The sixth miss and Qin Huining didn’t think that Qin Yining wouldn’t even bother with a pleasant charade and cut straight to the chase. Their expressions froze for a second. Qiulu and Liuya went about their duties, but the sixth miss unfroze just in time to snatch the painting out of Qiulu’s hands when she saw the maid about to roll it up. “To think you’d have a painting here! Do you know how to appreciate these kinds of things?”
As she unfurled the painting, the signature ‘Bright and Clear Peace’ came into view. The sixth miss burst out laughing and threw it on the ground. She struggled to talk as she grew breathless from laughter. “And you still don’t admit you’re a barbarian! Look at you treasuring a fake painting!”
Qin Huining also saw the signature as she glanced over at it. Did the crown prince paint this?
Qiulu scrambled to pick up the painting, deathly afraid that the sixth miss would stomp on it. Qin Yining had already grown angry. “I naturally don’t understand these things, but while I grew up in the mountains, did you as well? Do you even know what manners are? You share the same mother as seventh sister, but why are your personalities so different? It looks like the one by the wife’s side is indeed more learned and refined! Logic doesn’t fail me, at least!”
The sixth miss’ laughter abruptly cut off. She snorted. “Don’t be too full of yourself! It’s just a fake painting. The crown prince has never given away one of his paintings just like that. You’re just a girl, don’t try to use a feathered dart as a stray arrow!”
“What do I have to be proud of? Everything I own is my birthright, so why should I be full of myself?” Qin Yining automatically ignored the second half of Qin Shuangning’s words.
But alarm bells had already started clanging loudly in Qin Huining’s heart. Did the crown prince really gift her that painting? How did Qin Yining get involved with the crown prince? Is she really going to be the crown prince’s consort in the future? She wasn’t willing to accept her thoughts and couldn’t quite keep her expression under control. A tinge of resentment flavored her voice as she spoke, “Look at how Little Creek’s household is in shambles now that you lack two head maids. How come we haven’t had a cup of hot tea yet?”
“And isn’t it all thanks to their great mistress? The barbarian groomed and taught a thief who went and targeted the old dowager’s things!” The sixth miss laughed heartily. “All you’re good for is strutting around with a fake painting!”
Qin Yining clenched her fists. What to do? She really wanted to beat people again!
Fortunately, her resolve wasn’t tested much further as scattered footsteps came in from the yard. Qin Yining rose to see two fifteen year old, beautiful maids coming in with a group of strong granny servants. The two maids gave the grand gesture of greeting when they saw Qin Yining standing in the covered walkway. “Servant Yaoqin (Yuqi) greets the fourth miss. The guests are enjoying the grand preceptor’s banquet in the outer residence, and their womenfolk sent many gifts to Fourth Miss. The lord bade us to bring them along as well.”
The two maids gave way as they spoke, clearing a path for the strong grannies to lift various gift boxes into the house. Qin Huining and the sixth miss were almost blinded by the amount of gifts coming in. Their faces immediately darkened. What was the meaning of this? They’d just laughed at her, and now the barbarian was using all of these gifts to slap their faces!
* * *
A circular opening in a garden wall that acts as a pedestrian passageway, and a traditional architectural element in Chinese gardens.
This secondary name holds the characters for his signature “Bright and Clear Peace”.
Chapter 45: Plots Within Plots
Chapter 45: Plots Within Plots
The small mountain of gifts was a fierce slap to Qin Huining’s face. This should’ve all been hers! Whether it was the identity of the grand preceptor’s official daughter, or the table full of gifts, or admiration from the crowd, it should’ve been hers! But now she had to watch someone flaunt the happiness she once had! This isn’t fair! It wasn’t just the old dowager, maternal grandmother, and née Sun being biased now, her father was also leaning towards Qin Yining.
How grave a mistake was going to see an outside male!? Yet father had only set Qin Yining up in style in the ancestral hall for seven days, and then even given her Yaoqin and Yuqi afterwards. Father may not maltreated her before, but he’d always been cold and aloof, barely exchanging a few words with her. Yet here he was, doting on Qin Yining like this!
When she looked at Qin Yining’s tranquil and leisurely appearance, Qin Huining really wanted to pounce and tear off that hateful face! Fires of envy burned uncontrollably, almost fully consuming her reason. “Younger sister Little Creek possesses great fortune alright. You made it back just in time for father to become grand preceptor and start a little treasure vault of your own.”
“Indeed.” Qin Yining smiled coldly at Qin Huining’s behavior. “Second aunt even praised me for being a lucky star today.”
“Being able to survive for so many years in the mountains and not be eaten by wild beasts… you’re lucky alright.” The sixth miss gritted her teeth.
“Sixth sister is too naive.” Qin Yining couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you think luck is the only reason I survived? Do you want to know why I wasn’t eaten by wild beasts?”
She stalked towards the sixth miss, the almost predatory cold glint in her eyes making the sixth miss take two steps backwards. “W-why?”
“Because. I ate. all of them.” Qin Yining filled the sixth miss’ vision, and a callused, cool hand reached up to pat the latter’s cheek. “Qin Shuangning, are you more ferocious than a wild beast?”
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The sixth miss was so frightened that she almost ran into the wall in her hasty retreat. She looked like a small animal running into its natural predator. She wanted nothing more than to get out of this ferocious hunter’s eye. When Qin Huining saw the embarrassment the sixth miss was causing, she glared ferociously in censure.
“Be my guest if the two of you like sitting here.” Qin Yining’s lips curved in a slight smile. Her opponents were too weak, so it almost felt like she was bullying them instead. “I’m going out to go over the accounts with Steward Zhong and won’t be able to play host anymore. Qiulu, put everything away.” The maid nodded in understanding.
As thick-skinned as Qin Huining and the sixth miss were, it really wasn’t appropriate for them to stay any longer. A series of stinging slaps had been delivered as well, completely declawing them. Qin Huining yanked on the sixth miss’ hand and left in a huff. When she reached the door, she whispered a few words by Bitong’s ears. The maid nodded and quickly dogged Qiulu’s footsteps.
Back in the main house, following the departure of the guests and servants, Qin Yining smiled at Yaoqin and Yuqi. “Apologies for ignoring the two sisters just now when guests were present.”
“This servant wouldn’t dare.” They’d just witnessed firsthand how Qin Yining had cowed the sixth miss. This gave them a new layer of understanding about their mistress, in addition to all the rumors they’d heard.
Yaoqin smiled as she curtsied. “The lord has already given us instructions to be your people from now on, miss. Please set us to any tasks you wish.”
“That’s quite right.” Yuqi curtsied as well.
“I understand father’s intentions. I know you two are well versed in the art of zither and chess. I’ll need much tutelage from you in the future.” Her tone was plainly treating them as masters that Qin Huaiyuan had sent to her. Yaoqin and Yuqi quickly murmured that they were unworthy of such attention, but Qin Yining forged on. “I’ve already had Liuya prepare your rooms. Snowpear Courtyard is too small, so I’m afraid you’ll have to make do in the east wing for now.”
“Understood, thank you, miss.” Yaoqin and Yuqi knew that
they wouldn’t become her confidantes the second they entered the fourth miss’ employ, so it was already satisfactory that she was treating them with courtesy. They followed Liuya to the house that had been Yuxiang and Ruilan’s.
Qin Yining put on a cloak and had a serving girl notify the outer residence to prepare a carriage. She didn’t take anyone with her, disappearing into the dark. When Liuya returned from helping Yaoqin and Yuqi settle in, she discovered that Qin Yining was no longer in the courtyard. She recalled that Qin Yining had said she was going to look over the accounts today, so Liuya darted into the yard to see who was missing. But, she found that the mistress hadn’t taken anyone! The miss would rather not bring anyone than take me! Yuxiang and Ruilan were both gone, Qiulu was obviously becoming an important servant since she was putting the gifts into storage. Yaoqin and Yuqi were newcomers so it wouldn’t do to order them around immediately. So therefore, Liuya should’ve been the one taken into the miss’ confidence! Why does the miss still not trust me with more things! Her face turned beet red with indignation as she stomped back to her own room.
The storeroom was a rear side room, and Bitong crept soundlessly along until she reached the unlatched door. It wasn’t a large storeroom, but it was already piled high with brocade, jewelry, ornaments, and boxes of treasure. The two camphor wood chests on the floor were especially eye-catching. There were even open jewelry boxes sitting on top of them, the shine and shimmer of the jewels within almost blinding to the eye.
The fourth miss has just returned, but she’s already so rich! The owner of the Institute of Luminous Grace is on another level, alright! Bitong’s eyes widened as she took a look around the room. Qiulu was half kneeling with her back to Bitong and shoving a strand of pearls into her clothes. After taking the pearls, she grabbed another handful from a jewelry box. Bitong couldn’t see exactly what the maid had grabbed from her angle, just a hint of a blood jade bracelet and a pair of earrings flashing with the glitter of emeralds.
Bitong’s heart pounded hard. The heavens are helping me! If she could get rid of Qiulu as well, that meant three of Qin Yining’s maids would evaporate. Miss Huining would definitely reward her then! As soon as that realization dawned on her, Bitong shoved open the door. “How dare you! I saw everything you did!”
Qiulu’s hand shook from fright, nearly dropping her illicit goods as her face drained of all color. She sprang across the room to hastily cover Bitong’s mouth. “Please be quiet, sister!”
“You tell me to be quiet?” Bitong dodged her hand and laughed coldly. “Come! We’re going straight to the old dowager’s! I’d like to see what kind of story you spin! You of Snowpear Courtyard all have sticky hands. First Ruilan was a thief, now you! We’re going!” She started to drag Qiulu out by the wrist.
Qiulu was hauling back on Bitong’s wrist with both hands and dropped to the ground, refusing to budge. She spoke lowly and hurriedly, “Don’t be so loud, sister! Listen to me! The fourth miss hasn’t counted any of this yet. She won’t even know if we take anything. Us maids earn only a little monthly stipend for all our work, and not much is left after we send our share back home and pay for our expenses. We’re young now, but what about in the future?”
Qiulu scrambled to her knees when she felt Bitong’s force slacken slightly and tilted her head up to the other maid. “Sister, think carefully about what I’m saying. The only way out for people like us is to save up some silver to make sure we have good days ahead. The fourth miss has so much and hasn’t even counted them… sister, as long as you don’t make a fuss, I’ll give you half of what I took!”
Bitong was deeply tempted by those words. She was a bought servant and hadn’t been born into the household. She was already sixteen this year, and could likely request the old dowager to release her papers in a few years. She had a sick mother at home, her brother was married, and there were two nephews running around as well. The entire family was trying to make do with a vegetable stand. They were all looking to her to earn money for them. She didn’t want to be awarded to someone random, nor did she want to be a concubine. She just wanted to earn enough money to buy out her contract and become the official wife in some small family somewhere.
But all that required money. It was the reason she tried so hard in front of Qin Huining. Any random amount that the misses awarded her was more than a year of her wages. But as much as Qin Huining would reward her with, it wouldn’t measure up to half of what Qiulu was offering her! Such a perfect opportunity was in front of her!
Bitong lowered her head and evaluated Qiulu skeptically. The kneeling maid’s face was flushed red and her tears and snot were running together. She was looking back up at Bitong with a very sincere expression.
“Sister Bitong, we’re all servants, why must we make life difficult for each other?
Why don’t we make use of this to save some money so that life is better in the future? Please leave me a way out, sister! How about I give you more than half and I’ll just keep a little? I promise I won’t tell anyone about this, sister Bitong!”
Bitong knew that Qiulu had originally served in Garden of Tranquility and was an honest, taciturn person. When she saw Qiulu act like this, Bitong completely believed her and said decisively, “Alright, you give me more than half, or I’ll tell others about this!”
Qiulu was delighted and scrambled to her feet. She pawed at her clothes and shoved the strand of pearls at Bitong, then handed over an agate ring, a blood jade bracelet, a pair of rose shaped ear studs of the purest gold, a dangling pair of jade earrings, and a small crabapple flower hairpin made of jade.
Bitong was completely taken by the many treasures, particularly with the pure and translucent agate and jade. She hastily shoved everything into her own clothes and stabbed a finger at Qiulu. “You keep your wits about you and your mouth shut!”
“How would I dare say anything? This has to do with my life as well!” Qiulu put away her things carefully. “We should hurry and leave. Someone might bump into us if we stay any longer.”
The two quickly left the warehouse and separated, Qiulu hastily running off. Bitong bit her lip in deep thought. There’s so much. Someone will definitely discover them if I put them in my room. How could a servant possibly explain where all this came from? All thoughts of reporting back to Qin Huining had flown out of her mind. She quickly left the manor via a corner door by the small kitchen and sprinted her way back home.
Her home wasn’t too far away from the Qin Manor, just a fifteen minutes walk away. A residence with a single layer of buildings stood next to a market. Three families called it home, and hers was in the west wing. It was best to bring these things home so that her mother could store them for her.
Because the three families shared the yard, the door was never locked during the day. Bitong pushed open a door that had black paint peeling off it and panted as she turned to the west wing.
The gridded door creaked as it opened. “Mother, I’m home! You…” Bitong’s eyes suddenly widened. Her lips trembled so much that she couldn’t even form a word.
There in the head seat, sitting as serenely as ever, was Qin Yining. An elderly man around fifty years old, garbed in expensive clothes, was standing behind her, along with two pageboys and another two who looked like guards.
Bitong’s mother was off to the side, speaking carefully with Qin Yining. The fourth miss smiled when she saw Bitong barge in. “Miss Bitong’s also come home today? What a coincidence.”
* * *
Chapter 46: Wholehearted Sincerity
Chapter 46: Wholehearted Sincerity
“F-fourth Miss! What brings you here? W-what a rare guest.” Bitong’s limbs had lost all feeling, and it felt like lead was filling up her head. Her thoughts were sluggish, and her hands subconsciously patted the bulge in her clothes. Her eyes darted every which way as if searching for an escape route.
Qin Yining ignored the obvious signs of guilt. “I was touring my properties and just happened to pass by here. I rememb
ered that Miss Bitong’s family lives here and came to visit Aunt He. Did your mistress give you time off and allow you to come home?”
Bitong’s surname was He, and her name had been He Erya before entering the Qin manor. [1]
“Y-yes.” Bitong finally felt her mind start working again and smiled cleverly. “My mistress awarded me some gold, so I purposely came back to deliver it. Things have been a little tight at home”
“Miss Bitong is such a filial daughter.” Qin Yining smiled at the maid’s mother. “You have such fortune, Aunt He.”
“Your praise is too high, mistress. It’s all because the manor is willing to promote her. I hope that you’ll guide her well, mistress.” Aunt He was sixty years old and her sideburns were streaked white. She happily shared in her daughter’s glory when she heard Qin Yining’s praises, her smile adding many more creases to her face full of wrinkles.
Qin Yining laughed and rose. “Miss Bitong must be quite tired from working in the manor. A vacation is rare, and you must have much you’d like to chat with her about. I’ll leave you to it. Steward Zhong, make sure we leave our gift behind.”
Steward Zhong started and immediately took out a chunk of silver from his sleeve when he understood. “This is a gift from the miss, and a favor from House Qin.”
The silver gleamed with a white sheen. It looked to be three, almost four taels heavy. Aunt He immediately kneeled, expressing her thanks profusely. Bitong was also stunned and kowtowed as well. Was she just scaring herself?
Fourth Miss had really been just passing by and wanted to come take a look?
Yes. This must be it. She’d just returned to the manor and must want to create a virtuous reputation for herself.
Qin Yining helped Aunt He up and left with her people after exchanging a few more pleasantries. Bitong remained stunned right where she was, her uneasy heart finally regaining peace when the visitors had all departed.
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