As soon as Cui Jintang returned to Qiushui Courtyard, she heard a triumphant shout.
"The old servant is here by the order of the eldest young master, specifically to ask Miss Cui to leave the mansion!"
Standing in front of the courtyard, the old woman, as proud as a peacock, pointed her finger. "It's already late tonight. Please be sensible, Miss Cui, and leave early tomorrow. Don't make the host dislike you!"
She had a sharp chin, and there was a look of pettiness and meanness between her eyes, with an air of hostility.
Yinglan, the maid holding a broom to block the way in front of Qiushui Courtyard, spat first when she heard this.
"I wonder what kind of courage you've got to come and cause trouble in Qiushui Courtyard! The order of the eldest young master? Why don't you say it's the order of the current emperor?!"
The old woman let out a sarcastic "Oh" and then took out a token from her sleeve.
"Master Pei pities our young lady, so he specially gave the old servant this token in advance. It's to slap the faces of you low - class maids who look down on others!"
"She just saved Old Lady Pei back then. Isn't it enough for her to have lived in the Pei Mansion shamelessly for three years? The country girl is so shameless and underhanded. She's no match for our young lady! Our young lady is the perfect match for Master Pei!"
Yinglan's eyes widened when she saw the character "Pei" on the token.
As a servant born into the Pei Mansion, she naturally knew the authenticity of this token.
The old woman snorted triumphantly and carefully hid the token back in her sleeve, completely unaware of Cui Jintang who was walking slowly behind her.
"I see you're a servant born into the Pei Mansion. You need to recognize the situation early. Our young lady will be the future young mistress of the Pei Mansion!"
"And I'm the young lady's wet - nurse. How can that Miss Cui compare to us? You'd better curry favor with us early. Oh - my butt!!"
Cui Jintang waved her sleeve in disgust and looked at Yinglan, who was already blushing with anger. "Beat this person out."
"Yes, miss!"
Yinglan waved the broom and struck hard. The old woman was so angry that she started swearing.
The servants who came with the old woman silently blocked her, allowing Yinglan to have a good beating.
Finally, Yinglan threw the broom and proudly threw the old woman out. "A clown!"
The old woman was furious. She stood up trembling and spat at Yinglan. "You, just you wait! I'll go and find the eldest young master right now."
"Bang!"
The door of Qiushui Courtyard was directly closed, ignoring the clown.
Yinglan, who had finally vented her anger, happily entered the room, but then she was stunned.
She glanced at Cui Jintang, who was sitting beside the couch with her head propped up and her eyes closed, and then at the maid who was packing up her valuables.
She hesitated for just a second.
Yinglan knelt down with a thud, which really startled Cui Jintang.
"Miss! Yinglan wants to leave with you."
Cui Jintang couldn't help laughing and crying. She helped the girl up. "Silly girl, how can I run away when someone bullies me?"
Yinglan was puzzled. "Then what are you doing, miss?"
Cui Jintang waved her hand. Yinglan immediately pricked up her ears and leaned in to listen carefully.
—
Early the next morning.
As usual, the younger generation of the Pei family had to pay their respects to the old lady and have breakfast with her every day.
By the time Cui Jintang arrived, most people were already there.
The only difference from usual was that Pei Zhaolin was also there.
No one knew what had made the old lady unhappy, but he was still bowing when paying his respects.
"Tang'er is here? Come quickly and sit beside your grandmother."
The old lady, who had been full of anger just now, instantly became kind and amiable, smiling.
Pei Zhaolin lowered his eyes.
Cui Jintang took a glance and then shifted her gaze. She sat down beside the old lady, looking rather listless.
"Why are you so gloomy? Sister Jin, didn't you sleep well last night?"
The third young lady, like a rabbit, leaned over and looked at her with wide, concerned eyes.
Her question made everyone's eyes turn to Cui Jintang.
"It's nothing," Cui Jintang forced a smile. "It's just that this morning, the maid came to report that several hairpins were inexplicably lost. I'm just a bit annoyed."
Pei Su, who was munching on a snack, responded casually. "Just a few hairpins. Later, I'll ask the people from the Pei family's shop to send the latest ones to Sister Jin!"
The third young lady nodded repeatedly.
Cui Jintang forced a bitter smile. "But the lost ones are that pair of tortoise - shell and begonia filigree hairpins."
Pei Su accidentally bit her tongue and gasped. "Ah?"
The third young lady said bluntly, "Weren't those the coming - of - age gifts that elder brother personally designed and spent three months making for Sister Jin?"
"We can't let them be lost without a clear explanation. Someone, call all the servants on duty last night -"
The old lady was also surprised for a moment. Although she was not happy with Pei Zhaolin at the moment, she still called him up first.
"We can't tolerate those with dirty hands in the mansion. Zhaolin, since you're on leave today, accompany Tang'er."
Pei Zhaolin frowned imperceptibly.
He turned his head.
Today, she was wearing a light - yellow gauze dress that dragged on the ground.
There was a gold hairpin in her black hair. When she saw him looking over, she widened her eyes. Her gaze was clear, as if there was a hint of hope and expectation hidden in it.
Pei Zhaolin's heart skipped a beat. His dark eyes immediately avoided hers as if fleeing.
He paused for a moment and then said, "It's just a hairpin. Making a big fuss is inappropriate."
Cui Jintang lowered her eyes to hide the disappointment in them. When she raised her eyes again, she had returned to her normal self.
Hearing this, the third young lady rolled her eyes skillfully and said sarcastically, "Yes, it's just a hairpin. If it were elder brother's official documents that were lost today, I wonder if elder brother could still say such heartless words?"
Pei Su, who had been silent, nodded vigorously.
Pei Zhaolin frowned. He hadn't finished speaking yet.
But -
In his memory, hadn't his third sister admired him since childhood and been raised to be gentle and dignified?
When did she become so naughty?
He turned his head again and saw Cui Jintang showing a look of approval to his third sister, who was shyly shaking her head.
Pei Zhaolin: "..."
This woman not only knows how to deceive people but also corrupts others. She must be kept at a distance!
After silently pulling the silly third young lady behind him, Pei Zhaolin said calmly, "Grandson will thoroughly investigate those who entered and left the Pei Mansion last night. If there really is someone with dirty hands, grandson will surely punish them severely. Please rest assured, grandmother."
"It's just that a hairpin is a small matter. We need to find another excuse."
Suddenly, Cui Jintang spoke. "Yinglan, fetch the ledger."
Under everyone's puzzled gazes, Cui Jintang handed over the ledger she had prepared.
Pei Zhaolin raised his eyebrows slightly, pinched a corner, and took it.
"Miss Cui, what is this?"
She said seriously, "After I found out that things were lost today, I asked Yinglan to check with this ledger. The items circled in the ledger are all the lost ones. I roughly calculated, and it's about eight hundred taels of silver."
Before Pei Zhaolin could think further, Cui Jintang bowed slightly. "Then I'll trouble Lord Pei."
Pei Zhaolin looked at her, was silent for a moment, and finally said, "Okay."
Cui Jintang stood up, and without looking back, she smiled and talked to the old lady, completely ignoring him.
The old lady knew exactly what was going on in her heart.
It wasn't the hairpin that was important. It was the affection attached to the hairpin that mattered!
—
True to his reputation as the left censor of the Censorate, Pei Zhaolin found all the lost items in no time.
"Nanny Zhang, why were you not in Liuyi Alley last night but in Qiushui Courtyard?"
As a large amount of gold, silver, and valuables were found in Nanny Zhang's room, she went from shock to crying.
"Eldest young master! Someone is framing the old servant! Please investigate thoroughly!!"
Pei Zhaolin remained unmoved. His handsome face was expressionless, and his words added a touch of coldness that kept people at a distance.
"Someone, apply torture."
Cui Jintang poured herself a cup of tea and leisurely sat on one side, watching with a smile.
Nanny Zhang was frightened by the words "apply torture".
Everyone in the world knew that the left censor of the Censorate was ruthless and decisive.
If one fell into his hands, they would be skinned alive even if they didn't die!
"The old servant will tell! The old servant will tell!"
Pei Zhaolin waved his hand to stop the servant's action.
Nanny Zhang angrily looked at Cui Jintang, who was sipping tea and watching the show, looking so comfortable.
"Last night, the old servant came to deliver the belt embroidered by the young lady personally to the eldest young master. By chance, I heard the conversation between the eldest young master and Miss Cui. I was so angry that I went to Qiushui Courtyard and kindly advised Miss Cui to leave the mansion!"
"But I never expected Miss Cui to be so fierce. She wouldn't even let me speak and wanted to beat the old servant out! The old servant is covered in wounds. If the eldest young master doesn't believe it, you can ask someone to examine the old servant's wounds!"
"As for those gold and silver treasures," Nanny Zhang gritted her teeth in extreme anger. "Even if the old servant is worthless, I'm from the former Prime Minister Luo's mansion. I'm not so greedy for money. I think Miss Cui must have framed me!"