When Fu Zhen walked to the gate, most of the people had already dispersed.
In the morning, she and Mrs. Bai had taken one carriage, while Chen Huanyun had taken another. By now, Mrs. Bai's carriage had already left. After a moment's thought, Fu Zhen decided to wait at the gate for her dear younger sister.
"Why did the young lady give her the dress? She's so smart. She'll surely find something to wear," Bi Yu said indignantly.
Cui Huan tugged at her and scolded, "You're getting more and more outspoken!"
Fu Zhen had just enjoyed a wonderful show and was in a good mood. She didn't mind Bi Yu's rudeness. She just let out a soft laugh and said, "It's not out of kindness on my part. I imagine she must be gritting her teeth in hatred for that dress right now, but she has no choice but to wear it."
No wonder villains like to kick a man when he's down. It feels so good.
Fu Zhen looked at the sunlight with a smile and said, "The weather is really nice today."
"Little cousin looks so carefree," Chen Tingfeng appeared out of nowhere. He sized her up and said, "You're smiling so happily. Did you come across something good?"
Fu Zhen was startled. Why was he always so sneaky?
"I just found it interesting watching a cat catch a mouse. It's making cousin laugh," she replied calmly.
"Oh?" Chen Tingfeng gave her a meaningful look. "I thought little cousin had found a lost purse on the road, which is why you're smiling so brightly."
?
Fu Zhen gritted her teeth. Was he insinuating that she was greedy for money?
"Cousin is joking," she said with a forced smile. "As the sages said, we should not pick up lost items on the road. Although I'm not as well - read as cousin, I've still read a few books."
Chen Tingfeng let out a laugh, sounding rather sarcastic. "Little cousin has remarkable insights. I'm impressed."
With that, he mounted his horse and rode away.
Fu Zhen frowned deeply as she watched his back. "Why has he been so sarcastic lately?"
Cui Huan vaguely guessed something. The young master seemed to be paying too much attention to the second young lady. But then she thought it might be because he was just curious about having a new sister, which was why he paid more attention.
This thought flashed by. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chen Huanyun coming out. She quickly supported Fu Zhen's hand and said, "Young lady, let's get in the carriage."
Fu Zhen also saw Chen Huanyun, who was gnashing her teeth. Her eyes lit up when she saw that Chen Huanyun was wearing her dress. Instantly, the gloom caused by Chen Tingfeng disappeared. She let out a soft laugh and said, "My sister has a slender figure. The dress suits you quite well."
After being raised in the Marquis's Mansion for a few months, Fu Zhen had a well - proportioned figure. She wasn't too thin but had a slender waist, unlike Chen Huanyun, who was a bit too thin.
Chen Huanyun was angry. When she heard this sarcasm, her face darkened immediately. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed the covert glances from the maid of the Liu Mansion beside her. She managed to swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue. She let out a cold snort and turned her head away.
Fu Zhen laughed again and said nothing more. She got into the carriage by herself, and it was quiet all the way.
When they returned to the mansion, Nanny Li was waiting at the gate.
When she saw Fu Zhen getting out of the carriage, she quickly stepped forward and said, "Second young lady, the madam invites you to the main courtyard for a cup of tea."
Fu Zhen nodded in agreement. Just as she was about to follow Nanny Li, she saw Nanny Li turn to Chen Huanyun, who was following behind, and say, "Miss Huanyun must be tired from the journey. The madam is considerate and asks you to go back to your courtyard to rest first."
Chen Huanyun had thought that Mrs. Bai had also invited her. But before she could take two steps, she felt as if she had been slapped in the face by Nanny Li. She couldn't help but clench her handkerchief tightly. Her expression changed several times, and finally, she managed to put on a smile. She quickly curtsied and left without saying a word.
Nanny Li didn't mind. She just said to Fu Zhen with a smile, "Second young lady, follow this old servant."
On the other side, Chen Huanyun walked quickly into the garden. She looked around and, seeing that there was no one around, she kicked a willow tree hard. Her face was so gloomy that it was frightening.
One kick wasn't enough to relieve her anger. She kicked a few more times until the willow tree shook and the leaves rustled down.
Qing'er, who was following behind, didn't even dare to breathe. Chen Huanyun's chest heaved twice. Suddenly, she turned around and slapped Qing'er hard. "Useless thing! You can't even do one thing right. You've made me lose so much face!"
Qing'er knelt down on the gravel path with a thud.忍着 the piercing pain, she quickly explained, "This servant clearly saw that embroiderer surnamed Jin sprinkle the incense. She promised this servant that the incense would surely make the cat go crazy. She catches and kills wild cats in her house like this. This servant doesn't dare to lie!"
Chen Huanyun trusted Qing'er, who had been with her since childhood. But she just couldn't accept it. Such a good opportunity, yet that bitch Fu Zhen still managed to escape!
"I don't believe you're so lucky..." Chen Huanyun clenched her hands tightly, her fingernails digging into her flesh. A beam of light shone on her face through the shadows of the willow branches, making her expression even more sinister.
After a while, she glanced down at Qing'er, who was kneeling on the ground. "Alright, get up."
Qing'er's knees were both painful and numb, but she didn't dare to complain. She just said gratefully, "Thank you, miss. Thank you, miss."
In the main courtyard.
Mrs. Bai had someone bring a bowl of plum soup for Fu Zhen. "Sit down first. The doctor will come soon."
Fu Zhen was stunned. She didn't expect Mrs. Bai to still remember this. She felt a warmth in her heart. "Thank you for your concern, aunt. This injury is actually not serious."
Mrs. Bai looked at her disapprovingly. "Is a minor injury not an injury? You should treat any injury. There's no need to be so polite with your aunt."
Then, she looked at Cui Huan beside her. "Do these two maids serve you well?"
It seemed that Mrs. Bai thought Cui Huan and Bi Yu hadn't taken good care of her. Seeing the two of them kneel down to plead guilty in unison, Fu Zhen quickly said, "Cui Huan is steady and Bi Yu is smart. They serve me very well. This was an accident. Aunt, please don't blame them!"
"Don't speak for them. As servants, they should be willing to go through fire and water for their masters. You got injured today, so they can't escape a punishment," Mrs. Bai's face darkened. "However, considering your past dedication, you'll only be slapped ten times on the mouth. Nanny Li, take them out."
Nanny Li bowed and said, "Yes, madam."
Seeing that she couldn't stop it, Fu Zhen looked at Mrs. Bai again, hesitating to speak. "Today's incident really can't be blamed on them."
The incense was sprinkled on her body, so the cat could only pounce on her. Even she herself had almost failed to react in time, let alone the maids standing behind her.
The plum soup was brought up.
Mrs. Bai handed the soup to her. "Drink it. Calm down."
Fu Zhen could tell that this was a joke. She said helplessly, "Aunt, I'm being serious with you."
Mrs. Bai let out a sigh and tapped her on the forehead. "When disciplining servants, you can't just indulge them blindly. Otherwise, the servants may become overbearing. But you can't be overly strict either and scold and beat them at will for minor mistakes."
"Disciplining servants is the same as disciplining animals," Mrs. Bai's usually kind face showed a bit of coldness. "You need to give them a beating and then a sweet treat. Only in this way can you manage them well and make them stop having other thoughts. Do you understand?"
Fu Zhen was suddenly stunned.