Blossom

Chapter Forty: Stirring the Mountain

Dou Zhao observed Ji Shi's every move.

When she first entered the marquis's household, she had often given such looks to the stewardesses or stewards of the Wei Family.

How could Yu Zan, a little maidservant who had risen by chance, withstand such a scene?

Left idle and ignored, listening to the sarcastic remarks of Ji Shi's maids and enduring the cold stares of the old women around Ji Shi, Yu Zan decided to seek out Tuo Niang.

Unexpectedly, Tuo Niang wasn’t there!

Seeing a kind-faced maidservant in green robes living next to Tuo Niang, she asked, "Sister, do you know where Su Xin from the Fourth Miss's side has gone?"

The maidservant was putting on earrings in front of a dressing mirror and replied, "Yu Zan went to Zhen Ding Prefecture with Steward Wang."

Yu Zan froze.

The maidservant put away her mirror and walked over with a smile. "Are you new here? You look unfamiliar. Steward Wang is the dowry servant of our madam. Our madam isn’t used to the food in Beizhili, so the old madam of the Ji Family often has their shops send things over for her. Steward Wang went to the prefecture to fetch some items for our madam. Since the Fourth Miss likes Seventh Sister’s dolls very much, and Su Xin is the most favored by the Fourth Miss, our madam thought she would know the Fourth Miss’s preferences and sent her with Steward Wang to pick one out from the Ji Family’s shop in the prefecture. She should be back by tomorrow afternoon."

Yu Zan’s eyes burned with envy.

The Ji Family’s shops in Zhen Ding Prefecture also sold Western curiosities. Daqing’s wife had gone there once and spent over twenty taels of silver on a small gilded rouge box with a painting of a Western beauty. She treasured it like a jewel, only bringing it out to show off during the New Year. She even said that if she ever got rich, she would definitely go back and splurge.

And now Su Xin got to visit the Ji Family’s shop accompanied by the Sixth Madam’s dowry steward? The shop assistants, out of respect for the Sixth Madam, would surely treat her like royalty. Compared to Daqing’s wife, she would be countless times more impressive.

How did she get such incredible luck?

When it came down to it, what did she have that Yu Zan didn’t? Nothing—except for clinging to the Fourth Miss like a leech...

As Yu Zan brooded, a sudden idea flashed through her mind.

That’s right. If that dull-witted Su Xin could win the Fourth Miss’s favor, surely someone as clever as herself could easily do the same?

With this thought, she thanked the maidservant, tossed her bundle into Tuo Niang’s room, washed her face with some water, and hurried to the main house.

Ji Shi was standing under the shade of a tree with Dou Zhao, directing a young maidservant to gather balsam flowers. "...Crush them in a small bowl, add some alum, and let it sit overnight. Tomorrow, we can use it to dye our Shou Gu’s nails." As she spoke,

her plump, baby-soft hands were fair and tender, her skin so delicate it seemed it might tear at a touch. Her tiny nails were exquisitely dainty, and when she spread her fingers, little dimples appeared on the back of her hand. Ji Shi’s heart melted with affection.

Yu Zan quickly stepped forward to greet Ji Shi and Dou Zhao. "Sixth Madam, Fourth Miss!"

"Oh, you’re here," Ji Shi said amiably, her tone a world apart from her earlier coldness. Yu Zan felt flattered and hurriedly replied, "Yes. I noticed Su Xin wasn’t in the room and thought the Fourth Miss might need someone, so I came as soon as I put down my bundle."

Ji Shi nodded.

Dou Zhao smiled at her.

Yu Zan’s anxious heart finally settled.Everyone said that the Sixth Madam of the East Mansion was kind-hearted, and perhaps she had just encountered some unpleasant incident when they met.

A young maid came forward holding a glass bowl filled with balsam flowers: "Sixth Madam, is this acceptable?"

Ji Shi hesitated, seemingly unable to make up her mind.

Yu Zan immediately chimed in eagerly, "Sixth Madam, when our lady was still here, I often helped pick balsam flowers." As she spoke, she fiddled with the flowers in the glass bowl. "Look, this one is a bit too tender..."

"It seems you do have a good eye," Ji Shi praised with a smile.

Yu Zan was overjoyed.

After selecting the balsam flowers, Ji Shi led Dou Zhao back to the room.

Yu Zan hurriedly followed.

Third Aunt arrived: "Sixth Sister-in-law, busy as always!"

She greeted Ji Shi at the door but did not enter.

Ji Shi glanced at Dou Zhao, hesitated for a moment, and instructed the young maid, "Take the Fourth Miss inside." Then she adjusted her hairpin and walked toward Third Aunt with a smile.

Dou Zhao, the young maid, and Yu Zan entered the room.

The young maid placed the glass bowl on the kang table and said to Dou Zhao, who stood beside it, "Fourth Miss, I’ll go fetch the alum jar. Please stay here and don’t move." She then turned to Yu Zan, "Sister, please keep an eye on the Fourth Miss."

"Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her!" Yu Zan beamed.

The young maid scampered off to the inner chamber.

Yu Zan crouched down to talk to Dou Zhao: "Fourth Miss, would you like to go swing? If you let Su Xin return to the mansion, I’ll take you swinging every day and play string games and beanbag toss with you. How about that?"

Dou Zhao ignored her.

Yu Zan prattled on for a while, but Dou Zhao remained unresponsive. Feeling bored and having stood for so long earlier, her legs grew weak as she rose. She steadied herself by placing a hand on the kang table, causing it to tilt with a loud "clang" and flip onto the kang. The glass bowl rolled off the kang and fell to the floor, shattering into pieces with a "crash," scattering the balsam petals everywhere.

She froze in shock.

"What happened?" The young maid, hearing the noise, rushed in clutching a cloisonné jar. Seeing the shattered glass bowl, her face turned pale. "How did this happen?"

Maids who had been standing under the veranda also hurried in.

All eyes fell on Yu Zan.

"It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me!" Yu Zan instinctively denied. Her gaze inadvertently swept past Dou Zhao standing nearby, and she seized the opportunity like a lifeline. "It was the Fourth Miss... yes, the Fourth Miss knocked it over by accident..." Ji Shi’s face darkened as she ordered Cai Lan, "Go fetch Yu Momo from the West Mansion."

The servants in the room dared not even breathe. Seeing Wang Momo gesture, they quietly exhaled in relief and filed out one by one.

Only then did Ji Shi lose her temper: "That Yu Zan deserves to die!"

She had planned to let Yu Zan grow complacent and make a mistake, giving her an excuse to reprimand her. But before she could act, Yu Zan had already committed such a disgraceful act.

"No wonder Su Xin fought with her," Wang Momo remarked with a sigh but still tried to console Ji Shi. "Thankfully, we found out early, or the Fourth Miss would have suffered many more hidden grievances!"

Ji Shi thought of Dou Zhao’s tiny, soft hands, her eyes reddening slightly as she whispered, "Where is Shou Gu?""Cai Shu and Cai Lan are accompanying the Fourth Young Miss in the courtyard picking balsam flowers!" Wang Momo said with a smile. "They're having a wonderful time."

A hint of amusement flickered in Ji Shi's eyes as she hesitated and said, "What do you think about raising Shou Gu in my quarters?"

Wang Momo's eyelids twitched slightly. "Is this what Third Madam came to discuss with you?"

After a long silence, Ji Shi gave a slight nod.

Wang Momo drew in a sharp breath. "Could we perhaps... not involve ourselves in this matter..."

When Cai Lan arrived, Yu Momo was already overwhelmed with troubles.

Qi Xia Courtyard was in utter chaos. The Zhu family had come demanding to break off the engagement, while the Pang family, acting like foxes borrowing the tiger's might, were ordering everyone about. To make matters worse, neither the Old Master nor the Seventh Master were anywhere to be found. She was merely a servant—what authority did she have to make decisions on any of these matters? The stewards and stewardesses dodged responsibilities wherever they could, pushing her to the forefront. Yet, burdened with the Seventh Master's trust, she couldn’t simply avoid it. She had no choice but to step forward, calming one party after another, barely managing to prevent disaster.

Just as she finally caught her breath upon the Old Master’s return, the Sixth Madam from the East Mansion sent someone summoning her immediately.

She could have declined any other summons, but since the Fourth Young Miss was now under the care of the Sixth Household in the East Mansion, she couldn’t delay for even a moment when Sixth Madam called.

Rubbing her temples, she asked the maid who had come to inform her, "Did they say what it was about?"

The maid shook her head. "Only that you should hurry over."

Yu Momo had no choice but to leave a few instructions with Stewardess Huo and set off for the East Mansion with two young maids.

Wang Momo greeted her upon arrival.

Instead of leading her directly to the main quarters, Wang Momo invited her into a side chamber.

"Elder Sister," she said, taking Yu Momo’s hand, "I know you’ve been swamped lately. Our Madam wouldn’t have summoned you if it weren’t urgent." She then relayed the incident involving Yu Zan. "...It was just a broken item—something that might have earned her a scolding at most. But she pinned the blame on the Fourth Young Miss. You can imagine how brazen she’s become. If not for the reputation of the former ***, our Madam would have dealt with her on the spot..."

Before Yu Momo could even hear the full account, her head began to buzz.

She had known something like this would happen!

Ever since Daqing’s wife showed no regard for the Fourth Young Miss, the maids and old women in the household had followed suit, growing increasingly insolent—especially shallow-minded ones like Yu Zan, who had become utterly reckless.

In the end, this was all her son’s doing.

But a grown son was beyond a mother’s control.

She managed the inner household, while her son handled external affairs. By the time she learned of certain matters, they were already set in stone. She had reprimanded him several times. At first, he merely listened, but eventually, he started talking back: "We serve the former ***. No matter who becomes the Seventh Master’s new wife, they won’t tolerate us. We might as well secure a way out for ourselves while we still can."

She knew there was truth in his words, but having served the Zhao and Dou families her entire life, where else could she go if she left them?

Her son reassured her, "Don’t worry. I won’t touch the Fourth Young Miss’s belongings. I’m only borrowing the Zhao and Dou names and using her silver for a few business ventures. Once we’ve saved enough capital and built our reputation, you can use your age as an excuse. We’ll ask the new Madam for permission to return to our hometown. She’ll likely be overjoyed—why would she stop us?"Now that Sixth Madam was dissatisfied with her, this matter wouldn't be so easily resolved.

Yu Momo anxiously grasped Wang Momo's hand: "When I press down one finger, another pops up—I'm so overwhelmed! Please tell me what to do, sister!"

"Dear sister, you're also a longtime servant of the master's household. Think carefully, and the solution will come to you." Though she said this, Wang Momo smiled and added, "I've seen many maids like Yu Zan—troublesome creatures who only bring harm if kept around." Then she took her to see Ji Shi.

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