Full House Spring

Chapter 16: Sweet Osmanthus Fragrance, Full Courtyard

Accompanied by the chattering of Aunt Xie, Xia Li fell into a deep sleep again.

Her palm-sized face looked slightly pale, and her breathing was weak and even. Aunt Xie finally felt relieved.

She sat beside the bed and waited quietly for a moment, making sure that she did not have a high fever, then she tiptoed out.

The old lady had instructed that Xia Li should report to her promptly when he woke up.

The night outside was as dark as ink. Lanterns were hung under the eaves of Leshou Hall. Nanny Xie walked towards the main room with ease.

Shi Mi was on duty tonight. When she opened the door and saw that it was Aunt Xie, she bowed and said softly, "Aunt, is there any situation with Xia Li?"

Madam Xie raised her lips slightly and lowered her voice, "I'm sorry you're worried about her. The girl just woke up. I gave her a few sips of water and talked to me for a while, but she ran out of energy and fell asleep again."

Upon hearing this, Shi Mi clasped her hands together, smiled and said:
"Amitabha, may the Bodhisattva bless him, as long as he can wake up. The old lady is chanting sutras and reciting Buddha's name in the temple. She is also waiting for good news."

Aunt Xie nodded slightly and turned to go to the small Buddhist hall. As soon as she entered, she smelled the mixed aroma of agarwood and sandalwood in the air. The old lady was kneeling on a cushion, chanting scriptures and reciting Buddhist scriptures.

Hearing footsteps, she slowly opened her eyes and said in a low voice: "Is that girl awake?"

Aunt Xie said with a happy look on her face, "He finally woke up, but he lost too much blood and was exhausted. He looked sick and was out of breath after talking to me for a few words."

The old lady raised her wrist, and Aunt Xie hurriedly stepped forward to help her up. As she walked, the old lady said, "Go to the storehouse tomorrow to find some high-quality nourishing herbs and give them to her from time to time. She is suffering for me, so she must not be treated unfairly."

Madam Xie said in a relaxed tone, "It is a blessing that she can protect her master with her own body. The first thing the girl said when she opened her eyes was to ask if you were frightened. This innocent heart touched even me. The Duke and the Second Master have also given rewards, so you really don't need to give more."

When Shi Mi saw the old lady coming back, she hurriedly placed the pillows on the Luohan bed.

The old lady said in a calm tone: "The reward they gave is a token of their heart. Just keep it for her. A young girl's family should not be damaged."

Madam Xie bowed and said gratefully, "This old servant thanks the master on behalf of the maid. When she is well, let her come and kowtow to the master herself."

Shi Mi came over with warm almond milk and whispered, "Old lady, drink the milk first, you will sleep better at night." The old lady took a sip and then slowly said, "Do you think I was too lenient in handling this incident?"

Shi Mi subconsciously glanced at Aunt Xie, and Aunt Xie's eyes flickered slightly, then her expression returned to normal and she said:
"You are the ancestor of the family, and the pillar of support for your children and grandchildren. No matter how you deal with them, others may not understand your thoughts, but this old servant will understand. You are the one who cares about them, and you naturally hope that they will be well."

The old lady patted Madam Xie's hand and said with emotion, "Thank goodness I have you by my side. If Qing He can learn from her mistakes and settle down, her future marriage prospects will be better. If she is still so impulsive and irritable, I will never allow her to marry up."

Nanny Xie just had to listen, the old lady didn't need her advice.

"The eldest girl is smart and clever, she will figure it out sooner or later, and the eldest wife will not sit idly by. Maybe when the eldest girl comes back, her temperament will change drastically."

The old lady looked at the plum vase on the high table and sighed:
"Because of this, the eldest brother was very dissatisfied with his wife. The two of them had a few arguments and finally parted on bad terms. I just hope that the eldest brother's wife can really harden her heart this time and teach Qing He a good lesson."

Shi Mi lowered her eyes and said carefully, "I heard that the eldest lady wanted to invite a strict nanny from the palace to teach the eldest girl. I don't know whether this is true or not."

The old lady frowned and said with worry in her eyes:
"I'm afraid that too much is as bad as too little. If I suppress her too much, she will become as rigid as her mother, and even her husband won't be able to be won over. It will only cause more trouble."

Recalling the relationship between the Duke and his wife, Nanny Xie and Shi Mi didn't know what to say.

While they were still talking in the main room, Ophiopogon japonicus and Elsholtzia ciliata sneaked out.

The two of them hid from the night watchwoman and came to Aunt Xie in the dark. Xiangru tripped over the stairs in panic. Her palms were burning with pain, and she complained in a low voice: "Why are you walking so fast? Xiali can't run."

Mai Dong scratched his head guiltily and lowered his voice and said, "It was too dark, I didn't notice the steps, I won't do it next time, and I don't know if Xia Li is awake now."

When Xia Li got into trouble, they were washing clothes. When they heard the news, they dropped their clothes and ran to find her, but she was unconscious at that time. Doctor Zhong was treating her, and Nanny Xie was guarding her, so they couldn't get close to her at all.

They still hadn't seen her until now, and didn't know if she had woken up or not. There was really no other way, so the two of them had to sneak over to take a look at her in the dark.

Xiangru wiped his palms clean with an embroidered handkerchief, and then followed Maidong to sneak towards Nanny Xie's room.

Through the window paper, one could see the flickering candlelight in the room, but no sound could be heard. Mai Dong asked uncertainly, "What should we do? What if Aunt Xie is in there? Will we be scolded?"

When they first entered the mansion to work, they had heard Aunt Xie's lectures and were very afraid of her. They did not dare to act unruly in front of her easily. Xiangru bit her lip and whispered:

"Don't worry, Xia Li might have already woken up. Let's try to make some noise first."

Maidong had no better idea, so he did as Xiangru said. Xia Li had just fallen asleep when she heard the sound of pebbles hitting the wall through the window. She struggled to open her eyes, but did not see her grandma. She thought she might have gone to the old lady's place.

So he raised his voice and asked hoarsely, "Who's outside?"

She shouted with all her might, and her back broke out in sweat. She didn't know if the man outside heard it, but he stopped smashing things. Xia Li couldn't get out of bed and could only wait quietly.

After a while, she was almost falling asleep with her eyes squinted, when she heard a small creaking sound from the door. Xia Li turned her head slightly and saw Maidong sticking his head in and looking around like a thief.

Xia Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "Grandma isn't in the room, and there's no one else here, so feel free to come in."

Maidong grinned when she heard that, then she pushed open the door and pulled Xiangru into the house. In the dim light of the candle, Maidong looked at Xia Li's face and exclaimed:
"Xia Li, your face has become so thin and unrecognizable. What happened to you?"

Xiangru slapped her lightly and said unhappily, "Why are you bringing up such a topic? Xiali was injured by the incense burner and lost so much blood. How could she not be emaciated?"

The bloodstains on the ground were cleaned up by Manqing and the others. They told her how to do it when they came back. Xiangru looked at Xiali with a complicated look. She lowered her voice and asked, "When did you wake up? Are you okay?"

Xia Li smiled faintly. She appreciated their kindness in coming to visit her. She said in a weak voice, "He just woke up a while ago. He probably won't die. Don't worry."

Mai Dong walked to the bedside and scolded like a little adult:

"What's the matter with death? I think you are doing fine. Although you have lost a lot of weight, you will recover if you take good care of yourself. Why are you alone here? Didn't Aunt Xie take care of you?"

Xia Li said calmly, "Grandma just left. She may have gone to the old lady's place. She has been taking care of me all along." Mai Dong smiled and said, "It's no wonder that you respect Grandma Xie so much. She is really good to you. It really is like a heart for a heart."

Xiangru walked up to Xiali and said with mixed feelings: "You are a second-class maid now. When you recover, you can no longer work with us..."

Maidong felt a little reluctant when Xiangru mentioned this. She pouted and said:
"I thought we could both be promoted to the second rank in a few years, but I didn't expect you to be promoted so quickly."

Xiangru's eyes were dark as he asked, "Why are you fighting so hard?"

Xia Li didn't want to tell them too much, not because she didn't trust them but because it was unnecessary. She adjusted her breath and whispered:
"I'm not moving out of Le Shou Tang, I'm just doing a different job. I didn't think too much when I rushed forward to protect the old lady. What else can we want as servants? All we want is to become a maid who is popular with the master and have a good future."

Xiangru always felt that what Xia Li wanted would not be so simple. Since she was unwilling to say it, there was no need to ask any more questions. She changed the subject and said, "You have woken up. Isn't it time to move back to the house to recuperate?"

Xia Li closed his eyes and said in a weak voice, "Grandma has already asked the old lady for permission. When I can get out of bed... I will move to Grandma's house in the back alley to recuperate... It's quiet and comfortable there... and I won't disturb you."

Xiangru pursed her lips and said calmly, "We are like sisters, so we should take care of each other. There is no such thing as disturbing each other or not. It's better for you to go to the back alley. It's freer than living in the mansion, and it's better for your health."

Mai Dong said excitedly: "Then when the time comes, can we ask for leave and go to the back alley to play with you?"

Xia Li blinked, not wanting to speak. Maidong was still chattering, and Xiangru was also wondering what he was thinking. Neither of them noticed that Xia Li was forcing himself.

Until the door was suddenly pushed open, Madam Xie stood there with a gloomy face and scolded the two people: "Do you understand the rules? Don't you have to work tomorrow if you don't go to rest so late?"

Elsholtzia was so frightened that she dared not say a word, while Ophiopogon japonicus was not confident enough:

"Don't blame me, Madam Xie. We haven't seen Xia Li for such a long time and we are very worried about her. We just came to check on her health."

Nanny Xie was too lazy to pay attention to the two of them and went straight to check on Xia Li's condition. She saw that her face was pale and she was even angrier.

"Are you here to visit her or do you want to harm her on purpose? She just woke up and her voice was so weak, didn't you notice?"

Mai Dong subconsciously looked at Xia Li, only to see that she looked frighteningly pale. Xia Li smiled at her helplessly. Before she could speak, Aunt Xie said mercilessly, "If you don't want to be punished, leave now..."

As soon as Aunt Xie finished speaking, Maidong pulled Xiangru and ran out in a cowardly manner.

After the two of them walked away, Aunt Xie turned around and bolted the door. She did not vent her anger on Xia Li, but just said calmly: "Since you are awake, drink the medicine first and then go to sleep."

Xia Li didn't dare to object. He pinched his nose and drank the disgusting and bitter medicine, then closed his eyes and rested.

Xia Li stayed in the mansion for a few days, and the best supplements were fed to her as if they were free. Finally, she was able to get out of bed, and she couldn't wait to go to the house in the back alley.

Although she was injured while saving the old lady, the mansion had taken the trouble to find a doctor and medicine for her, so she should go and express her gratitude. When she arrived in front of the old lady, she kowtowed and expressed her gratitude in a proper manner.

The old lady squinted her eyes and looked at her. Seeing that there was no arrogance in her eyes, and she was the same as usual, she was satisfied. Seeing that her complexion had recovered well, she was very happy for her. She said a lot of encouraging words, asking her to relax and rest for a few more days, and then work wholeheartedly after she recovered her health.

On the other side, Qiao He was confused when she heard that Nanny Xie was looking for her. Although she knew that Xia Li was injured, she had never had the time to visit him. Later, she heard from Mai Dong and the others that Xia Li was fine, and she finally felt relieved.

Ever since she entered the small kitchen, she has been working non-stop. Madam Lu gave her all the dirty and tiring work to do. Although she has learned a lot during this period, she has become more and more tired.

When she heard Aunt Xie asking her to accompany Xia Li to the back alley to recuperate, she actually felt a sense of relief as if she had escaped from the sea of suffering.

Madam Lu naturally didn't want to be without someone to serve her, so she greeted her with a smile in front of Madam Xie and didn't dare to have any opinions. As soon as she left, she immediately showed a displeasure to Qiao He.

"I am busy cooking in this small kitchen, but you are a cheap bastard and you can enjoy yourself outside without worrying about ruining your luck."

Qiao He used to never refute and let her ridicule and insult her, but when she saw how servile she was to Madam Xie, she suddenly felt that Madam Lu was not that powerful after all.

She said indifferently: "If you feel unhappy, you can go and talk to the old lady. She made the decision and agreed to this matter, and I just followed her orders.

Besides, we have many cooks in our house. If you feel tired and don't want to serve the old lady, you can let her take charge of the kitchen. This way, you will have less work to do."

Qiao He's soft knife was so sharp that it made Madam Lu so angry that she fell backwards. She pinched her waist and cursed:
"You ungrateful bitch, I am one of the best cooks, and my wife loves the food I cook. It's useless for you to be jealous. Unless I quit, no one can take my place.

Don’t think that your little sister is great just because she was promoted to a second-class maid and has the support of Xie. If you stay in this small kitchen for one day, don’t even think about escaping from my Five Fingers Mountain…”

Qiao He looked at her expressionlessly, did not argue with her, picked up the dishes and turned to go to the well.

Madam Lu couldn't stop this, so it was understandable that she got angry. She would be fine when she came back.

On the day when Xia Li moved to the back alley, there happened to be a banquet in the mansion, and Nanny Xie had to serve the old lady and could not leave, so she had to let them take the key and go find the house themselves.

The two came out from the corner door, feeling that even their breath was filled with the scent of freedom. Xia Li was in a good mood, and Qiao He's face was full of joy.

They walked towards the house at the western end of the alley. Before they got close to the gate, they smelled the rich fragrance of osmanthus. Xia Li sniffed and said in a brisk voice:

"The sweet osmanthus is fragrant, filling the whole garden! The sweet osmanthus flowers in grandma's yard are in bloom, and we can make sweet osmanthus cake now."

Qiao He's eyes were filled with relief, and she said with a smile:

"If you want to eat, I'll cook. Aunt Xie has told me that you need to take good care of your body and not overwork yourself."

Xia Li turned around and scolded, "I don't do any hard work, so there's no need to be so nervous. Look, my face has become rounder."

Qiao He didn't fall for her tricks. She followed the scent of osmanthus flowers to find the house and said as she unlocked the door:
"It's no use for you to tell me that. I just do what Mammy tells me to do."

As soon as she finished speaking, the door unlocked. She pushed the door open with force, and the quaint house sparkled in the sun...

(End of this chapter)