Chapter 159 “Take Her Away and Flog Her 20 Times!”
When Qin Wanru got to the kitchen, the two servants who fought each other were pulled apart.
Yujie was holding Qionghua while the supervisor of kitchen was holding the old maid. Their hair was totally in a mess because of their fight. There were even scratches in their face. They both looked very combative now.
Shui Ruolan still had not come here yet while Madam Di had been here and was interrogating them.
The old maid was the one they saw before. A throng of servants hung around the kitchen door and those people behind were standing on tiptoe and looking at the kitchen.
Qin Wanru came with Qing Yue quietly behind these servants and started to listen carefully. Madam Di’s voice was very loud and sounded very furious.
They just stood so quietly and no people found them for they all focused on the event in the kitchen.
“Qionghua, why would you suddenly hit others without any reason? Do you think that it is able to bully the new servant just because you have been working here for a long time?” asked Madam Di severely, seeming that she had asked about this event clearly.
“Madam Di, it is she who provoked me and spoke evil of my master! I was so furious that I fought them! And…” Qionghua set her eyes on the bowls of bird’s nest porridge on the cooking bench and tried to spit it out angrily while Yujie suddenly twisted her wrist. “Ouch!” Qionghua felt pain and was unable to go on.
“Qionghua, are you telling the truth? She is new here. Or does anybody embolden her to let her provoke you, a senior employee? If she doesn’t know who you are and provoke you, she would be totally a fool! Don’t you think so?” Madam Di sneered.
“Madam! You have to help me! I am here to take your bird’s nest porridge for you! But this servant girl, I don’t know who her master is, said that you used her master’s bird’s nest to cook your bird’s nest porridge! And she said your bird’s nest porridge belongs to her master! I absolutely felt unwilling so I disputed with her. However, I never expected that she would beat me suddenly! Madam, you must stand by me! I am still new here and don’t know much about this mansion. And I don’t understand why you, the official Madam of General would want others’ things to eat!”
The old maid pushed the supervisor of kitchen away and burst out crying. She wiped her tears while she was crying and kept showing her innocence.
Now she was not only trying to show her innocence but also Madam Di’s!
Qionghua trembled with anger. “Why there would be such a person who would call white black in the world? She did provoke me first and gave a small purse to the kitchen supervisor furtively. She even talked to the supervisor on the sly, fearing that I would see them. But I did see them! It is clear that she wanted to ask the supervisor to give some Madam Shui’s bird’s nest porridge to Madam Di as much as possible!”
Qionghua even saw three same bowls! The bird’s nest was ordered by Old Grandma for Madam Shui. However, she didn’t want to have it herself so she used it to cook porridge so that the Second Lady and she could enjoy the bird’s nest. However, she felt angry when suddenly seeing three same bowls in the kitchen. Moreover, she found that the old maid even stood in front of those bowls proudly, opened the lid and sneered at her.
“It is hard to know what your master would give birth to though she has this expensive food! It would be better to let my lady have them. Then she would give birth to a chubby boy! A widow doesn’t worth these!”
When she said these words, her voice was not very loud but it was enough to let Qionghua hear. Qionghua got extremely mad at once when coming to her and caught the old maid and asked what she was saying.
The old maid definitely denied and then they had a fight. The kitchen supervisor knew things went wrong. Then he came to pull them apart but failed. It was when the supervisor felt so anxious that Yujie came in and helped the supervisor pull them apart. Madam Di came subsequently.
“Madam Di, she spoke evil of my master!” Qionghua argued loudly.
“About what?” Madam Di raised her eyebrows and asked curiously. Those who hung around the kitchen door listened more carefully. Qin Wanru who stood near the throng gave a cold smile on her face. How could Madam Di say this? She just let Qionghua repeat those evil words about Shui Ruolan in front of these servants and how she could do it as a servant!
The old maid must say something really malicious which would definitely offend Shui Ruolan!
“Madam Di, she, she said that my master, my master…” Qionghua felt extremely anxious and was even about to cry. However, she just couldn’t say it out.
“Madam, look, she couldn’t say anything! It is obvious that she wants to frame me! She knows that her words are fake! Now she even couldn’t answer you!” It seemed that the old maid was very cunning. She pointed at Qionghua and shouted really loudly when she caught the chance. There was even a satisfied expression on her face.
No servant would dare say “widow” out to everyone’s face. Moreover, there were many new servants in the mansion and few knew Shui Ruolan was a widow. If her private servant girl said the word, it would be a joke.
“See? I let you tell me and you don’t. How could I help you, Qionghua? Do you really frame her? She is only an old maid. Even though she was my servant, she is new here. How could you be so mean? It would undermine your master’s reputation!”
Madam Di said to Qionghua seemingly sincerely and earnestly. Her voice even sounded a little bit soft. It seemed that she was to stand by Qionghua.
Qionghua knew the truth but didn’t know how to argue. She just wanted to rush to the old maid and slap her severely to smash the disgusting smile in her face.
“Now how dare she look at me in such a provocative way! The triumph fills her eyes!”
“Qionghua, the business between your master and I is our family matters. Although we would have quarrels with each other sometimes, you have no right to meddle in it or use it. Now you even dare frame my people and claimed that she provoked you and spoke evil of your master! I gave you a chance to tell me but you didn’t. You must be afraid of being found out! If you couldn’t show any evidence, I would punish you according to the family rule!”
Her smile faded away. She now looked impartial and strict. She even said that though there was a gap between Shui Ruolan and her, they were still families.
Well, actually her words that they were families was only to punish Qionghua in a “fair” way.
Qionghua was furious and anxious. She wanted to rush to them but Yujie held her hand very tightly so she couldn’t move now. She looked at those people around, finding out that there were only some servants and the supervisor of the kitchen. However, there were no other people beside them just now and nobody could testify for her.
“I…” Qionghua glared at Madam Di furiously. Now she knew everything that she was trapped by Madam Di.
Qionghua was clear that she was the first private servant girl of Madam Shui. She had always followed Madam Shui no matter when her Madam married and came back here after her Madam’s first husband died. Her affection upon Madam Shui was totally different from the normal one between other masters and servants. If something bad happened to her, Madam Shui would definitely feel sad.
Now Madam Shui was pregnant so it would be terrible if she got sick!
“Then take her away and flog her 20 times!” said Madam Di calmly.
“Yes!” Suddenly, two strong old maids came and tried to take Qionghua outside. If she could survive after the 20 lashes, she would have to get a very severe injury. She even could not serve Shui Ruolan for a long time, at least. Now it had not been three months since she was pregnant. It was in a critical period.
It would be very easy to miscarry if not being careful!
Shui Ruolan would definitely feel distressed if she knew her most favorite first servant girl was punished. However, this was the “truth”. It would be useless for Shui Ruolan to blame Madam Di because everything accorded with the “rules”. What was more, it was Qionghua who couldn’t make out.
Counting the time, Qin Wanru knew those who should come here would arrive here soon so she said, “Hold on!”
“Our Second Lady is here!” shouted Qing Yue loudly. A path quickly appeared with the throng stepping aside. Accompanied by Qing Yue, Qin Wanru walked in the kitchen slowly.
The two strong old maids pretended to hear nothing and continued to drag Qionghua away. Yujie stepped forward and pushed them heavily. They then retreated a few steps but still tried to come unwillingly. Suddenly Qin Wanru said coldly, “Slap them in the face for they don’t listen to master’s words!”
With Qin Wanru’s order, Yujie came unceremoniously without hesitation and pushed the two strong old maids heavily and rudely. They stood steadily after taking a few steps back. Seeing Qin Wanru staring at them severely, they were shocked and dare not move.
“Wanru, though you are young, you seem to be very powerful!” Madam Di didn’t expect that Qin Wanru would get involved in her business and her face blackened.
Actually she had counted the time. Shui Ruolan was in pregnancy so she couldn’t come here quickly. Old Grandma was in poor health so she also couldn’t reach here soon. Moreover, the business of the inner court should be reported to Shui Ruolan and seldom to Old Grandma. As for Qin Huaiyong, even if he came, Madam Di dealt with this event according to the family rules so he couldn’t say something.
Madam Di wanted Shui Ruolan to be unable to speak out her grievances. If she couldn’t argue, it would be possible for her to miscarry when she got really mad. That would be better!
However, Madam Di didn’t expect that Qin Wanru would arrive here soon. Nobody would report this event to Qin Wanru. She was only a little girl and she had no right to manage the business of this mansion.
However, the person who she didn’t expect at all appeared in front of her again when she almost finished her plan. How she could not be angry!
She now dared not look down upon Qin Wanru. She sneered at her and said, “Qionghua hit a servant deliberately and even framed others rudely. Now she could not explain the reason to me. If every servant acts like this, there would be no rule in the mansion, wouldn’t it? Or am I unable to punish this kind of servants?”
She didn’t worry about Qionghua’s words. She still took the advantage in this event no matter it was about the bird’s nest porridge or the old maid. It would be impossible for Qin Huaiyong to stand by Shui Ruolan this time, let alone Qin Wanru!
“An over-confident mean girl! She must think that she could manage everything!”
“Second Lady! It was she who caused this trouble deliberately! I am really wronged! You have to stand by me!” The old maid still thought the event was not troubled enough. She watched Madam Di’s expression and wanted to please Madam Di with her effort as taking advantage of this event. She then rushed to Qin Wanru and cried loudly, seeming that she did want Qin Wanru to stand by her.
Madam Di was satisfied and she looked proud. How a little servant girl could beat the old fox. She just needed to wait and see the show then!
At the next moment, however, the smile froze on Madam Di’s face!
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