Chapter 34: The Wet Nurse
"Miss, Lianqiao has a fiery temper. I saw her arguing with the people from Delicate Splendor Courtyard, and they're no pushovers either. They outnumber us, and if this continues, Lianqiao might suffer. That's why I came back to find you. Do you have any ideas? The people from Delicate Splendor Courtyard won't let this go easily."
"Luzhu, fetch my outer robe," Jiang Ruan said, closing the book on the table and standing up.
"Are you going to rescue Sister Lianqiao?" Luzhu asked as she swiftly handed Jiang Ruan her robe. "Should we inform the master?"
"No need," Jiang Ruan replied coldly. "By the time he arrives, I might not even be able to save Lianqiao."
Zisu gasped. "Miss, are you planning to confront the people from Delicate Splendor Courtyard?"
"They've come to our doorstep to bully us. Should we just hide like turtles?" Jiang Ruan glanced at her and said calmly, "Since she's come to provoke me, how can I not meet her head-on?" Xia Yan, our first confrontation—I’m looking forward to it even more than you are.
The three of them quickly prepared and followed Zisu to the garden outside Delicate Splendor Courtyard. From afar, they saw a group of maids surrounding two people in the middle—one collapsed on the ground, the other shielding the fallen person. A strange odor hung in the air, and two chamber pots were placed nearby, one already tipped over.
When the maids noticed Jiang Ruan and her companions, they didn’t move until Lianqiao called out, "Miss!" Only then did the leading maid turn around and casually remark, "Oh, why has the Eldest Miss come here? This place is unfit for your eyes. You should leave quickly."
Jiang Ruan recognized this maid—Lin Lang, Xia Yan’s chief attendant. In her past life, Jiang Ruan hadn’t understood how someone as gentle and refined as Xia Yan could have such a sharp-tongued maid. Now, she realized that Lin Lang was the true reflection of Xia Yan’s nature. The words Xia Yan couldn’t say were all spoken through Lin Lang’s mouth—like now, mocking Jiang Ruan.
Jiang Ruan smiled faintly. "You’re right. So you should leave quickly and spare me the sight of you."
Lin Lang was taken aback. "What? Aren’t you the lowly one here?"
Her tone was gentle, but her words were sharp. Though her smile remained, her upturned eyes were as cold as blades. Lin Lang involuntarily took a step back.
Jiang Ruan sighed. "So Lin Lang thinks maids are the high and mighty ones, which is why she’s beating other servants like this."
"This servant would never!" Lin Lang panicked. Jiang Ruan’s words implied she was overstepping her station—a grave accusation in the Jiang household. Though she was favored by Xia Yan, she couldn’t afford such a label. "Eldest Miss, I truly didn’t!"
Jiang Ruan chuckled lightly, ignoring her, and turned to Lianqiao.
Lianqiao was surrounded by several maids, her clothes disheveled from the earlier scuffle. A clear slap mark was visible on her face, and Jiang Ruan’s expression darkened. However, one of the other maids also bore a vivid slap mark—Lianqiao wasn’t one to take things lying down.
The person lying beside Lianqiao hadn’t uttered a word since Jiang Ruan arrived, keeping their head bowed and motionless, like a lifeless doll. Only their disheveled, graying hair and thin, paper-like winter clothes were visible.
Jiang Ruan reached out and placed a hand on the person’s shoulder. The moment her hand touched them, she felt them tremble violently.Lianqiao opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing. Jiang Ruan looked at the woman with her head bowed and spoke gently, "Nanny, don't be afraid. It's me, A Ruan. I've come back."
The person on the ground trembled the moment Jiang Ruan spoke, slowly raising her head. Jiang Ruan's breath hitched, and she clenched her fists tightly.
Granny Zhou's weathered face was deeply lined, her body so emaciated it seemed only skin and bones remained. Her once slightly plump cheeks were now sunken hollows, but the most horrifying sight was her eyes—nothing but dried, empty sockets, clearly gouged out by someone.
Luzhu gasped, then covered her mouth, unable to bear looking further. The elderly woman had evidently endured much suffering, her entire body emitting a foul, rotting stench. Blind, she merely tilted her head up blankly, her lips quivering as she whispered hoarsely, "Eldest Miss."
"It's me." Ignoring the strange looks from those around her, Jiang Ruan bent down and embraced Granny Zhou. Her eyes were icy cold, yet her voice held a strange soothing power as she reassured, "Nanny, A Ruan is back."
Time seemed to rewind to years past, when she and Jiang Xin Zhi were still naive children. Whenever they angered Zhao Mei, it was always Granny Zhou who mediated. When they got into trouble and were punished with kneeling, Granny Zhou would sneak into the ancestral hall at night to bring them food. Childless her whole life, she had treated them as her own. Now, those eyes that were always filled with kindness and laughter were nothing but hollow sockets—how could anyone remain unmoved?
Lin Lang frowned. "What is Eldest Miss doing? You mustn't dirty yourself. This servant has committed a grave offense, and this slave must quickly carry out the mistress's punishment. If Eldest Miss has no other business, please step aside."
Before Jiang Ruan could respond, Lianqiao spoke up. "Since the young mistress is here, matters concerning the servants should be left to her. How can a mere servant interfere in the affairs of their master?"
Lin Lang smiled, and another maid beside her chimed in, "That's where you're mistaken. We're all acting on our mistress's orders. Sister Lin Lang's mistress is Madam. Though Eldest Miss is also a master of the household, it is Madam who currently manages the household affairs. No matter how high Eldest Miss's status, she cannot override Madam's authority. Eldest Miss, please don't make things difficult for us servants."
"You—" Lianqiao was about to retort when Jiang Ruan cut in, "You're right. It seems you're all here on Madam's orders to punish this servant who has erred." Granny Zhou in her arms was still trembling slightly, and Jiang Ruan patted her shoulder, smiling. "You're following your mistress's orders, and that's not wrong. But I do have a question—which family rule states that servants who err must eat night soil? Lin Lang, you're a senior servant in the household. Could you tell me exactly which rule that is?"
Lin Lang froze, not expecting Jiang Ruan to play word games with her. It had been an offhand remark—there was no such family rule. Unable to think of a response, she simply said, "Eldest Miss, this slave doesn't remember either. This slave is only doing as Madam instructed."Kicking the ball to Xia Yan, Lin Lang's thoughts were simple—she just saw that Jiang Ruan wouldn't dare oppose Xia Yan. Today, by standing up for Granny Zhou, she had likely already offended Xia Yan. But since pretending ignorance was no longer an option, how could this end without escalating the matter? Xia Yan had started the game, but she wouldn't be the one to end it.
Jiang Ruan smiled faintly: "So, Lin Lang, you mean to say the mistress is at fault, is that it?"
"This servant doesn't mean that," Lin Lang said anxiously. "Eldest Miss, why fuss over such a minor servant?"
(End of Chapter)
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