After tossing the stick of sugar-coated hawthorn to Xingxing, the Hidden Guard turned to leave.
But he didn’t get far.
Xingxing called out, "Don’t go, you still need to bring in water for the tub."
What else could the Hidden Guard do?
Unwilling as he was, he had to obediently turn back.
So people just have the skill to infuriate you and still make you follow their orders obediently.
Xingxing carried the stick of sugar-coated hawthorn, and Su Jin casually picked one up, saying, "The taste is sweet and sour, not bad."
"But there’s so much, we can’t finish them all. The Madam won’t let the young lady eat too much, at most two sticks," Xingxing mumbled indistinctly.
Sugar-coated hawthorns are sweet, and when the syrup falls on the ground, it easily attracts bugs. Xingxing had experience with this.
"You decide what to do with them," Su Jin laughed.
"Then I’ll sell them," Xingxing said, her eyes sparkling.
"...."
Seeing Su Jin not objecting, Xingxing took it as her consent.
With a sugar-coated hawthorn in her mouth and the stick over her shoulder, she headed to the front courtyard.
Upon reaching the front courtyard, Xingxing shouted, "Sugar-coated hawthorn for sale!"
The maids, "...."
Daring to openly sell things in the Duke Mansion like this, it was a first, quite the audacity.
But seeing Xingxing eating the sugar-coated hawthorn, their mouths watered, craving it.
"Don’t any of you like sugar-coated hawthorn?" Xingxing asked.
They liked it.
But they didn’t dare buy it from you.
Xingxing finished one and began eating another.
Finally, a young maid couldn’t resist and asked, "How much is a stick?"
It’s okay to ask without buying.
"Three coins a stick," Xingxing replied.
"They sell for two coins on the street," a maid said.
"I bought them for two coins and sell them to you for two coins? Do I look that foolish?" Xingxing said.
"...."
They couldn’t argue with that logic.
The young maids looked at each other.
Maidens like them only had one day off a month, and only on that day could they leave the mansion.
The last ti they had sugar-coated hawthorn was months ago, and staying in the mansion, they couldn’t buy it even with money.
Spending one more coin wasn’t much; they might not afford anything else, but sugar-coated hawthorn they could.
And then, a maid took out money and picked a stick.
With soone leading, more followed suit.
Before long, only an empty stick was left.
The Hidden Guard was carrying water in a large wooden tub, just coming down the steps when he saw Xingxing running over, saying, "Miss, I sold all the sugar-coated hawthorn and made forty-five coins."
Su Jin, "...."
Hidden Guard, "...."
Xingxing ran to the Hidden Guard, handed him a purse filled with money and said, "Here’s the money for you. Many people didn’t get to buy it. Next ti you’re out, bring back a stick of sugar-coated hawthorn."
Hidden Guard, "...."
"We’ll split the money we made," Xingxing said.
"...."
The Hidden Guard, face darkened, silently carried the wooden tub away.
Xingxing looked at the purse, thinking the Hidden Guard might have his hands full, so she decided to throw it into the tub.
She tossed the purse forward.
She used too much force—
It hit the back of the Hidden Guard’s head.
Hidden Guard, "...."
Xingxing, "...."
Zilan Garden.
Xie Jinyu sat on the Imperial Concubine’s Couch, holding a beautiful mirror in her hand.
The swelling from the wasp sting had subsided, but there was still so bruising on her forehead. Touching it made her wince in pain.
The bruise was caused when she stumbled over a maid’s foot and hit her head on a tree while being stung by wasps.
Thinking about it made her fu.
Princess Nanzhang took her delicate hand touching her forehead and said, "If it hurts, don’t touch it. Give it another day or two, and it will be gone."
Xie Jinyu threw the copper mirror onto the small couch, pouted her rosy lips, and said, "The swelling may disappear, but my anger won’t!"
She had never endured such hardship before!
Since marrying into the family, she was punished to kneel in the Buddhist Hall, nearly choked to death, was stung by wasps, and even ended up eating pig intestines!
If she didn’t reclaim her dignity, she would suffocate, and Princess Shouning would be infuriated.
Princess Nanzhang’s eyes turned icy as she said, "Don’t be anxious. The Duke Zhen’s Mansion is your mother’s domain. How dare they run wild?"
As she spoke, a maid entered through the beaded curtain, saying, "Commandery Princess, the Eldest Young Madam’s maid is selling sugar-coated hawthorn in Agarwood Pavilion, three coins a stick."
Upon hearing this, Xie Jinyu looked at Princess Nanzhang and said, "Mother, listen, they’re even selling sugar-coated hawthorn in your territory!"
Princess Nanzhang’s face turned green, "Bring them here!"
Agarwood Pavilion, backyard.
Xingxing was adding firewood to boil water, while the Hidden Guard poured brewed dicine into the bath tub.
Xie Jingchen went inside, and Su Jin helped him with acupuncture.
A maid ca over and said, "Eldest Young Madam, the Commandery Princess wants you to bring your maid to Zilan Garden."
"I didn’t see her this morning when I paid respects. What does she want with now?" Su Jin frowned.
"Because the maid sold sugar-coated hawthorn," Xie Jingchen reminded her.
"Such a small matter requires summoning ?" Su Jin was speechless.
"There are family rules," Xie Jingchen said.
"Did I break the family rules?" Su Jin asked.
"Yes."
"Then it’s fine, it hasn’t been half a month yet," Su Jin smiled.
"...."
The young maid reported and, getting no response, called out, "Eldest Young Madam?"
"You may leave first; I’ll be there shortly," Su Jin said.
The young maid then turned to relay the ssage to the ssage maid.
The young maid waited for a quarter of an hour.
Su Jin finally ca out from the backyard with Xingxing. The young maid, getting anxious from waiting, seeing Su Jin walking unhurriedly, wished she could push her, and couldn’t help but say, "Eldest Young Madam, please hurry, don’t make the Commandery Princess wait."
Su Jin calmly replied, "If the Commandery Princess has sothing extrely urgent, let her co directly to next ti, to avoid delays from relaying ssages."
The maid, "...."
She said nothing further, only silently leading the way.
Upon entering, Su Jin received a cold stare from Princess Nanzhang.
Su Jin stepped forward, curtsied respectfully, and said, "Mother, did you call here regarding the maid selling sugar-coated hawthorn?"
Princess Nanzhang planned to be straightforward and not waste words.
Yet, before she could speak, Su Jin went straight to the point.
For a mont, Princess Nanzhang didn’t know how to respond.
Su Jin looked at her.
Princess Nanzhang’s face darkened, "It seems you did it on purpose?!"
Xie Jinyu said, "Mother spared you from punishnt for half a month, and eldest sister-in-law deliberately breaks house rules. Isn’t that disregarding the rules too much!"
Su Jin chuckled, "Although this ti the breach of house rules was unintended, as the young mistress said, it’s rare to be exempt from punishnt for half a month. If I don’t break so rules, what’s the point of being exempted?"
Xie Jinyu, "....!!!"
Princess Nanzhang felt a knot of anger in her chest.
Su Jin blinked and said, "Speaking of breaking house rules, I rembered telling the maids in the garden to relay a ssage, but they ignored . I am still the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion, and for them to disregard my words—according to the Duke Mansion’s house rules—they should be punished with at least twenty strikes. I haven’t heard any punishnt happening in the garden."
"Xingxing, have you heard?" Su Jin asked.
"No, the maids and stewards in the garden are still lively and were buying sugar-coated hawthorn from earlier," Xingxing said.
"...."
Daring to ntion sugar-coated hawthorn again!
Princess Nanzhang’s eyes flared with anger.
Su Jin then said, "The governance of Duke Zhen’s Mansion is in your hands, Mother. If you find punishing the servants botherso, then I’ll handle it myself."
User Comments
0 comments from readers