Full House Spring

Chapter 53: Peeling off the cocoon
When Xia Li returned from the kitchenette, the sun was already setting.

She specially brought some bacon pickled by Qiaohe, as grandma loved it the most. Maybe older people have taste disorders, so they only taste strong-flavored dishes.

As soon as Xia Li entered the yard, he saw Man Qing standing at the door of the house. She was holding a piece of silk in her hand. When she heard the noise, she turned around and smiled:
"You're finally back. I was just wondering what to do."

Seeing her rosy complexion and bright spirit, Xia Li knew that she was doing well with the second young lady, and said in a brisk voice:
"I'm going to stay at Qiao He's place for a while. It's windy outside. Let's go inside and talk."

In the past, Manqing disliked her in every way, but now the two of them can even have a few private words with each other, which is quite magical.

After the two entered the house, Xia Li put the bacon on the table first and said, "Please sit wherever you like. I'll go get some water and make some tea."

Man Qing hurriedly handed the silk in her hand to her and said with a faint smile:
"No need to bother, I'll just sit for a while and leave. Second Miss has a lot of things to do. I heard that something happened to you a few days ago, and I didn't have time to come and see you. Is everything handled properly now?"

The second young lady's wedding is scheduled for the first month of the year, and the palace has sent a nanny to teach her the rules and regulations. Manqing is a personal maid, so she has to learn as well.

The master and his servants were detained in the yard and had no freedom. Even though they knew that Xia Li was in trouble, they could not come to visit him.

At noon, the teaching nanny left, and Manqing was able to come out to visit. Xia Li saw that her every move was much more elegant, and said in a gentle voice:

"The mastermind behind this incident has not been found yet. Fortunately, I was able to protect myself and was not hurt. You don't have to worry about it."

Man Qing said solemnly: "Thanks to your prompt decision, even the second girl praised you as a heroine."

Xia Li shook his head and laughed, "When people are in danger, they can always burst out extraordinary potential. They are forced to do so."

After that, she touched the silk and it was indeed the finest material. It felt different to the touch. "Such fine silk should be kept for yourself or given to Zi Fu."

Man Qing curled her lips slightly and smiled faintly, "She can't support this pattern, it's more suitable for you. I don't lack good materials, and giving it to you is also a token of my appreciation."

Xia Li would not hold on to trivial matters. Even if the other party gave her something sincerely, she would accept it. It would also be fine to give some gifts in return after the second girl got married and left the house.

"Then I will accept it shamelessly. Thank you."

Man Qing stroked the handkerchief in her hand and chuckled, "There is no need to thank each other. As for the person who conspired with Zhao Xiaohui to murder you, do you have any guesses in your mind?"

Xia Li shook his head and said calmly, "I don't like to make friends everywhere, and I can't like everyone. I might have offended someone unintentionally. Without solid evidence, anyone could be guilty."

Man Qing pursed her lips and lowered her voice, "I shouldn't have said this, but you woke me up at the beginning. Otherwise, our family wouldn't have lived a peaceful life. If you believe me, stay away from Xiangru."

Xia Li was not too surprised to hear her words. He just frowned slightly and asked, "Have you seen anything?"

Man Qing confessed, "Two days before your accident, I was delivering clothes to Hong Xiaoniang on behalf of the second young lady. On the way back, I saw Xiangru and Zhao Xiaohui together. They were talking secretly and I don't know what they were talking about behind people's backs."

Xia Li's eyes were deep as he asked, "Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?"

Man Qing said firmly, "I couldn't have seen it wrong, but the second girl was waiting for me to go back and tell her something, so I didn't go over to see. If I had known that something would happen to you, I should have gone forward to listen."

Xia Li had a serious expression, and a cold look in his eyes as he said, "Xiangru and Zhao Xiaohui were not close before, but they suddenly got together, so they must be doing something."

Man Qing nodded in agreement and looked at her and continued:

"You have never noticed, and probably have never seen Xiangru's thoughts. Every time the prince comes, she will try every means to serve him, and she will not take her eyes away from him. Unfortunately, the prince treats her as if she is nothing, and his eyes always follow you..."

Manqing may not be the smartest, but she is the best at observing people's words and expressions. Especially after what happened to her father, she has become extra cautious in dealing with people around her.

Xia Li never paid too much attention to others. She only kept her eyes on the old lady when she was on duty, in order to avoid making mistakes. Most of the time, she paid more attention to herself.

"You mean she might have turned her love into hatred and thought I was a hindrance to her? That's why she wanted to destroy me..."

Man Qing nodded slightly, a sneer appeared at the corner of his lips, and he said bluntly:
"I have known Xiangru before you. She has always been cunning since she was a child. Maidong was led by her. If you don't believe me, you can try to get information from Maidong."

Xia Li's eyes were deep, and the two fell into silence. She thought for a moment and then said, "Thank you for reminding me. I will find a chance to test it."

Man Qing smiled when she heard this. She stood up and said:

"I hope you don't mind me meddling in your affairs. If you need help, just come to me. If I follow the second young lady, you can go to Zi Fu as well. She listens to me and won't stand idly by."

This promise softened Xia Li's eyes. She raised the corners of her lips and said with a smile, "Okay, don't worry. If Zi Fu has any problems, I will help her."

Man Qing nodded slightly, "I have something else to do, so I can't talk to you for long. I'll come to see you another day."

Xia Li politely saw her out the door, and she turned back to the house only after she could no longer see the figure.

If she remembered correctly, Maidong was not on duty today, so it was time to talk to her.

After Xia Li accompanied Aunt Xie for dinner, she went to see her, bringing with her the Ruyi tassel waistband she had embroidered for Maidong.

This waist belt is a New Year gift for her. Xia Li has a lot of work to do and cannot spare the time to make too many small things. She only makes some occasionally to make her sisters happy.

Maidong has always been afraid of the cold. In winter, as long as she is not on duty, she will basically curl up in the quilt with a hot water bottle and read storybooks. When summer comes, she has already curled up in the quilt.

She put on a long coat with a front opening, shivered as she got down to open the door, then quickly got into bed, shivering as she said, "Xia Li, why are you looking for me now? Is there something wrong?"

Xia Li was shocked by her speed in getting into bed, and said with a smile: "Can't I just come and play with you when I have free time? I even stayed up late to make you the Ruyi tassel waist belt that you have been coveting for a long time. If you don't want it, I will give it to other sisters."

Mai Dong hurriedly shouted, "No! How can you give the things you gave me to others? Show them to me quickly. You must have made them beautifully."

Anything that Xia Li reproduced was definitely more high-end and classy than the original. Xia Li threw the waist belt on her bed, then turned around and closed the door.

Mai Dong held the Ruyi tassel waist belt with shining eyes and couldn't let it go. Even the lace was her favorite. This gift touched her heart. She couldn't wait to try it on and asked excitedly, "How is it? Does it look good on me?"

Xia Li smiled and nodded, and said with the highest emotional value: "Of course it looks good. This pattern can be matched with any clothes. It suits you very well."

Mai Dong smiled with her eyes and eyebrows, and said in a charming voice: "I know you treat me well. If you have time when you return to the back alley during the New Year, please come to my house to play. Although the farm is not as prosperous as the city, it has its own wild fun in winter."

Xia Li shook his head and said, "I probably don't have time to go. Grandma and I have other plans, and you're not at the farm, so it would be boring for me to go."

Mai Dong frowned slightly and sighed, "You're right. We servants have no choice but to be servants. We are not as free as girls. God is so unfair..."

Xia Li raised her eyebrows slightly, a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and she said softly:
"Girls may not be as happy as you think. Everyone has their own sufferings as human beings... I noticed that you haven't been with Xiangru recently. Are you two having a conflict?"

Maidong's smile gradually disappeared. She looked at Xia Li intently and seriously, and said in a low voice, "You came to me just to inquire about Elsholtzia, right? I know that with your intelligence, you will come to me sooner or later."

Mai Dong's tone was more serious than ever before. Xia Li couldn't help but sit up straight. She hesitated for a moment and said with a half-chuckle:

"Your Highness found out that Xiangru slept in the same bed with you on the night I had the accident. Did she...really never go out?"

Mai Dong looked at her, and for a moment he was a little flustered. He subconsciously lowered his eyelids, and struggled for a long time before he spoke:

"She did sleep at my place that night. I had drunk rice wine and went to bed early. I heard the door open in a daze, but I'm not sure how long she had been out. The next day, when I knew you were in trouble, I went to question her, but she didn't admit it..."

Xia Li understood why the two of them had drifted apart. She gently stroked Mai Dong's head and said in a gentle tone:

"Thank you for not hiding it from me. Whether it was her doing or not, it has nothing to do with you. You don't have to feel guilty about it."

Maidong felt her nose sour. She hesitated and said, "Perhaps Xiangru did collude with Zhao Xiaohui, but I don't think she could have killed Zhao Xiaohui. She is weak and afraid of ghosts, so she probably wouldn't dare to do it."

Xia Li's eyes gleamed, he patted her back soothingly, and said calmly:

"Whether it's her or not, I won't do anything to her without solid evidence. Just rest assured."

They have a deep affection for each other. Even if Maidong is very angry with Elsholtzia, she doesn't want to see anything happen to her. Xia Li can understand her feelings.

After coming out of Maidong's room, Xia Li was thinking about what to do next. Since she already knew that Cymbopogon citratus was a suspect, it would be better not to alert the suspect for the time being. She would just wait and see what happens.

Xia Li has extraordinary patience. In order to photograph intangible cultural heritage handicrafts, she spent more than half a year learning from the inheritors, just to present the most authentic and perfect appearance of the works in the end. Now when encountering such things, she can deal with them calmly.

After a sound sleep at night, she got up early to go to work. She helped the old lady to dress and wash, and only rested after the old lady had breakfast.

It was cold in winter, and the old lady was exhausted but she was considerate of her children and grandchildren, so she only asked them to come and pay their respects on the first and fifteenth day of the month, and they didn't have to come on weekdays. Seeing that the sun was shining outside, Aunt Xie helped the old lady to bask in the sun.

The courtyard was shielded by a wall and there was no wind. The old lady sat in an armchair holding a hand warmer, looking very comfortable. Xia Li simply did needlework in the sun as well. The master and servants talked and laughed in great harmony.

However, before the old lady finished her milk tea, she heard a noise not far away. Aunt Xie hurriedly sent a little girl to see what was going on. The girl ran very fast and came back soon. She panted and said, "To answer the old lady, the second master and the second mistress had a quarrel and they are coming to us."

The old lady frowned and said unhappily, "It's almost the New Year, what are these two doing? It's really outrageous."

Aunt Xie stroked the old lady's chest and said, "It's inevitable that a couple won't quarrel. Please take a look at what's going on..."

While Matron Xie was speaking, the Second Master and the Second Mistress came over, followed by the Fourth Young Lady and Third Master Yan. The mother and daughter were crying. The Second Master looked unhappy, and Third Master Yan had his head lowered so his expression could not be seen clearly.

As soon as she stepped into the yard, she heard Luo crying, "Mother, you have to make the decision for me. My husband is really going too far..."

The old lady's head hurt from her howling, and she said unhappily, "If you have something to say, please speak in a nice way. It's no use crying and wailing when something happens. How can you be a decent wife?"

Luo fell silent after being scolded by the old lady. The second master Lu Jianfeng stepped forward and bowed to his mother. Seeing that the situation was not right, Xia Li put away the sewing basket and stepped aside.

The old lady didn't think much of her second son. She looked at him sternly and said, "Tell me the truth. What stupid thing have you done?"

Lu Jianfeng said with an unpleasant expression, "Mother, I saw that Ling Yan didn't have enough money, so I gave him five hundred taels of silver notes so that he could buy some property and earn some pocket money. When Luo Shi found out, she was furious and had a huge argument with me."

Luo said indignantly, "Mother, how can your husband be so unfair? I raised Ling Yan as my own son and never treated him badly in terms of money. Your husband is slapping me, your stepmother, in the face by doing this. It's also too biased. Why do you secretly give money to him and not to my Wan Qiao?"

Lu Jianfeng put his hands behind his back, puffed his beard and glared:
"What are you talking about? Wan Qiao never leaves her house, doesn't need to socialize, doesn't need a lot of money, and has your dowry to support her. She will have a good future. Although Ling Yan is a concubine's son, he is my only son. What can I do if I give him some money?"

Luo was so angry after hearing this that tears started to fall. She knelt down in front of the old lady and said, "Mother, listen to what he said. He simply fails to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate children. If I hadn't been injured while giving birth to Wanqiao, how could I not have a legitimate son? I'm not angry that he values Lingyan, but how can he despise my Wanqiao so much? We, mother and daughter, have such a hard life..."

Wan Qiao also walked to Luo's side with tears in her eyes and knelt down, saying in a choked voice: "Grandfather, since father despises me so much, please send mother and me to the farm, so that we won't be an eyesore to father."

Lu Jianfeng said helplessly: "Wan Qiao, don't talk nonsense, when did I look down on you..."

The old lady glared at her son fiercely, and quickly signaled the maid to help the mother and daughter up. She took Wan Qiao's hand, hugged her in her arms, and comforted her carefully:
"You are the most precious daughter of the family, even if you want to leave, it is not your turn."

(End of this chapter)