At these words, everyone turned their gaze toward the two maids kneeling on the floor.
Old Madam Ren frowned. "Did you hear that clearly? Why not confess the truth now?" Her voice was not particularly stern, nor was her expression especially cold, yet it made the two maids tremble from head to toe. The rules in Glory and Splendor Courtyard had always been strict; the slightest transgression by a maid would result in physical punishment, and being sold off was nothing out of the ordinary.
Fifth Madam Ren glanced at Madam Liu'an, her eyes shifting thoughtfully. Suddenly, she smiled and asked Granny Gui, "In that case, the bundle must have been found, right? Why not bring it out and let us see what it is?"
Granny Gui’s expression turned uneasy.
Fifth Madam Ren raised an eyebrow slightly. "What? Couldn’t find the bundle the old woman mentioned?"
Granny Gui lowered her head slightly. "Replying to Fifth Madam, this servant has sent people to search, but it hasn’t been found yet."
A flash of anger appeared on Fifth Madam’s face. She turned to Old Madam Ren with a hint of grievance. "Mother, I know you’ve always favored Yaohua and Yaoyin more than Yu'er. I’ve always taught Yu'er that her elder sisters deserve more affection, and our Yu'er has always been sensible, treating her sisters with humility and courtesy, never harboring jealousy. I know her dull nature doesn’t win her favor, but that doesn’t mean just any stray cat or dog can bully her, does it? This baseless matter, exaggerated by some dim-sighted servant from the outer courtyard trying to curry favor and seek rewards by muddying the waters—how can it be taken lightly? These two maids may be simple-minded, but they are, after all, Yu'er’s personal attendants. To accuse them of theft without any evidence—how will our Yu'er ever hold her head up among her siblings in the mansion?"
As she spoke, Fifth Madam’s tears began to flow, as if she were made of water.
Old Madam Ren’s expression turned displeased at the sight. She chided lightly, "Enough! I haven’t even said anything yet! I merely called the maids and servants here for questioning! What kind of behavior is this, crying and wailing in front of the younger generation?"
Fifth Madam took out a handkerchief to dab her eyes, but her tone remained indignant. "You haven’t even finished questioning them, yet you’ve already condemned Yu'er’s maids. Clearly, you believe the old woman’s baseless claims. If you truly can’t stand Yu'er as your granddaughter, I’ll take her back and send her off to Yunyang City to her maternal grandmother! You can keep Yaohua here to keep you company. She’s eloquent and clever, always winning your favor."
"Mother... I don’t want to go to Grandmother’s house..." Ren Yaoyu tugged gently at Fifth Madam’s sleeve, her face full of grievance.
Fifth Madam pushed her daughter lightly and scolded, "Who told you to be so dull and fail to please your elders!"
Ren Yaoyu wiped her tears, feeling utterly wronged.
Seeing this, Old Madam Ren’s temple throbbed with anger. Finally, she slammed her hand on the kang table in fury. "Who said anything about sending Yaoyu to Yunyang City! She is a granddaughter of the Ren Family, and she’s not going anywhere!"Seeing that the situation in the Ren Family was about to get out of hand, First Madam knew she had to step in now. If Old Madam Ren were to lose face later, she would surely be held accountable. So she stepped forward to pull Madam Lin and her daughter aside, speaking gently, "Who said Old Madam doesn’t care for Yu’er? If she didn’t cherish this granddaughter, would she have taken Yu’er under her wing to personally guide her?" Then she lowered her head to comfort Ren Yaoyu softly, "Good child, be sensible. Don’t take your mother’s angry words to heart. Which elder in the household doesn’t appreciate your modesty, politeness, liveliness, and charm? Quickly, persuade your mother."
Seeing First Madam stepping in to mediate, Madam Lin understood it was time to back down and gradually quieted. However, her eyes drifted toward Madam Liu’an, who stood in the center.
Having been sisters-in-law with Madam Lin for many years, First Madam knew her temperament well and proactively spoke up to Old Madam Ren on her behalf, "Old Madam, what Fifth Sister-in-law says isn’t without reason. Early in the morning, it’s possible an elderly servant might have misjudged. Why not have Granny Gui take some people to inventory the valuable items in the room and see if anything is missing? If nothing important is lost, then it must be a misunderstanding."
Madam Lin now agreed as well, "This daughter-in-law also agrees to inventory the valuable items in the room. Let’s see whether it’s Yu’er’s maid betraying her trust or this cunning old woman spouting nonsense!"
First Madam looked inquiringly at Old Madam Ren.
Old Madam Ren turned and instructed Granny Gui, "Take some people and check according to the list."
Granny Gui acknowledged and left.
About half an hour later, Granny Gui returned with several senior maids.
"Reporting to Old Madam, we’ve checked all the items in the room against the inventory and found nothing missing."
Madam Lin was instantly furious, pointing at the uneasy Madam Liu’an and scolding, "You insolent servant who dares disrespect your masters! Do you think Yu’er’s gentle nature makes her an easy target? You didn’t slander anyone else’s personal maid, only Yu’er’s! Isn’t this a slap in my face?"
Seeing that all this commotion had led to such an outcome, Old Madam Ren’s expression darkened. Just as she was about to speak, Madam Liu’an, who had been scolded so harshly by Madam Lin that she nearly buried her head in her neck, hurriedly knelt down and pleaded urgently to Old Madam Ren.
"Old Madam, please investigate clearly. How would I dare deceive you with such lies? I truly saw it and wouldn’t dare utter a single false word."
Granny Gui frowned and whispered, "Without evidence, how can the masters believe you? I even trusted you enough to report this matter, and now my face will be tarnished because of you."
Upon hearing this, Madam Liu’an seemed to suddenly remember something and said urgently, "I, I have a way to find evidence."
Madam Lin gritted her teeth in anger, "Are you trying to deceive the masters again?"
Madam Liu’an shook her head like a rattle drum, "No, no. I know there’s a woman in the outer courtyard who keeps a dog with an extremely keen sense of smell. A few days ago, when her husband went out, his purse was stolen by a pickpocket. But the dog led them to the purse in a dilapidated alley five streets away, inside someone’s home."
Everyone was astonished upon hearing this.
Old Madam Ren asked, "Is it really that remarkable?""Whether it works or not, you'll know if you let this servant go and try. I'll go to the outer courtyard right now to borrow the dog. Let it sniff the scents of the two young ladies, then follow it into the garden—it won't be wrong," Madam Liu'an guaranteed confidently.
"Nonsense! So many servants couldn't find it—what use is a beast? Are you saying people are worse than animals?" Madam Lin objected disdainfully.
Madam Liu'an hurriedly said, "This servant dares to guarantee it will succeed. If we truly cannot find it in the end, I am willing to accept punishment."
"Mother..."
As Madam Lin turned to Old Madam Ren to say more, First Madam glanced at the old madam and suddenly took Madam Lin's arm, gently persuading, "Since this woman dares to assert so boldly, let her try. If it isn't found, it will clear the two maids' names, and Yu'er's dignity will also be preserved. As for this lying woman... when the time comes, we'll have her beaten and sold off, so that no one will dare to speak recklessly in front of the old madam again."
Upon hearing this, Madam Lin still wanted to say something, but Old Madam Ren had already spoken: "Let her go! Let's see what tricks she can pull. Yu'er is my granddaughter—I will naturally stand up for her. No one should casually throw mud at her maids!"
"Thank you, Old Madam." Madam Liu'an was overjoyed, kowtowing in gratitude before leaving.
"Shall this servant go and take a look?" Granny Gui requested.
Old Madam Ren nodded, allowing her to go.
After about half an hour, the people in the room heard barking from outside—from the sound, it was clearly a large animal.
The younger generation in the room turned curiously toward the door curtain, but unfortunately, blocked by the curtain, they could see nothing.
Only Ren Yaoyu looked extremely panicked and uneasy. Although Madam Lin's expression was also unpleasant, she restrained herself and signaled to her daughter to stay calm.
Soon, Granny Gui lifted the curtain and entered. As the curtain opened and closed, the barking outside became even clearer.
"Old Madam, we still need to ask these two maids to go out and let the dog sniff them."
Upon hearing this, the two maids turned pale with fright, instinctively looking toward Madam Lin.
Old Madam Ren nodded. Granny Gui signaled to two women behind her, who quickly stepped forward to support the two maids.
Seeing them unsteady on their feet, Granny Gui kindly comforted them: "Don't be afraid. Although the dog looks big, it doesn't bite."
The two maids screamed in terror the moment they stepped out of the main room, startling everyone inside. Even Old Madam Ren's hand, holding the teacup lid, trembled.
"What's going on!"
Granny Gui hurried back in and replied, "It's nothing, nothing—those two maids are just timid. But it's best if none of the masters come out, to avoid disturbance. That dog is this long." Granny Gui gestured with her arm, indicating a length comparable to that of a six- or seven-year-old child.
First Madam quickly instructed, "Arrange a few people to guard the door and prevent the dog from barging in."
Granny Gui acknowledged and left.
Only when the barking outside faded into the distance did the people in the room relax.
This time, in less than a quarter of an hour, Granny Gui returned.She entered carrying an autumn-scented bundle in her hand, followed by two ashen-faced maids being supported on either side and a greatly relieved Madam Liu'an.
Eighth Miss Ren Yaoyu paled, clutching tightly at her mother's hem. Madam Lin immediately took her daughter's hand and shot a fierce glare at the two maids.
But the two maids were already frightened out of their wits, unable to feel the sharpness of her gaze.
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