Qin Yining swept her gaze past the clearly taken aback Qin Huining and helped née Sun to her knees, performing a proper greeting to the old dowager.
“Old Dowager, your daughter-in-law has returned.” Née Sun fought through the awkwardness that’d welled up in her to speak clearly. The old dowager merely took in another deep pull on her pipe and snorted disdainfully, rolling her eyes. Née Sun’s face immediately turned beet red, her flush traveling up her neck and ears. Nevertheless, she grit her teeth and held up heroically through the humiliation. “I was too impulsive a few days ago, I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind?” The old dowager reached out carelessly and dumped the ashes into the box Qin Huining held, the bronze pipe clinking clearly into the porcelain box. “Wouldn’t I long since have expired from anger if I minded such things like that? Née Sun, have I treated you badly in all your years in our household? Or is it the Qin family that’s done you wrong somewhere? Just what bone do you have to pick with our family that you kick up a fuss every other day? Tell me, is it my son who’s unworthy of you, or does the sight of an old woman like me irritate you?”
Against all odds, née Sun held her tongue.
The old dowager continued, undeterred. “You’ve yet to give birth to a son in all these years of marriage, but have I ever blamed you once? And yet, you created trouble out of nothing at all and stabbed me in the heart with every word you spoke. What would you have an old woman like me do?!” She threw the tobacco pouch away in an aggrieved fit. Qin Huining adroitly snatched it out of the air, carefully extinguished the pipe, and brought over a handkerchief to wipe her grandmother’s hands. The old dowager glanced over the girl and continued. “Well? You don’t know how to raise a child, so I took care of darling Hui myself these past few days. You don’t know how to interact with your sister-in-laws either, so I had to put in no end of good words for you. But you’re blind to everything that people do for you, and worse think it nothing less than your due! Meng’er is a great official at court, and not only do you not help him with his burdens, but you bring even more trouble time and time again. You even argue with him! Where have all your lessons and manners regarding virtue gone to?! Is this the type of upbringing they teach at the Duke of Ding Manor?!”
Née Sun started crying, feeling quite wronged. Should I endure this? Or should I just go home now and never deal with these people again!?
The old dowager felt much better after venting her feelings and sniffed contemptuously when she saw née Sun sobbing. “What? Do you think you’re the victim in all this?”
“Old Dowager.” Qin Yining felt it an appropriate time to interject; her grandmother’s anger should’ve mostly dissipated after that rant. She curtsied gracefully, capturing the old dowager’s attention. “Please don’t be angry, it’s all my fault this time. Madame was most concerned about my education, which was why she acted like that. She has spent these past days at the Duke of Ding Manor discussing the various experiences of raising a child with her family, and immediately hurried back when she’d thought through everything. Please consider the peace of our family, and refrain from anger.”
The old dowager’s impression of Qin Yining now was far removed from when the girl had first entered the manor. The moment the old dowager realized that Qin Huaiyuan was treating her like a son, she attached a certain weight to the girl. She knew full well that she couldn’t actually do anything to née Sun. For better or worse, this daughter-in-law of hers had a very strong background. She still had to live with her in the future, so it wouldn’t do to go overboard. “Forget it, let bygones be bygones. But. Don’t let it happen again.”
“Understood. Thank you, Old Dowager.” Née Sun curtsied to her mother-in-law, inwardly breathing a genuine sigh of relief.
“Thank you for your mercy, Old Dowager.” Qin Yining smiled.
“Oh you silly, you have the sweetest mouth.” The old dowager smiled benevolently down at her granddaughter.
Qin Huining, off to the side, had initially held a few hopes of the matter blowing up, but it seemed that her hopes were doomed. It looked like the old dowager had truly taken Qin Yining for a granddaughter and liked the girl so much that her granddaughter’s word was taken as law. There was nothing to be be salvaged about the situation. What will my life be like in the future if this continues? She bit her lip anxiously and went up to attach herself to née Sun’s arm. “Mother, how have you been these past few days? There were some matters here so I couldn’t come by and visit you.”
Née Sun had been turning over her mother’s words, so her eyes held a complicated look as she looked down at Qin Huining. “Matters? What matters?”
Qin Huining squeezed out a small smile after looking at the old dowager and Qin Yining, as if making a great sacrifice to protect someone else. “Oh, it’s nothing major.”
This was an obvious ploy to elicit née Sun’s interest. First by mentioning something had happened, but saying nothing when asked. If née Sun really did investigate further, bringing up all of the rumors flying around would paint Qin Yining in a bad light. The distasteful rumors that’d circulated when née Sun had been away would decrease her good feelings towards the girl. Qin Yining was well aware of what was going on, but didn’t say anything. She just remained as smiling as before.
Née Sun was indeed a bit curious, but didn’t go into detail because they were still visiting the old dowager. She decided to ask when they’d left the room, but Qin Huining was frustrated at seeing née Sun deviate from her usual behavior of asking immediately. “How come mother’s returned with younger sister Yining? Did you bump into each other on the way?”
Another trap! Qin Yining was a half beat too late in interjecting, so née Sun had already answered artlessly. “I only came back because daughter Yi went to the Ding Manor to kowtow in apology.”
The old dowager frowned when she heard that. Qin Huining felt a thrill of glee when she noted this and nodded, being careful to keep her face expressionless. “Oh I see. Sister Yining really does have it easy, she can leave whenever she wants to.” Isn’t she something, leaving without telling the old dowager! She wanted to make use of this newfound opportunity to denounce Qin Yining for leaving the manor on a whim.
However, Qin Yining knew that this would actually rouse the old dowager’s ire against née Sun.
As expected, the matriarch’s expression darkened further. “You only came back because granddaughter Yi kowtowed in apology? So you wouldn’t have come back if she hadn’t done that?”
“I…” Née Sun started and shook her head. “Don’t misunderstand, Old Dowager, it was just a coincidence. I would come back even without her.”
“Whatever!” The old dowager didn’t want to hear anymore platitudes and waved them off impatiently. “Just go rest. You probably can’t be bothered to see this old face anymore, so don’t bother with the morning and evening greetings either!”
Née Sun’s face went white as she glared angrily at Qin Huining. All of her accumulated resentment and suspicions welled up within her, and it was only through supreme will that she held her tongue in front of the old dowager. “As you wish, Old Dowager, I will take my leave. Daughter Hui and Yi, come with me. I brought things for you.” She whirled away, barely controlled anger in every line of her frame as she stalked out.
Color drained from Qin Huining’s face at her mother’s lance-like glare as she followed with trepidation. Qin Yining shook her head resignedly, and politely took her leave from the old dowager as well, following the duo out.
* * *
A sign of good tidings and happiness arriving
Chapter 50: Does Your Face Hurt Yet?
Née Sun’s expression remained tightly controlled, her lips pursed tight, as if something unkind would spew out if she relaxed them even the slightest bit.
Jin-mama, Caiju, and Cailan tiptoed carefully around their mistress, their trepidation growing with every angry stomp. Two maids flanked the madame, afraid that she might stumble and fall i
n her haste.
At one point, Jin-mama surreptitiously fell back a half step and looked meaningfully at Qin Yining. The girl nodded understandingly, allowing the mama to breathe a sigh of relief. At long last, it seemed she had a solid pillar of support to lean on in times like this.
The mama was now seeing things clearly, especially in light of recent events.
Qin Yining obviously occupied a different position in the old dowager and duchess’ eyes. Add her own mistress’ natural obtuseness in many matters… the old servant couldn’t afford to make an enemy of the fourth miss if she wanted to live peacefully from now on.
As for what her niece was telling her [1], well, they had different mistresses and had to think for themselves. Jin-mama wasn’t so naive as to think that a foster girl who could barely secure her own position could offer her a good future.
Qin Huining had been reluctantly bringing up the rear with Cai-mama, Bitong, and Bitao. As a result, she didn’t miss the interaction between Jin-mama and Qin Yining.
Unguarded for a moment, her expression twisted into an ugly mask. Nothing that’d happened lately had been good for her. The only tangible progress was the sight of Qin Yining continuing to slowly climb higher than her.
No matter how fervently Qin Huining tried to get into the old dowager and née Sun’s good graces, it seemed that blood would forever be a barrier between them. She sneered at herself self-deprecatingly. She was a random babe brought into this family. How would any of them truly treat her well?
When they returned to Garden of Tranquility, née Sun ignored the servants and stormed angrily through the door curtains. She marched straight across the room, dropped heavily onto the head seat and burst out with, “Daughter Hui, what was that about!?!”
Qin Huining bit her lip and raised her eyebrows in a faux innocent fashion. She slowly walked up and pulled her hem out to kneel in front of née Sun. “Please don’t be angry, mother. Don’t hurt yourself with anger. It’s all your daughter’s fault.”
That response neatly bottled up née Sun’s words, and the girl’s pitiful appearance made it seem like her mother was bullying her. That last thought spun around and around in née Sun’s mind, making her more indignant with every revolution. Finally, she could take it no longer, raising her hand and whipping it down and across.
Crack! Qin Huining’s head snapped to the side with the force of the slap.
“Who allowed you to talk to me like this!? What, haven’t you had enough of that act in front of Old Dowager? You still want to keep it up in front of me?!”
“Mother, how can you treat me this way?!” Broken sobs escaped Qin Huining as she held her cheek incredulously and tilted her head up to meet née Sun’s eyes, two trails of tears streaking down her face.
Née Sun’s rage burned even hotter when she saw the continued show.
“Still with the pity act? Do you take everyone for a fool?! You provoked me again and again, and went so far as to stir up drama behind my back. Do you think I don’t know that you’re using me?! I raised and treated you as my own, but you chose to act against me instead! Setting everything else aside, should you have said what you just said to the old dowager?!”
Qin Huining’s mental bout of self pity vanished instantly and was replaced by abject fear.
What was going on?! Née Sun had only gone home for a few days, but she felt like a completely different person now! How was she coming back to her senses so quickly? The duchess must’ve done something!
A sense of peril the like Qin Huining had never felt before descended on her. No matter how capable Qin Yining was, the foster girl had always been confident in her hold over née Sun and the old dowager. But look at how little time had passed for her control to already start slipping?!
Née Sun had always listened to her every word and gesture before. Her mother had always responded to her emotional pleas. And yet now?!
“Mother, don’t misunderstand, I…”
“Enough!” Née Sun couldn’t be bothered with Qin Huining’s feeble protests. “I saw it with my own eyes! You tried to start something in front of the old dowager so that she’d hate me! How would that benefit you?! Qin Huining, I’m so disappointed in you!”
She herself began crying from the injustice of it all. “You saw yourself what kind of life I’ve led here all these years. And now you treat me like this?! Why is this happening to me?!”
Life was so incredibly unfair for née Sun, and it was even more unfair for Qin Huining. While the mother cried fitfully on the head seat, the girl collapsed in a heap on the floor, sobbing inconsolably while cradling her swollen cheek. The madame’s servants hovered around them, trying to comfort the two one after the other.
On the other hand, Qin Yining had slipped out when née Sun dissolved into tears, returning quietly to Snowpear Courtyard. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about née Sun, but that she really felt that she could do nothing to help her mother mature.
Even someone as smart as the Duchess of Ding hadn’t been able to educate some smarts into née Sun, so what could a little girl like her do?
As for Qin Huining, it served her right for being slapped! She should’ve been taught more of a lesson. A slap for a slap was far too proportional for Qin Yining to accept as retribution.
She couldn’t be bothered with worrying about the two in Garden of Tranquility. Qin Yining went about her day with peace of mind and had a good night’s sleep.
Early the next morning, she went to greet the old dowager as usual. The old dowager’s words the day before, that née Sun needn’t bother coming anymore, had been spoken out of anger, but Qin Yining was a bit worried that née Sun really would stay away.
She relaxed minutely when she saw née Sun present herself at Garden of Tranquility. The senior madame wasn’t being particularly warm towards the old dowager, but there was nothing in her behavior that could be criticized.
Although present, Qin Huining was once again the picture of an ugly pig with half her face swollen out of control. Even the corners of her lips looked bruised. This sight greatly entertained Qin Yining.
Looks like she was slapped again after I left yesterday. This person had a crooked personality and had tried to harm others many times over. In Qin Yining’s mind, it was only right and proper that she be taught a lesson.
Qin Huining seemed to teeter on the verge of tears the entire time, as if she’d suffered a grave injustice in Garden of Tranquility. Her appearance caused her stalwart ally, the sixth miss, to frequently cast venomous glares in Qin Yining’s direction, but the latter couldn’t be bothered.
Qin Huining was just digging her own grave now. People had trusted her character before, so they naturally couldn’t bear to see the foster girl suffer.
But now that the old dowager and née Sun both suspected her nature, how would they possibly feel any sympathy? Qin Huining’s highly confident plot was doomed to fail, and it was only a matter of time before she followed her plan’s demise as well. Qin Yining was happy to bide her time and watch the debacle unfold.
“Old Dowager.” Jixiang entered the house with a smile. “Bao-mama from the Duchess of Ding has arrived.”
Those inside were all surprised. The old dowager pulled herself upright and smiled back. “Hurry and show her in.” She cast a sideways glance at née Sun as she spoke. The target of her quick glance gritted her teeth and looked down, reining in her temper with great effort.
Bao-mama curtsied accordingly when she entered the room and saw the various mistresses and misses present. The girls didn’t dare accept the gesture and asked after the old servant’s health instead.
“What brings Bao-mama here today?” The old dowager smiled politely. Is she here with gifts and apologies again?
“In response to Old Dowager Qin, our madame would like to commission some rituals at the Celestial Nunnery today. She’s sent me to ask you if we can take our miss with us for a walk.”
“Oh, such a simple matter.” The old dowager was only mildl
y startled by the request. "I’ll have her get ready and go with you. Is your madame in good health?”
“All is well, thanks to your great fortune.” Bao-mama responded to the pleasantry with a smile and a respectful, but not overly fawning manner. She didn’t mention née Sun’s return or seem to be here with apologies and gifts. There was nothing in her demeanor that lost face for the Ding Manor.
Qin Yining put on her cape with help from Qin-mama, and reached out for an exquisite brass hand warmer paired with a pale-green satin cover. When Bao-mama and the old dowager finished their exchange of pleasantries, she took her leave with a smile. “Old Dowager, I will be heading out now.”
“Go on, serve your maternal grandmother well.” The old dowager waved her hand affably.
Bao-mama curtsied again and departed with the fourth miss. Qin Yining rounded the room divider to reach the door and caught sight of Qin Huining following them, having put on a light-blue cape.
The fourth miss surreptitiously tugged on Bao-mama’s sleeve. The old servant turned around questioningly, only to see that Qin Huining was joining them. She blinked once, then a supercilious smile appeared on her face.
“It seems that this servant has a clumsy mouth and wasn’t clear. The Duchess of Ding would like to take our miss to Celestial Nunnery, but she didn’t say that she wanted to take Miss Huining.”
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