Chapter 4: The Little Shoes Have Arrived

Hui Xin revealed a grateful smile and was about to go pour some water when Lu Zhi interjected, "That was brewed by the young lady herself"

Although she does not understand the art of managing people, she vaguely feels that the struggle with Madam Lin is akin to leading troops in battle; without available soldiers by her side, how can she fight?

Hui Xin, startled by her shout, ultimately did not dare to drink the tea, merely bowed her head and forced herself to leave. There was a sensible old woman who hurriedly followed her.

In order to reassure Zhang Qingting, Nurse Zhou forced herself to appear unaffected, saying, "This minor skin injury is nothing. Just open that cabinet, and in the top compartment, I have a bottle of medicinal wine. Take it out and rub it on, and it will be fine."

As the sun gradually tilted towards the west, the few young maids who had originally dared not return were seen helping each other back. They had been exposed to the scorching sun for half a day without anyone paying them any attention, and they appeared even more haggard.

If we anger her again, it will be us who suffer the consequences

Zhou Nainiang fell silent after being thrown a tantrum by her. When Zhang Qingting applied the medicine for her, she felt a burning sensation on her entire back, as if it were on fire. Knowing that things might not be good, she dared not speak up and just endured it.

Look at her, changing her expression in an instant, one moment bringing out a companion, the next moment introducing a concubine, and there are still two sons who have hardly been utilized. Yet, the people around me are not even worthy of being shrimp soldiers or crab generals

As for the two maids, one went to a place called Biluo, and she did not know how to deal with it. Upon waking, she only saw a green branch, which appeared to be a person of some use.

Let's go, let's go! Zhang Qingting really doesn't like to hear this. Nurse Zhou is truly good to herself, but she is just too timid

Listening to Ai Ye's warning that this medicinal wine would cause trouble, I went to fetch hot water, wrung a cloth, and applied it to Nurse Zhou's back, removing all of it. Fortunately, Nurse Zhou is quite old; after the ordeal, she was exhausted and fell into a drowsy sleep, sparing me the need for further explanation. However, the medicinal properties had already seeped in somewhat, causing the injured area to turn bright red, significantly warmer than the surrounding skin, which was truly concerning.

Zhang Qingting does not believe that Madam Lin would let her off so easily. If she were to sneak away, Madam Lin would surely strengthen her defenses. How should she live in the days to come?

Zhang Qingting truly shook her head, this wet nurse is really too indulgent with herself, snatching the medicinal wine and saying, "I come when I come! If your hands are dirty, just wash them to make them clean? Bear with the pain a little!"

The young girl immediately changed color, rushed into the room, and knelt before Zhang Qingting, pleading with a tearful voice, "Miss, I know I was wrong, please punish me, Miss!"

Alas! Miss Zhang possesses a wealth of strength but is unable to utilize it, thus she can only engage in futile efforts

Zhang Qingting felt perplexed, looking around the room filled with people. Aside from relying somewhat on the Green Branch for assistance, the rest were of no use at all

She spoke with a light and quick tongue, but Zhang Qingting couldn't help but twitch her lips upon hearing it. Where could she possibly find these things to fuss about? It would be more sensible to go to the pharmacy to buy medicine.

If it were just her alone, it wouldn't be a big deal, but she is leading this group of people! Surely, they can't keep getting punished, can they? Miss Zhang thought to herself, feeling a bit of a headache.

Green Branch smiled bitterly, "My lady, what reason do you have to go out and expose yourself? Even if you do go, no one would dare to approach you. If the madam finds out, we would truly be in a situation with no place to bury ourselves! We are tough-skinned and thick-fleshed, so this little injury won't be a problem, but at this critical moment, please do not provoke the madam any further."

Therefore, Zhang Qingting is currently in a state of being uncultivated and has committed some uncultivated acts, for which Madam Lin must indeed bear a significant portion of the responsibility

"That must have been quite difficult for you!" Nurse Zhou was so touched after serving her in such a small way that her eyes turned red. Unable to hold back, she urged again, "Good girl, you must not go against the lady again! What if she really decides to punish you? What then..."

This time, I managed to escape by sheer luck, thanks to a little girl who came to my rescue. But what should I do next time

She poured some onto her hand and applied it to her back with the back of her hand. After all, the movement was inconvenient, and she grimaced in pain.

Do you understand medicine? Green Branch was also taken aback; this little girl had just been bought, and even she did not know her very well

Among the four young girls, two with some skills have already left. The remaining two are Hui Xin and Lan Xin, who were sold into servitude from a young age. The recently purchased Ai Ye is also intended to be given to her as a dowry companion. There are still two more missing, and it is likely that they will not be of good quality. The two coarse servant women will definitely be kept at home, so there is no need to pay them any mind

Lü Zhi glanced at the girl without saying a word

Zhang Qingting was very worried, "But with all of you in this situation, can we still wait? Please tell me who I should look for, can I go and find them?"

Discussing with Nurse Zhou, she would surely complain and be long-winded, so I asked the maids here, "Is there any way to get someone to buy some medicine?"

"Go ahead!" The wet nurse Zhou nonchalantly reached out to take it, "I used to have some bone pain; I used it for all my bruises and injuries, and it was quite effective!"

Zhang Qingting found a bottle of medicinal wine, but was somewhat skeptical, "Can this be used?"

Each young lady in the Zhang residence should have, in addition to her childhood nurse, four teaching matrons, two personal second-class maids responsible for hairpins and washing, as well as four third-class maids for cleaning the house and two rough servant women for fetching water and lighting fires

Green Branch thought, "Let's wait a bit longer! It's still broad daylight, and we just got beaten. We won't find anyone willing to help us buy medicine. When it gets dark, I'll go to the back door and try my luck with the library, to see if I can ask someone to bring some medicine over."

Those who come to be servants are not to be pitied. Zhang Qingting did not inquire much about the other person's sorrows and continued to ask: "So do you know how to use the medicine"

Zhang Qingting took the medicinal wine and went to apply medicine to the several returning maidservants. They were younger than Nurse Zhou, and although they had been beaten, their complexions appeared much better.

Generally, most teaching mothers have families and responsibilities, and they may not necessarily accompany the bride with a dowry. However, it is somewhat unreasonable that not a single one remains before the marriage has even taken place.

Zhang Qingting wants to go pick up, but Nurse Zhou is still unwilling to let her, "Look, you've gotten your hands dirty!"

Ha! Zhang Qingting raised an eyebrow; the small shoes were delivered so quickly, yet they didn't even provide her with food? She must go and confront them!

Enough, enough! Just go do what you need to do! Zhang Qingting can’t stand these people who cry at the drop of a hat, as if there’s a mechanism in their eyes that releases tears at the slightest opportunity, as if crying will solve everything. Hmph! If tears were effective, she would lead the way in crying.

Let me do it!

Zhang Qingting saw this but did not say a word; instead, a little girl named Huixin awkwardly said, "I still have to go on duty to fetch the meal today, so I will head out first!"

The mugwort has withered. "My family originally ran a pharmacy, but my father mistakenly trusted someone's words and became a guarantor for that person. That individual failed to repay the debt, which caused our entire family to suffer losses that were insufficient to cover the debts. We had no choice but to sell our books and illustrations here to repay the debts."

In the end, Hui Xin returned empty-handed, her face filled with anxiety, saying, "The kitchen said... our meal isn't ready yet, we have to wait a little longer"

"Let’s keep the conversation to a minimum! After all this, can’t you all just settle down?" Lu Zhi scolded, glancing at Hui Xin. "There is tea on the table; pour yourself a bowl and drink it before you leave."

However, now beside Zhang Qingting, there has become an exception; the wet nurse is still present, but the four teaching matrons have all left upon hearing that the third young lady has entered into such a marriage.

However, in theory, Lady Lin has something to say: "They are not neglecting the matters of this courtyard; they are simply helping the third young lady prepare her dowry. Is it necessary for them to be here watching all the time?"

Beside her, another girl named Lanxin, who had arrived earlier, began to mock, "So you still remember that you are one of the people in this house?"

Upon catching a whiff of the medicinal wine in Zhang Qingting's hand, the young girl Aiye, with her goose-egg face, suddenly frowned and said, "Third Miss, you are holding medicinal wine, aren't you? This cannot be used to treat the sore."

Zhang Qingting paid no attention, yet silently kept track of everyone's words and actions in her heart. It seemed that she could not leave for the time being, and it was essential to have some understanding of the people around her.

I still remember a recipe for this. First, use 200 grams of sesame oil and bring it to a boil. Then, add three egg yolks and simmer until dry, removing the residue. Next, add 25 grams of cleaned blood remnants and simmer until dry again, removing the residue. Finally, add 25 grams of white wax and 1.5 grams of borneol, mix well, and let it cool. Apply it to the affected area.