“Yes, yes! Your humble servant will lead the way immediately!” Mrs. Fan glanced at the four servant girls. “Young Mistress, these servants indeed deserve to die! But if you punish them this time, I’m certain they’ll remember. I boldly beg Young Mistress to spare their lives this time. If they die in this courtyard, after all, it’ll be difficult to clean up.”
Nanny stepped forward as well and placed a hand on Su Jiu’s shoulder. “Forgive them.”
By this time, the four servant girls were frozen stiff, unable to speak. Su Jiu glanced at them, and said calmly, “Have someone escort them back.”
“Yes, yes!” Mrs. Fan replied. She saw that the servant girls were no longer able to thank Su Jiu, and didn’t cause them further distress. She ordered a few servants to carry the girls back to their rooms.”Boil some water. Make some ginger-root soup and give it to the girls. Even if they die, they shouldn’t die here and dirty Young Mistress’s eyes,” Mrs. Fan ordered.The servants retreated. Mrs. Fan led Su Jiu and Chang Huan towards the laundry wing.The sky was already dark by this time. Intricate lanterns illuminated the entire Ji Manor, casting colorful shadows everywhere.
The laundry wing was in the northeastern corner of the back courtyard, and only the lowest-ranking servants worked there. Some were newly arrived in Ji Manor, poor girls from impoverished families who could only work the bitterest jobs. Others were servants in Ji Manor who worked in the laundry wing as punishment for misbehavior.At this time, the servants were lined up for dinner. There were many people in the laundry wing, but because they were weary from strenuous work, the laundry wing was eerily silent.
Mrs. Qin, who was in charge of the laundry wing, was busy whipping a fourteen or fifteen-year-old servant girl. She shouted as she beat the girl.
“Little bitch! How dare you steal my meat! I ought to kill you!”
Among the servants, there were high-ranking ones and lowly ones. The two groups received different meals. The lowliest servants in Ji Manor only received steamed buns every day, along with some vegetables with no oil. Mrs. Qin, on the other hand, was the head of the laundry wing and close with Xie Ying. Her meals were quite different from the servants’ and always included meat and soup.The little servant girl was new to Ji Manor and didn’t know the rules. She saw a plate of red-cooked pork on the table and ate a piece. For that offense, Mrs. Qin whipped her nearly to death.”That’s for stealing food!” Mrs. Qin’s triangular eyes were filled with spite. She scooped up a spoonful of hot porridge and forced the girl’s mouth open.The little servant girl, injured from head to toe, wept bitterly. She struggled to move away from Mrs. Qin. “I won’t dare, I won’t dare to steal food ever again! Spare my life, Mrs. Qin, please!”
Mrs. Qin was insistent of displaying her authority to the entire laundry wing and did not listen. She forcefully pried at the girl’s closed mouth. “Open your mouth, or I’ll pour the porridge on your face!”
More than twenty people stood around them, watching to numb expressions. Not a single person stepped forward to beg for mercy.When Su Jiu entered the laundry wing, this was the first thing she saw. Her eyes hardened, and she glanced towards Chang Huan.Chang Huan had been swallowing his anger since earlier that day. When he saw Su Jiu’s signal, his face immediately brightened. His fury rose to the surface. He leaped up and gave Mrs. Qin a swift kick to the face.”Ah! My tooth!”
Mrs. Qin screamed in pain and stumbled into the table holding the pot of porridge. The table shook, flipping the pot over and spilling all of its contents onto Mrs. Qin.”Ah! Ah! Ahh!”
Mrs. Qin, burnt from the porridge, screamed again and again. She crawled out from under the table and rolled back and forth on the ground.For a moment, all that could be heard was Mrs. Qin’s shrieking.The servants were all shocked by the sudden occurrence and did not know how to react.A few women who worked under Mrs. Qin rushed over to her side and brushed the porridge off her body. They helped her up. “Mrs. Qin, are you alright?”
Mrs. Qin sat up. Both of her front teeth had been knocked out, leaving her mouth a bloody mess. Her face and body were covered in unsightly mud.”Who? Who kicked me?” Mrs. Qin was shaking from anger.Everybody looked towards Chang Huan and Su Jiu, who stood behind him.Mrs. Fan was still in shock. She had not expected Chang Huan to have such martial prowess! Still slightly pale, she walked towards Mrs. Qin and said coldly, “Pay your respects to Young Mistress!”
“Young Mistress?” Everybody’s eyes landed on Su Jiu.They worked hard every day and rarely have the opportunity to leave the laundry wing. Naturally, they didn’t recognize Su Jiu. Under the dim light, Mrs. Qin’s eyes blazed with anger. She spat out a mouthful of bloodied spit and unwillingly stepped forward. “Your humble servant pays her respects to Young Mistress. But I don’t understand. What did I do to deserve such a severe punishment?”
She knew in her heart that Young Mistress must’ve been angry about the clothes-washing incident. But she had Second Young Mistress to back her up, and so she was fearless in front of Su Jiu. She had already thought of an explanation and planned to accuse Su Jiu of publicly seeking revenge for private matters.
But Su Jiu didn’t care what others thought of her. She glanced at the little servant girl and asked Mrs. Qin, “What did she do to deserve such a severe punishment?”
“She stole food and broke the rules. I was just teaching her a lesson!” Mrs. Qin narrowed her eyes and spoke loudly.With Xie Ying backing her up, she had no reason to fear this backgroundless Young Mistress.”Whose food did she steal?” Su Jiu asked.”She stole my food!” Mrs. Fan replied with her head held high.Su Jiu glanced at the table and saw a big bowl of boiled vegetables, a plate of red-cooked meat, and a plate of meatballs. She immediately understood. She chuckled coldly. “You’re all servants. Why can’t she eat your food?”
“There are rules among the servants! I am the head servant, while she is among the lowliest. How can she eat the same meals as me?” Mrs. Qin let out a cold “hmph.”
The badly-beaten servant girl crawled over and knelt by Su Jiu’s feet. “Please have mercy, Young Mistress! I’ll never do it again! Please let me stay in Ji Manor,” she sobbed.Though servants in Ji Manor lived bitter lives, they earned more money than servants in other big households. Many people fought for the opportunity to work in Ji Manor.”Don’t feign tears!” Mrs. Qin, with no regard for Su Jiu’s presence, kicked the servant girl’s shoulder, instantly knocked her over.”Watch yourself, Mrs. Qin! Young Mistress is still here!” Mrs. Fan shouted.Chang Huan’s hands were clenched into fists. As soon as Su Jiu gave him the order, he would beat Mrs. Qin until the malicious servant was a cripple.Su Jiu narrowed her eyes. She said, coldly, “Mrs. Fan, I am the Young Mistress of Ji Manor. Do I have the power to command the servants of Ji Manor?”
Mrs. Fan started, and then replied, “Of course. Young Mistress is a master. Of course, you have the power to command servants!”
“Good!” Su Jiu nodded her head. Her face was clear under the dim light. “From now on, this little servant girl is the head of the laundry wing. And as for Mrs. Qin, she is demoted to the rank of the lowliest servant, and will wash clothes with the rest of the servants in the laundry wing.”
As soon as she was done speaking, everybody started.Mrs. Qin turned white with anger. “Your humble servant didn’t do anything wrong, Young Mistress. Why should I be demoted?”
Su Jiu raised an eyebrow and chuckled coldly. “No reason. It makes me happy. Do you have any further questions?”
Mrs. Qin looked at her in shock. The young woman seemed to radiate a cold aura. Mrs. Qin felt a quiver of fear in her heart but still refused to lower her head. “Second Young Mistress was the one who promoted me. Young Mistress, how can you demote me just like that?”
Su Jiu turned towards Mrs. Fan. “In Ji Manor, am I higher up or is Second Young Mistress higher up?”
“Young Mistress is higher up, of course,” Mrs. Fan immediately replied.Su Jiu entered Ji Manor later than Xie Ying, but she was a master of the household. Xie Ying may have entered the manor earlier, and she may have come from a powerful family, but nevertheless, she was a concubine in Ji Manor and therefore was practically a servant herself.”Did you hear that?” Su Jiu looked towards Mirs. Qin.Mrs. Qin, dissatisfied, was just about to argue back. At that very moment, a shout suddenly came from the door.”What’s going on here?”
“Yes, yes! Your humble servant will lead the way immediately!” Mrs. Fan glanced at the four servant girls. “Young Mistress, these servants indeed deserve to die! But if you punish them this time, I’m certain they’ll remember. I boldly beg Young Mistress to spare their lives this time. If they die in this courtyard, after all, it’ll be difficult to clean up.”
Nanny stepped forward as well and placed a hand on Su Jiu’s shoulder. “Forgive them.”
By this time, the four servant girls were frozen stiff, unable to speak. Su Jiu glanced at them, and said calmly, “Have someone escort them back.”
“Yes, yes!” Mrs. Fan replied. She saw that the servant girls were no longer able to thank Su Jiu, and didn’t cause them further distress. She ordered a few servants to carry the girls back to their rooms.”Boil some water. Make some ginger-root soup and give it to the girls. Even if they die, they shouldn’t die here and dirty Young Mistress’s eyes,” Mrs. Fan ordered.The servants retreated. Mrs. Fan led Su Jiu and Chang Huan towards the laundry wing.The sky was already dark by this time. Intricate lanterns illuminated the entire Ji Manor, casting colorful shadows everywhere.
The laundry wing was in the northeastern corner of the back courtyard, and only the lowest-ranking servants worked there. Some were newly arrived in Ji Manor, poor girls from impoverished families who could only work the bitterest jobs. Others were servants in Ji Manor who worked in the laundry wing as punishment for misbehavior.At this time, the servants were lined up for dinner. There were many people in the laundry wing, but because they were weary from strenuous work, the laundry wing was eerily silent.
Mrs. Qin, who was in charge of the laundry wing, was busy whipping a fourteen or fifteen-year-old servant girl. She shouted as she beat the girl.
“Little bitch! How dare you steal my meat! I ought to kill you!”
Among the servants, there were high-ranking ones and lowly ones. The two groups received different meals. The lowliest servants in Ji Manor only received steamed buns every day, along with some vegetables with no oil. Mrs. Qin, on the other hand, was the head of the laundry wing and close with Xie Ying. Her meals were quite different from the servants’ and always included meat and soup.The little servant girl was new to Ji Manor and didn’t know the rules. She saw a plate of red-cooked pork on the table and ate a piece. For that offense, Mrs. Qin whipped her nearly to death.”That’s for stealing food!” Mrs. Qin’s triangular eyes were filled with spite. She scooped up a spoonful of hot porridge and forced the girl’s mouth open.The little servant girl, injured from head to toe, wept bitterly. She struggled to move away from Mrs. Qin. “I won’t dare, I won’t dare to steal food ever again! Spare my life, Mrs. Qin, please!”
Mrs. Qin was insistent of displaying her authority to the entire laundry wing and did not listen. She forcefully pried at the girl’s closed mouth. “Open your mouth, or I’ll pour the porridge on your face!”
More than twenty people stood around them, watching to numb expressions. Not a single person stepped forward to beg for mercy.When Su Jiu entered the laundry wing, this was the first thing she saw. Her eyes hardened, and she glanced towards Chang Huan.Chang Huan had been swallowing his anger since earlier that day. When he saw Su Jiu’s signal, his face immediately brightened. His fury rose to the surface. He leaped up and gave Mrs. Qin a swift kick to the face.”Ah! My tooth!”
Mrs. Qin screamed in pain and stumbled into the table holding the pot of porridge. The table shook, flipping the pot over and spilling all of its contents onto Mrs. Qin.”Ah! Ah! Ahh!”
Mrs. Qin, burnt from the porridge, screamed again and again. She crawled out from under the table and rolled back and forth on the ground.For a moment, all that could be heard was Mrs. Qin’s shrieking.The servants were all shocked by the sudden occurrence and did not know how to react.A few women who worked under Mrs. Qin rushed over to her side and brushed the porridge off her body. They helped her up. “Mrs. Qin, are you alright?”
Mrs. Qin sat up. Both of her front teeth had been knocked out, leaving her mouth a bloody mess. Her face and body were covered in unsightly mud.”Who? Who kicked me?” Mrs. Qin was shaking from anger.Everybody looked towards Chang Huan and Su Jiu, who stood behind him.Mrs. Fan was still in shock. She had not expected Chang Huan to have such martial prowess! Still slightly pale, she walked towards Mrs. Qin and said coldly, “Pay your respects to Young Mistress!”
“Young Mistress?” Everybody’s eyes landed on Su Jiu.They worked hard every day and rarely have the opportunity to leave the laundry wing. Naturally, they didn’t recognize Su Jiu. Under the dim light, Mrs. Qin’s eyes blazed with anger. She spat out a mouthful of bloodied spit and unwillingly stepped forward. “Your humble servant pays her respects to Young Mistress. But I don’t understand. What did I do to deserve such a severe punishment?”
She knew in her heart that Young Mistress must’ve been angry about the clothes-washing incident. But she had Second Young Mistress to back her up, and so she was fearless in front of Su Jiu. She had already thought of an explanation and planned to accuse Su Jiu of publicly seeking revenge for private matters.
But Su Jiu didn’t care what others thought of her. She glanced at the little servant girl and asked Mrs. Qin, “What did she do to deserve such a severe punishment?”
“She stole food and broke the rules. I was just teaching her a lesson!” Mrs. Qin narrowed her eyes and spoke loudly.With Xie Ying backing her up, she had no reason to fear this backgroundless Young Mistress.”Whose food did she steal?” Su Jiu asked.”She stole my food!” Mrs. Fan replied with her head held high.Su Jiu glanced at the table and saw a big bowl of boiled vegetables, a plate of red-cooked meat, and a plate of meatballs. She immediately understood. She chuckled coldly. “You’re all servants. Why can’t she eat your food?”
“There are rules among the servants! I am the head servant, while she is among the lowliest. How can she eat the same meals as me?” Mrs. Qin let out a cold “hmph.”
The badly-beaten servant girl crawled over and knelt by Su Jiu’s feet. “Please have mercy, Young Mistress! I’ll never do it again! Please let me stay in Ji Manor,” she sobbed.Though servants in Ji Manor lived bitter lives, they earned more money than servants in other big households. Many people fought for the opportunity to work in Ji Manor.”Don’t feign tears!” Mrs. Qin, with no regard for Su Jiu’s presence, kicked the servant girl’s shoulder, instantly knocked her over.”Watch yourself, Mrs. Qin! Young Mistress is still here!” Mrs. Fan shouted.Chang Huan’s hands were clenched into fists. As soon as Su Jiu gave him the order, he would beat Mrs. Qin until the malicious servant was a cripple.Su Jiu narrowed her eyes. She said, coldly, “Mrs. Fan, I am the Young Mistress of Ji Manor. Do I have the power to command the servants of Ji Manor?”
Mrs. Fan started, and then replied, “Of course. Young Mistress is a master. Of course, you have the power to command servants!”
“Good!” Su Jiu nodded her head. Her face was clear under the dim light. “From now on, this little servant girl is the head of the laundry wing. And as for Mrs. Qin, she is demoted to the rank of the lowliest servant, and will wash clothes with the rest of the servants in the laundry wing.”
As soon as she was done speaking, everybody started.Mrs. Qin turned white with anger. “Your humble servant didn’t do anything wrong, Young Mistress. Why should I be demoted?”
Su Jiu raised an eyebrow and chuckled coldly. “No reason. It makes me happy. Do you have any further questions?”
Mrs. Qin looked at her in shock. The young woman seemed to radiate a cold aura. Mrs. Qin felt a quiver of fear in her heart but still refused to lower her head. “Second Young Mistress was the one who promoted me. Young Mistress, how can you demote me just like that?”
Su Jiu turned towards Mrs. Fan. “In Ji Manor, am I higher up or is Second Young Mistress higher up?”
“Young Mistress is higher up, of course,” Mrs. Fan immediately replied.Su Jiu entered Ji Manor later than Xie Ying, but she was a master of the household. Xie Ying may have entered the manor earlier, and she may have come from a powerful family, but nevertheless, she was a concubine in Ji Manor and therefore was practically a servant herself.”Did you hear that?” Su Jiu looked towards Mirs. Qin.Mrs. Qin, dissatisfied, was just about to argue back. At that very moment, a shout suddenly came from the door.”What’s going on here?”
