Chapter 251 - 250: The Fight
Du Gongfu entered the East Wing leaning on his cane.
This time, Du Yunluo did not stand behind the curtain but slowly stepped out of Lianfu Garden.
While passing through the garden, she happened to meet Liao.
Liao had just seen off Mrs. Ying Jin and was pondering discussing matters with Old Mrs. Xia again. Seeing Du Yunluo, she quickly waved her hand and said, "Yunluo, did the old lady have goat’s milk?"
Du Yunluo smiled and replied, "Grandmother asked me to invite Grandfather back."
Liao held Du Yunluo’s hand and gently patted it, "Good child, this is an important matter. Keep it to yourself and don’t tell your fourth sister, lest she overthinks."
Du Yunluo nodded.
Just as she reached the outside of Anhua Courtyard, she heard a commotion inside, as if something had happened.
Du Yunluo furrowed her brows, and Jin Rui, who was following behind, pressed her lips tightly.
Such chaos was not the way things were done in the inner courtyard.
Jin Rui followed Du Yunluo, stepping inside, and seeing the maids and women gathered talking in the courtyard, said sternly, "What’s going on? Don’t you have any manners!"
The maids and women turned around, giving Jin Rui a dry smile. Seeing Du Yunluo’s angry expression, they all lowered their heads.
Du Yunluo saw Jin Lan.
Today, Jin Ling had gone out of the residence, and with Jin Rui following closely, only Jin Lan was left in Anhua Courtyard.
Jin Lan noticed Du Yunluo’s gaze and stepped forward, whispering, "Miss, just now a message came from the front saying Nanny Hua was injured, beaten by Sister Jin Rui’s mother..."
Jin Rui was dumbfounded, "What? My mother, she... she hit Nanny Hua?"
Jin Lan nodded, "That’s what they say. Nanny Shui has already gone to inform Madam."
Jin Rui was stunned on the spot. She knew Mrs. Xue Si had a bad temper and spoke sharply, and that she could get into conflicts easily, but for the past two years, Mrs. Xue Si had rarely caused any trouble.
The neighbors were all servants of the Du Family. Jin Rui, being a big maid by Du Yunluo’s side, made Mrs. Xue Si walk with confidence. Even if the neighbors cursed them behind their backs, they were still flattering to their faces.
People generally don’t hit those who smile at them, so Mrs. Xue Si didn’t get into disputes with others.
This time, why did things suddenly turn like this...
And it was Nanny Hua, of all people.
Jin Rui was anxious.
Du Yunluo turned her head and said to Jin Rui, "Go home and take a look. Just make sure you’re in the right, then come and tell me."
Jin Rui’s eyes turned red, and she nodded heavily, praying that Mrs. Xue Si must be in the right. After all, Nanny Hua also served in the residence. If Mrs. Xue Si wasn’t justified, then even if Du Yunluo wanted to protect them, Jin Rui wouldn’t dare to abuse power.
Du Yunluo asked Jin Lan again, "Did Nanny Shui go to Qinghui Garden?"
Jin Lan nodded.
Glancing coldly over the faces of the maids and women in the courtyard, Du Yunluo scoffed, "Rest your mouths."
Saying this, Du Yunluo called Jin Lan and turned to head to Qinghui Garden.
In Qinghui Garden, Nanny Shui sat by the corner of a stool.
Mrs. Zhen slowly lifted her gaze and said, "The nanny you mentioned last time, the one who didn’t like Jin Rui and gossiped behind her back, is that Nanny Hua?"
Nanny Shui nodded reluctantly, "Madam, this was my fault. I thought that once the young lady gets married in a year or half, the nosy women in Anhua Courtyard would disperse. Nanny Hua is not very bold, only dares to mutter behind the scenes and doesn’t dare to confront Miss Jin Rui..."
"But outside the residence, Mrs. Xue Si got into a fight with Nanny Hua." Mrs. Zhen snorted, "Forget it, we don’t even know how it started now."
Nanny Shui lowered her head, not speaking, secretly thinking, how could it have happened? It must be because Nanny Hua was talking nonsense and caused trouble. Otherwise, with the Hua family living at one end of the alley and the Xue family at the other, what conflict could there be?
Nanny Shui’s guess was correct.
Jin Rui almost ran to the front street.
As soon as she entered the alley, she glanced at the Hua family. The door was tightly shut, revealing nothing of what had happened inside. She had to continue going home.
The neighbors weren’t as warm as usual upon seeing her; Jin Rui didn’t care and rushed to the door of the Xue family, banging heavily on the panel, "Mother, Ping’er, open the door for me."
The door quickly opened, and Xue Ping’er pulled her inside, closing the door with a thud.
Jin Rui asked, "Where are father and mother?"
Xue Ping’er was about to speak when a somewhat childish voice came from inside the house.
"Big sister’s back? Big sister, let me tell you, that nasty woman is really awful. Now that you’re here, let’s go to her house and give her another beating!" Chubby Xue Bao exclaimed, running out while he spoke.
Jin Rui casually brushed him off, lifted the curtain, and entered the house.
Mrs. Xue Si lay slumped on the kang, her cheeks covered in bruises. Despite applying medicine, she still looked somewhat terrifying.
Xue Si sat at the foot of the kang, "Sister Rui, try to talk some sense into your mother."
Mrs. Xue Si shouted, her wounded mouth causing her to grimace in pain, "Talk sense? I can’t believe I’m stuck with such a coward as you. We’ve been bullied, and you’re telling me to endure it? Endure your damn head!
I’ve been hit by her several times too; it’s all bruised. You have the guts to pull me back; why didn’t you kick her a couple of times!
And you, Sister Rui, what should I say to you?
That wretched woman has been spreading rumors about you for days, and you’re just going to let her slander you behind your back? You always seemed quite fierce talking to me; is it that you’re only fierce towards me and completely cowardly out there like your father?"
Jin Rui got scolded without any chance to defend herself. She felt wronged but heard the whole story: Nanny Hua was gossiping about her and was overheard by Mrs. Xue Si, who rolled up her sleeves and went to fight.
Knowing Mrs. Xue Si fought Nanny Hua because of her, Jin Rui couldn’t bear to talk back and said, "Mother, what did she say about me? I really don’t know."
Mrs. Xue Si was stunned, seeing that Jin Rui didn’t seem to be deceiving her, felt her anger rise again, poking Jin Rui’s forehead with a finger, "Aren’t you a fool? That nasty woman is always lingering around you and you’re unaware of her cursing you? I’m really pissed, I’m really pissed!"
Xue Si wanted to persuade her, but Mrs. Xue Si shot him a sharp look, "Shut up! This isn’t over! I’m not afraid of her reporting it to the residence. She deserved to be smacked for her foul mouth!"
Jin Rui quickly calmed Mrs. Xue Si with gentle words, while Xue Ping’er brought water to serve her drink.
When the cool water touched the wound on her lip, pain shot through her again, making Mrs. Xue Si inhale sharply.
Xue Bao plopped himself down on a stool, "Sister, that filthy woman said that before the masters you aren’t as favored as Miss Jin Ling, that you only show off on the street, that you walk like an enchantress, saying you’re only ’half a master’."
At first, Jin Rui didn’t react much, but hearing ’half a master’ made her tremble with anger, "She said that about me?"
"Word for word!" Xue Bao, ignoring Xue Si’s attempts to signal him, continued honestly, "She was blabbering at her door with those aunts, and Mother and I happened to hear it while coming back. Mother rushed up to fight her, and I punched her twice. Too bad I didn’t have anything on hand; otherwise, I’d have beaten her until she begged for mercy!"