Chapter 76 – Thoughts of the Maidservant (Part Two)
Jiang Pengji nearly burst into laughter but managed to speak gently to appease her; it took some effort to extinguish the little girl’s anger.
“Ahem—no more fussing, let’s get serious.” Jiang Pengji coughed lightly, under the gaze of those sparkling eyes, she spoke softly, “You and Xun Mei have grown up together since childhood, there’s really no need to harbor grudges over something so trivial. I know you’re standing up for me, but Ta Xue, you and she are both women, and so am I. I can understand her actions to some extent.”
Ta Xue, being quick-witted, instantly grasped Jiang Pengji’s meaning and felt a jolt in her heart. “Young Master…”
“Don’t speak yet; let me finish.” Jiang Pengji raised her hand to stop her, her tone still warm, “I can guess my father and mother’s intentions. They arranged this simply because they fear your loose tongues might spill my secret, and they hope I’ll have reliable people by my side in the future. But times change, and who can predict what the future holds?”
In Jiang Pengji’s view, allowing two lovely flowers to wither silently just to conceal her secret was a sin.
She lived boldly and uprightly; why should she hide?
She took pride in her gender and never considered it a burden.
With a smile, she continued, “You and Xun Mei, I’ve always treated you like family. If you have someone in your heart or other thoughts, feel free to tell me, and I’ll help arrange it. Womanhood is not easy; we’ve all felt the constraints of life from a young age… Since you’ve come to my side as maidservants, I’ll protect you and give you the freedom to act recklessly. I’ll speak to my father…”
Before Jiang Pengji could finish, Ta Xue, whose eyes were already red, now glistened with heavy tears, and she abruptly hugged her, complaining against her neck, “Young Master promised before not to mess with the hearts of young ladies!”
Jiang Pengji shrugged internally; she was being wrongfully accused and wouldn’t take the blame for that.
Why did people always think the worst of a pure friendship?
The ever-indifferent System scoffed coldly, becoming increasingly disheartened about the days to come.
“Wipe your tears; if I were a man, I’d be heartbroken seeing those tears fall.”
Jiang Pengji smiled and quickly helped her wipe them away with her sleeve.
Ta Xue muttered softly, “Does that mean you’re not heartbroken anymore?”
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow meaningfully at her, “Not exactly; it’s all pity, just directed differently.”
Ta Xue paused, confused by her words, but quickly came to her senses, her skin feeling as though it was on fire.
Jiang Pengji pretended not to see, her expression returning to normal as she said, “Go have a quiet word with Xun Mei to make sure she doesn’t really get caught up in it. Xu Ke is a good person, but he’s not suitable for her. She doesn’t have the means to handle him.”
Seeing Young Master sit up straight and speak seriously, Ta Xue quickly put aside her unnecessary thoughts and didn’t dare to throw a tantrum any longer.
Regarding Jiang Pengji’s high praise of Xu Ke, she felt somewhat unimpressed, “Young Master, you’re raising him too high.”
No matter how you looked at it, Xu Ke was merely a house servant bought into the Liu Residence, of low status, especially with that extremely humiliating tattoo on his face. But what about Xun Mei? Ta Xue didn’t particularly like Xun Mei’s little schemes, but she wouldn’t intentionally belittle her either.
As a trusted maidservant close to Young Master, her position was just below the main residents and the steward of the household. If she had any feelings for Xu Ke, it would be Xu Ke reaching out. Yet from what her Young Master said, it seemed like Xun Mei was unworthy of Xu Ke.
Jiang Pengji smiled helplessly but didn’t plan to explain further.
“Xu Ke may seem honest on the outside, but inside he’s incredibly stubborn and proud. Xun Mei following him would easily end up at a disadvantage.”
Had she not forcibly bought Xu Ke, that kid might have already escaped from the Tooth Shop.
If the world were at peace, Xu Ke would indeed find it hard to achieve anything in his life; after all, being of ‘low birth’ was enough to send him straight to hell. However, times create heroes, and a few years from now, with chaos in the land, who could guarantee he wouldn’t seize the opportunity and soar to great heights?
Moreover, if she ever planned to stir things up, Xu Ke was someone who’d satisfy her; then… the future would be uncertain.
Hearing this, Ta Xue didn’t notice the hidden content in Jiang Pengji’s words, assuming it was just one reason.
She voiced her discontent softly, “Young Master cares so much for her, but she, on the other hand, harbors her own intentions… veering away from proper paths!”
Jiang Pengji replied, “It’s just human nature.”
As long as there’s no betrayal in her mind or crossing of her bottom line, she wouldn’t take offense at such minor flaws.
But if someone did cross the line or betray her, she wouldn’t be so easy to deal with.
Elsewhere, after receiving permission, Xun Mei walked down the corridor with mixed feelings, looking at Xu Ke, who was as still as a clay statue.
The night was deep, and the air carried a bone-chilling dampness.
Compared to the warmth of the day, the cold made her fingertips turn red.
She held a simple cloak she had made herself, with materials procured using her own rations.
As she spoke, she draped the cloak over Xu Ke’s shoulders, “Second Young Master has already permitted you to rise… If you keep kneeling here, with people coming and going, who knows what they’ll think of the Second Young Master, saying she’s cruel and doesn’t care for her servants.”
Xu Ke, already dazed from the night wind, suddenly felt warmth and the fragrance, causing him to look up and meet Xun Mei’s bright, glowing eyes, like a clear spring that seemed to peer right into his heart.
But he quickly averted his gaze, not daring to meet her directly.
No matter how foolish he was, he knew that Xun Mei and Ta Xue held special statuses, basically serving as potential candidates for the family’s heir.
Xu Ke, freezing, found his lips slightly numb. “… No, it was my fault; this is a lesson for me.”
Xun Mei relayed Jiang Pengji’s earlier words verbatim to Xu Ke. After hearing them, his eyes flickered a few times before settling into calm.
Then he sighed lightly, chuckling in a way that seemed to imply, “Young Master has quite the methods.”
With a sensible and understanding Ta Xue next to him and a gentle and warm-hearted Xun Mei, one strong and one soft. The former reminded and prodded him, while the latter represented grace and kindness, coupled with Jiang Pengji’s performance and her tolerant approach, was truly impressive.
He pulled the cloak closer and staggered to stand up, bowing slightly to Xun Mei and whispering his thanks.
Liu Zhi was the first to learn of what had transpired outside Jiang Pengji’s courtyard and took a long time to regain his senses.
“It seems… the wolf-taming routine… may no longer be needed…”
Under the candlelight, Liu Zhi couldn’t help but smile wryly, suppressing his almost bubbling laughter.
There are always two kinds of people who like to complicate simple matters; one is the clever type, and the other is the self-righteous type.
Before falling asleep, he gazed for a long time at the ancestral tablets in his room, as if reminiscing about something, his eyes dimmed.
