??Chapter 94: Chapter 095: Putting on Airs_1
Chapter 94: Chapter 095: Putting on Airs_1
Mrs. Fang watched the aningful twinkle in Mrs. Ji’s eye and felt uneasy all over, but this ti she dared not turn around and leave. Otherwise, this woman would not let her off the hook.
“That little hussy really has turned against us! She had the gall to invite her aunt to eat, and now she thinks of her own child having nothing to eat, but what about the elderly in the house? She’s heartless! Just wait, I’ll get ready and go along!” Mrs. Ji spoke angrily.
Mrs. Fang’s complexion turned sour, “But the Lady said only to invite those few young masters, and I was just following orders. If the Lady blas
later, I…”
Mrs. Ji’s expression suddenly turned stormy, “What do you an by that? Are you looking down on ? You, a shaless servant, keep defying
ti and again, have you grown tired of living? Be careful or I’ll have Qiao Muniang sell you to a brothel!”
Mrs. Fang trembled with fear, repeatedly saying, “This servant was wrong, please forgive !”
“Hmph! Without showing you so color, you really don’t understand how formidable I am!”
With a cold snort, Mrs. Ji then swaggered inside, took off her apron, placed the basin directly in the kitchen, and marched off to Qiao Muniang’s house, full of bluster.
Mrs. Fang did not dare to delay, hurriedly calling out the children to follow her, feeling anxious and uneasy. She didn’t fully grasp the relationship between Muniang and the Qiao family, but she felt that no matter the friction, the ties of blood couldn’t be broken. Muniang was so filial to her mother, she would certainly be respectful to elders. If Mrs. Ji truly had Muniang sell her to a brothel, that would be the end of her.
All the way there, Mrs. Fang walked in a state of nervous trepidation.
The children, however, were excited at the prospect of dining at Muniang’s house. Ever since the incident with the green bean cakes, they had felt very fond of Muniang—a child’s world is simple, rembering the kindness of anyone who treats them even slightly better.
It was almost noon, and Muniang didn’t waste any ti, heading straight into the kitchen to prepare lunch. Since there were guests today, the al had to be even more plentiful. Madam Liu, who couldn’t stand idleness, ca to help Muniang in the kitchen. Muniang didn’t stop her. After all, they weren’t heavy chores, and the two could chat while cooking.
Taking so lamb she had bought a few days earlier, Muniang first chopped it up, ready to make a stew with yellow spices, and after removing the blood in hot water, she began to simr it with various seasonings. It would take at least half an hour to flavor properly, so she set it aside and imdiately fished out a large chunk of marinated beef from the brine jar, aiming to make a tomato beef brisket dish next.
Madam Liu, who had been washing rice and cooking it, seed as though she could no longer bear to watch, stopping Muniang, “Why are you bothering with all this? There aren’t many of us to feed. A bowl of dumpling soup and so mixed cucumber salad would suffice. It’s wasteful to splurge on all these delicacies when we aren’t made of money.”
Muniang knew that Madam Liu, being accustod to poverty, surely found her extravagance unsettling and replied, “Aunt doesn’t know, my husband has a big appetite and can’t be satisfied with just a little food. Particularly with at, he enjoys it greatly and is rather picky, so I have no choice but to prepare a bit more.”
This, of course, was an excuse; Two-Liang did love his at, but it wasn’t as though he couldn’t live without it. Hadn’t he also relished the wild vegetable porridge and bread? Muniang was preparing so much this ti principally to nourish the children. It wasn’t good for such young kids to lack adequate nutrition, but ntioning that straightforwardly would surely et Madam Liu’s disapproval.
Having heard this, Madam Liu truly found herself at a loss for words, and upon seeing such a large piece of at, she did not know how much silver it would cost, and she felt a pang in her heart.
The two bustled about in the kitchen, all agog with activity, unaware that Mrs. Fang had already led people over.
As Mrs. Ji had just reached the entrance of the courtyard, she slled the rich scent of at and smacked her lips, thinking to herself, “Is this wench living such a good life? The sll must be from beef, isn’t it? How delicious it is!” She was even more grateful that she had made the trip.
Possibly driven by her appetite, Mrs. Ji couldn’t wait to rush into Muniang’s courtyard, where she happened to bump into Hong Luo, who was sunning the quilts. Hong Luo, having been obscured by the quilts, hadn’t seen her coming, and Mrs. Ji, coming out of nowhere, couldn’t dodge in ti and collided with her.
But with Mrs. Ji’s build, Hong Luo, being petite, was naturally at a disadvantage and was knocked directly to the ground. Mrs. Ji glared at her, “You blind wench! Are you walking without looking?”
Mrs. Ji naturally guessed that this unfamiliar Hong Luo must also be a servant of Qiao Muniang’s household, which emboldened her to act so brazenly in “playing the lady.”
Hong Luo was stunned only for a mont before she imdiately propped herself up from the ground, “Are you here to see my lady on so business?” Having been in the village for quite so ti, she recognized most people, and Mrs. Ji was indeed “well-known” in the village, so she naturally recognized her.
Mrs. Ji scoffed coldly, “What business I have with Qiao Muniang isn’t sothing for a slave like you to ask about. Is this how Qiao Muniang disciplines her servants, so undisciplined, one and all?”
Being a maid from a large household and having seen the world, Hong Luo didn’t crumble like Mrs. Fang did; she rely lowered her stance and said, “I am indeed ignorant. However, the lady has instructed that visitors must be announced before being allowed in. Please wait a mont while I inquire about the lady’s will.”
Despite her submissive stance, her tone was still assertive. Having once been a chief maid by her mistress’s side in a prestigious household, she wouldn’t have been there without so courage. She clearly understood the situation; the lady did not take kindly to the Qiao family, and the person Mrs. Fang was supposed to fetch was certainly not this one; she must have co on her own.
If she let Mrs. Ji in, there was no telling what trouble would ensue, making the lady unhappy. It was better to stop her early. After asking the lady’s will, if the lady said not to let Mrs. Ji in, even if Mrs. Ji tried to intimidate her with “lady’s” airs, it would be useless. Holding the lady’s command, she would not be afraid to send her away.
“Ha!” The shrill voice of Mrs. Ji rose, “You sure have the nerve, talking about making announcents. Do you think I’m like these lowly slaves of yours, needing your permission to see anyone?
Mrs. Fang kept winking at Hong Luo, telling her to just let her through and not cause herself any trouble. But Hong Luo knew clearly, as if through a crystal mirror, that Mrs. Fang was worried about provoking Mrs. Ji and that subsequent complaints to the lady might result in her punishnt. However, she understood all too well that if she disregarded the rules and let Mrs. Ji in today, Muniang would be even more likely to punish her.
Hong Luo was still courteous, “It won’t take much ti for
to make the announcent. These are the rules set by the lady, and I dare not break them. Please······”
Before she could finish speaking, a crisp slap rang out as a slap landed on Hong Luo’s face. Mrs. Ji, hands on her hips, burst into a tirade, “Look at you, shaless wench! Are you blatantly trying to defy ?!”
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