"What's wrong with your throat, little sister?" Zhu Yuan frowned as she looked at the pear juice that Huang Tao had poured out. "Did you catch a cold? You must have been chilled by a cold wind last night. You should be more careful, little sister. I have some dried plums with me. I'll have Qing'er bring them over later."
Huang Tao glanced at Zhu Yuan, who looked slightly worried, and smiled, saying, "It's not a cold. Last night, the young master was in a lot of pain, and my young lady probably didn't sleep well and used her voice, which is why she lost her voice."
"Yellow peaches!" Qiu Su frowned and glanced at him sideways, her face showing embarrassment.
Zhu Yuan smiled and lowered her eyelids slightly, saying, "Brother Yuan and my sister are truly a loving couple."
Qiu Su glanced at Zhu Yuan's slightly furrowed brows and distressed expression, then looked at Xiao Qing behind her, who had been keeping her lips tightly pressed together, and coughed, saying, "Sister, is there something else you want to say this time?"
"Ah." Zhu Yuan looked up suddenly, smiled and said, "No, I just came to take a look."
"Miss thinks about the young master all day long, but he hasn't visited her once in the courtyard since he came back a month ago. Why doesn't he mention it now that he's here?" Xiaoqing looked rather indignant.
Zhu Yuan frowned and glanced over, or rather, glared at her. In any case, Xiao Qing's indignant expression turned into a resentful one. The two exchanged a few glances, and when they turned back a while later, Zhu Yuan still had that gentle smile, while Xiao Qing looked rather aggrieved.
“Don’t forget this, little sister. I consider Brother Yuan my brother. He is my brother’s friend.”
“I heard it from Ziqing.”
"Ziqing," Zhu Yuan murmured, then smiled after a moment and said, "I just wanted to come and see my sister, that's all. I'll be going back now."
"What illness does my sister have?" Qiu Su asked bluntly. Seeing the maid behind her glaring at her, she subconsciously added, "I brought a doctor with me. His medical skills are quite good. Perhaps he can help my sister." She was truly spineless, easily frightened into saying another word.
"Because of my chest pain, I don't dare to leave the hospital for a stroll in spring or winter. It's only in weather like today that I dare to go out for a walk. But don't worry, sister, I've endured this for so many years, so it's unlikely that I'll have another problem. Thanks to Brother Yuan's care over the years, and the medication that keeps me warm, I can now walk around more and do some simple chores."
"My sister doesn't need to do anything at home. I'll have Qi Xiu go over and check on things when he has time."
"Thank you, little sister." Zhu Yuan turned to Xiao Qing and said softly, "Go and fetch some dried plums. The courtyard is nearby, so you can also pick up a cloak while you're at it."
Xiaoqing agreed and went. Qiusu noticed that Zhuyuan's pink lips had changed color, so she asked Qiusu to fetch one of her long robes for her to wear. In this season, she really didn't need a cloak. Looking at Zhuyuan's delicate appearance, Qiusu suddenly realized that good health was a blessing.
The two chatted for a while and found a topic to talk about. Zhu Yuan, who hadn't left the courtyard for many years, became interested when Qiu Su mentioned the sights on the street. Qiu Su briefly described the interesting things she had seen on her two trips to the street, and seeing Zhu Yuan's eager and longing look, she asked Huang Tao to bring her a clay toy and promised to bring back more interesting things if she went out in the future.
Pei Yuan returned as they were talking, and was somewhat taken aback to see Zhu Yuan sitting in the room. Qiu Su spoke first, "Why are you back so early?"
"There's not much to do today." Pei Yuan glanced at Zhu Yuan. "Where's Xiao Qing?"
Zhu Yuan lowered her head as soon as he entered, her small, jade-like hands clenching tightly under her sleeves. She didn't react for a moment when she heard his question.
"I went to get my sister's cloak." Qiu Su glanced at Zhu Yuan, whose head was drooping and whose chest was heaving rapidly, and frowned slightly. "Is my sister feeling unwell?"
Zhu Yuan shook her head.
She had been living in the Pei residence for several years. At first, Pei Yuan would visit her courtyard every few days, but since Qiu Su entered the household, he had never stepped inside again. She knew in her heart that he was probably trying to avoid suspicion. On the first day she entered the Pei residence, he said, "Just treat it as your own home. I am like a brother to Zhu Miao. Even if he didn't entrust you to me before he died, I will protect you for the rest of your life."
She took those words as a lifelong promise, only to find that she hadn't truly lived up to them over the years. She had considered that, given her poor health, even if she married him, she wouldn't bear him a child, and it would be better to live quietly like friends. But when he went away, Pei's mother said she would give him a proper status when he returned, and the longing she had so painstakingly suppressed slowly began to resurface.
Once greed takes hold, it's a terrible beginning. Once trapped, it's incredibly difficult to escape. Alas, even after he married, she still longed to marry him someday. He was such an outstanding person; once you fall in love, giving up is too difficult. Xiaoqing was right; she wouldn't live much longer. If she couldn't experience the taste of love before she died, her life would have been wasted.
"Sister Zhuyuan?" Qiu Su saw that Zhuyuan's hands were twisting more and more tightly, so she quickly told Huang Tao to call Qi Xiu, and went over to support her arm. "Sister, are you feeling unwell?"
Just as she was about to ask her to look up, she was shoved aside forcefully. Xiaoqing threw off the long robe draped over Zhuyuan and said angrily, "My young lady is delicate and cannot tolerate this kind of fragrance. Is the young mistress trying to harm her?"
Qiu Su was taken aback by Xiao Qing's words, as if she were the mistress of the house. Pei Yuan's expression was also somewhat gloomy. Before he could speak, Zhu Yuan looked up, grabbed Xiao Qing's arm, and shook her head frantically, her mouth opening and closing but unable to utter a word. Her face grew paler and paler, her lips turning bluish-purple, and after a moment, she slid down the chair.
Pei Yuan quickly picked up Zhu Yuan, while Xiao Qing followed behind, sobbing, "The young mistress actually dressed Miss in such a heavy-smelling outfit! My young lady has no desire to compete for favor, and even when she's not feeling well, she still comes to the young mistress's courtyard on her own initiative, but unexpectedly..."
"Enough!" Pei Yuan interrupted Xiao Qing gruffly. "The Pei family can't afford such a clever girl like you."
Xiaoqing's expression changed, but she forced herself to say, "I came here with my young mistress. Although I am living under someone else's roof, I cannot be dismissed at will. I dare not disobey the young master's words, but I must also listen to my young mistress's wishes."
Pei Yuan pursed his lips, and Qiu Su patted his arm, saying, "Go quickly, we can't delay."
Pei Yuan glanced at Zhu Yuan, who could no longer even open her eyes, pursed her lips, and left the room.
This incident alarmed the entire household, including Madam Pei. Qiu Su understood Madam Pei's affection for Zhu Yuan; such a sensible, beautiful, and frail girl easily evoked sympathy, and having lived under the same roof for so many years, Madam Pei's protection of Zhu Yuan was genuine. Qiu Su stood awkwardly in the room, unsure where to step, and followed the fuming Huang Tao to the outer room.
"Miss, when I went out just now, did that Green Snake say anything unpleasant?"
"Why is it called Green Snake?" Qiu Su rubbed her forehead. "Why is my dress scented?"
"So alluring and ignorant of manners, isn't she just a snake? That osmanthus fragrance, I used it the other day. Miss is different today; she should smell sweet and be beautiful. There are so many pretty girls in the capital; she needs to keep the young master's heart..."
"Alright, alright, I can't stand that smell. Let's wash them all again another day."
"Hmph, trying to destroy evidence, huh?" Xiaoqing came out carrying a basin of water, gritting her teeth as she said, "The young mistress was perfectly clean, so how come the clothes she put on my young lady are now covered in strong perfume?"
"Who are you talking to?" Huang Tao stood with her hands on her hips, her fierce expression revealed. "I'm burning incense for my young lady, what's it to you? Who gave you permission to go to the east courtyard? My young lady kindly offered to add clothes for Miss Zhuyuan, what's wrong with that? You really don't know any manners, a little maid trying to ride on the head of the Pei family's young mistress. Don't say that my young lady is unmatched, even if my young lady hadn't married into the family, Miss Zhuyuan would never have married the young master."
"Madam's permission for my young lady to enter the household was not just empty words. My young lady is now practically a mistress, how can you treat her like this?"
"Oh ho ho, that's hilarious..." Huang Tao wrinkled her nose and made a funny face. Qiu Su's forehead twitched. She grabbed Huang Tao's arm and pulled her back, scolding, "Stop making noise. Can't you let me, let Zhu Yuan, let everyone have some peace and quiet?"
Huang Tao wrinkled her nose, snorted, glared at Xiao Qing who was pursing her lips, and raised her chin, saying, "I won't stoop to your level, you ill-mannered person."
"I'm ill-mannered? Being well-mannered is what we call being taught and raised, and I have both. It's people who are orphans who are ill-mannered. I wonder which person who tried to harm my young lady is ill-mannered."
Qiu Su narrowed her eyes, slammed her hand on the table, and said in a deep voice, "Have you made enough of a scene? If you're not done cursing, go argue in the yard!"
Xiaoqing snorted and was about to speak when Qiu Su's gaze sharpened and she said, "Don't forget your place, and don't embarrass your master."
Qiu Su's reprimand was extremely sharp, instantly extinguishing Xiao Qing's arrogance as she stubbornly defended her master. Qiu Su, her face tense, blinked, then felt a pang of regret upon meeting the equally tense gaze of Pei's mother. Who was she to discipline her? This wasn't Qingyuan Mountain, the East Courtyard, or Pingcheng; if anyone was going to discipline, it should be her, the cold-faced mother-in-law.
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Qingfeng Theater:
Qiu Su tells a story: I see now, Zhu Yuan is only after the young master. The young lady is so clueless; when others call her "sister," she calls her "sister." Who are you calling "sister"? Don't you know that wives and concubines address each other as sisters? And that so-and-so, what "Green Monster," is she even a servant? She's more domineering than the mountain lord! She's not even as good as the mountain lord's tail. Who does she think she is? If we were on the mountain, we would have skinned her alive and braised her into eight pieces!
(Rolls up sleeves, squints eyes) Once upon a time, there was a green-skinned poisonous snake that fell into my hands. Hmph, I chopped it up and threw it into the latrine to compost.
29
29. After getting drunk...