At Cao Yingshan’s cry of alarm, a sharp sting shot across the back of my hand, but soon I could no longer feel it. My heart hammered wildly, and Second Young Master’s voice echoed by my ear.
“…I came precisely for this matter. For her…”
He had come to plead for me, for me…
So bluntly, in front of all the maids and serving women, that Madam Cao, flustered and furious, shouted for him to stop.
The entire hall fell silent.
Second Young Master lifted his robe and knelt, saying in a deep voice, “Mother, please calm your anger. Your son is only thinking of our Cao family’s reputation. Please consider it carefully: I, Third Sister, and Fan Li—we three played together when we were little. Later, Uncle Fan was transferred to Jiangxi, and the whole family moved here. We had not seen one another for years, and now that we have finally gathered again, it is only natural that we visit often. Let alone exchanging poetry through letters—even if Third Sister truly is close to Fan Li, it is still affection from growing up together. If Mother listens to others wagging their tongues and punishes her for it, when originally there was nothing at all, and word gets out for outsiders to hear, would that not truly damage our face? Besides, Third Sister is not yet married, and Fan Li has not yet taken a wife. If their reputations are ruined for no reason, how are they to conduct themselves in the future?”
Though Cao Yingshan was born of a concubine, and had always been at odds with Madam Cao, in the end, she was still a member of the Cao family.
When one flourished, all flourished; when one suffered, all suffered.
The Fan father and son both served as officials in the court, and their family background was by no means ordinary. If Cao Yingshan truly could marry into the Fan family, it would bring the Cao family only benefits and no harm.
After this was said, Madam Cao did not interrupt him again, and I also let out a breath of relief.
At the same time, a trace of disappointment slid through my heart, and my ears burned terribly.
How could I have thought he had come especially to plead for me?
With the slightest thought, I should have realized that for such a “boudoir scandal,” how could a noble young master like him plead on behalf of a maid?
But the situation had been sudden then, and I, like Madam Cao, had inevitably mistaken it for him pleading for me.
I had forgotten that only by invoking the family’s interests could he truly persuade Madam Cao.
Sure enough, Madam Cao sighed and said, “Had Lei’er not reminded me, I nearly believed those little wretches’ slander. I knew it—Fan Li is an upright child, and Third Miss has a straightforward nature. If they were not open and honest, how could they so easily leave a handle for others to seize? Who is it that harbored such crooked intentions and wanted to ruin Third Miss’s innocence?”
A serving woman said, “It was Cuiduo from Third Miss’s room. She came over and said Duo’er was writing letters on Third Miss’s behalf.” After a pause, she added, “Cuiduo used to be Third Miss’s personal maid. Now Miss Duo’er is always following Third Miss in and out. I’m afraid she grew jealous.”
Among the serving women of great households like these, any who could speak before the masters were worldly enough to have become spirits. Hearing Madam Cao speak this way, they immediately shifted with the wind.
“Writing letters?” Madam Cao ignored the matter of Cuiduo and instead asked me, “Third Miss’s letters—were you the one who wrote them?”
Ginger truly was spicier with age.
The moment that serving woman gave up Cuiduo, Cao Yingshan’s innocence had already been proven.
But so long as it did not hinder the Cao family’s reputation, Madam Cao still wanted to seize the Fourth House by the braid.
I bent down until my forehead touched the ground and said, “Third Miss said this servant can read and write, so she would occasionally have this servant write for her.”
Just then, Concubine You also hurried over. After paying her respects, she said, “I do not know what wrong Yingshan has committed for Madam to raise such a commotion?”
Madam Cao said, “You have come at just the right time. There is something I fear even you are still being kept in the dark about.”
After saying this, she asked me again, “Duo’er, just speak plainly. The family letters Third Miss sent to the Master—were those also written by you on her behalf?”
Cao Yingshan turned her head to glance at me, her eyes signaling that I must not admit it.
I lowered my gaze to the floor and said, “Yes.”
“You!” Cao Yingshan’s hand trembled as she pointed at me in fury.
Concubine You stepped forward and raised her hand, striking my face. She cursed coldly, “You ungrateful thing! You dog slave, what do you think you are? You think you’re worthy of writing on behalf of your master? What foolish dream are you indulging in!”
Cao Yingshan was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall for an entire day.
When she returned, the moment she saw me, she wanted to strike.
But her knees were sore and aching, and she could hardly stand steady. I took the chance to support her arm just as she raised it, then said softly by her ear, “I had no choice. Everyone had to think that I did not only write on your behalf when you wrote to Young Master Fan; only then would this matter seem nothing out of the ordinary. Compared with your reputation, Miss, which is lighter and which is heavier—having someone write family letters for you, or this?”
Cao Yingshan’s arm slowly relaxed.
I continued, “Madam suppressed this matter for the sake of the Cao family’s face, but she is unwilling at heart. She would always have to find some pretext. The things Cuiduo spread were likely not limited to one or two. Since Madam chose the family letters, we could only go along with it. Once her anger is soothed, we will have passed this trial.”
Cao Yingshan panted lightly, her eyes searching my face, probing.
In the past, she only knew I could write characters and compose poems. This time, she was probably startled by my scheming.
I looked at her calmly. The anger and suspicion in her eyes gradually dispersed. She smiled and reached out to stroke my face. “My mother did not know the truth. Did it hurt when she hit you?”
I smiled and shook my head.
At night, I rolled up my trouser legs and pressed a hot towel against both knees, thinking of the rumors I had heard during the day.
Second Young Master was going to marry the daughter of Councilor Ma. Perhaps, before long, the Cao family would move to the capital again.
As far as I knew, Second Young Master had married once before, but his wife passed away not long after marrying in. Second Young Master had once said he would observe mourning for three years and would not take another wife during that time.
It had only just reached the third year, but it was also the final year. There was no reason for him to marry at this time… Why? Why now, of all times?
My heart jolted. Thinking that Madam Cao had not punished me further, could it be that she had reached some understanding with Second Young Master?
The heat from the towel seeped in through the cracks between my bones. My whole body alternated between chills and fever. Secretly, I denied it—there I went, flattering myself again. How could it be? How could it be?
I did not even notice when Cao Yingshan came in. Only when she had walked to my side did I hurriedly try to turn over and get out of bed, but she pressed me down at once.
She looked at my knees, sat down by my bed, and pouted, looking very sad. “Duo’er, I just heard them say my mother punished you to kneel on ice. You knelt for as long as I did. You’ve suffered a grievance.”
I smiled. “It’s nothing. At the very least, I’m still alive. If not for you and Second Young Master, I would have been beaten to death in public today.”
Cao Yingshan hesitated, then glanced at me and still said, “Actually, Second Brother came to find me. He said that if I didn’t even dare admit I had written letters to Brother Fan and let a maid like you bear the burden, sooner or later it would reach Brother Fan’s ears, and what would he think then? Besides, letting others think Brother Fan had some romantic affair with a maid would not be good in the end. So I was mostly doing it for myself. You won’t blame me, will you?”
“How could I?” I looked at her with a smile. My mind was muddled and hazy, but there was still a faint thread of joy holding me up.
“You are the Cao family’s Third Miss, so pampered, so precious and noble. That you were willing to say even one fair word for me was already a great favor.”
My smile left her somewhat at a loss. She patted my shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. You won’t have suffered this grievance for nothing. According to Madam’s intention, that little slut Cuiduo likely won’t live past tonight.”
I was suddenly shocked, my mind going blank. Only after Cao Yingshan had left did I come back to myself.
I raised my head and looked at the cold moon outside the window, thinking, Yes. Someone had to bear responsibility for this.
And she had only wanted to take back the position she once held at her master’s side.
All things are fate; not the slightest part is up to man—let alone for an insignificant maid.
Clutching my bedding, I cried out in my heart, “Xing’er, Xing’er! Come back quickly! …Young Master Fan, have you found my family?”
Before, I would not fall ill even once in an entire year. Yet in the short span of half a year, this was already the second time I had developed a fever.
Fortunately, this time, Cao Yingshan looked after me.
The physician came twice a day to examine me and prescribed medicine. Someone boiled it and brought it to my bedside, and I did not have to work, so compared with last time, it was much easier to endure.
Second Young Master also had someone send nourishing medicine.
After my illness had lingered for three days, as soon as I recovered, I took the sheets I had copied before and went to find Second Young Master.
Taking advantage of there being no one around, I handed him a stack of papers. “I wrote these earlier. Now it seems they won’t be of use. You should keep them anyway, so my effort in writing them for so long won’t be wasted.”
He smiled. “Who says they won’t be of use? They have come just in time to solve my urgent need.”
I stared at him in surprise. “Madam only just punished Third Miss because of this…”
“It doesn’t matter. This is what they call darkness beneath the lamp.” He glanced at the writing on the papers. “It must have been hard on you, even imitating my handwriting. Juan Yun, you always make me see you in a new light.”
My heart swayed, and the pounding in my chest grew fierce. This sensation I had never experienced before left me frozen in place. I could not help blurting out, “Why are you marrying Miss Ma?”
His expression changed at once. Though the corner of his mouth still held a smile, his gaze had turned deep.
“Is it to save me… and Third Miss?”
With both hands clasped behind his back, he frowned slightly. “That is part of it.”