The Virtuous Wife

Chapter 25: Third Uncle Returns Home

Aunt Bai walked towards Jingyi with a smile, "Isn't it the old lady's place? The third master will be back tomorrow. The old lady asked me to come to see the lady, and she also wanted to ask if the yard was cleaned up?"

She stood opposite Jingyi, and the faint scent of rouge on her body entered Jingyi's nose. Jingyi moved two steps to the side without leaving a trace, and put her hand on Haitang's little arm: "Is the third uncle coming back? This is a good thing! I heard that the cousin of the third uncle's family is the same age as me. Now I have a playmate."

Bai smiled awkwardly: "Isn't it? There are only two girls in this house, you and Jingwei, and it is indeed a bit lonely."

She is quite good at finding a way out for herself! Jingyi smiled and said: "Then Aunt Bai, go quickly, don't let the old lady wait for too long."

Bai hurried into the yard and ran to the main house in a hurry.

Jingyi glanced at Bai's back, always feeling that something was wrong, but she couldn't tell. Shaking his head, he returned to his own courtyard accompanied by Haitang.

In the courtyard, Liu He and Liu Ju were hanging some autumn and winter clothes, and Madam He was not far away, directing several maids to move boxes.

Jingyi glanced at Liu He and Liu Ju, and said to Nanny He: "Mammy, I have something to ask you."

After that, she went into the house. Haitang followed behind her and took off Jingyi's outer gauze robe. Liu Xing'er brought in a bowl of iced sour plum juice and said with a smile: "Miss, drink a bowl to cool down."

Jingyi took it and sipped it lightly: "Oh, it's so cool! It's really cool!"

Nanny He had already entered the house and said with a smile: "Miss, it's not even noon yet. You can't drink too much of this sour plum juice even if it cools down."

Jingyi nodded, "Mammy, I forgot to ask you these days, how are the new maids?"

Nanny He thought for a moment: "The one named Liu Ju is not bad. I think she is efficient and steady. Liu Tao is not bad either. As for Liu He?"

"How?"

"Miss, I think that girl is not a good person. Not only is she sharp-tongued, but she also likes to take advantage."

Jingyi listened and nodded, thinking.

Haitang glanced outside and said with disdain: "Miss, it's better to get rid of this kind of servant as soon as possible."

Jingyi shook her head, "No, this kind of person may be the most useful in this mansion."

"Ah?" The three looked at Jingyi in confusion.

Jingyi smiled, "You will understand later. Madam, just promote Liu He and Liu Ju to second-class maids."

Madam He looked at Jingyi in confusion, nodded in agreement, and was about to leave when Jingyi said, "Madam, the people from the Third Uncle's room will enter the mansion tomorrow."

Madam He listened, her expression unchanged: "Don't worry, Miss, I know what to do."

After saying that, she left, and soon she was heard to gather everyone and give a lecture in the yard: "From today on, all the servants in our yard should be more cautious. Tomorrow, the Third Master will be back and will live in the same mansion with us. Everyone should be alert and don't let anyone catch you in the wrong place or hold you accountable! Don't blame me for being harsh, I have no choice. You all remember from the bottom of your heart that your master is the young lady, the only legitimate young lady in the Pingnan Marquis's mansion. Do you understand?"

Everyone agreed in unison and went to work.

Jingyi drank the sour plum juice slowly. With Nanny He around, she felt relieved. But she still looked ahead with some worry. Third uncle? Alas, the concubine and the concubine sister haven't been dealt with yet? A whole family has been mixed in. Jingyi gently stroked her forehead with her hand. It was really a headache! It seemed that if she wanted to live a peaceful life, she had to hurry up and find a way to get rid of one of her helpers before they took action next time!

At night, Jingyi was still leaning over the table, practicing calligraphy meticulously. She was the only one in the room. On the upper left corner of the table, there was a bowl of dried Tremella and Lotus Seed Congee, and in the right corner, there were several roses of various colors in a vase.

A breeze blew, and the fragrance of roses was refreshing. The breeze also gently blew the bead curtain hanging at the place where the inner room and the outer room were connected, making a tiny sound. The mica screen was inlaid with pearls and jadeite, and it was even more brilliant under the candlelight around it.

In the blink of an eye, a slender figure appeared beside Jingyi, and it was Yuanxi.

After Jingyi finished writing the last word, she gently put down the pen. Yuanxi gently picked up the rice paper and smiled, "Yiyi really writes well!"

Jingyi smiled gently. Under the watery moonlight, her slightly chubby face seemed to be sprinkled with a layer of smooth pearl powder, which looked smooth and tender, making people want to pinch it lightly with their hands.

In fact, Yuanxi did so. Jingyi patted his big hand lightly and blamed him: "Don't pinch my face, it will make me fatter." After that, she glared at him, "What do you want to see me for?"

"Do I have to have something to see you?"

Jingyi rolled her eyes at him, "I'm only seven years old, you are certainly not here to appreciate the beauty, tell me quickly. I'm tired."

Yuanxi raised his eyebrows and chuckled without comment: "Your third uncle will return home tomorrow, aren't you nervous?"

"Why should I be nervous?"

Yuanxi frowned, "Aren't you afraid that they will join hands to deal with you and your daughter?"

Jingyi smiled softly and looked at Yuanxi: "Do you think they haven't joined forces?"

Yuanxi was stunned, "You mean, their goal has always been more than just you and your daughter? What else?" Yuanxi stopped talking here. Looking at Jingyi in disbelief: "You knew it a long time ago?"

Jingyi gently folded a rose on the table, put it to her nose and sniffed it, "Yuanxi, even if you don't come tonight, I will ask Si Mo and the others to invite you." As she said that, she turned her head to look at Yuanxi and said word by word, "Tomorrow is the day when the third uncle returns to the mansion, and it is also the day when the Bai family pays off the debt."

Yuanxi heard it, his face was excited, "Okay, what do you need me to do?"

"Don't need you to do anything? I just need to borrow a few of your men. It shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Of course, but I'm curious about how a little girl like you can deal with a thoughtful concubine mother?"

Jingyi smiled lightly and said nothing.

The next afternoon, Su Cheng and his party entered the mansion. The old man couldn't help but scold a few more times, but after all, the matter was already like this. After about half a month, the old man was no longer so angry.

The old lady hugged Su Cheng and cried bitterly! For a time, the atmosphere in the whole house was a little depressed.

Afterwards, Gu arranged Su Cheng's family in Xinheyuan, which was closest to the old lady. Su Cheng was arranged in a slightly smaller courtyard not far from Su Wei's study.

As soon as Su Cheng entered the courtyard, he was dissatisfied, but he had just made a big mistake and almost implicated his family, so he dared not complain anymore and had to endure it.

In the evening, two banquet tables were arranged in the flower hall, separated by a screen in the middle, divided into two tables for men and women. About half of the time, a woman ran from the backyard, shouting as she ran: "There is a thief! There is a thief!"

Everyone put down their chopsticks when they heard it, and Su Wei ordered the housekeeper on the side: "Quick, take people to check around!"

The woman entered the flower hall, knelt on the ground and said: "It's the lady's yard! There is a thief in the lady's yard!"

Everyone was shocked and looked at Gu. Gu was also stunned. She didn't expect that there would be a thief in her yard? Her eyes turned slightly, and she raised her head and said, "Did you see it clearly?"

The old woman nodded anxiously and said, "I saw it clearly, I saw it clearly. Madam, go and take a look quickly? Don't miss any precious things?"

Gu's eyes dimmed when she heard it. I'm afraid someone did it on purpose. She glanced at the old lady calmly, and saw that the old lady's face showed no joy or anger, and thought to herself: Could it be that I guessed wrong?

Jingyi lowered her head slightly when she heard it, and no one saw a trace of ironic smile on her lips.

Seeing that Gu didn't move or speak, the old woman said anxiously: "Madam, you believe me, I didn't see it wrong. Don't you worry that your things will be stolen?"

Gu's face turned cold when she heard it. She stared at the old woman with her eyes, as if she wanted to see through her internal organs. The old woman was captured by Gu's sharp eyes, lowered her head, and dared not say anything.

Jingyi sneered in her heart. This woman is really bold. She dares to say anything. If her mother doesn't go back to the yard to check, everyone will mistakenly think that there is something shameful in her yard. Jingyi stood up, came to Gu's side, took her hand, and said anxiously: "Mother, go and have a look. Don't be afraid, Yiyi will go with you." Gu felt Jingyi pinch her palm lightly, and she understood that her daughter must know something, so she stood up and took Jingyi back to the yard in a hurry. Bai saw this and said hurriedly: "Master Hou, I'm afraid that the thief is still in the yard, what do you think?" Su Wei frowned and hurriedly got up and chased after him. The old lady was very worried, and asked Bai to help her go over and take a look. On the rockery not far away, a pair of fascinating eyes appeared, and those eyes were full of smiles and expectations. The man said softly: "It seems that the good show is about to begin!"