chapter 4
chapter 4
I was the only maid in Pine-and-Plum Court.
The servant boys had accepted both my handiwork and my food, so naturally they praised me at every opportunity. Before long, they began bringing messages.
“The Young Master says the socks are well made. He wants several more pairs.”
“He needs sleeping robes and fan cases too.”
“What other sweet soups can you make, Sister Xia Zhi? Do you know red bean with dried tangerine peel? The Young Master likes sesame paste too.”
It was almost funny.
Pei Yi despised me, yet he had no objection to my cooking or my needlework.
I did whatever my position required. At least then I was not accepting my monthly wages for nothing.
Madam Pei and Grand Madam came to inquire several times. When they realized Pei Yi treated me like a piece of furniture, they were powerless. One could not force an ox to drink.
Because I was honest and hardworking, Grand Madam felt somewhat guilty and rewarded me with fabric and jewelry. Madam Pei held my hand and said, “You have always been thoughtful. Take good care of Yi’er, and you will not be mistreated in the future.”
The words in the air leaped into view.
“Huh. When did the second female lead get smart? She’s taking the indirect route.”
“She must be playing hard to get. She has some grand scheme hidden up her sleeve!”
“Who cares about her? The heroine opened a restaurant in the neighboring county and is thriving. Several excellent men admire her, including the male lead’s good friend Song Runzhi.”
“Two men fighting over one woman—now that is a true strong-female-lead story!”
Was that what they called a strong woman?
Chun Tang had sacrificed me for the sake of her mission. That was not strength. It was selfishness.
When Chun Tang was first sold into the household, her beauty earned her a place in Grand Madam’s courtyard. The maids born into the Pei estate resented her. Many shunned her, and some quietly made trouble for her.
I alone never bullied her. I helped her whenever I could.
And how had she repaid me?
She looked down on me with a sense of superiority that came from nowhere and treated my life and death like pieces in a game.
She was not a person I could ever trust again.
Six months passed in Pine-and-Plum Court. Pei Yi and I crossed paths only a handful of times.
At first he had been cold and stern. Later, he merely became expressionless. His demands multiplied, and every day he ordered me to make or cook something new.
At least he never expected me to work for nothing. He frequently sent monetary rewards.
The floating comments grew increasingly frantic.
“The second female lead never appears before him or tries to seduce him. She just works honestly. The male lead is beginning to understand her—and now the heroine looks childish by comparison.”
“What do we do? The drugging scene is almost here, but the second female lead doesn’t look as if she plans to do it!”
“She has to! If she doesn’t drug the male lead, he won’t miss his assignment or be demoted to the county where the heroine lives. Then we lose the entire section where they support each other and become kindred spirits!”
“Exactly! That part is wonderful. They win merit together, and the heroine saves his life. That is how the family finally agrees to their relationship.”
“Don’t worry, everyone. The second female lead has restrained herself for months. She will make her move soon!”
I glanced idly at the comments.
Two days earlier, Grand Madam had given me a small bottle of powder. She claimed it was a restorative and told me to add it to Pei Yi’s soup.
So it was an aphrodisiac.
Fortunately, I had already scattered it into the pond behind the courtyard.
My apologies. The scene they were waiting for would never happen.