Chapter 2, East Wing

Outside, the male head of the household, Zhang Bao, is trying to comfort his wife, Tong. Just moments ago, the couple had a disagreement regarding the treatment of the concubine. Unable to argue her point, the wife began to cry, leaving him at a loss for what to do.

He walked back to his wife, gently soothing her tears, and said: "It is my negligence on ordinary days that has caused you such great distress. I have wronged you. That woman nearly harmed our child; she truly cannot be allowed to remain. Please have someone take her to the yamen; I will personally make arrangements and will not spare her."

Zhang Bao was indeed furious upon hearing this: "This is going too far. You are my legally wedded wife, and your illness is a result of your efforts to help me expand my family. No matter how bad you are, I will never elevate that maid to your status. Her words show a complete lack of understanding of her place."

Because Duan Ge insisted on watching his sister fall asleep before he could sleep himself, he stubbornly held on despite being clearly tired. Liu Xixi, feeling a bit reluctant, closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, allowing him to finally rest. Tong Shi sat by the bedside, looking at the pair of young children, feeling immensely satisfied. She dimmed most of the lights in the room, leaving only a single candle burning, sent everyone else out, and sat in the lounge chair outside, closing her eyes to rest.

Zhang Bao was displeased: "Am I really unable to part with her? Nonsense! She must be punished for her wrongdoing. Moreover, both children have been seriously ill; how can one say that nothing truly happened? This matter is for me to decide, and you need not say more!" After saying this, he truly went out, instructing someone to follow him to the eastern wing.

Liu Xixi only felt that the surroundings were dim and murky, as if she had walked through a corridor. Suddenly, bright lights appeared ahead, and then she entered a door, where a maid approached her; it was the same Xiao Mei she had seen during the day.

Liu Xixi unknowingly fell asleep as well. After an unknown amount of time, she heard soft sobbing from outside, accompanied by a male voice gently offering comfort. Her mind became clear, yet she did not open her eyes, quietly listening to the conversation of the people outside.

Tong urged him, saying: "You have only just awakened for two hours, and you have just taken your medicine. It would be better to sleep so that the medicine can take effect." Duan Ge'er was somewhat reluctant, and she had to gently persuade him: "Mother will let your sister stay here with you. You two can sleep together, alright?" Only then did Duan Ge'er agree. Er Mo felt it was somewhat inappropriate and advised Tong: "What if the illness worsens? The little girl is still young; it would be troublesome if she fell ill again." Tong, feeling sorry for her son, insisted that he had already recovered and that it would be fine, so Er Mo had to give in. Er Mo felt it was somewhat inappropriate and advised Tong: "What if the illness worsens? The little girl is still young; it would be troublesome if she fell ill again." Tong, feeling sorry for her son, insisted that he had already recovered and that it would be fine, so Er Mo had to give in.

Er Mo was in a daze for a while, and when she came to her senses, it was already late in the day. The aroma of food wafted in from outside. She quickly got up, checked on the little girl, and seeing that everything was fine, she went to the kitchen to help.

Xiaomei saw Erma and asked, "How did you come here?" Erma replied, "Just now, Xiaoniuniu ate more than half a bowl of rice porridge, so she must be better. I brought her over for Sanainai to take a look." Tong Shi, who was in the inner room, heard this and laughed, saying, "What a coincidence! Just a moment ago, Duan Ge'er was fussing about wanting to see his sister, and you brought her over." The boy on the bed was even more delighted. Although he was still weak, he reached out his hand towards the sister in Erma's arms, calling out, "Sister, sister." Tong Shi then instructed Erma to bring the child over and place her by the bedside so that he could take a good look at Xiaoniuniu.

Zhang Bao hesitated upon hearing her words. He had always favored that concubine, who had consistently been gentle, courteous, and considerate in his presence. Initially, when he heard his wife mention the matter, he found it hard to believe. After listening to his beloved concubine's lament, claiming that the child had merely slipped and fallen, and that she had intended to use a branch to help the child up, but was wrongfully accused of being a villain by the legitimate wife, he felt it was merely his wife stirring up trouble, which made him somewhat impatient. However, now hearing his wife's account, he recalled that there were others who witnessed the incident. Not to mention that the wet nurse was a trustworthy person who had served the family for generations in the capital, even the two young boys, A Shan and A Hai, whom he had only seen once or twice and had no regular dealings with the Ha family. If they all came forward to testify, it would suggest that there was a significant degree of truth to the matter. Could it be that the beloved concubine truly harbored ill intentions and deceived him?

Zhang Bao was indeed reminded that his wife was still wearing the old clothes she had brought from the capital several years ago. This made him recall how his beloved concubine often had new clothes to wear, leading him to feel that his wife was somewhat inconsiderate

Zhang Bao has already believed it, feeling that the tenderness of his beloved concubine in the past was all a facade, secretly harboring such malice, and even failing to uphold the duties of a wife. At that moment, his son in the inner room happened to mumble a few words in his sleep. He walked into the inner room and looked at his adorable children, thinking that he almost lost them, and he couldn't help but feel a wave of fear.

Tong said with a sob: "I know what you are thinking; you must be thinking that this was just an accident, that it was not her doing, and that I am taking the opportunity to deal with her. She must have said this to you. But you should also consider that Duan Ge and Xiao Niu Niu are my own flesh and blood, a part of me. When they encountered such an incident, I was so frightened that I lost my senses; how could I have the leisure to seek fault with her? Moreover, this matter was not witnessed by me alone; Er Ma also saw it with her own eyes. You should also think about it: Duan Ge and Xiao Niu Niu are my own flesh and blood, a part of me. When they encountered such an incident, I was so frightened that I lost my senses; how could I have the leisure to seek fault with her? Furthermore, this matter was not witnessed by me alone; Er Ma also saw it with her own eyes. She has been in the household for a long time; can you not trust her? At that time, there were also Ah Shan and Ah Hai from the Ha family nearby; they came over to rescue people after hearing Er Ma's cries. You can ask them too; was she the only one by the water at that time?"

The sound gradually faded away, and Liu Xixi caught a glimpse of Tong Shi gently walking to the window, gazing outside in silence, as a chill began to creep over her body.

Tong wept for a while and then continued, "I originally had good intentions, but little did I know she is not a content person. Although she presents herself as virtuous in front of you, behind your back she is always causing trouble with her demands. She often asks for this and that, and our family is not that wealthy. You hold a minor position in the government; how much salary can you possibly earn? It all relies on support from home. Since she is your favored one, I did not want to put her in a difficult position, which would reflect poorly on you. I did not even make myself new clothes, but instead spent money to buy her outfits, and she still complained that the fabric was not luxurious enough. She often asks for this and that, and our family is not that wealthy. You hold a minor position in the government; how much salary can you possibly earn? It all relies on support from home. Since she is your favored one, I did not want to put her in a difficult position, which would reflect poorly on you. I did not even make myself new clothes, but instead spent money to buy her outfits, and she still complained that the fabric was not luxurious enough. I did not take it to heart."

Tong spoke at length, which finally swayed her husband's heart. She hurriedly continued: "Since that day, she has been complaining to me all day long. You have no idea how harsh her words are when you are not at home. She even said that I am a sickly person who cannot serve you, and that you only allow me to stay in the house for the sake of our children. If it weren't for the kids, you would have divorced me long ago and supported her to rise in status." By the end of her speech, she was already in tears.

Tong's family added fuel to the fire: "She has always been the apple of your eye, what more can I say? I only wish to raise the two children well. Who would have thought she could be so malicious, actually harming the two children! She usually pays no attention to Duan Ge'er and Xiao Niu Niu, but that day she suddenly wanted to take them out to play. I was worried, so I quietly followed her with Er Ma. To my surprise, she actually pushed the children into the water and used a long branch to hit them, preventing Duan Ge'er from coming ashore. I was so frightened that my legs went weak, but fortunately, Er Ma was quick-witted and called for help, which saved the children. Usually, for your sake, I could tolerate whatever she did to me, but this time she aimed to harm my flesh and blood. How can I possibly let her go?"

Little Duan held his sister's tiny hand with his own small hand, shaking it gently to comfort her. Liu Xixi felt that this child, though pale and with a few scars on his face, was still very cute, and she couldn't help but smile. Little Duan became even happier, continuing to shake his sister's hand without stopping.

Zhang Bao recalled the affection between him and his wife during their early marriage, and he couldn't help but feel guilty for having neglected her in recent years. He then handed her a handkerchief to help wipe her face

Tong continued, "Last time she mentioned that two relatives wanted to come into the house to work, I did not respond, and you became angry. But you have not seen those two individuals; they are both strong laborers in their twenties. Where could they not find work? Why should she, as a woman, indiscriminately invite them into our home? Moreover, I noticed they both have good appearances; in a situation like this, it is easy to cause trouble. She has grown up in our family and has never mentioned any relatives, so I did not agree. I am being cautious to avoid disaster, yet you only trust her." After saying this, she wiped her tears.

Tong finally let out a sigh of relief, recalling how her husband had always doted on that little wretch in the past. Although he now agreed to get rid of her, if he were to regret it later, he would surely blame her. Therefore, she said: "It is best if you truly feel this way. In fact, I know you care for her; after crying this time, your heart is not as heavy. The child has not really come to any harm. If you truly cannot bear to part with her, just keep her at home, but do not allow her to leave the room, so she can reflect properly. As long as she sincerely repents, she can still serve you."

Liu Xixi sighed inwardly, realizing that this family was quite complicated. The mother who had just appeared, whom she had secretly glanced at with narrowed eyes, was a woman in her twenties, with a fair and beautiful appearance. On the surface, she seemed to have a good temperament, but from the earlier conversation between the master and servant, it was evident that she was a woman of considerable cunning. The father, whom she had yet to meet, appeared to be an ancient civil servant working in a government office, ranking third among his brothers. This was an awkward position, as the eldest and youngest typically received more attention. The parents had one son and one daughter; the older brother was four or five years older than her and seemed to treat his younger sister well. There were quite a few servants in the household; from what she had seen, there were two maids and a wet nurse shared by the two siblings. Additionally, there was the concubine in the "East Wing."

Seeing his hesitation, Tong suppressed the bitterness in her heart and continued speaking to the librarian: "I know you have always thought that I intentionally suppress and trouble her, which is why you do not believe my words. However, due to the illness I suffered as a child, my health has never been good. After giving birth to the little girl, I was bedridden for half a year. With no one to attend to you, I am not happy either. She has served you since she was young, and she is quite pleasant in appearance. You have some feelings for her, which is why you took the initiative to give her a face. I thought that with someone to serve you, I would have more support. Over the past two years, I can honestly say that I have never treated her poorly; her food, clothing, and expenses have all been the same as mine. If I were someone who could not tolerate others, how could I allow her to serve you? I know it is common for the wives of other families to mistreat their concubines, but am I really that kind of person? Don't you know me by now?" After saying this, she lowered her head and wiped her tears.

Liu Xixi could only hear a woman crying outside the inner room, along with several men sternly admonishing her. Then, her father spoke angrily, accusing her of being unfilial and having a malicious heart, claiming that she intended to cut off his lineage, and that he could not let her off lightly. Following this, someone was ordered to silence her, and she was personally taken to the yamen.

Zhang Bao was unaware of the origins of this matter; he only knew that the concubine mentioned two poor relatives, elderly and pitiable, who wished for some assistance and a job. He had always possessed a compassionate heart and was known among his friends as a good-natured person, thus he disapproved of his wife's lack of sympathy for the poor and weak. If what his wife said was true, then the backgrounds of those two men seemed somewhat suspicious. Moreover, the concubine had previously enjoyed joking with the household servants while in the capital. Once he began to harbor suspicions, he felt that the color of his hat looked unseemly.

Liu Xixi drowsily took a nap, and when she woke up, it was already dark outside. She could hear the sound of people walking back and forth outside the door, as well as the clinking of cups and bowls. After a while, Er Mo came in holding a bowl of rice porridge to feed the little girl. Liu Xixi was already very hungry and quickly consumed more than half of the bowl. Er Mo looked very pleased and then fed her a couple of sips of water. After collecting the bowls and chopsticks, she picked her up and left the room.