Chapter 8: 008 Qian Wu's Anger

Just as Xue Qianwu had begun to feel relieved, hearing these words made her frown. "Third Sister, you didn't even ask; how can you say it was Qiange's carelessness!"

"Huamei just said it herself," Xue Qiandai retorted, "She had already handed the medicine to Second Sister. If it wasn't Second Sister's carelessness, then who was it?"

A surge of anger suddenly rose in Xue Qianwu's chest. "Huamei is merely a maid, and one who doesn't even know the rules. Third Sister, you didn't even ask and instead chose to believe her words—is Qiange even less important than a maid in your eyes?!"

She did not want to think that Qiange being falsely accused of theft might be a conspiracy, nor did she want to doubt her Third Sister, who had always been well-behaved and delicate. But at this moment, Third Sister's first reaction was not to worry about Qiange, but rather to take her own maid's side. She couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart; even if they were sisters who weren't close, the proper thing to do would be to question the maid first, let alone the fact that they had grown up together since childhood.

"Huamei was just scolded by Qiange; perhaps she is acting out of resentment. Qiange has just been falsely accused of theft; does Third Sister intend to falsely accuse her of ruining the quilt bestowed by Grandmother as well?"

"This servant is being wronged!" Upon hearing the blame being placed on her, Huamei cried out hurriedly. She usually lacked decorum in front of Qianwu and Qiange, and being falsely accused while harboring resentment today made her even more insolent. Pointing her finger at Qiange's nose, she said, "It was Second Miss herself who was careless! She spilled the medicinal soup herself and ruined the quilt bestowed by the Old Madam! Miss, you must seek justice for this servant!"

"Shut up!" Xue Qianwu stood up abruptly in rage. "You are a mere servant; where do you get the audacity to be so insolent as to point your finger at Second Miss!"

Xue Qianwu was habitually kind and possessed a very gentle temperament. This sudden outburst startled even Xue Qiandai, and Huamei no longer dared to make a sound.

This time, Xue Qianwu was thoroughly enraged: "Third Sister, do you still intend to believe and follow the words of such a rule-breaking servant?!"

Xue Qiandai's face turned dark from Xue Qianwu's series of interrogations, and her lungs felt like they were about to burst with fury. The reason she had been repeatedly attacked by these two "wretches" was all because of this stupid, lowly maid, Huamei. She immediately shouted, "Someone, come! Drag this audacious servant Huamei away, give her forty strokes of the board, and send her to the laundry courtyard!"

"I'm being wronged! Miss! This servant is being wronged!" Huamei wailed like a ghost or a wolf as she was dragged away by two older women.

Only then did Xue Qianwu feel a sense of relief. She sat on the edge of the bed and gripped Qiange's hand with heartache.

Qiange squeezed her hand back and gave her a slight smile. She had forgotten that she was her sister's reverse scale—to touch it was to invite wrath. This outburst by her sister had disrupted her plans, yet it made her happy from the bottom of her heart. In this life, her sister was still the same as in her previous life; no matter when, she would always protect her.

Qiange tightened their clasped hands and said silently, *Sister, in this life, it is my turn to shield you from the wind and rain!*

After Huamei was dragged out of the room, the sound of rhythmic striking and Huamei's miserable screams soon drifted in from outside.

There was not a shred of sympathy in Qiange's heart. Huamei was a restless person; in her previous life, many of the bad things Xue Qiandai had done were ideas conceived by her behind the scenes. If not for Xique eventually being disillusioned by this master and servant pair and exposing all their misdeeds before her death, she would never have imagined that this Huamei, who looked somewhat pure in countenance, possessed such a vicious heart.

Just as Huamei's screams outside were growing weaker, a majestic shout suddenly rang out from the courtyard: "Stop!"

Following that angry shout, the sound of the striking boards immediately ceased. One could only hear the maids and older women saluting in unison: "This servant greets the Old Madam! This servant greets the Madam!"