Chapter 73 Wrongly blamed
Watching Chun'er gradually fall asleep, Mengxi added another quilt to her, motioned Zhiqiu to go out of the west room together, and told the maid to go in and guard her carefully.
Mengxi sat in the hall and chatted with Zhiqiu and the others about family matters. Zhixia said:
"Second Madam, I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid you'd be angry, but the eldest Madam is getting more and more unreasonable. Now that we don't say anything, she thinks we're easy to bully. Since the Second Master stopped eating in the upper room , she has also withheld the ingredients in the kitchen. Whenever I want to cook something, either this ingredient is out of stock or that ingredient is out of stock."
Zhiqiu also said:
"Second Madam, look at these concubines. They are becoming more and more unruly, especially that concubine Li. She is so happy these days that her eyes are almost up to the sky. She doesn't care about you at all. We must find a way to deal with her."
"That's right. It's like this even before anything happens. The Second Master spoils her like this. If they have another boy or girl in the future, they will really be in Second Wife's shoes," Zhichun also complained.
Mengxi looked at the complaints of the maids and thought, it seems that the bullying in this mansion is really too harsh. Even the maids can't stand it. I have to think of a way to leave the mansion early. I secretly calculated in my heart, sighed, and said to the four maids:
"Now they are favored by the Second Master and backed by the First Madam. What can we do? We just have to be patient."
The four maids lowered their heads in unison.
As everyone was talking, the door of the hall was kicked open and the Second Master walked in angrily, followed by the First and Third Aunts.
Xiao Jun turned around the screen and saw the Second Grandma sitting there. He walked up to her and pointed at her nose and said:
"Li Mengxi, you vicious woman, I will divorce you sooner or later. You don't have to take care of my daughter anymore!"
Zhiqiu and the other three were so frightened that they immediately knelt on the ground. Mengxi was also confused and didn't know what was going on. She just sat there and looked at the Second Master. She was already used to the cold sarcasm of this iceberg, so she didn't even bother to stand up.
"I beg you, Madam, to let Chun'er go. Chun'er is still sick. I beg you, Madam, to let me take Chun'er away."
The eldest aunt knelt down and spoke to the second aunt. Aunt Zhang stood aside and looked at the second aunt with a smile on her face.
Zhiqiu then understood what the Second Master was angry about. She looked at the Second Mistress with resentment. Her Second Mistress was really meddling in other people's business. There was not a single good person in the Xiao family, especially the Second Master and his mother. They were a pair of black-hearted people. This daughter was not their own, so it was useless to love her. They were all ungrateful people. People always thought they had bad intentions. Now, she was getting her retribution.
It turned out that when the eldest concubine came back from the accounting office, she heard the wet nurse tell the story of the second mistress's visit to the courtyard with exaggeration. The wet nurse was also afraid that she would be held responsible if something happened to the eldest lady, so of course she only talked about how domineering and imposing the second mistress was, and how she was tortured by the second mistress to kneel on the ground for most of the day in order to protect Chun'er.
The eldest aunt was stunned when she heard this. The Second Master had stopped doting on her a long time ago, and she had been counting on this biological daughter. If anything happened to her, she would die. Especially since the servants in the courtyard had testified that the Second Madam had said to pour out the medicine, which made her believe that the Second Madam wanted to harm her daughter. But she was an aunt after all, and was just a servant in front of her daughter. The Second Madam was Chun'er's mother. As a mother, she wanted to see her daughter, but she didn't dare to go and ask for her back directly.
After much thought, she decided that only the Second Master could save Chun'er, so she sent someone to find him. The messenger came back with news that the Second Master had asked the First Master to call Chun'er to the outer study. The Aunt had no choice but to wait on pins and needles. Finally, the messenger came back saying that the Second Master had returned and went directly to the Bamboo Garden. Only then did she go to the Bamboo Garden eagerly to find the Second Master, and begged him with tears and snot to bring Chun'er back.
After listening to the eldest aunt's story, Xiao Jun remembered that Mengxi had secretly punished Aunt Li in the morning. In addition, Aunt Zhang also exaggerated it, so he believed it to be true and began to worry about his daughter. Several people then hurried to Xiaoxiangyuan and went to the east wing first. They heard from the maid that the second wife had taken the person to the main room, and then they kicked the door in.
"Aunt, what are you talking about? Chun'er is my daughter. She was sick, and no one told me as a mother, but I accidentally saw her. I felt sorry for her because she couldn't get used to the bitter medicine and cried. I was afraid that she would cry her voice hoarse, so I brought her to take care of her myself. But why do you sound like I've abused my daughter? Have I treated her badly all my life, huh?"
After hearing this, the eldest aunt kowtowed and said:
"I dare not. I thought Chun'er was just ill, so I did not report it to Second Madam. I was just worried about Chun'er and said something wrong. I beg Second Madam to forgive me and let me see Chun'er."
"Auntie, are you asking me to let you meet Chun'er and take her back?"
"The maid begs the Second Mistress to grant my wish"
"Chun'er is sleeping in the west room. I wanted to send her back when she wakes up. When did I tell you not to see or pick her up? How dare you, as a servant, make up stories out of nothing, spread rumors, frame the mistress, and cause unrest in the inner house? Such a small matter actually alarmed the Second Master. What's your intention! Um! Auntie, do you admit your guilt?"
When the eldest aunt heard this, she didn't know how to answer for a moment. She was just worried about Chun'er and afraid that something might go wrong. But she didn't expect that the second mistress would put such a big hat on her. She was stunned for a moment and just looked at the second master.
When Xiao Jun heard that Chun'er was in the west room, he went straight to the west room. The eldest aunt was kneeling there, looking at the second grandmother. She wanted to get up but didn't dare to. If she didn't get up, she was worried about Chun'er. She didn't know how the second grandmother would punish her. For a moment, she was so anxious that she broke out in a sweat. She also secretly hated herself for saying the wrong thing in a hurry, which gave the second grandmother a handle. Thinking of the second grandmother's usual methods, she didn't dare to get up.
Mengxi saw the Second Master go into the west room, and without paying any attention to the Aunt on the ground, she got up and followed him in. When she entered the west room, she saw Chun'er had been awakened by the noise outside, and was sitting there staring at them with wide eyes.
Mengxi walked forward and touched his head. It was no longer hot. Seeing that Chun'er was sweating, he turned to the stunned Second Master and said:
"Chun'er has just sweated all over, I'm afraid she will catch a cold again. Second Master, please wait in the hall first. I will change Chun'er's clothes and carry her out."
Seeing that Chun'er had just woken up and her face was not as flushed as yesterday, Xiao Jun knew that she had recovered from the sweating. He secretly blamed himself for being reckless and for wrongly blaming Mengxi. After hearing what she said, he turned around and walked out indifferently.
After everyone left, Mengxi ordered someone to wipe Chun'er's body, change her into dry clothes, and let Zhiqiu carry her out.
When Chun Er arrived at the hall, she saw her father sitting there. She went forward to greet him and then tried to climb onto his lap. The Second Master picked Chun Er up and let her sit on his lap, then asked:
"What did Chun'er do all morning?"
