Xueli was originally someone Concubine Fang had arranged to be by her side. However, this maid was clever and knew how to adapt to circumstances. Ren Yaoqi had once considered training her and keeping her as a personal attendant. Later, after Granny Xu arrived, she found an excuse to dismiss another maid named Qingmei. Although Granny Xu did not touch Xueli on Ren Yaoqi’s instruction, Xueli remained uneasy.
Xueli knew that on the surface, Qingmei’s dismissal appeared to be a decent reassignment, but after a while, Qingmei made several minor mistakes due to incompetence. When Qingmei realized there was no hope of returning to Purple Magnolia Courtyard, she secretly went to find Jinjú, who served Concubine Fang. For some unknown reason, the two had a small argument. Not long after, Qingmei was sold off by Granny Gui due to a mistake, and it was said she was sold to the south.
Xueli also understood that Purple Magnolia Courtyard was gradually gaining influence. Since she had not sent any messages to Concubine Fang’s side for a long time, Concubine Fang had abandoned her as an informant. If she wanted to live well in the future, she would have to earn Ren Yaoqi’s trust.
Thus, Xueli became even more cautious in her conduct, diligent in her daily tasks, and constantly sought opportunities to make a contribution so that Fifth Miss would completely change her opinion of her.
The last time Concubine Fang drugged Ren Yaoying, pitting her against Concubine Kang, Granny Xu went outside to find the medicinal dregs. What Granny Xu did not know was that Xueli had secretly followed her that time. Although Xueli did not understand the significance of the medicinal dregs Granny Xu brought back for Ren Yaoqi to see, she still kept it in mind.
At that time, there were only a few masters in the mansion taking medicine. Aside from Old Madam Ren’s tonic, which was prepared in her own small kitchen, and Third Young Master’s medicine, which First Madam had a maid brew on a stove in her own courtyard, the medicine for everyone else in the mansion was decocted in the main kitchen. After carefully considering the events at the time, Xueli deduced that the medicinal dregs belonged to Eighth Miss.
Once Xueli became attentive to this matter, she began to keep an eye on the activities in the kitchen, until she discovered Wife Niu there.
Wife Niu was related to Granny Gui from Old Madam Ren’s courtyard—her sister-in-law was Granny Gui’s eldest daughter-in-law. After Madam Li and Ren Yaohua moved to the estate last time, Wife Niu was assigned to Purple Magnolia Courtyard but was later driven out along with others planted by Concubine Fang, as arranged by Ren Yaoqi.
Originally, Granny Gui looked down on her daughter-in-law’s relatives as unrefined and unsupportable, unwilling to bother with their affairs. However, not long after, Wife Niu’s sister-in-law became pregnant. Wife Niu diligently attended to her sister-in-law, and both she and her husband pleaded daily with the sister-in-law to ask Granny Gui for a job on their behalf.
Unable to refuse, the sister-in-law pleaded with Granny Gui again. This time, Granny Gui reluctantly arranged for Wife Niu to have a job in the kitchen tending the fire and adding firewood, considering her daughter-in-law’s pregnancy. Although she ended up covered in ashes every day, the position had some perks because it involved managing the kitchen’s firewood and charcoal.
When Xueli saw Wife Niu at the time, she did not think much of it. But upon reflection afterward, she felt something was off. Then, she requested an audience with Ren Yaoqi.
Xueli shared her suspicions and mentioned that while she was acting as Concubine Fang’s informant, she had once seen Granny Gui and Concubine Fang’s maid Jinjú meeting secretly, away from others.After examining the medicine dregs that Granny Xu had retrieved for her, Ren Yaoqi had also investigated the kitchen. She had some suspicions about Concubine Fang tampering with Ren Yaoying's medicine, but she wasn't entirely certain. Moreover, the timing wasn't right back then, so she hadn't intended to expose Concubine Fang at that moment.
Now, with Xueli coming to her and recounting everything, it gave Ren Yaoqi an idea for a plan.
“Xueli, how old are you this year?”
Xueli was taken aback, unsure why the Fifth Young Miss would ask about her age at such a time, but she quickly replied, “This servant is fourteen in nominal age.”
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment. “Fourteen? What a pity…”
Xueli didn’t understand.
Ren Yaoqi smiled. “I see you as clever and capable, and I’d like to keep you by my side. But you’re already fourteen this year. In a few years, I’m afraid you won’t be able to stay with me…”
Hearing this, Xueli couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.
She was two or three years older than Ren Yaoqi, so when Ren Yaoqi eventually married, she definitely wouldn’t be chosen as a dowry maid.
According to Yanbei customs, some dowry maids were meant to serve as concubines for the husband in the future. However, they wouldn’t be allowed to serve in that capacity until the mistress was pregnant, so dowry maids were usually younger than or around the same age as the young miss.
But Xueli wasn’t aiming to become a concubine either. After thinking it over carefully, she knelt down and pleaded with Ren Yaoqi, “Fifth Young Miss, then please arrange a marriage for this servant before you leave. This servant will serve as your accompanying maid.”
She wasn’t a servant born into the Ren Family and had no relatives or connections there. Given her background, she shouldn’t have been qualified to serve as a senior maid by a young miss’s side. If she stayed with the Ren Family after Ren Yaoqi married, she certainly wouldn’t have a promising future.
Ren Yaoqi motioned for her to rise and looked at her with a smile. “You won’t regret it?”
Xueli immediately shook her head. “This servant won’t regret it. This servant will serve you diligently from now on, with absolute loyalty. I only beg the Fifth Young Miss not to abandon me.”
Seeing that her expression seemed sincere, Ren Yaoqi nodded. “Very well. But as the saying goes, ‘Train an army for a thousand days to use it for one.’ I will have an important task for you in the future, but for now, I need you to leave Purple Magnolia Courtyard for a while.”
Xueli asked, “Young Miss, what is the task? Can’t it be done now?”
Ren Yaoqi smiled. “Now? Now isn’t the right time!” Sometimes, to maximize the value of a person or an object, one must wait for the right opportunity.
“How long must this servant be away from you?”
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment. “It will likely take a few years, but I will take you with me when I leave the Ren Family. You can think it over carefully. I won’t force you. If you’re unwilling, things can remain as they were before. When I leave the Ren Family, I’ll ask Nanny Zhou to arrange another position for you.”
After only a brief moment of consideration, Xueli nodded in agreement. “Young Miss, this servant is willing.”
Ren Yaoqi smiled and teased her, “Aren’t you afraid I might go back on my word? Or simply forget about you?”
Xueli replied, “Although this servant hasn’t served by your side for long, I know the Fifth Young Miss’s character. If one day the Fifth Young Miss goes back on her word, it will surely be because this servant hasn’t done well enough. This servant will strive to make sure the Fifth Young Miss remembers me.”
Ren Yaoqi thought to herself, this girl truly is clever. And she wasn’t afraid to make use of clever people.Not long after this conversation with Xueli, she was driven out of Purple Magnolia Courtyard to serve in the outer courtyard due to a minor offense.
With Qingmei’s incident as a precedent, those in the know didn’t think much of Xueli’s departure, assuming it was because Third Madam and Fifth Miss couldn’t tolerate her as someone arranged by Concubine Fang. Even Concubine Fang believed this. However, Xueli was much more sensible than Qingmei, so she settled quietly in the outer courtyard’s Affairs Reporting Office, serving tea.
After listening to Ren Yaoqi, Ren Yaohua and Nanny Zhou were both stunned. Ren Yaohua exclaimed in surprise, "You’ve been planning this from so long ago? I thought..."
Ren Yaoqi smiled and said, "Thought what? That I’m soft-tempered and easy to bully, only capable of dealing with problems as they come?"
Nanny Zhou sighed, "Fifth Miss, you’ve thought it through so thoroughly. At that time, it was still uncertain whether Fang Yacun would come to Yanbei. Even if we had evidence against Concubine Fang, Old Madam Ren would likely cover it up for her. Now, with Fang Yacun’s hopes of coming to Yanbei dashed, Concubine Fang taking the initiative to target our Third Miss, disregarding the Ren Family’s reputation, and her involvement in harming Eighth Miss... even if we were willing to let things go, we’d still have to ask whether Madam Lin would allow it!"
Ren Yaohua joked, "I actually feel a bit sorry for Fifth Aunt..." always being used as a pawn.
Hearing this, Nanny Zhou looked at her worriedly and said, "Third Miss! You still have time to pity others! Don’t you think about what will happen to your reputation this time, even if we give Concubine Fang a hard time? The rumors outside are getting worse and worse!"
Then, Nanny Zhou turned to Ren Yaoqi and asked hopefully, "Fifth Miss, do you have any way to help Third Miss?"
Ren Yaoqi glanced at Ren Yaohua and smiled, "Don’t worry, let’s take it step by step. It’s better to solve things one at a time."
Hearing Ren Yaoqi say this, Nanny Zhou’s heart gradually settled for some reason.
And as expected, Concubine Fang and her daughter did not disappoint Ren Yaoqi.
Outside, not only were rumors spreading about Ren Yaohua being cruel and tyrannical toward her maids, but also about her being harsh and domineering toward her own sisters.
Not only had she driven away the personal maids of her half-sister, but she also insisted on controlling the arrangements for the servants around her half-sister’s concubine. Moreover, Ren Yaohua would vent her anger by hitting her sisters whenever she was displeased, which was why even her own full sister couldn’t get along with her, and the two often ended up in physical fights.
Later, the incident where Ren Yaohua had pushed her half-brother into the water was also brought up again.
Concubine Fang was so eager to see Ren Yaohua fall from grace that this time, she didn’t plan to give her any chance to recover, resorting to all kinds of methods.
While the drama outside was heating up, Fifth Madam Lin and her daughter Ren Yaoyu were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, thinking the fire wouldn’t burn them.
With Ren Yaoyin now sent away due to strange happenings and Ren Yaohua seemingly about to fall out of favor, wouldn’t this be Ren Yaoyu’s chance to stand out among the Ren Family sisters?
So, Fifth Madam once again took Ren Yaoyu out visiting, hoping to hear the increasingly interesting rumors, but as they were about to board the carriage, they were stopped by a maid from the outer courtyard.
Fifth Madam was displeased.
"Which courtyard are you from? Don’t you know the rules of the mansion? Someone! Get her out of here!"The maid was dressed in the attire of a second-class servant, her appearance somewhat shabby, clearly not someone favored by her mistress.
Unexpectedly, the maid immediately pleaded, "Madam Lin, I am Xueli. I have an urgent matter to tell you."
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