Chapter 17: Visitation

What did that mean? How could someone like Mother Su not understand?

"Slap their mouths." The smile vanished from her face instantly. She arched a thin eyebrow and commanded.

The women immediately knelt. Whether they had been the ones speaking just now or were merely onlookers, they all began slapping their own faces. The sound of rapid, rhythmic slapping rang out, chaotic yet crisp.

"Mother Su, this is getting out of hand," Qi Yue said with a smile. "It was originally my fault. As the saying goes, one shouldn't blame those who are ignorant. Punishing them like this makes me seem rather petty."

"Stop," Mother Su said, her expression turning apologetic. "I failed to recognize the Young Mistress. It seems my eyes are growing dim and I am no longer fit for my position. You lot, leave this place today. From now on, you are not permitted to step foot into the inner courtyard."

This was worse than being slapped. The women immediately began wailing and kowtowing, begging for mercy. To be banished from the inner courtyard was to cut off their entire family's livelihood.

"Mother Su, you are being too serious," Qi Yue laughed. "Don't be like that. Everyone has families, businesses, elders, and children. Even a tiger takes a nap; it's inevitable for people to be careless. I have already punished and lectured them. For my sake, Mother Su, please forgive them."

"The Young Mistress is indeed magnanimous," Mother Su sighed, before turning to glare at the women again. "Quickly, thank the Young Mistress, you blind fools!"

The women knelt and kowtowed to Qi Yue in gratitude.

"In that case, I shall take my leave. Mother Su, please get back to your work," Qi Yue said with a smile, helping them up.

Mother Su immediately followed them to see them off. Only after Qi Yue had told her to stay and had walked away with her maid, A-Hao, fanning herself and smiling, did Mother Su straighten her posture. The smile vanished completely from her face.

"Rise," she said, looking at the women who were still kneeling.

The women scrambled to their feet. One of them, looking aggrieved, attempted to lodge a complaint.

"Enough. I am not deaf; I heard everything," Mother Su said indifferently, casting a glance at her. "If you don't have the courage, don't speak such arrogant words..."

The women lowered their heads and listened, none daring to open their mouths.

"Go on, then," Mother Su said, waving her hand with a hint of impatience.

Not daring to say another word, the women rose and hurried away.

"So Sister Zhou wasn't just seeing things after all," Mother Su murmured, looking again toward the direction where Qi Yue had disappeared. The master and servant were no longer in sight. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "The words she spoke today were more than she said in the entire five years combined, and she spoke so well. It seems the Young Mistress's illness is truly improving..."

She pondered for a moment, then reached up to gently smooth her hair.

"Go see if the First Madam has finished her meal. Is the Marquis still in his room or has he gone to the study?" Mother Su turned and commanded.

The young maid behind her obeyed and left.

Qi Yue did not care what Mother Su was thinking. She was reflecting on what had just happened and taking the opportunity to ask A-Hao about various protocols, finding it quite interesting.

"...So, according to what you're saying, in this manor, I am the highest-ranking person after the First Madam?" she asked with a smile.

Although those old servants had found it difficult to hide their contempt and disdain for her just now, they still knelt when told to, didn't dare fight back when slapped, and followed all the rules for kowtowing and apologizing. While they might not care or respect her in their hearts, their actions followed protocol. It was quite contradictory—was this perhaps the inertia of social hierarchy in ancient times?

"Young Mistress, is that even a question?" A-Hao looked at her, thinking the question was foolish. "You are the Young Mistress. The Heir will inherit the title, so you are naturally the Marquis's wife and the mistress of the Dingxi Marquis Manor."

"Then what about the Misses and Young Masters...?" Qi Yue asked again.

"You are the eldest sister-in-law," A-Hao said, unable to stop herself from wanting to roll her eyes.

*The eldest sister-in-law is like a mother.* Qi Yue let out an "oh" of realization, smiling as she waved her small fan.

"So, in this inner courtyard, I am the number two?" she mused to herself. "But being number two is always an awkward position; it's not exactly a great job... Do I also need to ask Mother Su for a token when I go out?"

Thinking of something else, she asked, "Do I need to?"

"Of course not," A-Hao said, caught between laughter and tears. "You just need to inform the First Madam. How would a mere servant dare to control your movements?"

"The First Madam?" Qi Yue frowned and nodded, falling silent.

As they entered the courtyard, the two still felt a sense of unease, thinking of A-Ru.

"...A-Ru's parents died two years ago. She only has a younger brother. Their family rents a house in the back alley outside the manor. They said that even if they can't see Sister A-Ru all the time, being close to her makes them feel better. She used to follow the Old Madam, and because the Old Madam took pity on her for being sold as a child—and because her family wasn't the type to forget their flesh and blood after selling a daughter—she was allowed to visit during festivals. But ever since we moved into Qiutong Courtyard, it has been very hard for Sister A-Ru to go out. When her parents died, if they hadn't begged the First Madam at the very end, I'm afraid they wouldn't have even seen them for one last look..." A-Hao said as she sat on a small stool.

Qi Yue sighed, thought for a moment, and then stood up.

"Let's go see her and see if there is anything we can do to help," she said.

A-Hao, who had been thinking the same thing, stood up in surprise.

"But, I should go by myself. Your body is precious, Young Mistress..." She shook her head again.

*Precious body? What's precious about a beggar girl?* Qi Yue couldn't help but laugh.

"You are just children; what use would you be if something happened? Besides, I am a doc... I am your master, which makes me your guardian. If I don't look after you, who will?" Qi Yue said, having made up her mind. She turned, grabbed her medical kit from the room, and prepared to leave.

A-Hao had no choice but to lead the way.

"We should inform the First Madam first..." she reminded her.

She wondered how the Marquis's wife would react...

Based on the fragmented information she had gathered over the past few days, it seemed "herself"—the mother-in-law—did not particularly like her...

Qi Yue's thoughts were complex and tinged with curiosity, but things went differently than expected. She didn't even reach the gates of her mother-in-law's courtyard; instead, it was Mother Su who stood at the entrance to greet her.

"The Marquis is taking a nap inside. Perhaps the Young Mistress should come back later. If there is anything to say, you can just tell this old servant; there is no need for you to trouble yourself with the walk," Mother Su said with a smile.

Qi Yue was relieved; this was exactly what she wanted.

"A-Ru has been with me for several years, and I am still worried. I'll go have a look. It's not far, just in our back alley. I'll be back in a flash," she said with a smile.

"Oh dear, where would that girl A-Ru get the fortune to receive such treatment? Young Mistress, you will shame her," Mother Su said hurriedly.

Qi Yue simply smiled.

"Mother Su, please relay my words to the First Madam," she said, not engaging further or saying another word.

Mother Su was slightly stunned. The girl was the master, and she was a servant. The girl could speak freely to the First Madam, but there was no need to say more to her—she dismissed her with a single sentence...

"I shall have a few people from the gate follow you..." Mother Su nodded with a smile, though her heart felt complicated. Since the Old Marchioness passed away, she had grown accustomed to having only one master to serve in this manor, enjoying the flattery of the maids and servants and the polite treatment of the aunts, young masters, and ladies. She had become so accustomed to it that she had forgotten there was actually another woman in this manor who could speak to her so bluntly...

Qi Yue, already turning away, did not look back. She merely waved her small fan at Mother Su, signaling that it wasn't necessary.

Mother Su watched her retreating figure for a moment before turning to go inside.

Rongan Courtyard was quiet. A few young maids standing under the corridor were so sleepy their eyes were spinning, yet they didn't dare close them.

Mother Su lifted the curtain and entered herself.

The Marquis was not in the room. Only Lady Xie was there, kneeling before a small Buddha statue chanting sutras, while a senior maid burned incense nearby.

Mother Su stood waiting until Lady Xie put down her prayer beads, at which point she immediately stepped forward to assist her.

"Quite fast, isn't she? It hasn't even been a few days since she started acting out, and she's already wandering the alleys," Lady Xie said as she sat on the large heated kang, taking a sip of tea offered by the maid. She added indifferently, "Let her go. Let her wander wherever she pleases. Let's see what kind of spectacle she can make of herself."

Mother Su replied, "Yes, Madam."

"The Marquis left the study. On his way, he ran into Concubine Zhou's little maid. I don't know what was said, but he went straight to Concubine Zhou's quarters," Mother Su reported.

Lady Xie let out a cold laugh.

"See? She's starting to jump around, isn't she?" she said, setting down her tea. "Didn't Concubine Zhu want to promote that girl in her house? Go tell her to arrange a facial treatment for the girl."

Mother Su acknowledged the command.

Lady Xie leaned back against her pillow and exhaled.

"One person isn't enough. You need more people to make the play interesting, to make the performance lively," she said slowly, closing her eyes.

Mother Su and the maid helped her remove her shoes and assisted her in lying down before tiptoeing out.

Meanwhile, Qi Yue and A-Hao did not return. They went straight through two or three courtyards to the back gate, where three or four older servants were sitting and chatting.

"Which courtyard is the lady from? On whose authority is she going out? And what is the purpose of her outing?" one of the women asked lazily.

"From Qiutong Courtyard," A-Hao said, handing over Qi Yue's token.

"This isn't right. This isn't a token from Mother Su's side..." The woman was illiterate and only recognized colors. "What color is this?"

The woman beside her leaned in.

"Imperial purple... Oh my heavens..." she cried out, staring wide-eyed at A-Hao and Qi Yue. Finally, her gaze landed on Qi Yue.

The woman before them had her hair styled high, wearing a pale yellow floral gauze top and a white long skirt. She was beautiful and graceful.

Qi Yue gave her a slight smile.

"Young... Young Mistress?" The woman's eyes widened in disbelief.

Qi Yue nodded with a smile.

"I am going out. My maid A-Ru's family is not doing well. Mother Su's side has already sent out a token, but I am uneasy. Since I have nothing to do after the meal, I thought I would go and check on them," she said.

The four women before her remained in a state of shock.

"Has she left?" A-Hao asked.

"Yes, yes! Safe travels, Young Mistress! Let us call a carriage for you!" The women snapped out of it, some opening the gate while others spoke all at once in a flurry of words.

"No need, it's just in the back alley. It's only a few steps away," Qi Yue smiled and stepped out the gate.

Watching the master and servant depart, the women looked at each other for a moment.

"Good heavens, the Young Mistress actually went out..."

"She really has come back to life..."

"Looking at her complexion, she looks even better than before..."

"She drank the soup of forgetfulness and was personally sent back by the Old Madam; is she a celestial being or something?"

"Does this mean the Young Mistress is going to manage the household on behalf of the Old Madam?"