Scoring Love: Even This Can Up My Game

Chapter 17: Plotting Escape

"Rong Xin, Huan Huan," Ying Ran repeated, then turned to Rong Mu, saying, "My sister will surely like this name."

Rong Mu nodded and carefully placed Ying Huan Huan by the pillow.

"Ran Ran, your father...," Rong Mu began slowly, then stopped abruptly, shouting loudly, "Qiu Shui, Dong Mei!"

The two responded and walked to the bed, asking, "Madam, is there anything you command?"

"I want to have a heart-to-heart talk with Ran Ran. Please wait outside the door for a moment," Rong Mu requested.

"Yes, Madam."

They replied and quietly exited, closing the door behind them.

"Mother?" Ying Ran looked puzzled.

Rong Mu touched Ying Ran's cheek, adjusted her emotions, and spoke in a calm tone, "Ran Ran, your father, and your grandfather, it seems that they are in great danger."

"I don't understand. Why?" Ying Ran questioned.

Rong Mu struggled with how to explain the family's rebellion to Ying Ran. She couldn't believe it herself, and conveying this to her daughter was even more challenging.

But with the imperial decree already issued, the guilt of the Rong family was certain. Rong Mu had to honestly explain the current situation and dilemma to Ying Ran.

"Your grandfather has been accused of rebellion. The fate of the Rong family is now sealed. From now on, there will be no more Rong family. It will be just you, me, and Huan Huan, relying on each other."

As Rong Mu spoke, she felt her throat getting hoarse, so she took a deep breath.

Continuing, she said, "Especially you and Huan Huan, you share the same blood. If anything happens to me, you must take care of your sister. Can you do that?"

After saying these words, Rong Mu felt like she must be going mad. But at this moment, Ying Ran was the only lifeline she could trust and entrust with.

Ying Ran looked at her familiar yet now unfamiliar mother and nodded. She replied, "Mother, rest assured. I will take good care of my sister."

Her mother, usually gentle and soft-spoken, never raised her voice to servants. Now, with such urgency in her tone, the slightly aching arm that Ying Ran felt being tightly held by her mother conveyed a message—her mother was scared, far from as strong as she appeared.

With the promise given, Rong Mu seemed to finally relax. Gradually, she felt her body weaken, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.

Seeing that her mother was indeed just sleeping, Ying Ran left to find Chun Tao.

In her eyes, other maids were just maids, and she had little concept of them. Chun Tao, on the other hand, was her mother's personal maid. Besides her mother, Chun Tao was the only person here that Ying Ran could rely on.

Opening the door quietly and closing it behind her, Ying Ran turned to Qiu Shui and Dong Mei, standing by the door, and said, "Sisters, my mother has fallen asleep. Please take care of her."

After a polite bow, Qiu Shui and Dong Mei reciprocated and nodded in acknowledgment.

Ying Ran then headed towards the room where Chun Tao had been confined. However, two burly men stood guard at the entrance.

"Brothers, I want to go in and find someone. Is it allowed?" Ying Ran asked timidly.

The two shook their heads, and the one on the left said, "Madam has instructed that no one else can enter at will. You better go back, or you might end up being confined as well."

Facing the fierce words against a child, the burly men could only try to coax and intimidate Ying Ran.

Feeling a bit scared, Ying Ran changed her approach and asked, "Do you know where Lady Li is?"

"Looking for me?"

Before the two men could respond, Li Niang strolled over and asked.

Ying Ran turned around at the sound of her voice and nodded.

"Keep an eye on them. Make sure they don't do anything foolish," Li Niang instructed the guards before turning to Ying Ran, "Follow me."

The first sentence was directed at the guards, and the second at Ying Ran. With that, Li Niang turned and walked towards the inner side of the attic, with Ying Ran closely following behind.

As they approached a door, Li Niang stopped and pushed it open.

Ying Ran followed inside, taking in the unexpected decor of the room.

In the center of the room was an antique desk with writing materials neatly arranged. Unfinished calligraphy lay casually on the desk. Behind the desk hung a painting of a beauty arranging flowers, bearing a resemblance to Li Niang.

The surroundings were adorned with simple and elegant furnishings. Even the partition was made of bamboo curtains, unlike the vibrant curtains in the corridor, creating a stark contrast with the person in front of her.

"Do you like it?" Li Niang, sitting on the luxurious couch, suddenly asked.

Ying Ran snapped back to reality and nodded honestly, "It's beautiful."

Li Niang chuckled and then asked, "Why have you come to me?"

"I want to find Chun Tao, the maid who served my mother during childbirth," Ying Ran said hesitantly.

"What for?" Li Niang continued to inquire.

"My mother just gave birth, and although Qiu Shui and Dong Mei are taking care of her, Chun Tao has been serving my mother for many years, so she's more considerate."

"You're thoughtful, but do you know where you are and why you're here?" Li Niang asked again.

This time, Ying Ran did not answer but lowered her head.

She knew exactly where she was. Once, her father accompanied her mother and her to their family pharmacy. On the way, they encountered a woman from the Red Flower District who had fainted on the street.

The woman convulsed uncontrollably, and her father, fearing she might bite herself, placed his arm in her mouth until the symptoms subsided. Later, he instructed the servant boy to take the woman back to her residence, and her mother, worried, went along.

However, upon arrival, they discovered it was the Red Flower District, and her father had them wear veils while waiting in a teahouse nearby.

At that time, Ying Ran was too young to understand, but she remembered the women in front of the door beckoning and smiling at passing men, quite different from the women she usually saw.

Her mother, feeling uneasy, covered her eyes, and Chun Tao complained, "Master is really something, making Lady and Miss see such a place, needlessly tarnishing their eyes."

Her mother only replied, "The world is difficult, especially for women. They are often helpless. Don't speak of this again in the future."

Chun Tao pursed her lips and retreated.

Afterward, the incident spread. Some said the Master of the Rong family was compassionate and virtuous, saving a woman of the Red Flower District from her sickbed—an act of kindness. Others claimed there was a secret arrangement between the two, turning it into a scandalous affair.

Aware of the rumors, her mother was displeased and did not allow her father into her room for several days.

Though Ying Ran didn't fully understand, she concluded that such places were not good.

Now, with her mother and younger sister in this kind of environment, Ying Ran didn't want to admit it. Therefore, she remained silent in response to Li Niang's questions.

Seeing Ying Ran's pitiful appearance, Li Niang let it go, saying, "If she behaves, you might see her again. But for now, it's not possible."

Hearing this, Ying Ran's confidence gradually waned. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it obediently.

The two remained silent for a while. Ying Ran finally spoke again, "Do you know... do you know where my father and grandfather are?"

Li Niang recalled the information she had received earlier. The male members of the Rong family were scheduled for execution at the market square tomorrow. Her eyes inadvertently avoided Ying Ran's gaze.

"You know," Ying Ran affirmed.

"Yes, I do. So what?" Li Niang responded.

"Sister Li Niang, can you take me to see my grandfather and father?" Ying Ran pleaded.

Li Niang only shook her head, saying, "If there's nothing else, go take care of your mother. Don't wander around."

Seeing Li Niang lying down as if feigning sleep, Ying Ran understood she wouldn't get any more attention. She pushed the door and left.

Once outside, instead of finding her mother, Ying Ran stood at Li Niang's door and peered outside.

The place was quite spacious, with three buildings connected by bridges. The central building was brightly lit, approximately four stories high, each level exquisitely adorned with carved railings and painted beams.

Li Niang's room was on the top floor of the left building. Looking outside, one could see the figures of people on the street, passing carriages, and the various shops surrounding the area. The shops included rouge stalls, jewelry stores, flower pavilions, noodle houses, tea houses, and more.

Suddenly, a thought popped into Ying Ran's mind. Unconsciously, her heart started racing. After calming down a bit, she turned and walked towards her mother's room.

Upon returning to the room, Ying Ran found that her mother was already awake, but her complexion was still not great.

Beside her mother's bed stood an old woman holding a swaddled bundle—Ying Huan Huan. The baby's clothes were partially undone, and she instinctively leaned forward to suckle.

Ying Ran thought to herself that this must be the wet nurse Li Niang arranged for Huan Huan.

"Ran Ran, this is Mistress Zhang," her mother introduced.

"Hello, Mistress Zhang," Ying Ran said, bowing to her, feeling a bit bitter inside.

"Miss Ying Ran, hello. Your child is really beautiful," Mistress Zhang praised in her usual way, nodding slightly while cradling Huan Huan.

Ying Ran smiled lightly in response, then turned to her mother, asking, "Mother, are you feeling better?"

"Much better."

"Then Ran Ran can rest assured," Ying Ran nodded.

Mother and daughter chatted for a while. Qiu Shui and Dong Mei brought in medicine and dinner, served her mother, and then quietly left the room.

Before leaving, they said, "Miss Ying Ran, Mistress Li Niang ordered that until Madam fully recovers, we are to stay in the adjacent room. Mistress Zhang will stay here with Madam."

This arrangement was quite reasonable, and Ying Ran had no objections. She nodded in agreement.

Perhaps the childbirth had taken a toll on her mother's strength. After finishing her dinner, Madam Rong fell into a drowsy sleep once again.

No one disturbed her. Mistress Zhang carried Huan Huan to the sleeping mat in the inner room, Qiu Shui stayed by Madam Rong's bedside, and Dong Mei took Ying Ran to the adjacent room.

Ying Ran lay on the bed, closed her eyes, and recalled the events of the day. It felt like a long year, and her body had no strength left. Gradually, she drifted off to sleep.

Until the faint sound of musical instruments reached her ears, Ying Ran slowly opened her eyes. Everything was so clear; it wasn't a dream.

In the middle of the night, Dong Mei lit the lamp, filling the entire room with light. Yet, Ying Ran felt that it was still dark.

After lying down for a while, Ying Ran got up, put on the clothes Dong Mei had placed nearby, and went straight to the adjacent room.

Upon entering, she found her mother still sleeping, probably quite exhausted. A worried expression appeared on Ying Ran's face. She realized that this situation couldn't continue, and she needed to find a way to go out, perhaps to the pharmacy.

In recent years, there were quite a few pharmacies supported by the Rong family. Ying Ran had accompanied her parents on a few occasions and even learned some skills of identifying medicinal herbs from the resident doctors.

Ying Ran thought it through. Even if the Rong family had fallen now, they might still remember the kindness and provide her mother with some good medicinal herbs. She began planning how to slip out the next day.

The midnight bell had just rung when Ying Ran quietly returned to her room. The room was pitch dark, but she heard movement. Both Qiu Shui and Dong Mei were not in the room.

"It's good they're not here, so I won't get caught sneaking around," Ying Ran thought. She didn't bother them and lay back on her bed to sleep.

Ying Ran's sleep was not sound. She tossed and turned until she heard someone pushing the door open, startling her awake. She looked up through the curtains.

By now, the sun was already high in the sky. Qiu Shui and Dong Mei, who had entered the room, seemed disheveled, stumbling to their beds and falling asleep without even removing their shoes and socks.

Ying Ran dared not make a sound, patiently waiting for a while. After a quiet moment, she quietly got up, put on her clothes and shoes, and stealthily pushed open the door to leave.

Seeing the sun already high in the sky, Ying Ran thought, "It's time." She turned and pushed open the door to the adjacent room, entering.

Her mother was still asleep, and her complexion seemed even worse. Beside her, Mistress Zhang gently swayed the cradle with Huan Huan inside. When Ying Ran entered, she made a gesture to keep quiet.

Last night, Mistress Zhang was supposed to rest here. However, she suddenly received news that someone urgently needed her at home, so she entrusted Huan Huan to Qiu Shui and Dong Mei, informed Li Niang of her leave, and hurriedly returned home.

In the dead of night, the cries of Yinhuan woke up Rongmu. With no sign of Zhang Niangzi around, she inquired with Qiu Shui and learned the reason – witnessing Yinhuan crying incessantly in Qiu Shui's arms, Rongmu suspected hunger.

Rongmu took the child, loosening her garments, and directed her breast towards Yingran's eager mouth. This marked Rongmu's first time nursing the child. Despite the early preparations by the Rong family with two wet nurses, she had never bothered before.

Once Yingran was satisfied after feeding, she contentedly puckered her lips and fell back asleep. Qiu Shui took the child and headed towards the ear chamber, allowing Rongmu more rest.

However, unexpectedly, Rongmu was struck by a sudden bout of dizziness, followed by vomiting. Witnessing this, Dong Mei promptly handed her a basin, assisting Rongmu until there was nothing left to retch. Rongmu was reluctant to seek help from Li Niang, fearing it would disturb others, especially Yingran, and worried it might cause unnecessary concern.

With no other options, the two companions reluctantly accepted the situation. The night's ordeal left all three women looking haggard.

As dawn approached, Zhang Niangzi finally returned. After settling Yingran, she instructed Qiu Shui and Dong Mei to get some rest. The tired pair went back to their rooms and promptly fell asleep.

Seeing Zhang Niangzi's signals, Yingran understood and made a subtle move. She glanced at the peacefully sleeping Yingran in the cradle, smiled at Zhang Niangzi, and silently left the room.

According to the information gathered by Yingran last night, the garbage cart would arrive at the side gate around this time each day.

With a petite figure, Yingran slinked through the buildings, ascending floor after floor, until she smoothly reached the vicinity of the side gate.

The garbage cart had yet to arrive. Yingran surveyed the surroundings, hiding in the nearby bushes, waiting patiently.

In less than fifteen minutes, the garbage cart, accompanied by a ringing bell, halted at the gate. The person inside knocked on the side gate, and someone from inside the house came out.

"You're a bit late today," the person complained, wearing a displeased expression.

"Apologies, got delayed on the road, Sister. Don't be upset," Yingran replied.

"Alright, hurry up and move it," the person said before turning back into the house.

In charge of handling the garbage was a young lad, not tall but with a sturdy build.

The young lad seemed unbothered by Yingran's arrival, focusing on rolling up his sleeves and pushing the garbage cart to the side of the courtyard. Afterwards, he headed straight for the kitchen's back door.

Yingran wasn't in a rush to approach just yet. She continued to wait silently, her nervous heart threatening to leap out of her chest.

But... besides the sound of her own heartbeat, why did she sense another noise? Yingran pondered for a moment but paid it no mind, ensuring she remained well-hidden, ready to make her escape.