Chapter 31: Evildoers Must Be Punished by Evildoers

When Qin Yuan returned to Wutong Garden, it was already time to light the lamps.

When the maids saw them come back, they hurried to the kitchen to serve the meal, and asked the lady if she wanted hot water. Those who handed her hot towels handed her hot towels, and those who served tea brought tea, all of which were very considerate.

Cui Ming smiled and said, “They are all eyeing the position of the first-class maid beside the Madam, and are trying their best to perform well.”

Qin Yuan nodded: “You teach them well. If you can bring out a few more useful ones, they will all call you masters, and I will let you be the housekeeper mothers.”

Hongye asked excitedly: “Really?”

“When have I ever lied to you?”

“Young lady, you have really aroused my anger,” Hongye said with a blink of an eye. “Originally, I just wanted to be careful with my words and actions, not to cause trouble for you, and to help you a little. I didn’t dare to think too much.”

“Pfft,” Qin Yuan tapped her head and said, “Didn’t I ask you to help supervise the tea room? Did I ask you to supervise for nothing? We just got here and don’t know anything. You should watch, listen and learn more. After a long time, who will be able to help me if I don’t use you?”

Hongye can get along well with people very quickly and has a hot temper. She has helped her a lot in her previous life. Half of the prime minister’s mansion is managed with Hongye’s help.

Why can’t I be a housekeeper in the marquis’s mansion?

Hongye covered her head and explained quickly: “I thought that every lady in a family would have to wait until she was quite old before she could take charge of the family. The Sixth Madam has an advantage over the young lady, and I don’t know when the seniority will be passed. I never dared to think like this.”

Cui Ming seemed to be lost in thought.

The maids had already returned with food boxes and were preparing to set the table for dinner. Qin Yuan said, “I’ll go see the Marquis first.”

No matter what Gu Jinghui thought, her daily care and greetings were indispensable.

Qin Yuan went to the side room, and as expected, Gu Jinghui went to bed again.

“My Lord, have you had your dinner?”

“used.”

“What did you use?”

“Madame Rong brought a bowl of lotus seed soup, and the kitchen brought sour bamboo shoot porridge, rouge duck breast, and some seasonal vegetables. The Marquis ate and asked us not to disturb him because he wanted to rest.”

“Remember to arrange the shifts so that the Marquis won’t be left without anyone to call when he wakes up in the middle of the night.”

“The servants all remember it.”

After giving a few more instructions to the maids guarding outside the door, Qin Yuan went back to wash her hands and eat.

Since Lord Gu was not at home, Qin Yuan asked two maids to come to the table and eat together.

Hongye looked at the table full of dishes and said, “There are so many that even if there are two more people, they can’t finish them all. It’s really too extravagant.”

Qin Yuan couldn’t help laughing when she thought about how in her previous life, there had to be at least twelve dishes for dinner at the Prime Minister’s Mansion, otherwise Hongye would feel that she was being wronged.

The wealth and splendor that came from the Marquis’ Mansion made the still very young Hongye at a loss.

But once people get used to enjoying something, they will get used to it.

“Why not allocate some to serve as extra food for Gu Shiliu and the maids guarding outside?” Hongye asked.

“Row.”

Cuiming helped to separate the dishes and brought them outside to share with the maids: “Madam said that you have worked hard to take care of the Marquis these days, so this is an extra dish for you.”

The maids shouted in surprise, “Thank you, Madam, for the reward.”

Only the prominent maids could eat the leftovers of their masters, while most people ate the servants’ portions.

Now the master gave them the untouched food as a reward, which was very considerate.

Hongye specially left a plate of meat dishes in the food box and said, “Send it to Gu Shiliu later.”

Qin Yuan smiled and just focused on eating without saying anything.

At this point, she was quite hungry. Madam Gu Liu was probably still busy with the accounts with the housekeepers. She couldn’t be blamed for this. She could only blame Madam Gu Liu for spending too much time before.

Hongye had something on her mind. She quickly ate a few times with her chopsticks, then shouted that she was full. She carried the food box and went out to look for Gu Shiliu.

Cui Ming glanced at Hong Ye, still counting the rice grains calmly and chewing slowly.

After a long while, Hongye came back with a smile on her face. The table had been cleared. Qin Yuan slowly leaned on the Arhat bed, holding the old Pu’er and sipping it, looking very comfortable.

Hongye smiled and said, “Miss, guess what the Marquis did today?”

“What?” Qin Yuan asked lazily.

Before Hongye opened her mouth, she couldn’t help laughing a few times before saying, “The Marquis asked Gu Shiliu to sign up Miss Seven for the talent contest during the Qiqiao Festival, the embroidery contest, and said that if she doesn’t get a place, she will be confined to the mansion to learn embroidery in the future.”

Cui Ming was stunned for a moment, and said, “The old lady asked Miss Seven to learn needlework for three months, and Miss Seven almost cried to the end of Changcheng. The Marquis asked Miss Seven to participate in a talent contest, that’s not…”

“Haha, that’s right!” Hongye couldn’t help laughing and said, “The old lady said that the mandarin ducks embroidered by Miss Seven don’t even look like wild ducks.”

“Everyone who participates in the talent contest of the Qiqiao Festival has unique skills. The young lady who won the first place in embroidery talent last year, Hui Fengniang of Suzhou embroidery, is willing to take her as her apprentice.”

“Gu Shiliu said that Miss Seven was so angry that she cried and said she was going to complain to the old lady, but she couldn’t even leave the yard. The old lady even exempted her from paying respects these days.”

Qin Yuan couldn’t help but laugh softly.

Cui Ming asked: “Did Gu Shiliu just tell you this?”

Hongye then remembered and said, “Oh no, I was so busy laughing that I forgot everything else.”

Qin Yuan laughed out loud.

Gu Shiliu was also a clever man and even Hongye was fooled by him.

Hongye added: “It doesn’t matter. He can escape, but he can’t escape the temple. I’ll find a chance to ask him again.”

After that, she moved closer to Qin Yuan mysteriously and whispered, “Miss, I think the Marquis is venting his anger for you. Otherwise, how could he come up with this idea? Gu Shiliu said that the Marquis doted on Miss Seven in the past and would give her anything she wanted. This is the first time he has punished her.”

Cui Ming also said, “The Marquis still cares about the young lady, but that Miss Zhao never lets the Marquis go. I have watched with cold eyes, and Fengxuan Pavilion has been quiet again in the past two days.”

Qin Yuan laughed even harder and said, “Hongye, you are smart all your life but you are foolish for a moment. You tried to trick Gu Shiliu into telling you something, but you ended up helping Gu Shiliu pass on his message.”

Hongye: “…”

Qin Yuan added, “The Marquis is detaining Miss Seven for her own good. If you calculate the days, Miss Seven will probably be locked up again to embroider just a few days after she is released.”

The Marquis’s Mansion is a place of meritorious service, and raising a daughter in a military honor family is different from raising a daughter in a noble family.

Gu Baozhu has been spoiled since she was a child. It is common for her to go out for fun, listen to operas, and visit gardens. Being locked up now is probably almost like being in prison.

Lord Gu knows how to play a trick on people.

No matter what Lord Gu’s reason was, Qin Yuan felt really relieved.

Hearing this, Hongye couldn’t help laughing again and said, “Don’t say that, evil must be dealt with by evil. The Marquis hit Miss Seven right on the spot. Let’s see if he will bully Miss again in the future.”

The most difficult person to serve in the husband’s family is the sister-in-law. If you are not careful, you don’t know how much trouble she will cause.

Fortunately, Madam Gu likes the young lady, otherwise, Miss Seven would not know how she would step on the young lady’s head.

Qin Yuan said, “Forget about her. The Marquis has good intentions in teaching me. What you said about whether someone is evil or not will be disastrous if it gets out.”

Hongye knew that she had said something wrong again and her face turned red.

Qin Yuan said no more and changed the subject: “Tomorrow when we have time, let’s go to the shop and find a capable shopkeeper and ask him to take the money and stock up more pepper.”

“Pepper?” Cui Ming said in surprise, “That’s a valuable thing, almost as expensive as gold.”

　I have recommended it today, please support me. (づ￣ 3￣)づ(′‵)Ｉ L

(End of this chapter)