Full House Spring

Chapter 14 Fighting between gods
Seeing her solemn expression, Aunt Xie consoled her, "There's no need to be timid. Just do what you normally do."

Xia Li nodded slightly and said in a gentle voice: "Thank you for your reminder, Grandma. You have been in this mansion for most of your life. Have you never thought about leaving?"

Aunt Xie's eyes were a little confused. She looked at Xia Li and said:
"Where else can I go after leaving the Duke's Mansion? When I was your age, I had been serving my master. I knew what she wanted to do from the slightest expression on her face. I lived my life just to serve her..."

Xia Li felt a little bitter in his heart, and said bluntly: "Grandma, you should live for yourself. You have served the old lady for decades, and you have worked hard even if you have no merit. You can't be unable to walk and have to stay with the old lady, right?"

Madam Xie smiled bitterly and said, "How can that be possible? Why would the master keep such a useless person?"

As if she had noticed something, Aunt Xie said calmly, "You don't have to persuade me. Just tell me your plan."

Xia Li never told anyone else about her plan, but it didn't hurt to tell her grandmother.

"Grandma, I have no other ambitions. I just want to get rid of this slavery and take you out of the house to live the life of an ordinary person."

Madam Xie frowned slightly, "Do you think the lives of ordinary people are stable? You and I are both women, and we will still not be able to live in peace if we go out without anyone to protect us, unless you find a capable husband..."

Xia Li subconsciously rejected this suggestion. She wanted to live freely, not put herself in another pair of shackles, but her grandma's ideas were deeply rooted, so she didn't need to rush to refute them.

Xia Li smiled and said in a brisk voice, "If I can save enough money and leave the house, will you come with me?"

Madam Xie pondered for a moment and said calmly, "If you want to be freed from slavery, you need the old lady's approval. Only by asking for her mercy can you be released from the mansion."

Xia Li thought so too. After all, the mansion had enough money to redeem her. She used the serving chopsticks to serve food to her grandma and whispered:
"That's what I'm planning on doing. I have to first gain the old lady's favor and please her. I'm going to move out of the mansion no matter what. I can't let my descendants get married and have children and be slaves for generations."

From the first time Nanny Xie saw Xia Li, she knew that she was a person with high aspirations. It was better to have such ambition than to be the master's concubine.

"This road may seem simple, but it is not that easy. There are countless capable maids in the mansion. If you stay with the old lady, there is a risk of being given away easily. You have to be able to make the old lady unable to leave you."

Xia Li was not sure if she could do it. She said generously, "Everything depends on human effort. If God really has other plans, I can only accept my fate."

Madam Xie nodded slightly, "No matter what happens, I'll always be watching. As long as you don't take the initiative to cause trouble, nothing serious will go wrong."

Aunt Xie has been running Leshoutang for many years, so she has some confidence in this.

When Xia Li left Aunt Xie's room, it was already dark. There was still no conclusion on Mrs. Wu's death. The old lady had her own plan and would deal with it sooner or later.

Xia Li is not a curious person. No matter how big the incident is, as long as it is not caused by her and does not involve her, she will not take it too seriously.

When she walked back to the house under the moonlight, she saw Xiangru and Maidong practicing calligraphy. Xiangru didn't even raise his head and said loudly, "Xia Li, come and see how I write these two words."

Xia Li walked over with a smile on her face. She bent down to look at the written words first and said seriously, "Don't use too much force on this stroke. It will be better if the handwriting is straighter."

Maidong put down his brush, blew gently on the paper, and said proudly, "I've finished writing first, Xia Li, come and take a look at mine."

Xia Li took the letter she handed over, looked at the black spots on it, and said with a smile:

"Are you writing or drawing symbols? There's not a single stroke that looks good, just trying to make it quick."

Maidong took the paper like a treasure and said with a pout:

"So what? It's OK if others can see what I wrote. It doesn't affect my expression. You just like to embarrass yourselves."

Xiangru rolled his eyes at her in anger and said to Xia Li, "Don't bother with her. She is just like this. Is everything alright with Madam Xie? Has the murderer who killed Madam Wu been caught?"

Xia Li chuckled and said, "Grandma is very tired today. I just had dinner with her and helped her wash up and lie down to rest. I don't know who the murderer is. The old lady and the first lady will take care of this matter. We don't need to worry about it."

Xiangru nodded, "The eldest wife has been in charge of the household affairs for so many years, she will definitely be able to find out everything."

Xia Li remembered that the Wang sisters were not on duty tonight, so he asked casually, "Why didn't Manqing and the others come back?"

Xiangru said with a smile: "They were probably too scared and went home to sleep tonight. They are close to each other, so it will be the same if they come early tomorrow."

Xia Li had more than twenty years of experience than the other two. He was frightened by the look on Mrs. Wu's face, so it was understandable that they were afraid. After Xiangru had practiced writing well, Xia Li taught them a few new words and asked them to memorize them, and then he turned off the lights and went to bed.

Xia Li slept very soundly at night. She had no guilt in her heart and felt much more relaxed. She stayed in bed a little longer in the morning and went to the courtyard to water the flowers after breakfast. The well where Mrs. Wu died had been filled up, and the old lady must have felt uncomfortable.

The sun was scorching and the flowers were blooming vigorously. Xia Li was thinking of using embroidery thread to make some velvet flower hair accessories to wear. Her head was bald and had no tiara to embellish it, so wearing some delicate and small velvet flowers would not be eye-catching.

She was just thinking about how to make a flower when she suddenly heard someone calling her from behind. Aunt Xie was standing on the steps waving at her. Xia Li restrained her expression and hurried over, saying seriously, "Auntie, is there anything you want to tell me?"

Aunt Xie nodded slightly, lowered her voice and spoke very quickly:

"The eldest wife and the eldest daughter came to plead guilty. The old lady asked the second wife to come and answer the question. You should go and run an errand quickly."

Xia Li responded, "I'll go right away, don't worry, grandma."

It was common for a third-class maid to run errands and pass on messages. She knew the approximate locations of all the courtyards in the mansion. The second house's Chunshanju was just to the east of Leshou Hall, a quarter of an hour's walk away. Xia Li was afraid of delaying her business, so she trotted all the way there.

Arriving at the gate of Chunshanju, Xia Li first took a breath, then straightened her back and said to the doorman, "I am a maid from Leshou Hall, and I am here on the orders of the old lady to bring the second lady over to answer your questions."

The old woman did not dare to delay and motioned Xia Li to wait for a moment. She turned and went into the courtyard to pass on the message. After waiting for a while, the old woman finally came out and said politely to Xia Li, "Young lady, please come in. Our mistress has a few words to ask you."

Xia Li was mentally prepared. She followed the maid in at a leisurely pace. As soon as she entered, she saw the second wife sitting in a relaxed posture on the rosewood and pomegranate-patterned Arhat bed under the window, wearing a hibiscus and plum blossom-patterned gauze half-sleeve.

Xia Li lowered her eyebrows and eyes, bowed politely, and the second wife Luo looked at her carefully before saying in a soft voice:

"You look unfamiliar. Which girl in Leshou Hall are you?"

Xia Li said respectfully, "In reply to the Second Madam, I am Xia Li, the maidservant that Madam Xie bought and brought back to the mansion not long ago."

Luo laughed softly and said, "It was Nanny Xie who chose them. She has a sharp eye and the people she chose must be good. I wonder why the old lady sent me over?" Xia Li pursed her lips and said thoughtfully, "I am serving outside and don't know the inside story. Nanny only said that the first wife took the eldest daughter away and she had something to ask the second wife."

Luo's eyes were deep, and a sneer appeared on the corner of her mouth. She stood up and said:
"In that case, we can't waste any more time. Let's go now."

Xia Li breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped back to make way. Luo walked in front with her maids and servants, and Xia Li followed behind.

The nanny beside Luo walked up to Xia Li, handed her a purse, and said with a warm smile: "This is a reward from our wife. You must work hard for the old lady in the future."

Xia Li took the purse and pinched the silver coins inside. She said honestly, "I will follow the Second Madam's instructions and do my job well."

The nanny smiled with satisfaction, gave her a knowing look, turned around and quickly followed Luo. Xia Li got rewarded for running errands, which was not a loss. However, such benefits were not available every time. If the news was bad, she would be the one to suffer.

The group soon arrived at Leshou Hall. Xia Li stood outside the door waiting. Compared with the plump and charming Mrs. Luo, the first wife, Mrs. Song, looked a little thin and dull. When Mrs. Luo went in, she greeted the old lady and the first wife with a smile on her face.

Lu Qinghe looked at Luo with disgust, and Song reminded her in a low voice: "Qinghe, why don't you greet your second aunt quickly."

Lu Qinghe stood up very reluctantly and bowed perfunctorily. Luo Shi didn't bother with her. She raised her hand slightly and went straight to the point: "I don't know what mother wants me to ask you."

The old lady turned the Buddhist beads in her hand and looked at her expressionlessly.

"You know about the death of Mrs. Wu, the maid in my courtyard, in the well."

The old lady's tone was not questioning. Luo raised her hand and stroked her temples, and said calmly:

"My daughter-in-law heard about it yesterday. She thought you didn't say anything and thought there was something hidden, so she didn't ask. She's just a servant. Mother, there's no need to make a fuss about it."

Song's eyes were gloomy, and she said dissatisfiedly: "Mrs. Wu is my mother's confidant, how can you be so cold-blooded."

Mrs. Luo said innocently, "I didn't kill her, so how can my sister-in-law say I'm cold-blooded? A maid in my courtyard saw it. It was clearly the eldest girl who blocked her mouth and took her back to the main courtyard. She didn't see her leave, and she heard that she fell into a well the next day..."

Song's forehead throbbed and she scolded sternly, "Second sister-in-law, be careful with your words. The eldest lady kidnapped Wu Po just to let me scold her. I didn't do anything to her and let her go that night."

Luo smiled and said, "May I ask, sister-in-law, if you let the person go, why did he die in the well of Leshou Hall? Even if you two are dissatisfied with the old lady, you don't have to attack Mrs. Wu, right?"

Song clenched the handkerchief in her hand and said calmly, "It was obviously your people who intercepted Mrs. Wu and took her away. It was also you who killed her. Why did you do this?"

Mrs. Luo looked at the old lady with great grievance, "Mother, you have to make the decision for your daughter-in-law. I have no grudge against Mrs. Wu, so why would you want to harm her? It was my eldest sister-in-law who failed to educate her daughter properly and allowed the eldest daughter to kill the servants. She also wanted to frame me for Mrs. Wu's death. It's totally unreasonable."

Song's chest ached with anger. She said coldly, "Don't even think about denying this matter. I've asked my maid to go to your courtyard to find someone. Let's see how you can quibble."

Luo's face remained calm, and she said in a tough tone, "What if my sister-in-law can't find that person?"

Song gnashed her teeth and said, "I will definitely find you. Don't even think about getting away with it."

Luo glanced at her with contempt, then looked at the old lady and said:

"Mother, if my sister-in-law can't catch the so-called murderer in my courtyard, you really should discipline the eldest daughter. You must not let her do whatever she wants by relying on her status as the eldest daughter. In my opinion, you should take Wanqiao to the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet. There are only two legitimate daughters in the mansion, and our Wanqiao should go out and see the world more."

Lu Qinghe said angrily, "I am the eldest daughter of the Duke's Mansion, and Concubine Shu is my aunt. How can Wan Qiao compare with me? She is just a clown who doesn't show off. It would be embarrassing if she went there."

Luo loved her daughter dearly, so how could she allow her to slander her daughter? She gritted her teeth and said:
"The eldest girl is so cruel at such a young age. Not only did she beat the maid to death, she also bullied her own sisters. Aren't you afraid that the news of her good upbringing will spread?"

The old lady could no longer bear it and slammed her palm on the table, and the room suddenly fell silent.

Madam Xie brought a cup of tea to the old lady at the right time. After she moistened her throat, she said in a deep voice, "Old lady, the maid you sent to look for someone has returned."

Song quickly signaled the maidservants to go and check. Soon two of them came over. The maid knelt down and trembled, saying, "Old Madam, First Madam, I have searched all over Chunshan Residence, but I couldn't find the person who took Mrs. Wu away."

Song's pupils shrank slightly, and her face was grim as she said, "Did you look for it in the front yard? There's nothing there?"

The old woman shook her head with difficulty, and Luo sneered.

"Mother, you must have heard this clearly. My sister-in-law and her daughter did something wrong and they want to frame me. If you don't give me an explanation, I won't agree."

The old lady glanced at Song with a look of disappointment and said coldly:
"Since we can't find the person, let's just drop the matter. No one should mention it again. Qing He will go to the Buddhist temple to reflect on his mistakes for a month. I will bring Wan Qiao to the palace for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet."

When the old lady said this, Mrs. Luo smiled so hard that her eyebrows curved. The eldest girl was so angry that her whole body trembled and she said angrily:
"Grandma, this is unfair. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that it was Second Aunt who deliberately set up a trap to harm me, yet you still favor her. You can let me go to the Buddhist temple to reflect on my mistakes, but I want to go to the palace with my mother to see Concubine Shu during the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet."

The old lady was too lazy to argue with her and just said indifferently: "Please ask the young lady to go to the Buddhist temple."

After she finished speaking, a maid rushed over immediately. Xia Li, who was standing guard outside the door, heard everything. She did not dare to stick her head out to look inside. She could hear the young lady's indecent screams and the occasional sound of tea cups breaking when they fell to the ground.

Then Madam Xie yelled, "Young lady, please put the incense burner down quickly. What if it hurts the old lady?"

Lu Qinghe was so angry that she lost all her rationality and started smashing things she saw.

Xia Li heard the commotion inside and bravely stuck his head out to take a look. He saw the eldest girl holding up the incense burner and trying to hit the second wife with it.

Although Luo was plump, she was very agile. She hid behind the old lady and shouted, "Mother, help me! The eldest daughter is going to beat me to death."

Song's face turned pale and she didn't know what to do. Xia Li saw that the eldest girl had a fierce look in her eyes and was about to throw the incense burner at the old lady.

It happened in a flash. Xia Li ran towards the old lady, jumped up and used his body to block the incense burner that was thrown at him.

She didn't even have time to be afraid. She just felt a splitting headache and her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.

(End of this chapter)