Chapter 281: Drawing Near
Upon hearing Fei Shi's words, Yu Jingxiu sighed inwardly.
If even Fei Shi could understand such matters, why couldn't his wife see reason?
For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt weary.
With no desire to respond to Fei Shi or offer further explanations, he instructed her, "Stay here and keep the mistress company." Then, turning to Fan Shi, he said, "I'm going to the study. If anything comes up, send someone to fetch me." Without so much as a glance at the others in the room, he turned and left the inner chamber.
"You—" Fan Shi watched Yu Jingxiu's resolute departure with a heart-wrenching pang. That cold indifference was something she had never seen in him before... and to display it in front of Fei Shi, no less.
She bit back her tears with great effort but slumped weakly onto the kang.
Fei Shi shot Mo Zhuan a meaningful glance, signaling her to console Fan Shi, then murmured softly, "Mistress, I'll go prepare some Almond Cream for you," before slipping away.
Mo Zhuan seethed with anger, nearly scolding Fei Shi aloud. But remembering how upset the mistress was, she swallowed her words and instead leaned in to whisper soothingly, "Mistress, the master has urgent matters... official business." Yet inwardly, she thought, That Fei Shi is always so slick. I must find a chance to report her to the mistress someday—teach her not to overstep her bounds and leave without my permission.
Seeing only Mo Zhuan left in the room, Fan Shi's heart ached, and tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks.
Mo Zhuan hurriedly fetched a handkerchief to wipe Fan Shi's tears.
Fan Shi took it but asked blankly, "Do you really think the master only wanted to help that Min Shi with her lawsuit?"
Mo Zhuan didn’t believe it for a second. If she had, she would have reassured Fan Shi earlier, and Fan Shi wouldn’t have quarreled with Yu Jingxiu—at least not so fiercely. But under Fan Shi’s hopeful gaze, she forced herself to lie, "Perhaps we truly misjudged the master... Didn’t Fei Shi say so too? The master gave up five thousand taels’ worth of goods without hesitation..."
Fan Shi nodded silently.
Then, recalling Fei Shi’s earlier remark—"The mistress likely won’t stay in Nanjing for long"—rage flared in her chest. She asked Mo Zhuan, "Where is Fei Shi? Where did she go?"
Lost in her thoughts earlier, she hadn’t noticed Fei Shi’s departure.
Mo Zhuan replied quickly, "She went to make Almond Cream for you."
Fan Shi gave a faint "Oh," but the memory of Fei Shi’s composed demeanor in front of Yu Jingxiu, contrasted with her own panic, left her unsettled. She no longer wanted Fei Shi attending to her. After a pause, she said, "Go check. If she’s finished, bring it to me. If not, tell the kitchen maid to prepare it instead."
Understanding her intent, Mo Zhuan assented and headed to the small kitchen.
The small kitchen was quiet. Fei Shi stood by the stove, stirring the Almond Cream in the pot with a spoon, while her maid, Cai Rong, tended the fire.
Hearing footsteps, Fei Shi turned with a smile. Seeing it was Mo Zhuan, her expression warmed with surprise and familiarity.
"Miss Mo Zhuan, what brings you here?" she greeted warmly. "The Almond Cream is almost ready. It’s nice and hot—I added some osmanthus too. It’ll help you sleep better..."As they spoke, Mo Zhuan walked over to the stove and saw that the Almond Cream was almost ready. Without calling for the kitchen maid, she said, "The mistress sent me to check on things. Once you've cleaned up these pots and pans, you can go rest!" Noticing Fei Shi smiling and nodding as if the earlier commotion hadn't bothered her at all, Mo Zhuan couldn't help adding, "Don't go spreading today's incident around... It's not exactly honorable that the master took two thousand taels of silver to squander."
"Don't worry, Miss Mo Zhuan," Fei Shi quickly assured her. "This is our household's private matter. If outsiders knew the master and mistress were quarreling, we servants would lose face too."
Seeing her solemn expression, Mo Zhuan nodded in approval, then took the Almond Cream to Fan Shi's inner chambers.
Fei Shi somehow produced a Ji Red Small Bowl, filled it with more Almond Cream, and placed it on a Tray with Scarlet and Gold-painted Begonia Flowers. She instructed Cai Rong, "Wait here for me. I'll just deliver this bowl to the master and return shortly."
Cai Rong hurriedly said, "Let me go with you! It's still raining outside!"
"No need," Fei Shi replied with a smile. "I'll be back soon. You can use this time to help clean the kitchen properly, so the kitchen maids won't grumble about it tomorrow morning."
Finding this reasonable, Cai Rong repeatedly agreed.
Holding an umbrella in one hand and the Almond Cream in the other, Fei Shi went to Yu Jingxiu's study.
Upon hearing Fei Shi had brought him Almond Cream, Yu Jingxiu hesitated briefly before having a servant usher her in.
Placing the bowl by Yu Jingxiu's hand, Fei Shi said cheerfully, "I've already delivered the mistress's portion, with Miss Mo Zhuan attending to her." Then with a teasing smile, she added, "Don't worry too much—the mistress is just feeling a bit sour-hearted right now, hence her temper. She'll calm down once she thinks it through tomorrow."
If only that were true!
Yu Jingxiu sighed inwardly, giving Fei Shi a distracted nod before taking a sip of the Almond Cream.
Sweet, with the osmanthus fragrance he particularly enjoyed.
He unconsciously took another large sip.
Noticing the gleam in Fei Shi's eyes as she curtsied, she said, "It's getting late, master. You should rest soon. Legal matters are terribly draining. Though you're fighting for justice, if you exhaust yourself before achieving anything, even the best intentions become powerless. Miss Min, being a woman traveling all the way to the capital for this lawsuit, probably doesn't even know which way the courthouse doors open. Who knows how much hardship she's endured? Having finally met someone as chivalrous as yourself willing to guide her, she's likely burning endless incense and praying constantly, pinning all her hopes on you. If you were to abandon her now, poor Miss Min would find no recourse in heaven or earth..."
Yu Jingxiu recalled how Miss Min's eyes brightened like morning stars when she saw him, and her grateful expressions whenever he made progress. He chuckled wryly, "Can't you leave without all this chatter?"
Hearing his amiable tone, Fei Shi relaxed her tense nerves and boldly ventured, half-teasing, half-chiding, "Master shows no regard for my dignity! Even when I offer polite remarks, you see right through me—how embarrassing!"Yu Jingxiu was surprised by her sudden humor and wit. Upon reflection, he realized Fei Shi's words were merely polite, yet he had earnestly told her to cut the nonsense... At this thought, he couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing this, Fei Shi also smiled.
The cold, quiet room instantly felt a bit warmer.
Fei Shi then asked Yu Jingxiu, "What does the master plan to do about Miss Min?"
Hearing this, Yu Jingxiu frowned slightly and said, "What do you mean by that?" His tone carried displeasure, but unlike before, there was no trace of anger.
Fei Shi felt relieved.
She looked at Yu Jingxiu with calm and sincere eyes. "Today's matter still stems from those two thousand taels of silver..."
Yu Jingxiu's lips twitched as if he wanted to say something.
But Fei Shi continued, "Master, please let me finish first."
Yu Jingxiu fell silent.
Fei Shi then said, "Two thousand taels might just be money for books or paintings to you, but for an ordinary family, it could be their entire savings. Even if you don’t take it to heart, that doesn’t mean others feel the same. Your intention was simply to help Miss Min, but if it were a man, it might be different—unfortunately, she’s a young woman. People might misinterpret it, and if rumors spread, it could tarnish your reputation and make life difficult for Miss Min. I have an idea, though I’m not sure if it’s feasible. If it works, you might consider it; if not, just treat it as foolish talk and forget it." Without waiting for Yu Jingxiu’s response, she went on, "Given the circumstances, it’s not appropriate for you to frequently visit Needlemaker Alley. The best solution would be to act in the mistress’s name—have her send someone to communicate with Miss Min. If possible, bringing Miss Min to live with us would be ideal. Not only would it silence the gossips, but it would also comfort Miss Min in her loneliness. However, since you haven’t discussed this with the mistress before, and now that the young mistress has quarreled with you, how would she react if you asked the mistress to intervene? I think it might be better to have the young mistress take charge openly—visit Miss Min with fanfare, send her snacks and fruits from time to time. That way, no one could say anything..." She paused briefly before adding, "Though I don’t know what crime Miss Min’s father committed. If it’s a serious matter, could we be implicated by doing this?" She chuckled lightly. "These external affairs are beyond me—it’s up to you to decide, master!"
Yu Jingxiu listened and thought it was a good idea.
This way, it would also prevent his wife from constantly being suspicious.He couldn't help but murmur thoughtfully, "Miss Min's father was merely a minor county magistrate who got implicated by his superior—nothing too serious. But coming from humble origins, with only her father having achieved the rank of Presented Scholar in their family, and being of an upright character, when misfortune struck, most people added insult to injury rather than offering help. That's why he ended up being made a scapegoat and escorted to the capital. Upon hearing her husband had been imprisoned, Miss Min's mother was so shocked and frightened that she fell ill. With only a six-year-old brother at home who couldn't be of any help, Miss Min had to sell everything they owned, entrust her mother and brother to her uncle, and rush to the capital to clear her father's name..." He continued with a bitter smile, "Since bribing jailers required money, she skimped on meals to save silver, surviving on cold water until hunger and cold overcame her in the snow... How could I just watch her die before my eyes?"
Fei Shi listened, her brow immediately creasing with sympathy. "I thought my childhood was hard," she said gloomily, "but I never imagined there were those who suffered even more." Then she added, "Master, you must save Miss Min! Otherwise, not only will she suffer, but her mother and brother might not survive either." As she spoke, tears glistened in the corners of her eyes. "You grew up sheltered from hardship and wouldn't understand... but I share Miss Min's experience... That kind of suffering... is unbearable..."
※
Writer's block, oh writer's block... Sisters, the update schedule might be irregular these next couple of days... (>_<)
OpenNovel