Chapter Nine, The Servant Deceives the Master

The young girl sat up a little straighter: "What kind of master is she? Just look at that shabby appearance. The master has already given up on her, hasn't he? I know what to do. Mother, how does this golden hairpin on my head look?" She tilted her head, revealing the golden hairpin inlaid with pearl-like beads on her head.

"I am not a deity, how could I possibly foresee the future?" Jiang Ruan said淡淡. Her tone was extremely light, yet Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao felt an inexplicable chill in her voice, sending shivers down their spines

This statement sounds vague and unclear, and Lian Qiao cannot comprehend it. Bai Zhi silently follows behind, both of them feeling quite perplexed. Bai Zhi speaks up: "Does the young lady mean that she will meet the old gentleman again in the future? However, the red plum was bought on a whim today. If the young lady had already made up her mind, how could she have anticipated that old man would appear and even get into a dispute with someone?"

"Is it you who is talking nonsense?" Jiang Ruan's latter half of the sentence pulled Chun Ying's thoughts back. She was taken aback and instinctively shook her head: "Of course, it is not this servant."

Jiang Ruan walked forward at a leisurely pace while saying, "Naturally, there are benefits. Everything in the world comes at a cost. Today, I gift him a few branches of red plum blossoms, but in the future, the price he will have to pay will undoubtedly far exceed that of the red plums. It is just that it cannot be seen at the moment."

Chen Fang smiled with satisfaction, just about to say something more, when a gentle voice came from outside: "Old Madam Lan has been waiting in my room for such a long time, is there something urgent?"

The spring oriole, with a branch of forsythia at her waist, immediately retorted: "What are you shouting about in broad daylight? Do you expect the young lady to explain herself to you before going anywhere?"

Finally, they returned to the manor smoothly. From a distance, they saw a maid dressed in a brand new green jacket approaching, her lips adorned with bright red lipstick. Upon seeing Jiang Ruan and the others, she immediately exclaimed in an exaggerated manner: "Oh my lady, in this cold weather, how could you come out when you are still unwell? Where have you been? I searched the entire manor and couldn't find you."

"Who is the one who speaks so much?" Jiang Ruan looked at her, suddenly curling her lips into a gentle smile. Her smile was extremely slow, with the corners of her eyes playfully lifted, as if she had transformed into another person, instantly appearing vibrant and full of life. Chun Ying was merely a woman, yet that alluring expression left her momentarily stunned, unable to utter a word.

Miss?" Chun Ying furrowed her brow

The spring oriole shakes its head

The color is quite good, it looks really nice on Fang'er, Zhang Lan exclaimed

The spring oriole pouted slightly and looked at Jiang Ruan, saying: "Miss, I mean well. You are still unwell, so it would be best not to wander around, and also to avoid giving others the opportunity to gossip."

This spring oriole, Jiang Ruan remembers very clearly, in the last life, the rumors about her seducing Chen Zhao spread so quickly, and the spring oriole played a significant role in fanning the flames, speaking among the servants as if she had witnessed it with her own eyes. It was precisely because of this that the rumors spread so rapidly, leading to her downfall at such an early stage.

"Lianqiao, when did you see that I like plum blossoms?" Jiang Ruan said

"Fang'er, don't speak nonsense," the woman scolded, "after all, she is the mistress. You shouldn't go too far on ordinary days, or you might give others a chance to find fault with you." Although it was a reprimand, her tone was filled with affection.

Jiang Ruan quietly watched her. Chun Ying and Qiu Yan were both the chief maids of the manor, holding a high status within the estate. Qiu Yan was often busy with matters outside the manor, leaving her with very few opportunities to meet Jiang Ruan. In contrast, Chun Ying was responsible for the affairs within the manor and had a close relationship with the Zhang family, often supporting Zhang Lan and frequently setting traps for Jiang Ruan. Perhaps acting on orders from above, Chun Ying showed no respect towards Jiang Ruan, completely disregarding her, and was even less respectful to Jiang Ruan than she was to Zhang Lan.

Bai Zhi frowned and said, "You know that the young lady has not yet fully recovered from her illness, so why are you making such a loud noise? It is giving the young lady a headache."

"Naturally, it is cooked into a delicious dish," Jiang Ruan said softly, pronouncing the four words 'delicious dish' very slowly. Chun Ying stared at her in a daze, feeling that Jiang Ruan's fair skin appeared somewhat pale under the sunlight, and her delicate and beautiful face bore an indescribable look of sorrow, causing her to unconsciously take two steps back: "M-Miss, Granny Lan is still waiting in the room."

I am not worried about the young lady, am I? It is better that she is ill. At this time of year, with the New Year approaching, what would happen if something were to go wrong?" Chun Ying is not an easy character either, her tone is quite sarcastic.

This... The young lady indeed does not like it very much. Lian Qiao shook her head, recalling that when the lady was still alive, her own daughter used to love flowers and plants. Ever since the lady passed away, her daughter has been living a very difficult life every day, and she has no mood for romantic pursuits anymore

"If you don't like it, what use is it to keep it?" Jiang Ruan said lightly, "Why not do a favor and give it to someone else"

The young girl had ordinary features, a slightly darker complexion, and was dressed in a brand new peach-colored satin embroidered peony jacket, paired with a powder purple horse-face skirt. Over this, she wore a rouge-colored coat, and around her waist was a long, multicolored beaded belt. Her hair was adorned with a gold hairpin, and she wore eight-treasure beaded earrings, along with a large gold necklace around her neck. Although she was merely the daughter of a servant in the village, her overall attire could rival that of many daughters from wealthy families.

The spring oriole noticed that Jiang Ruan had been silent for a while, and looked at her with some surprise. Their eyes met, and Jiang Ruan's gaze fell upon her, gentle yet inexplicably chilling, as if assessing an object on the verge of being destroyed, indifferent yet filled with regret

Bai Zhi and Lian Qiao both changed their expressions; a servant actually dared to use the words "wait". This is truly a disregard for hierarchy. Zhang Lan's behavior is excessively arrogant; on the surface, she pretends to be compliant and unobjectionable, yet privately, she is extremely harsh towards Jiang Ruan.

Are you waiting for me? Jiang Ruan slightly raised her head: Then let's go, don't keep Granny Lan waiting too long. She brushed the buttons on her dark green cotton coat.

On the way back, Lianqiao endured and endured, but finally could not help but ask: "Why did the young lady give away the plum blossom? After all, it was bought with silver. If you are to give it away, you should at least keep a branch in the house. To give it to a stranger like this... what is the reasoning behind it?"

"Raising a dog is meant for biting outsiders, not for biting one's own people. If the dog you raise barks at its own people, do you know what the outcome will be?" Jiang Ruan asked her

"But this favor is also bought with money," Lian Qiao said anxiously, her words becoming more straightforward: "That old man is neither related to us nor connected to us; what benefit is there in giving him a gift?"

In front of the fire pit in the room sat two people, a girl of about twelve or thirteen nestled in the arms of a middle-aged woman, her tone somewhat sharp: "It is really cold in this room, and there is a smell; no wonder she often smells quite unpleasant."