Chapter 20 Soone Better
Back in the yard, nurse Liao had prepared hot tea for Qin Yunuan as soon as she went in. Qin Baochuan had been practicing writing characters in the room obediently. A thick stack of copy paper was placed next Qin Yunuan’s embroidery fra, waiting for her to check.
White steam wrapped around Qin Yunuan’s cheek, hot tea made her cheeks rosy and her heart ward.
“Third Miss, everything was done as you said.” Nurse Liao reported the situation of this afternoon as it really was. “I took out your makeup box at noon and basked it in the sunshine to get rid of mold. When I ca to collect it, the jade bracelet that Concubine left you was missing. Everyone’s room had to be searched because it was lost in the yard. Finally, we found it in Fusheng’s room.” She lowered her voice. “Now Fusheng was locked in that empty house of the backyard.”
Qin Yunuan frowned. “Didn’t I say that it should be handed over to Mother?” She was confused, but she knew that nurse Liao was sensible enough that she wouldn’t go against her will without any reason.
“Yes, and I did.” nurse Liao said with slight embarrassnt. “But then Grand Miss had such a horrible accident. I was stopped by the gatekeeper of Cui Xuan courtyard, saying that the Lady was in a bad mood. However, I also scored a lucky hit.” After nurse Liao finished, she took out a round white bead from her waist and told Qin, “When I ca back and asked Fusheng, this fell from her and she seed to be very nervous about the bead.”
Qin Yunuan’s fingertips paused, but she still took the bead. This was a llow East Sea pearl of high quality. Qin Yunuan had seen such pearl in her past life when embroidering for her sister on the Coronation suit of Prince Sima Ray. No other place except East Qin could produce pearls of this excellency.
“The pearl of East Qin.” Qin Yunuan murmured to herself. This was very likely the sa pearl that Su Chenghai gifted to Qin Yunzhuang. Qin Yunzhuang’s rewards for her servants are indeed luxurious. Fusheng was not only Dou Qing’e’s inforr but also helped Qin Yunzhuang in many ways. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be granted a big reward like this. The fragrance flew into Qin Yunuan’s nose, she sniffed and turned around to ask nurse Liao. “What tea are you making today? It slls extraordinarily aromatic and good.”
Nurse Liao was surprised and then answered, “Isn’t it just the usual green tea? Third Miss, you have been drinking this for so ti.”
“That’s weird.” Qin Yunuan sniffed carefully around the teacup and found the soft, llow fragrance much lighter. It seed that the aroma did not rise from her tea.
Nurse Liao smiled, “Third Miss has a better sense of sll and mory ever since childhood. It’s probably the fragrance of flowers or incense in other yards.”
“My nose is far from being sensitive,” Qin Yunuan smiled, tilting her head slightly. Then she saw the pearl at hand. Doubtfully, she pinched the pearl to the tip of her nose and sniffed. She beca serious suddenly. “Nurse Liao, bring all the spices in our room.”
“Third Miss, you want so spice?” Nurse Liao was amazed. “Those are only used when the Lady and the Grand Miss ca. I could send Da Shi to the fair tomorrow for so white plum blossom. What about that?”
Dou Qing’e and Qin Yunzhuang ca to Qin Yunuan’s yard rarely, for her place was remote and had a sll of dust. Qin Yunuan would save so money for fine spices when the two ca in her past life. Now she didn’t have the ti to care much about what her place slled like.
“Nurse, just please take them here. I’m not using them.”
Qin Yunuan had her doubt for a long ti. Roughly speaking, Shangguan Yee resented Qin Yunzhuang for becoming a scapegoat. So she sent the spices secretly to fra her. Then those spices made Qin Yunzhuang’s face uncomfortable, and Qin Yuwan was punished. Everything seed to be perfectly reasonable. But one of the most basic issues was ignored, which was ti.
It was only two or three days from the day Qin Yunzhuang returned from the palace. Ningxianglu had to take seven or eight days to be effective. That was too weird, having such an effect in just three days.
“Third Miss, all the spices are here.” Nurse Liao placed the sealed wooden boxes with spices on the table in a line of Qin Yunuan to select.
Each small box was as big as a fist, carrying spices not of great quantity but variety. Qin Yunuan opened and sniffed each one twice under uncertainty. Nurse Liao stood aside worriedly, handing the tea over when Qin Yunuan was confused by various types of fragrance. She asked, “How was it, Third Miss?”
“I’m sure,” Qin Yunuan held the pearl firmly and said, “This pearl was soaked in white sandalwood.”
White sandalwood was more valuable and fragrant than other types of sandalwood, without the acrid sll of spices. It also had dicinal value.
Soaking pearls in spices were popular in recent years. The dazzling pearls giving off fragrance were more popular among the noble ladies.
However...
Qin Yunuan frowned. All things on earth mutually reinforce and neutralize. Ningxianglu was incompatible with white sandalwood. When taking in both at the sa ti, the side effects of Ningxianglu could be catalyzed by the white sandalwood.
This pearl...was a gift of Su Chenghai!
Did he know about the white sandalwood on it? If he did, was it his intention sending the pearl to Qin Yunzhuang? Why did he add insult to Qin Yuwan’s injury? Was he the boss behind everything and was hurriedly in search of a scapegoat? No, he had just t Qin Yunzhuang after being apart for a long ti. There could be hardly any contradictions or conflicts of interest between them. Why bother circling to hurt Qin Yunzhuang’s appearance?
Why did this cousin give her so many questions to wonder about, after arriving for just two days? She couldn’t understand him.
Seeing Qin Yunuan was out of her mind, nurse Liao reminded gently, “Third Miss, what should we do about Fusheng?”
A hint of shrewdness blood in Qin Yunuan’s deep dark eyes. “Now that Mother was annoyed, don’t trouble her. But punishnt is necessary.” Pursing her lips, Qin Yunuan said, “Now that Second Miss was put in confinent without anyone around her for amusent. Fusheng had studied Yue opera for a few years, why not send her to Second Miss’ yard? I could also show so appreciation for my sister.”
One wanted to keep her under her eyes, while the other was eager to defa Baochuan. Now it’s ti for the two to fight in one house.
Nurse Liao was amazed. Looking at the calm Qin Yunuan with admiration and surprise in her eyes, she felt as if Third Miss had been reborn. She knew it well that Third Miss was clever enough, but she had been hiding. Now that Third Miss grew up to know how to protect herself. She couldn’t be happier.
“What’s wrong, nurse Liao?” Qin Yunuan asked, tilting her head.
“Nothing.” Nurse Liao bowed quickly. “I’ll do it right away.” Her girl had lived up to her expectation, so she couldn’t let her down either.
Nurse Liao was very efficient. Early in the next morning, Fusheng was sent to Qin Yuwan’s yard. When she ca back to report, Qin Baochuan was taking a cold shower in the yard under Qin Yunuan’s supervision. The snow was lting, and it was even colder than the snowy days. People would rather hide lazily inside their house, drinking wine for warmth. This five-year-old persisted, however, gritting teeth in the yard.
“Can you carry on? Just say it if you can’t.” Qin Yunuan spoke in a firm and unquestionable tone. Though seemingly dignified, she cared for her brother deeply in her heart. She was too protective of Qin Baochuan in the past life, which made him timid and shy. Although this ti Qin Yuwan was temporarily locked in the house, other people would slander him as well. She’d better start shaping Qin Baochuan’s perseverance now.
“I can.” Qin Baochuan gritted his teeth, his small arms and face were frozen red, but his expression was very serious. “Sister, please continue to pour down cold water. Baochuan is not cold, not cold at all. Just like sister said, ‘To be bestowed with great responsibility, one must be crucified with ordeal and tribulation so as to break one’s will, subdue one’s spirit, exhaust one’s muscles, starve one’s flesh’. I could do this little thing.”
Even Qin Yunuan was a little moved by Baochuan’s sensibility. She poured the remaining half of the cold water with a few scoops, and then called for Maner hurriedly to carry Qin Baochuan into the house. Qin Baochuan waved his hands with a tough look. “I can walk by myself. I’m a grown man.” He limped into the room with two freezing and stiff legs.
“Third Miss, everything was done.” Nurse Liao ca to her and glanced at where Qin Baochuan bathed subconsciously. Water ran into the stream of lting snow. Nurse Liao sighed. She understood Qin Yunuan’s intention.
“But I heard a ssage on the way back.” Following Qin Yunuan into the room, nurse Liao made sure that no one was around and then said. “I heard from Cui Xuan courtyard that the Lady chose you for the Temple Festival this ti. Third Miss, you will go to the temple and pray.”
Seeing nurse Liao’s worried face, Qin Yunuan laughed. “Is nurse Liao afraid that I would be in trouble or doubt that Mother had ulterior motives?”
“No,” nurse Liao replied hurriedly with embarrassnt on her face. “It’s just that Third Miss seldom goes out and couldn’t be that familiar with the outside world. I felt uneasy.” If Qin Yunuan went to the temple on behalf of the whole mansion of Grand Commandant, the Lady would definitely send servant girls of her side to accompany her. Being surrounded by the Lady’s people was what worried her.
Qin Yunuan also understood this. Frankly speaking, she was afraid that Dou Qing’e would take advantage of her using this occasion. Though she was nothing but a daughter of a concubine, Dou Qing’e was domineering and cautious. She would never let anyone get in the way of Qin Yunzhuang’s road to power. Words of what happened on the Flower Fairy Festival also spread out these days. It was not surprising that she turned against her deliberately.
However, to relieve nurse Liao, Qin Yunuan said with a smile on her face, “Don’t think too much, nurse Liao. Now that the Brother was traveling far away, our oldest sister had scars on her face, and Second Miss was in confinent. So now I’m the only one who could go and pray for the family. That’s the rule. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Nurse Liao was a little hesitant and said, “We could also discuss with Master Su...”
“There would be no need.” Qin Yunuan seed a little uncomfortable at the sudden ntion of Su Chenghai. “My cousin ca to Beijing to do business. He was out traveling every day. Besides, although he was a relative, it’s still inappropriate to contact with other n in private. Don’t you worry, nurse Liao. It’s useless to fight against destiny. I will counter every trick as I go.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)