Chapter 205 No Money? Give Your Earrings Instead
Qing Xue made a trip and she took Dong Xiuer away in secret.
Something bad had happened to First Miss in the family, and Second Miss went to comfort Madam Dowager. All the servants in the yard were busy with their own work and no one noticed that Qing Xue left again after she came back.
But even if someone noticed, everyone was speculating things about the First Miss secretly. It wouldn’t bother them if they discussed it with their friends in private.
Under such circ.u.mstances, Qing Xue left with Dong Xiuer from the back door.
Qing Xue sent away the old woman there with an excuse.
Dong Xiuer followed Qing Xue all the way, and from a distance, she saw the man whom she missed for a long time standing under the tree at the door. At that time, she felt sad and her eyes teared up even before she reached.
Qing Xue quickly soothed her, “Xiuer, you should be happy. He came here as soon as I told him in case you worried about him!” Then she led her to the man who was dressed up as a scholar and made a move to leave.
However, Dong Xiuer grabbed her hand. Trembling slightly, she pulled her sleeve and looked at her, her eyes pleading with her not to leave.
Qing Xue pulled her sleeve back and said, “I’ll be there to keep a look out for anyone who might come.”
But Dong Xiuer held on her sleeve tightly. It seemed that she would not let her go.
Qing Xue helplessly turned to the comely scholar with a wry smile.
The scholar stepped forward and said to Dong Xiuer gently, “Miss Dong, please… let her go first, I have things to tell you!”
Dong Xiuer looked at the scholar before her, and then she lowered her head and looked at her feet, “I … I want to be with her, you … can tell me now!”
The scholar said hesitantly, “It’s not very convenient… because she’s here.”
Dong Xiuer still looked at her feet, and still held on to Qing Xue tightly, unwilling to let her go, “It’s… it’s convenient, she knows everything about me!”
“But, it’s …”
Dong Xiuer whispered, “Have you received the hair clasp I sent you last time?”
The scholar seemed a little impatient, but luckily, Dong Xiuer was looking down then and did not see his expression, “Yes, thank you, Miss Dong!”
Dong Xiuer seemed to be indulging in her imagination and asked, “What … what do you think of it?”
“Very delicate, it’s so kind of you, Miss Dong!”
Dong Xiuer moved a little, bit her lips and her hands s.h.i.+vered a little again. “Did you notice that the hair clasp is dented? I hit it by accident, but luckily, the dent is not big. ”
The scholar had a very gentle voice, which is in sharp contrast with the obvious impatience on his face, “Yes, but it’s okay. After you marry me, I’ll take you to buy a new hair clasp!”
Dong Xiuer suddenly raised her head, tearfully looking at the scholar’s impatient expression. She hadn’t any doubts up till then.
Not only the scholar, but also Qing Xue was not pleased with Dong Xiuer’s clingy behavior, and she also looked askance at her then. Neither of them expected Dong Xiuer to look up just then, and both of them were frozen.
Dong Xiuer’s hand slipped from Qing Xue’s, she stretched out her hand and pointed to the two people in front of her, “You… you …” And she then cried and ran away with her face in her handkerchief.
Qing Xue became worried and was about to chase after her, “Hey… hey…” But the scholar quickly caught her sleeves.
He asked sullenly, “What’s this? Did I rush here to see this silly woman make a fuss over nothing?”
Qing Xue felt worried and said quickly, “No, you need to placate her!”
The scholar frowned, “Placate her? Who can placate someone who behaves like this? She acts as if she is really the beloved daughter of the family! Pay me!” He was actually a local ruffian. He was asked to masquerade because he looked comely. It was agreed that he’d do it for the first time, but now he was suddenly asked to do it a second time.
Qing Xue didn’t expect the scholar to ask her for money. She said quickly, “The old woman who asked you here didn’t pay to you? I’ll tell the Madam later then, and send the old woman to you with the money. The Madam isn’t at home at the moment. Why don’t you go back and wait! ”
The person who went to find him was Madam Di’s servant. Since Madam Di was not at home, it was possible that she didn’t have the money to pay him.
The local ruffian who was dressed up as a scholar looked at the Qing Xue and pointed at the pair of earrings on her and said, “No money? Who knows if you will default on your payment? Give me these first, and you can redeem them when you have money!”
Qing Xue was so angry that her expression changed, “You…”
The ruffian frivolously pulled Qing Xue closer and plucked off her earrings and even gave her pink face a gentle pinch, “What about me? You asked me to act and cheat that silly woman. Being so old and ugly, how dare she imitate others to meet her lover? You should do it yourself. I might not have asked for any money!”
Qing Xue was angry and ashamed. She pushed him away with her hands. But when the ruffian saw such a pretty maid and there was no one around, how could he let her go through the door so easily? He reached out to grab her hands, held her in his arms, and kissed Qing Xue’s face.
As the two tangled with each other, they heard someone shouting, “Somebody! Catch these two!”
The ruffian got a fright and was about to run away, but the path was blocked by two strong women…
As Qing Xue and the ruffian were escorted to Madam Dowager, Qin Wanru was still there. She looked at the two people below with a casual smile.
Qu Le was telling others the whole story of her leading people to catch them. She said that she happened to pa.s.s by the backyard when she saw the two people tangling with each other. She then hurried back to find the woman in charge in the mansion and caught them.
Qin Wanru looked at Qing Xue and said calmly, “Grandmother, send them directly to the feudal official. It’s better to let the judge deal with such matters. It’s only about a maid!”
Qing Xue got nervous after what Qin Wanru said to Madam Dowager. She pointed at the ruffian and argued, “Second Miss, second Miss, I was wronged, I really have nothing to do with this guy. When I walked to the backyard, he jumped out from behind a tree and grabbed me. I … I …”
Qin Wanru put down the cup casually and said slowly in a low voice, “So it’s all this man’s fault? How dare he molest a servant girl of the Ningyuan Army General’s Mansion? With your impudence, even if you don’t die, you will end up crippled. ”
The ruffian also panicked and he said at once, “Second Miss, the maid of your mansion invited me here and she especially called an old woman to be with us. She wanted to meet me in private. I didn’t mean to molest your mansion’s maid!” It was not a big deal for a ruffian to say he has an affair with others. But it was not a small thing if he was believed to have despised the Ningyuan Army General’s Mansion.
“You’re lying, it was you!”
“You’re lying. You clearly came to me. How dare you deny it now?”
The two of them started s.h.i.+fting the blame on each other.
Qin Wanru suggested to Madam Dowager, “Grandmother, let two old women take them away for questioning so they will not talk nonsense.”
Madam Dowager nodded, narrowed her eyes and gestured to Nanny Duan. Nanny Duan understood and sent for people to drag the two into separate rooms.
Qin Wanru stood up and said, “Nanny Duan, you interrogate the man. I’ll question Qing Xue!”
Madam Dowager disagreed, “You want to do it yourself?” It was not an honorable thing, and Madam Dowager didn’t want Qin Wanru to get involved, in case it harmed her reputation.
This matter didn’t look simple!
Qin Wanru looked at the Madam Dowager and smiled gently, “Grandma, Qing Xue is my maid. What she does may also involve me. I’d better get to the bottom of this.”
Madam Dowager thought about it and nodded helplessly. She wanted to protect her little granddaughter, but could not. It would be a good thing if Zhuozhuo could grow up faster.
Yujie was asked to go accompany Nanny Duan to question the scholar-like ruffian while Qin Wanru went with Qing Yue to the wing room where Qing Xue was. She sat down when she entered.
Qing Xue cried and rushed to Qin Wanru as soon as the latter came in, “Second Miss, second Miss, I was really wronged!” She was about to hug Qin Wanru’s legs but was blocked by Qing Yue.
Yujie said harshly, “Qing Xue, how will you explain this?”
Qing Xue burst into tears and said, “Second Miss, I was really wronged. I didn’t do anything. I just… just helped Xiuer make an appointment. Second Miss, please believe me. Ask Dong Xiuer if you don’t believe me. She knows everything. I really didn’t have an affair with that man, it was Xiuer!”
Her words were half-true, but it sounded real.
If it was not a trap set by Qin Wanru, she might even believe her!
Qin Wanru knocked at the table with a gentle smile on her face, “Qing Xue, you have followed me for some time. Do you think I am a fool? Or like the others, you think I am too young and ignorant and easily bullied?”
Her eyes rested on the Qing Xue’s face as she smiled mildly. Today, she was dressed as usual. The heavy bang was pinned up. She seemed both angry and happy with a carefree and indifferent spirit, so unlike those of her age. It was as if the person in front of her was not her princ.i.p.al maid.
She behaved as if what was happening around her was not a scandal.
As if she was used to these things…
Qing Xue trembled. It was not the deliberately stretched voice she just had but this time, she really trembled with her teeth chattering. A chill struck her and she collapsed to the ground directly.
Was Qin Wanru a master who could be bullied? Of course not. Qing Xue had been scrupulous since she began following Qin Wanru. And it was because she felt her master was so intelligent. She dared not move and could only lurk the dark, waiting for the right opportunity.
She was complacent in secret when Dong Xiuer’s business was quietly in the process. She thought the Miss hadn’t grown up after all. She could do nothing even if she was intelligent. Now looking into her eyes which seemed to see through everything, she found she was wrong.
“Second… Second Miss, you planned the whole thing, didn’t you?”