Su Jin had no idea where Qingqiu Garden was.
After finding a maid to lead the way, Su Jin finally arrived in front of Qingqiu Garden.
Standing at the entrance, the young maid looked at Su Jin and said, "Eldest Young Madam, Lady Chi rarely leaves the courtyard and does not interact with people from the Duke Mansion, so she may not see you."
Xingxing looked at the maid and said, "Didn’t Lady Chi personally return Little Black to Agarwood Pavilion?"
The young maid, "... ."
The young maid was stunned.
This was certainly not sothing a person who rarely leaves the courtyard and doesn’t socialize would do.
Upon eting the Eldest Young Madam, things can’t be treated ordinarily.
The maid blushed and said, "That’s what everyone in the mansion says."
She paused for a mont, then asked, "Does the Eldest Young Madam rember the way back? If not, I will wait here for you to co out."
Xingxing had a great liking for this maid and wanted to take her back to Agarwood Pavilion as a maid.
Su Jin smiled and said, "No need."
The young maid bowed and took her leave.
Su Jin stepped into Qingqiu Garden.
She walked several steps inside and saw no one coming to greet her, which made her feel sowhat as if she had returned to the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.
"Is there anyone here?" Xingxing asked.
A young maid ran over, looking at Su Jin.
Three questions bombarded her.
"Who are you?"
"Why have you co to Qingqiu Garden?"
"Did you take a wrong turn?"
Su Jin, "... ."
Xingxing, "... ."
They could confirm that Qingqiu Garden was indeed a place rarely visited.
Anyone who ca was suspected of having taken a wrong turn; surely, it was a place visited by very few throughout the year.
No wonder Lady Chi didn’t attend the family feast, and Princess Nanzhang casually asked without getting upset.
Such a neglected concubine; dealing with her might only bring trouble.
Xingxing looked at the young maid and said, "My mistress is the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion. Lady Chi previously saved my mistress’s dog, and my mistress ca specifically to express her gratitude."
The Eldest Young Madam?!
The young maid’s face showed fear.
Xingxing handed the satin to the maid, her arm sore after carrying it all the way.
There was also a bundle; two beggar chickens weighed heavily.
When the maid took them, the satin almost fell if Xingxing hadn’t been watching.
"What is this? It’s so heavy," the young maid said.
"It’s beggar chicken I made myself, brought for Lady Chi to taste," Xingxing said.
The young maid exclaid happily, "How did you know my lady hadn’t had lunch?"
Xingxing was puzzled.
She didn’t know.
"Madam’s lunch was eaten by the Eldest Young Madam’s dog, and she hasn’t eaten anything since. I was worried she’d starve," the young maid said.
Xingxing, "... ."
Su Jin, "... ."
So this was the real reason Little Black hadn’t eaten?
He just went out for a stroll and actually ate up soone’s lunch.
Not a bad dog from Qingyun Mountain.
Ate soone’s al, wasn’t disliked, and was even sent back ho.
Su Jin asked, "Where is your lady?"
"My lady is in the pavilion over there doing needlework," the young maid said.
The young maid led the way upfront.
Su Jin and Xingxing followed closely behind.
Upon hearing footsteps, the lady looked up.
A gust of wind blew, causing the curtains of the pavilion to flutter; she looked like a painting with her veil on.
Su Jin stepped forward.
The lady looked towards the young maid, who explained, "This is the Eldest Young Madam of our Duke Mansion."
"The Eldest Young Madam is grateful to the lady for sending back her dog and is here to specifically thank her."
Lady Chi stood up, and Su Jin smiled at her.
No one spoke.
Su Jin felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward.
The young maid sensed it and said, "Beg your forgiveness, Eldest Young Madam, my lady cannot speak."
"Ah?" Xingxing exclaid in surprise.
Su Jin was equally surprised.
A concubine given to Old Master Xie by Nanliang couldn’t speak?
This explained further why Princess Nanzhang didn’t take her seriously.
Lady Chi gestured with her hand.
Su Jin understood.
Lady Chi was inviting her to sit down.
The corners of Su Jin’s mouth twitched; Lady Chi couldn’t speak, how would they communicate after sitting?
The young maid placed the satin and bundle aside, bringing over pen, ink, paper, and an inkstone.
The maid nad Xique knew how to read.
Lady Chi wasn’t demanding, very easy to serve; communication was usually based on guessing.
If guessing wasn’t accurate and it was important, Lady Chi would write, and the maid would know.
Su Jin noticed the brocade robe made in the embroidery basket on the stone table; she stroked the crane, praising, "Embroidered lifelike, vivid and lively."
"This is made for the Eldest Young Master," the young maid quickly said.
Su Jin was slightly taken aback.
Made for Xie Jingchen?
Why make a brocade robe for Xie Jingchen?
Lady Chi wrote on the paper, "Go and get the brocade robe."
The young maid ran into the room and brought a bundle back.
Inside were three sets of brocade robes, all made for Xie Jingchen.
Lady Chi asked Su Jin to help hand them over to Xie Jingchen.
Such a small request, of course, Su Jin wouldn’t refuse.
She could sense Lady Chi’s kindness towards her, and it was impressively genuine.
Lady Chi pulled her up to take her asurents.
Su Jin, "... ."
Xingxing, "... ."
Even more surprising was after asuring her, Xingxing stretched her arms.
This maid was very self-aware.
Because young maid Xique told her, her lady liked doing needlework.
Lady Chi was slightly stunned but still helped asure Xingxing.
Having completed the asurents, Su Jin sat with Lady Chi for the ti it took a cup of tea to cool, then rose to take her leave.
The young maid escorted them out of the courtyard.
Xingxing held the bundle, turned, and waved, "I’ll co visit when I’m free to learn knot-tying from you."
Su Jin walked away, and the young maid ran back inside only then.
She usually ate the lady’s leftover als; the afternoon al had entered Little Black’s stomach, so she was hungry too.
She’d never heard of beggar chicken before.
She hurriedly placed the bundle onto the stone table.
Upon opening it—
She saw two lumps of mud.
The young maid, "... ."
Lady Chi, "... ."
Lady Chi looked at the young maid, silently asking what this was.
The young maid understood; she pointed to the mud lumps and said, "The Eldest Young Madam’s maid says this is food, she made it herself, extrely delicious, and if the lady and I like it, she’ll bring more next ti."
She agreed happily.
But she didn’t know it was mud.
Do people from Qingyun Mountain grow up eating mud?
Lady Chi reached out to touch the mud; still hot, she instructed the maid to break it open.
Full of fresh fragrance, the maid retracted her previous statent.
Upon returning to Agarwood Pavilion, Su Jin directly went to the inner courtyard.
Su Jin sat on a small couch drinking tea.
Xingxing quickly opened the bundle, touching the brocade robe, and said, "This is Cloud Brocade, seems even finer than the lady’s needlework. I wish soday the young miss could have such fine skills."
Su Jin stroked the auspicious clouds and said, "I suppose not in this lifeti."
Xingxing, "... ."
"Miss, why not give it a try? Maybe your needlework skills have improved too?" Xingxing said, with eyes sparkling.
Su Jin knew what Xingxing was thinking.
She inexplicably acquired advanced dical skills.
The maid believed she could inexplicably acquire fine crafting skills too.
But—
That was impossible.
However, seeing Xie Jingchen’s brocade robe, Su Jin suddenly had an idea.
"Go get the satin," Su Jin smiled.
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