Third Madam pouted and asked, "Really?" Xiao Yancheng nodded earnestly, and Third Madam smiled again, then she linked her arm with Xiao Yancheng and asked, "Husband, since you’ve returned, why do you still treat him like this? Why not let ..."
"Shh!" Xiao Yancheng’s long finger gently pressed against Third Madam’s lips, smiling as he said, "If we do that, why would we have co back? If we’re playing, let’s play seriously. Don’t worry, I guarantee you an unexpected reward."
"What do you plan to do?" Third Madam asked with curiosity all over her face.
Xiao Yancheng leaned close to her ear and whispered, "There’s no rush. I’ve already prepared a big gift, just waiting for my second and fourth brothers to accept it." He paused, then sighed, "...just don’t know if they’ll be able to handle it."
"Alright then!" Third Madam nodded, "Just hope it won’t take too long." She waved to Lyuzhu who was running towards them, "We can’t go back during this ti; husband, you’ll have to explain this to Lyuzhu properly."
Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and a young maid with unkempt hair ran in: "Third Master, Third Madam!" She had just been transferred from the courtyard, was about ten years old, and standing outside the door, she heard a loud noise in the room, thinking sothing might have gone wrong. Seeing the maid beside Third Madam unmoved, she didn’t think much, wanting to show herself, and pushed the door open to rush in.
"Ah!" she scread, covering her eyes and retreating repeatedly, "This servant deserves to die, this servant deserves to die!"
The pleasant atmosphere was ruined, Third Madam’s eyes reddened with anger, "You do deserve to die!" She walked to the bedside, pulled a whip hanging from the bedpost, and swung it down...
The young maid didn’t expect Third Madam to whip her. In just an instant, she felt her eyes go numb, followed by intense pain spreading, she clutched her eyes and scread sharply, and crimson blood imdiately flowed from her eye sockets, covering her face and body.
The young maid initially only scread in agony, then her body stiffened and dropped to her knees, her complexion shifting from white to red, and then from red to purple...
She let go, the muscles on her face began to twitch rapidly, then her whole body started to collapse bit by bit, slowly withering, her features wrinkled into a mass without eyebrows or eyes, then curled up like a ball and fell to the ground.
Third Madam’s attendant maid heard the commotion and ca over; Third Madam turned to see Xiao Yancheng sitting half-dressed on a chair, furrowed her brows, and lashed her whip at everyone, "Close your eyes, don’t look!"
Everyone was stunned into imdiate compliance, closing their eyes.
Third Madam angrily commanded, pointing at the maid’s body, "Throw her out!"
The maid was dragged out by the crowd, soone quickly ca in to clean up, wiped the bloodstains off the floor, and closed the door again. Third Madam sat down in the chair fuming, "Truly as dumb as a donkey!"
"Just a minor issue, no need to get angry!" Xiao Yancheng chuckled lightly.
Third Madam furrowed her brow at Xiao Yancheng, her face full of displeasure, but Xiao Yancheng’s arm hooked around her and pulled her into his embrace, smiling as he said, "The good tis and scenes, my dear, don’t be angry!"
Only then did Third Madam smile again.
Xiqiu poured tea for Fourth Master Xiao, and the two sat face to face. Xiqiu furrowed her brow and said, "I find Third Sister-in-law quite strange." There seed to be an eerie vibe.
"That person is not right in the head," Fourth Master Xiao said coldly, "If she cos to the mansion again, you needn’t deal with her. Just shut the door and refuse to see her." He then took her hand and said, "Don’t let her get close."
"I understand." It seed Fourth Master Xiao felt the sa as her, also finding sothing peculiar about Third Madam, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what, a sense of vigilance and resistance arose within her.
And Xiao Yancheng, appearing like a lifeless corpse, his eyes cold and emotionless, making the smile on his face all the more incongruent.
The next day, Fourth Master Xiao ordered the mansion closed to all visitors, giving Xiqiu a justified reason to shut herself in her room, seeing no one. Apart from als, she slept frequently, catching up on the sleep she had missed in previous days.
As the weather gradually turned colder, she had the floor heating turned on and stayed in the Warm Pavilion most days, working with needle and thread to make clothes for her and Madam Xia’s children...
Indeed, Third Master and Third Madam didn’t co again, though Xiqiu heard from Min about happenings at the Marquis Mansion and learned that Third Master was to report for duty. He had once donated a position as Assistant Magistrate before leaving the capital, and having returned, he was naturally due to report for duty.
Third Madam grew close to Fifth Madam, and the Fifth Young Master’s family frequently visited the mansion, with Grand Dowager not as rejecting as before, making the Marquis Mansion lively with visitors.
Listening to this, Xiqiu furrowed her brow, yet said nothing!
As November began, snow began to gently fall, and Fourth Master Xiao grew busier. Xiqiu inquired several tis, but he evaded her questions each ti. She secretly called Tianjing to inquire, but Tianjing shook his head, answering every question with ignorance, clearly aware of Fourth Master Xiao’s position.
Curiously, on the sixth of the month when Fourth Master Xiao was off duty, she lingered in bed and pulled Fourth Master Xiao over, smiling as she said, "Sister Jingliu sent a ssage back, saying she can return at the end of the month. The herb seedlings on both estates are doing well, promising a good harvest by July or August next year."
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