Zhao Luoning didn't have breakfast with Ji Shisu. Instead, she went to the accounting room early in the morning to check the accounts.
Ji Shisu had planned to settle scores with Zhao Luoning, but somehow, he was lectured by her and didn't get anything good in return.
He left the Ji Mansion dejectedly and headed for his shop.
Zhao Luoning changed the medicine on her head in the accounting room. She wrapped it with a red headband, endured the discomfort, and finished checking the remaining account books. Then she asked Caixue to remove the cloth and just applied some medicinal powder. Fortunately, the wound was at the back of her head and covered by her hair, so it wasn't very noticeable. Otherwise, she didn't know how to explain it to the Ji family.
Caixue felt heart - broken. With tears in her eyes, while applying the medicinal powder, she cried and felt it was unfair for Zhao Luoning.
"Miss, you've suffered so much. How many people really care about you?"
Zhao Luoning just smiled. To her, these were nothing.
Because of the injury, Zhao Luoning felt exhausted after reading the account books for a while. She couldn't concentrate and felt extremely annoyed.
Ignoring Caixue's worry, she walked out of Furong Garden to relax.
Before she knew it, she came to Pingle Garden.
Pingle Garden was a rehearsal place for the opera troupe in the Ji Mansion.
When Zhao Luoning stepped into Pingle Garden, the actors were singing operas in a melodious voice.
Zhao Luoning had few hobbies, but she loved listening to operas. When she was in a good mood, she would even hum a few lines.
In many people's eyes, actors were of low social status and not presentable.
But Zhao Luoning didn't think so. She thought she was just like an actor on stage, wearing a mask every day. She wasn't much nobler than those on the stage.
So every time she listened to the actors singing on the stage, she would feel a sense of sympathy.
Zhao Luoning stood under the shade of a tree and listened quietly.
Unexpectedly, before she could listen to a few lines of the opera, she clearly heard the gossiping of the old women below the stage.
"Do you think this second young mistress, a young girl, can manage such a big household as the Ji Mansion?"
Hearing them talking about herself, Zhao Luoning paid more attention.
"Who says no? I don't know what the mistress was thinking. Just after the second young mistress got married into the family, she gave her the heavy responsibility of being the mistress of the household. We don't know what the Ji Mansion will be like in the future."
"Well, it's hard to say. A few days ago, the second young master suffered a lot because of the second young mistress's visit to her parents' home. If the second young mistress wasn't capable, how could the old matriarch, the master, and even the mistress side with her?"
"Yeah, you're right."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Zhao Luoning didn't want to listen anymore. Feeling depressed, she returned to the accounting room.
"Miss, those old women have a sharp tongue. Don't take it to heart."
Zhao Luoning didn't really care about these remarks. After thinking for a while, she said something seemingly irrelevant.
"No wonder the expenses in Pingle Garden are higher than other places. With so many idle old women and maids, how can it not cost a lot of silver?"
Before Caixue could react, Zhao Luoning said again.
"Caixue, go and ask about the backgrounds of those old women. Select a few diligent and smart ones and send them to Fengti Xuan. For the rest, I'll think it over and then make a decision."
Caixue left doubtfully. It took her a long time to finish what Zhao Luoning had told her.
"Miss, I've asked. Most of the maids in Fengti Xuan are from the mistress's natal family. After the mistress's natal family declined, she recruited all the old women who had served her family into the mansion. Coincidentally, Pingle Garden was just established in the mansion at that time and was short of manpower. So the mistress sent those old women and maids to Pingle Garden."
"So there's such a reason!"
This matter was difficult to handle. It was definitely not a good idea to keep those old women in the mansion. If they were diligent, it would be okay. But they just gossiped all day long and did nothing, which would surely corrupt the atmosphere in the mansion.
However, these people were from the mistress's natal family. Whether they were sent out of the mansion or transferred to Fengti Xuan, it would make the mistress lose face.
This matter had to be considered carefully.
Furong Garden
When Ji Shisu came back, he searched the whole house but couldn't find Zhao Luoning.
Feeling bored, he left Furong Garden alone and took a stroll.
Furong Garden was close to Pingle Garden. Ji Shisu heard a faint singing voice coming from Pingle Garden. It was a strange voice he had never heard before. Although the singing skills were not very mature, the emotions were extremely rich.
When did Pingle Garden recruit a new actor? Ji Shisu walked casually towards Pingle Garden to find out.
It would have been better if he hadn't looked. Once he did, his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and he couldn't even take his eyes off the woman dancing with long sleeves in the gazebo.
There was actually such a charming and amorous woman in the world.
In his years, Ji Shisu had been to many brothels and pleasure - seeking places. But it was the first time he had seen such a beautiful and charming woman.
The woman singing in the gazebo was just casually wearing a light - yellow opera robe without any makeup. So her extremely beautiful face was clearly revealed under the light.
Ji Shisu suddenly felt like he had been hit. The blurry figure in his memory that night instantly became clear.
It was her!
It must be her!
He had searched for her everywhere.
Suddenly looking back.
She was actually in his own mansion?
A cool breeze blew, making her sleeves and skirt flutter. For a moment, she seemed like a fairy floating in the air, descending from the heaven.
Ji Shisu had an illusion that she was going to fly back to the heaven.
No, she couldn't leave!
Just as Ji Shisu was about to speak to keep her, he was stopped by Caixue.
"Second young master, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
Caixue was holding a bowl of bird's nest and looking at Ji Shisu suspiciously, who was standing at the door of Pingle Garden in the cold wind in the middle of the night.
Ji Shisu was startled by Caixue. It took him a long time to come back to his senses. He quickly told Caixue to keep her voice down so as not to disturb the beauty in the garden.
Caixue looked at the gazebo doubtfully, not knowing what was going on.
"Where is there anyone singing?"
"Isn't she in the pavilion?"
Ji Shisu turned around and saw that the pavilion was empty. The singer had already disappeared.
Ji Shisu felt empty inside. His heart seemed to have a piece dug out, and it was empty and could never be filled.
For a moment, Ji Shisu couldn't figure out whether the beautiful dance he had just seen was a spring dream or there was really such a person.
Caixue left with a smile, leaving Ji Shisu alone at the entrance of Pingle Garden, feeling depressed and worried.
Not long after Caixue left, she slipped into Pingle Garden through the side door. She crouched down and walked towards the pavilion. She saw a woman in a blue opera costume hiding behind the grass.
"The second young master is still there. Keep quiet."
Caixue carefully took off the complicated opera costume for the woman, packed it in a bag, and wrapped the black cloak she had brought around her. Then she led the woman, crouching down, and left Pingle Garden through the side door.
Caixue led the woman into Furong Garden. Only then did she dare to take off the cloak on her and prepare some hot tea to warm her up.
It took a long time for the woman's purple - blue lips to regain their color. Caixue found some warm clothes for her to put on, so that she could avoid catching a cold.
"Caixue, thank you. Those opera costumes were too heavy. I wanted to escape, but I couldn't move at all."