Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 40 Chunya is dead

"Don't worry, it's nothing. Aunt An has already taken care of it."

Donggua pulled Mengshu to eat together. As soon as they set out the dishes, Donggua told Mengshu what had happened.

"They were just jealous that I was gaining more and more favor with their masters, and they felt that I was blocking their way, so they secretly mixed something into the jar. Luckily, nothing bad happened, but they wouldn't dare to poison anyone."

"That's enough to give you a hard time. Although the masters are kind, they are always very careful about what they put in the mouth. Otherwise, why would Sister Suwen go to the small kitchen to inspect every day?"

There was something Meng Shu didn't say: she didn't know if Steward An had noticed that Donggua was being targeted, but Su Wen had known about it for a long time, and there must be her spies in the small kitchen.

Donggua was a little sullen. "Aunt An also scolded me, saying that I was not careful enough. If you hadn't been here today, I'm afraid I would have had to leave the small kitchen. Aunt An said that anyone who makes a mistake in the kitchen will be sent by the master to do rough work on the estate."

I searched the small kitchen today, and Sister Suwen personally interrogated everyone. Three of them have already been sent away.

Meng Shu patted Dong Gua on the shoulder, "From now on, be more careful and check the ingredients more often. Also, put a lock on the cabinet where you store the porcelain jars."

Donggua nodded, then suddenly put down his chopsticks and took a package from the bedside cabinet.

“Meng Shu, your Yunyi Courtyard is peaceful, and you have your own room. Could I leave these things with you and have you store them for me?”

Donggua lived with three young girls. Although the three girls were all from Jinan County, one of them was among those who framed Donggua today.

Moreover, a few days ago, Donggua lost a pair of pearl hairpins, which were a gift from Sister Suwen. Donggua thought she was just careless and hadn't even noticed when she lost them. But today, she found them on the bed opposite hers.

The luggage and belongings of those who were exiled to the manor were collected and inspected by people sent by Sister Suwen.

Donggua spotted his lost beaded flower at a glance.

"It's no trouble to help keep it safe," Meng Shu nodded with a smile, then jokingly asked to see how many good things Dong Gua had accumulated. Dong Gua chuckled and opened the package. She had saved up much more silver than Meng Shu, but the Second Miss had also casually rewarded Meng Shu with a lot of jewelry and fabric, so Meng Shu naturally wouldn't be envious of her close friend's kindness.

Meng Shu was a cautious person. Seeing that there was nothing wrong with the items in the package, she carefully tied a knot, took it back to Yunyi Courtyard, and locked it in a cabinet in her room.

The second young lady and the others hadn't returned yet. Meng Shu was just about to finish embroidering the handkerchief she hadn't yet completed when Green Willow brought some very bad news.

"Chunya is gone?"

The embroidery needle pricked my finger, leaving a few drops of crimson on the chrysanthemum, butterfly, and bamboo pattern in the center of the lotus-colored silk.

This handkerchief was originally intended by Meng Shu to be embroidered and then sent to the estate along with some food and valuables by Steward Cao. Although she and Chun Ya did not have much interaction, they were sold to Chunfeng Tower together and spent a few days together in the laundry room.

Chun Ya was sold to Chunfeng Brothel by Ju Chang along with Meng Shufuzi. However, Chun Ya was the oldest among them and had already reached marriageable age, so Chunfeng Brothel planned to give her away when she was of marriageable age...

She had been staying on the estate ever since she went mad, and the steward had said he wouldn't let her do any heavy work. How could she have died so suddenly?

Green Willow used to share a room with Meng Shu and knew about Chun Ya's situation. "Manager Cao just received the news. Because you asked her to deliver things to Sister Chun Ya many times, she asked me to come and inform you."

"Her mental illness has clearly improved..."

Meng Shu felt a dull ache in her heart. The vibrant young girl, in the prime of her youth, had vanished so quietly.

When night fell, it was Ruizhu's turn to be on night duty, and Mengshu helped the second young lady with her washing and grooming.

Behind the embroidered building of Yunyi Courtyard is a row of houses, and the bathhouse is located among them. When there are no elders or outsiders around, the second young lady reverts to some of her innocent nature.

At this moment, she insisted that Meng Shu also come down for a bath. Meng Shu naturally dared not overstep her bounds, but as soon as the second young lady entered the water, it was as if she released all her primordial power, and a ladle of water soaked Meng Shu's entire body.

After Meng Shu reluctantly took off her clothes and went into the water, the second young lady leaned against the pool wall and said quietly, "Ruizhu has already told me that you handled it very well. I heard that my cousin punished the little maid next to her when she returned to Yunxi Courtyard."

Meng Shu was busy scattering various flower petals when she heard the second young lady continue in a low voice, "How did you come up with this counterattack?"

Meng Shu scratched her head. When she argued with Cuihu, she was very calm and composed, completely lacking in finesse.

“Miss, this… I don’t want Ruizhu to get entangled with her. It would be inappropriate if the young ladies of the Marquis’s mansion found out, after all, they are guests from afar.”

"No, no, I think your two sentences are quite ingenious. You subtly shifted the other person's thinking to her own."

Meng Shu: ...

"It's very practical. I might be able to use it at the next banquet. It sounds dignified and is quite effective. These two sentences are especially suitable for sensitive and cunning women." The second young lady exclaimed.

Seeing that the second young lady was in a good mood, Meng Shu tiptoed to her side and picked up a large spoon to pour water on her.

"Second Miss, I would like to ask for leave tomorrow to go to the estate in the suburbs."

After hearing Meng Shu's explanation, the second young lady was very understanding.

"The fact that you still think of your former sisters shows that you are a good person. Tomorrow, take my token and go to the front courtyard where my brother lives, Yunqi Courtyard, to find Mufeng. He is the servant my brother left behind to guard the courtyard; he is steady and polite. Have him drive you to the estate, and come back after you have settled things."

Meng Shu was extremely fortunate to have met a mistress like the Second Miss, and her gratitude was beyond words.

The next day, Meng Shu changed into the old clothes she had worn before coming to the Tang residence and carefully told Rui Zhu not to have any more conflicts with the people from the Marquis's residence. Meng Zhu reassured her, saying that the most composed person in Yunyi Courtyard would be watching over her.

Before going to the front courtyard, Meng Shu first went to see Steward Cao, but Steward Cao was also unaware of the situation. After coming out, he went to Lanting Courtyard instead, where Fu Zi worked.

As a result, the old woman guarding the gate of Lanting Courtyard came out and said that Fuzi was busy with the Fourth Miss and did not have time to come out to see anyone, and asked her to come back at another time.

This outcome wasn't unexpected; she and Fuzi hadn't seen each other for a long time. But she thought that since they had known each other, perhaps Fuzi also wanted to see Chunya off on her final journey...

After that, Meng Shu wasted no more time. She showed the Second Miss's token and went to the front yard. She went straight to Yunqi Courtyard and knocked on the door. There she saw that Mu Feng had already packed his things and was waiting.

Mu Feng was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in the blue Tang family uniform. "You must be Meng Shu. The Second Miss sent someone to inform me yesterday. Let's go now. I have already had a carriage prepared at the side gate."

Once inside the carriage, Mu Feng sat outside driving. Meng Shu lifted the curtain and entered the carriage, where she saw two bamboo baskets. One contained offerings of tea, fruit, and snacks, while the other was filled with paper money, incense, and candles.

"Thank you, Brother Mu. I was just about to prepare it on the way."

"It will take a lot of time on the road, so I specially had someone prepare it last night. This thing is not easy to bring into the mansion, so I put it on the carriage."

The Tang family owned many estates outside Lin'an, and it was said that the estate Chun Ya was assigned to was very wealthy. Coincidentally, Ju Chang was also exiled to the same estate.

Meng Shu's thoughts drifted further and further away. She recalled that when she was in Zheng's brokerage, because of the relationship between Zheng and Zhou, she had originally wanted to be selected to work in the Tang family. However, due to a series of unforeseen events, she was sold to Chunfeng Tower because of Ju Chang.

I wonder if Chun Ya's death was related to her...