Chapter 9: 009 Feigning Illness

Chapter 9: 009. Feigning Illness

Bai Suihe winked at her quietly. Dongmei felt as if she were seeing her young mistress from before she was married, and her expression softened involuntarily. It seemed her mistress had finally wised up.

Seeing her mistress standing there following the rules in front of the Old Madam every day, they, as her maids, felt truly heartbroken.

Her mistress had been pampered and spoiled at home, yet for over a year now, she had suffered no less than they had.

They had reminded her in private several times, but her mistress would only say that these were the rules, and that all daughters-in-law had to endure such things to eventually become mothers-in-law themselves.

They knew in their hearts that their mistress understood she had married into a higher status and grasped the significance of the political marriage; even if she had grievances, she kept them hidden.

Back then, it made them grit their teeth in frustration. They blamed the mistress’s old wet nurse, who was always whispering that rural philosophy in her ear—about how a daughter-in-law must suffer to become a matriarch, how filial piety is greater than heaven, and how a woman must obey her husband after marriage...

Fortunately, the Madam had sensed something was wrong. For the sake of her daughter’s reputation, she had given that wet nurse a sum of silver before the wedding and sent her back to the countryside to retire.

Looking at it now, it wasn't entirely the wet nurse's fault; the mistress had her own considerations.

As for why she had even kept them, her maids, in the dark? For Dongmei, that was never a question.

The mistress was the master; there was no such thing as a master explaining themselves to a servant.

"Third Young Mistress, please rest well. If the Third Young Master returns and sees you like this, he will surely be heartbroken." Dongmei helped tuck her in, then looked at her mistress’s rosy, just-woken-up face. She quickly walked to the vanity, used her body to shield it, and swiftly applied a layer of powder to her cheeks.

Bai Suihe blinked. This girl was truly sharp; she even knew how to cover for her.

She ruffled her hair with her hands to make herself look a bit more haggard.

The manor physician arrived quickly. The Third Young Mistress had fainted the day before yesterday due to "overexertion."

For a young mistress of a wealthy family to faint from exhaustion was a massive joke, but he had already accepted hush money from the Old Madam, so he naturally dared not spread the news. He hadn't dared to leave the manor for the past two days, fearing that a slip of the tongue might offend these noble people.

Arriving at the Third Young Mistress’s courtyard, he couldn't help but feel a trace of sympathy. If a woman wasn't favored by her mother-in-law after marriage, her life would be difficult no matter how much money she had.

Of all the branches, the Third Branch was the most opulent, but it was also the hardest to live in.

Diagnosing her pulse through a silk veil, the physician felt a bit strange. The pulse was changing too quickly; today, it felt as if she were full of vitality—she was perfectly healthy.

Though he was puzzled, the physician dared not speak up.

Unless she had taken some miraculous elixir, it was impossible for a person’s pulse to change so drastically overnight.

If he were to say that, he would be slapping his own face and admitting his medical skills were subpar.

After a moment of contemplation, he said with a profound air, "The Third Young Mistress must not overthink during her pregnancy; it is best to focus on quiet recuperation. I will prescribe another dose of fetal-calming medicine, and I believe things will stabilize."

Bai Suihe knew her own body well; when she woke up this morning, the previous exhaustion had already vanished.

She simply didn't want to meet those women and get dragged into their domestic squabbles. She had no experience and was afraid of falling into a trap. She had made up her mind: until the house was raided, she would avoid conflict with them as much as possible.

As for after the raid, who would even care about her? By then, even if her personality changed, it likely wouldn't attract any attention.

Dongmei caught the look from Bai Suihe and immediately slipped a purse to the physician. "Thank you, sir. We hope you will continue to take good care of our Third Young Mistress’s health."

Feeling the weight of the light purse, the physician was inwardly delighted. Although the Third Young Mistress’s situation in the manor wasn't great, she had resources—look at how generous she was.

Thinking back to the pulse he had just felt, he immediately said with a knowing look, "Pregnancy is never easy. The Third Young Mistress should try to rest more. Avoid standing or sitting for long periods; you must balance work and rest."

Bai Suihe appreciated the physician’s tact. She said to Chunxiang, who was at the door, "Chunxiang, see the gentleman out and pick up the medicine on your way back."

Not long after the physician left, the main courtyard received the news. Old Madam Xu Huizhen sat on her daybed, pondered for a moment, and then said to Mother Zhou, who was by her side, "The Bai girl is in poor health. Don't let outsiders say that I, as a mother-in-law, am harsh. Tell the kitchen to take extra care of the Third Branch these days. Whatever the manor has, give them priority."

Mother Zhou bowed and agreed. She understood the Old Madam’s meaning: the main kitchen had a fixed daily quota. If they wanted to eat well, the Third Young Mistress would have to pay for it herself.

When the Third Young Mistress ordered good food, the main courtyard would naturally get a share, and perhaps the other branches would benefit as well.

Bai Suihe was unaware of the Old Madam’s plans. At that moment, she was already up, letting her maids dress her. She didn't have much time left, and she had to hurry.

"Mistress, is this really okay?" Chunxiang was a bit nervous. Although she and her mistress were similar in build, even with the same hairstyle, they weren't the same person.

"What does it matter? Once I leave, you just lie in bed and pull the curtains. Who would come to check on us?" Bai Suihe carefully checked her appearance, constantly adjusting her features.

The makeup techniques of the future were akin to plastic surgery. When she was working, she had often studied them with her female colleagues. While she couldn't compare to professional studio makeup artists, she could certainly alter a person’s appearance.

And so, the face in the bronze mirror began to change slowly, her features starting to resemble Chunxiang’s.

With the same clothes and her head lowered, one really couldn't tell from the side.

Besides, people usually didn't pay much attention to a maid coming and going. As long as she didn't make a sound, it would be foolproof.

Chunxiang and Dongmei stared at Bai Suihe in astonishment. They had served her for so long and never knew she had such a skill.

The two maids didn't suspect anything. When Madam Bai was raising her daughter, she had hired many tutors; perhaps one of them had taught her this in class.

Bai Suihe smoothed her hair, confirmed everything was in order, waved at the two maids, and headed toward the back gate with a food box.

Chunxiang was sweating with anxiety. "Dongmei, do you think the mistress will really be okay? I’m truly worried about her going out alone. Should you go with her?"

"We must listen to the mistress. You go lie on the bed first. I have to stay here and handle things. We cannot let anyone know the mistress left the manor; that would be truly disastrous." Dongmei was calmer. Since the mistress had made her decision, it wasn't for them to question it. They just had to keep her secret well.

Following Chunxiang’s instructions, Bai Suihe quietly slipped a silver coin to the old woman guarding the side gate. The woman didn't ask any questions and immediately opened the door. "Miss Chunxiang, remember to come back early."

Bai Suihe didn't answer, only nodded, and quickly disappeared outside the gate.

The gatekeeper was a bit puzzled. Why hadn't Miss Chunxiang chatted with her today? Was something wrong with the Third Young Mistress?