to look.
Isn’t this Nanny Hua?
Her buttocks were bruised, half-dead, just lying flat on the cart.
The fierce matron knocked open Hua’s gate.
Nanny Hua’s husband opened the door; seeing the scene, he quickly barred the girl inside, came out to support Nanny Hua in.
"If you break the mansion’s rules, you must follow procedures; the masters are kind, here’s some silver to hire a doctor," the fierce matron said, and pushed the cart away.
Nanny Hua’s husband ignored the curious neighbors, shut the door loudly, then stood in front of the house, sighing repeatedly, "Told you to mind your tongue, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look, Mrs. Xue Si didn’t kill you, but the masters gave you a beating! After this, how will you work in the mansion?"
Nanny Hua lay on the kang, still unconscious, heard nothing, said nothing.
Outside Hua’s, it was bustling.
"Did Miss Rui gain favor or not, clear now, right? Even ’trivial’ matters someone can take care of for Miss Rui. Can’t blame anyone else; she’s just not suited for the mansion because of that crooked mouth!"
The alley’s commotion soon reached the end where the Xue family resided; the long Front Street had no secrets.
Mrs. Xue Si was beaming, joyfully cleaning the big fish in the kitchen.
Xue Bao was munching on a drumstick, cheeks bulging, "Mother and Big Sister are awesome, really gave that nasty woman a hard time. Mother, I heard she was carted back like the mansion’s kitchen suppliers, a dead pig just lying there, rattling and rolling."
Mrs. Xue Si laughed heartily.
Xue Ping’er donned two silver bracelets, delight in her eyes, slyly taking a piece of chicken breast from the plate and popping it into her mouth while Mrs. Xue Si wasn’t looking. Mm, delicious, truly tasty.
Xue Bao winked at her, and Xue Ping’er smirked, knowing as long as she didn’t touch the drumsticks or wings, Xue Bao wouldn’t snitch.
And Jin Rui, after seeing off Mrs. Xue Si, encountered Jin Ling returning from home.
Jin Ling wondered, "Why are you here?"
Jin Rui recounted the afternoon’s events.
Jin Ling listened, enraged, "Really clueless!"
They talked as they walked, and upon reaching Anhua Courtyard, Du Yunluo was still at Qinghui Garden and hadn’t returned, making everyone in the courtyard much more cautious.
In Lianfu Garden, Old Mrs. Xia had heard about the paddling, using the pretext to send someone to Qinghui Garden to inquire. Upon learning, she only remarked, "As long as they’re not dead."