Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Framed (Part 1)
Sixing’s feelings for Xu Tianqing became increasingly obvious. Sometimes she also wondered whether keeping Sixing was right or wrong!
"Master Puning is holding a Water and Land Dharma Assembly in the inner courtyard. Why don’t you go and have a look and ask Master to get you a peace charm?" Moju carefully wiped the jade antiques on the treasure cabinet while turning back to speak with Daisy.
Daisy, holding a feather duster, dusted the corners, cautiously wiped the tabletop, and put Xu Tianqing’s books back in place on the desk, then replied, "I won’t go. All the sisters in the courtyard went, and Master Puning is probably too busy. Besides, later the concubine will come over; there’s so much to do that it can’t all fall on you alone."
"It’s alright." Moju, having cleaned her hands, stopped tidying the bookshelf to say to Daisy, "I heard the concubine is arranging a marriage for the Young Master!" She sighed, "I wonder whose young lady it is, whether she’s a good person!" Daisy frowned as she listened. They were from the Young Master’s quarters, and with a new Young Madam coming in, she, a girl serving closely since childhood, had seen many. If the Young Madam was considerate, she might become a concubine; if she was lucky, she’d be promoted to a concubine, otherwise, she might remain a concubine all her life. If not, the Young Madam might find various reasons to send her away, either dead or out of the mansion. Ultimately, those with a good outcome were few!
Daisy sat in a chair, holding a cloth, and looked at Moju saying, "We’ve been together for six years and have been with the Young Master for six years. If really..." She smiled optimistically, "Anyway, there’s still a few years’ time; the Young Madam won’t enter the door immediately, we can think about it later!"
Moju glared at Daisy, turning towards Xu Tianqing’s bedroom, "You always have your head in the clouds, how will you manage in the future?" Having said that, she turned and walked into Xu Tianqing’s bedroom.
Early in the morning, Xu Tianqing had gone out. These past couple of days, it was unclear what he was thinking as he appeared absent-minded. Moju thought to herself as she redid her hands, made Xu Tianqing’s bed, folded the quilt, and called back to Daisy, "Daisy, come here!" Daisy sprinted over, and Moju pointed at the wardrobe at the foot of the bed saying, "Since the weather is nice today, let’s take out all the winter clothes to air them. As it’s getting hotter each day, we might as well take out the summer clothes to dry!"
Daisy nodded, and called in two young maids. After busying all morning, they finally sorted through everything. Moju wiped her face, changed into clean clothes in her room, and then turned to them saying, "Go rest for a while and have your meal first..." As she spoke, she stepped into the door, "I’m going to clean up. If the Young Master returns for a nap at noon, it can’t be a mess."
Daisy took the two young maids to the side room. Moju turned back inside, cleaned again, and realized that there was still a box beside the bed that had not been moved. She threw down the cloth in her hand, cleaned it, and found that the box was locked...
The keys to Xu Tianqing’s room were all with her, but after trying the keychain for a long time, it still wouldn’t open. Frowning in puzzlement, she went out to the treasure cabinet in the study where Xu Tianqing often kept some little trinkets, found a spare key, and tried a bunch until the box opened.
But what she saw inside surprised her—a large box, empty except for a small red-lacquered sandalwood box. There was nothing else. Moju was extremely curious, had the Young Master locked it himself? What was inside that she had never even seen?
Moju kept this in mind and, when Xu Tianqing returned at night, secretly searched for his personal keys. Early the next day, she opened the box. Inside, neatly arranged beside a few fan covers, were various colored pockets in dark green and light blue, along with a pair of shoes wrapped in cotton cloth. The shoes had an openwork design embroidered with a pattern of rising in status, the embroidery exquisite and the scene fresh and natural, indistinguishable for its authenticity. While she tilted her head to think about whose craftsmanship it was, her gaze fell on two stacks of letters tidily placed. One stack was Xu Tianqing’s handwriting, about a dozen letters, unsealed, clearly not sent, and the other of seven or eight letters bundled together, neatly written with elegant writing on the outside saying: For Xu Tianqing.
A lightbulb went off in her head, suddenly remembering that a few years back, the Sixth Miss and the Young Master had corresponded, and these fan covers were sent during those years. She recalled the black cotton cloth shoes, seeming to recall they were made last year, when the Sixth Miss made a pair for each of several Young Masters...
"I was wondering why I hadn’t seen the Sixth Miss’s things; turns out the Young Master kept them himself!" Moju finished speaking, and her face changed. She then saw two pieces of ebony tokens pressed at the bottom of the box. She turned them over to look, and was so shocked that she dropped them on the ground...
This was something that those of them who sold themselves into servitude dreamed day and night of obtaining—the citizenship tokens of commoners in the Great Zhou Dynasty!
She turned over the other piece, engraved with a name she didn’t recognize, but at a glance, it was a girl’s name.
Moju was too shocked to speak—why would the Young Master have this? What was he planning?
She dared not think, laying the items back as they were, locking the box hurriedly before exiting, and standing at the door to ask Daisy, "Has the Lady arrived yet?"
Daisy replied without knowing the reason, "I think she’s chatting in the concubine’s room." Moju nodded her head, lifted her skirt, and ran towards the main courtyard.
Xiqiu returned from Lady’s room, walking back supported by Chunyan. Xiqiu stopped, looked back at Sixing: "What’s wrong? Is there something?" Sixing paused, then quickly caught up, smiling as she said: "Nothing’s wrong!"
"As long as it’s nothing!" Xiqiu frowned slightly, asking Sixing while walking: "What’s going on with you these days, being so absent-minded?"
Sixing uttered an "Ah", shook her head and replied: "Nothing, it could be because the weather is getting warmer. I always fear the heat!" After she spoke, her lips moved, showing a look of wanting to speak but stopping. Xiqiu paused, looking solemnly at her: "Sixing, we have been like sisters for five years. If there’s something on your mind you must tell me. Even if I can’t help you, talking it through with me, deciding together, is better than keeping it to yourself."
Chunyan anxiously looked at Sixing, urging her with a look to speak. Sixing glanced at Xiqiu, her eyes flashed quickly, but finally, she lowered her head and softly said, "Miss, truly there’s nothing wrong with me."
"What do you mean by nothing wrong!" Chunyan almost slapped her, holding Sixing’s hand: "These days, even in your sleep, you talk in your dreams, restless at night, going to the outer yard during the day, you think I don’t know?!" Her eyes reddened: "Please, stop thinking about it, okay? Isn’t it good for us to stay by Miss’s side? Miss treats us like sisters, even if we’re unmarried all our lives, we can still enjoy bitter happiness together like before!"
Sixing stayed silent, keeping her head down. Chunyan wanted to say more, but Xiqiu held her hand to stop Chunyan, smiling: "If she says it’s nothing, then it’s nothing. Maybe she’s thought it through in her mind, that’s good. In these days, I plan to embroider a pillow set for each of Third Sister and Fourth Sister. You two don’t need to go outside, just stay in the room here and help me sort out the threads!" Sixing was stunned, lowering her eyes, nodding in reply: "Yes!"