Chapter 161 The Two Purses That Was Sent Out
There was no flaw in Madam Di’s words. She even said in a very generous and decent way. n.o.body could find out any fault in whatever aspect of her words. However, Qin Wanru still antagonized her when Madam Di had an advantage in the event now.
“General, just look… Wanru now doesn’t know the true meaning of the filial piety at all. She is very willful! We are now in the capital city, not Jiangzhou where we used to live. Young Ladies from aristocratic families are now everywhere in this city. Let alone our mansion, any lady from a n.o.ble aristocratic family in the capital city dare not be so willful like her!”
When finding out that Qin Wanru stood out again, Madam Di looked very sorrowful. She wiped her tears with a handkerchief, pretended to be very heart-struck and said, “When I cared for Wanru, she had been a very innocent girl!”
She meant that Shui Ruolan failed in educating Qin Wanru well when she raised her up. It was in a short time that Qin Wanru had become so willful. And Qin Huaiyong would not let her be wayward like this so it would be better for him to punish Qin Wanru heavily.
At that time, Shui Ruolan would be much heartbroken and sad. It would be better to add fuel to the flame!
Qin Huaiyong frowned and set his eyes on Qin Wanru. He looked a little bit angry and asked, “Wanru, do you know what you are talking about?”
“Father, it is the old maid who caused this trouble deliberately,” Qin Wanru answered calmly, looking into Qin Huaiyong’s eyes.
“What do you mean?” Qin Huaiyong sunk his voice to ask.
A satisfied look came into Madam Di’s eyes. She knew that Qin Huaiyong was a little bit angry. That would be great! She was afraid that Qin Huaiyong wouldn’t get irritated at all. She believed that Qin Wanru was unable to explain Qionghua’s trouble.
If this event was inexplicable, then however Qin Wanru said well she would be punished in the end. She was only a little mean girl who knew nothing and even tried to meddle in this mess. How dare she!
“Well, it could be considered as a surprise! I have thought that it is not enough to only punish Qionghua. It would be better to make Shui Ruolan feel more sorrow.”
“Father, the old maid is ill-disposed! I have evidence!” said Qin Wanru.
“What?” asked Qin Huaiyong.
Madam Di’s heart suddenly raced. She subconsciously looked at Nanny Zhou beside her and felt relieved when seeing Nanny Zhou’s impa.s.sive face. She was terrified of the girl’s words and even thought that she did have some evidence just now.
“What kind of evidence could be left by this event? There is no material evidence at all. The old maid is very careful and there must be no witness.”
Thinking for a while, Madam Di smiled lightly. She stared at Qin Wanru, with seeming kindness. It seemed that Qin Wanru was unreasonable. Now her character setting was very like the one she had many years ago. In front of Qin Huaiyong, she always pretended to treat Qin Wanru very well, even better than Qin Yuru sometimes, just in order to show her real motherly care.
Qing Yue who was behind Qin Wanru now stood out. After bowing to Qin Huaiyong, she pointed at the old maid and said, “General, I have seen this old maid before. She arrived here earlier than me. She even walked to the bird’s nest porridge and looked around. I have heard from my Lady that the bird’s nest porridge is cooked for Madam Shui. She doesn’t want to have it all by herself so she gave half of the porridge to my Lady. However, there are many bowls here!”
While saying, Qing Yue let Yujie and Qionghua make way and show all people the four medium-sized stoves, on which there were three same bowls of bird’s nest porridge.
From the outward appearance, they looked exactly the same.
Qin Huaiyong stunned and then he turned and squinted at Madam Di.
Madam Di’s heart raced again. She quickly calmed down and feared that Qin Huaiyong would discover something from her expression. She said, “General, I asked the kitchen to cook bird’s nest porridge for Yuru and me. About the bird’s nest, I let the purchaser of our mansion buy it for me. If you still don’t believe me, you could send servants to check!”
In case that she would get involved in this matter, she deliberately let the purchaser buy it.
The cause of this matter was the bird’s nest porridge.
When Madam Di finished, opening her eyes wide, Qionghua gazed at Madam Di with astonishment. Needless to say, she must think in this way just now.
“General, couldn’t my Madam cook some bird’s nest porridge in our mansion?” Realizing Madam Di’s intention, Nanny Zhou quickly helped her Madam and said.
What problem could have when an official Madam of the General cooked bird’s nest in her house? The question sounded like that Madam Di was repressed by Shui Ruolan and she even could not have bird’s nest porridge.
Qin Huaiyong frowned tightly. He looked slightly irritated.
“Madam, I heard from grandmother that Duke Yong’s Mansion has returned lots of bird’s nests as presents when you came back from Duke Yong’s Mansion. Then why would you buy bird’s nest from outside? Or are those bird’s nest on sale outside better than those given by Duke Yong’s Mansion?” Qin Wanru asked with smiling eyes.
Her question was unexpected and hard to answer. If Madam Di said no, then why would she still purchase bird’s nest from outside? If answering yes, then she would lose Duke Yong’s Mansion’s face.
“Well, Madam doesn’t want to eat that bird’s nest now because those given by Duke Yong’s Mansion were extremely good. She also wants to give some to Old Grandma and Madam Shui.” Seeing things going wrong, she quickly helped Madam Di and explained stiffly.
“Is that Madam Di?”
Qin Huaiyong’s eyes flickered but he said nothing.
“Well, you are so kind. I must thank you for my mother and grandmother!” Qin Wanru smiled, bowed sideways, turned and looked at the old maid. “Nanny Zhou, could you please explain that why the old maid would stay in the kitchen during the time from the point that Qing Yue has come back from the kitchen to that Qionghua came in? She is a new servant. She didn’t leave but still stayed and did nothing in the kitchen. What was she doing on earth in the kitchen during such a long time?”
“When Qing Yue came back, it even took me some time to arrive at the kitchen. The time the old maid spent in the kitchen was over the time that we made a round trip time from our court to the kitchen.” Yujie proved.
“Tell me what was going on,” said Qin Huaiyong coldly. n.o.body knew he was asking the old maid or Nanny Zhou.
Nanny Zhou gaped and fl.u.s.tered. She didn’t expect that there would be something like this. She didn’t know how to answer. She set her eyes on the old maid and gave her a sign furtively.
The old maid quickly understood. She struggled to sit on kneeling with her hands still covering her chest at once and said, “General, I just wanted to see whether the bird’s nest porridge was okay. Madam likes the bird’s nest being stewed rotten. I was to leave but when I found out that the bird’s nest porridge didn’t cater to Madam’s demand so I waited for a while. Then, the servant girl of Madam Shui came!”
After answering the question, she even coughed painfully deliberately, seeming that she was very weak.
“Ah, no wonder you have left for so long!” Nanny Zhou seemed to take a tumble. She turned and said reverently to Qin Huaiyong, “General, the old maid is new here. I fear that she doesn’t know my Madam so I especially told her that Madam likes the bird’s nest porridge being stewed very, very rotten. And I let her not be eager to take the porridge. I just said so casually but I didn’t know she is so die-hard and even waited here!”
Seeing Nanny Zhou and the old maid echoing each other and finding out that a satisfied look flickered in Madam Di’s eyes, Qin Wanru gave a dirty look. “The old maid totally is an old fox! How could she make up such a seemingly sound reason.”
“Then why would she give a purse to the kitchen supervisor furtively to my face?” Qing Yue asked loudly. She pointed at an old maid hiding in the throng. “I was also curious why there would be other two bowls of bird’s nest porridge. Then I saw her giving a purse to the supervisor and she even glanced at me. It seemed that she gave out the purse just in order to let me find out!”
“Yes! She did! I also saw her giving out the purse! To my face! She did it very furtively and seemed to hide her behavior from me. However, she just did it in a way that I could see clearly. She gave the purse to this supervisor!” Qionghua now became sober. She pointed at another supervisor hiding in the throng. “That old maid was also glancing at me while I wanted to check whether my Madam’s bird’s nest porridge was okay!”
The two identified supervisors tried to hide into the crowd while the crowd parted and showed them clearly.
“What was going on then?” Qin Huaiyong set his cold eyes on the two old maids directly.
They looked at each other and suddenly knelt down.
“General, she just let me care for her Madam’s bird’s nest porridge and let us do our best. She also said that the purse was given by Madam Di.”
“Yes! Yes! It is true! There was no other thing!”
The two maids dare not hide anything and answered hurriedly.
“However, the old maid gave the two supervisors the purses especially when Qing Yue or Qionghua could see them. Weird! She seemed to let Qing Yue and Qionghua be able to see her giving purses to supervisors deliberately! The two servant girls didn’t know Madam Di let the purchaser buy bird’s nest. Moreover, what she did is very dubious! She just wanted the kitchen to stew the bird’s nest in a better way and then she gave the supervisors two purses. How rich Madam Di is!”
Qin Wanru exclaimed.
“Well, that, that’s my order. I fear that the kitchen would mess Madam Di’s porridge for the kitchen now consider Madam Shui’s health as their most important thing!” Nanny Zhou quickly lowered her head and answered.
What she meant was that the kitchen only focused on Shui Ruolan but didn’t care about Madam Di. As an official Madam in the mansion, she had to spend money to let the kitchen take more care of her foods when she wanted to enjoy her foods in a comfortable way.
However, when Qin Huaiyong heard this answer, there was a cold and serious look in his eyes. Although he didn’t like Madam Di and didn’t try to let the kitchen treat her in a bad way, if these words were spread out, then not only Madam Di would lose face but also Duke Yong’s Mansion. They would not leave this thing alone.
“Cousin, it seems that there is a mystery in the event. Then I want to catch them all and question them!” Now Shui Ruolan had understood the whole thing. A hint of anger flashed upon her eyes.
“Sister, are you okay with your health? If you get irritated then, it might hurt you. Moreover, one of them is your servant!” Madam Di pretended to care about her but when she looked at Shui Ruolan’s face, a defiant look was in her eyes. What she meant was that Shui Ruolan should step out this matter.
“Well, when you were to punish Qionghua, your words didn’t accord with your behavior then. The old maid is your servant, isn’t she?” Qin Wanru didn’t want to let her be so satisfied. If Shui Ruolan needed to step out, so did Madam Di. She smiled with a corner of her mouth upward and said, “What’s more, there is another thing. I want to tell everyone and let Madam Di make a comment on it!”
Madam Di was shocked and felt subconsciously that thing would go worse!