Chapter 9: Guidance for the Maidservant

Qiqiao and Baxiuxiu exchanged glances, seemingly not quite understanding. After a while, Qiqiao cautiously said, "Miss, I will never eavesdrop again."

My dear miss, please do not entertain such thoughts. If the master were to find out that I, an old servant, spoke to you about these matters, I would surely be driven out of the residence.

Hua Zhuo was taken aback. As the saying goes, the older a person gets, the more cunning they become. Liu Mama was not like those two girls, Qi Qiao and Ba Xiu. Fearing that she might discern something, Hua Zhuo hurriedly threw herself into Liu Mama's arms and acted coy, inquiring about her aunt's usual preferences, thereby diverting Liu Mama's thoughts.

Hua Zhuo realized he had misspoken and hurriedly corrected himself, saying: "Mother, I understand. I will keep this matter to myself and will not bring it up in front of Father"

The two young girls, however, were aware of the proper conduct; upon entering the room, they hurriedly served tea and poured water, wearing expressions that conveyed "I know I was wrong," as they knelt before Hua Zhuo.

Hua Zhuo did not take their tea but stared at them for a while before saying: "I know you are curious as well, but I must remind you once more that there are some matters that should not be eavesdropped on. This is our own home, and I do not blame you. However, if we were to visit someone else's home in the future and you behaved this way, should any mistakes occur, I would not be able to protect you."

Hua Zhuo leaned back slightly, observing these two girls, who were too naive. Qi Qiao was relatively better; she was clever and perceptive, which made her less concerning. However, Ba Xiu was just like her second aunt, Hua Jue, possessing a simple and innocent nature, and had never developed any guard against others. In a complex environment, they would be particularly vulnerable.

As for future matters, no one can say for certain. I am merely speaking casually; it does not necessarily mean I will take you to someone else's home. What I am sharing with you now is simply to make you more vigilant and cautious. You all heard what Liu Momo just said. How did my two aunts die? Although it was others who plotted against them first, it was also due to their own carelessness in their actions. What kind of place is Rongchang Hall? It has many descendants and numerous entanglements, unlike our Rong'an Hall, which has only a few people. Even if we do not mention my two aunts, just consider that girl who picked up the lost items. Why was she driven out? Although my grandfather's anger was misdirected, did she truly have no faults?

Hua Zhuo nodded slightly. After saying all this, she was already extremely tired. Seeing that Qi Qiao had understood the meaning of her words, she said: "As long as you understand, that's good. I see that Ba Xiu still doesn't understand, so you should take her down and explain it to her properly. I'm tired and need to rest for a while"

It was said this way, yet in the end, she still held Hua Zhuo's hand and went to the study, causing Fang to laugh so hard behind them that she nearly straightened up, saying to San Chun: "I simply cannot stand the sight of his stern face, does he think that by doing so he can become a strict father?"

"Come in, don't mind the cold outside." Hua Zhuo was amused by the expressions of the two of them. He initially intended to scold them with a stern face, but ultimately refrained from saying anything.

When I went to pay my respects to the Fang family again, I saw my father in casual clothes, talking to Mr. Fang. Only then did I realize that my father was on leave today. Hua Zhuo was preoccupied with his thoughts, and just as Hua Xu was preparing to leave, he stubbornly clung on, insisting on following Hua Xu to the study. This made Mr. Fang feel a twinge of jealousy, and he laughed, saying, "Today I finally understand that Zhuo'er actually likes you the most."

In fact, how was she any different in the past? If she hadn't suffered enough losses, how would she have understood the coldness and warmth of the world, and the treachery of human nature? With this thought, she felt no anger; she simply said what needed to be said, and how much the two girls could take in would depend on themselves

Qiqiao lowered her head, listening intently to Huazhuo's words, carefully pondering them. Then, she suddenly bowed her head and said: "Miss, I have taken note of your words. I understand what I should do in the future, so please rest assured, Miss."

Thus, the master and servant both laughed heartily until Aunt Shuangcheng lifted the curtain and entered, asking: "What is so amusing? I could hear it from quite a distance. What joyful event is taking place? Please share it so that I may also partake in the joy."

Hua Xu wore a stern expression and admonished, "You don't look like a proper girl."

Ba Xiu was taken aback, opening her mouth, but not a single word came out.

Shiyi is not an ordinary maid; she is the senior maid by Grandmother's side and the one most favored by her. Otherwise, she would not have been sent to the capital with us. Her purpose is not to serve my two aunts; she represents Grandmother and has the responsibility to advise and guide, as well as to restrain Aunt Wei, preventing her from harboring inappropriate thoughts that could jeopardize my aunts' important matters. And what happened? Aunt Wei indeed entertained inappropriate thoughts, and Shiyi should have stopped her at that moment, but she did not. Instead, she indulged Aunt Wei, which ultimately led to the misfortune of my eldest aunt. Shiyi's role is not to serve my two aunts; she represents Grandmother and has the responsibility to advise and guide, as well as to restrain Aunt Wei, preventing her from harboring inappropriate thoughts that could jeopardize my aunts' important matters. And what happened? Aunt Wei indeed entertained inappropriate thoughts, and Shiyi should have stopped her at that moment, but she did not. Instead, she indulged Aunt Wei, which ultimately led to the misfortune of my eldest aunt. Rongchang Hall intended to send my second aunt into the palace. Although she, as a maid, could not stop it, she could have relied on Grandmother's influence to delay my second aunt's entry into the palace, citing the discord between her parents as a reason that should not be taken lightly. At the very least, she could have waited for news from Rong'an Hall before making arrangements. However, she did nothing, not even notifying Rong'an Hall, resulting in them only receiving news after my second aunt's death. Because they learned too late, they could not even retrieve my second aunt's body. Tell me, does she have any fault? Tell me, does she have any fault?

Liu Momo finally breathed a sigh of relief, gently stroking Hua Zhuo's hair, and suddenly sighed, "Miss has grown up."

Qiqiao and Baxiou really did squat for too long, and after a while, two heads finally peeked out from below the window sill, grinning foolishly but not daring to speak

Ba Xiu nodded repeatedly, her head bobbing up and down, causing the silk flowers on her head to tremble as well. She said, "Exactly, I will never eavesdrop again. Miss, please do not scare me. Why would we go elsewhere? It is quite good at home, we certainly won't go to someone else's house."

In the spring of the third month, she smiled and echoed, "The master has spoiled the young lady to the point where he can never become a strict father in this lifetime."

After talking for quite a while, Hua Zhuo finally felt tired. After sending off Liu Mama, he then frowned and said to the window, "After squatting for so long, are your legs numb?"

Waking up the next day, it seemed that I had sweated a lot last night. Feeling refreshed all over, unlike the heaviness of yesterday, I realized that about seventy to eighty percent of the illness had passed. Reflecting on my previous life, I had stubbornly refused to take medicine out of fear of suffering, which caused this minor illness to drag on for two months before I recovered. It is truly lamentable.

It turns out that my father had such thoughts, which she had not known before. Hua Zhuo thought for a moment and said seriously: "I want to advise my father to take it easy. How can this matter be blamed on him? It is the misfortune of my two aunts, and it is also the excessive bullying by Rongchang Hall. My two aunts are not very sensible; do they not have anyone sensible among them? If only they had cared a little more about our Rong'an Hall and had offered more guidance in daily matters, how could it have led to the loss of both my aunts' lives"

Qiqiao responded with a sound and helped her lie down, then took Baxiou out. However, Huazhuo was unaware of what the two maids discussed. After resting for a while, it was already evening when Qiqiao and Baxiou came back to assist her with dinner, taking her medicine. After taking the medicine, she was covered with a quilt and sweated profusely. Then, after bathing and changing clothes, they went through a series of activities before finally going to sleep

What wrong has she done? Ba Xiu looked bewildered. As a maid, she could only listen to her mistress. If the mistress made a mistake, the maid could not intervene and would also bear the brunt of the anger, clearly an injustice.