Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Temporary Stay (1)
Lady furrowed her brows and refused without a second thought, "Your Sixth Sister is also ill, how can she go with you? Let her stay home and recuperate, you can go with your First Sister!"
Tong Xiyan stubbornly turned her face away and closed her eyes again, looking unwilling to say more. Seeing her like this, Tong Xihua smiled and said, "If Mother doesn’t agree, would it be alright if I do? Let Sixth Sister accompany you then."
Tong Xiyan opened her eyes and nodded towards Tong Xihua.
Lady frowned deeply, and Tong Xihua, holding her arm, persuaded her at the door, "Sixth Sister has always been well-behaved. We can entrust Fourth Sister to her; she wouldn’t dare have any other notions. If anything were to happen to Fourth Sister, she wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility. Please rest assured, Mother. If it really comes to it, don’t I still have to be there!"
Lady did not speak, which counted as acquiescence.
"Miss, why does Fourth Miss want you to accompany her?" Chunyan folded Xiqiu’s winter clothes one by one, placing them neatly into trunks and packing some daily necessities. Even though they were only staying for a dozen days or so, they ended up bringing six or seven trunks. Xiqiu watched, shaking her head silently, suddenly realizing why those women in the inner chambers preferred to stay home rather than venture out. Just herself alone required so much, not even mentioning Sixing and Chunyan’s luggage; surely Tong Xiyan’s belongings would be even more.
"She is feeling down, and although going to First Sister’s house can help her relax, there might not be anyone there for her to talk to... Perhaps she just wants to talk with me." Knowing Tong Xiyan, if it were not serious, she wouldn’t insist on bringing her along, considering her leg injury is not fully healed. So, it must mean she has something to discuss with her.
She sighed quietly to herself. If not for Tong Xiyan’s request, she would not have wanted to go to the Marquis Mansion under any circumstance.
Chunyan and Sixing carefully noted down the belongings in the trunks and affixed labels on them. Only then did they finish packing. The two stood by the table, sipping tea, when Sixing laughed and said, "I wonder when the carriage will arrive."
Xiqiu also got up from the kang, extended her arm for Chunyan to help her dress, then turned back and asked her, "Have you spoken to Concubine and Seventh Brother?" Chunyan nodded and replied, "Seventh Young Master mentioned it. However, Concubine is very concerned about your leg, giving some instructions but nothing more."
Xiqiu nodded and sat down to touch her knee, and Chunyan knelt in front of her to rub her knee, "Is it hurting again? Let me apply another compress for you!"
"No need," Xiqiu smiled, "This kind of condition won’t improve in a year or two, mere hot compresses won’t solve it." Seeing Chunyan’s downcast expression, she cheerfully pulled her up and said, "Go to the front and see if First Sister’s carriage has arrived yet."
Chunyan said nothing, just nodded and left the room.
Nanny Song brushed past Chunyan, stopping at the door as Chunyan stood outside. Nanny Song asked, "Where is the young lady going?"
Chunyan pointed towards the front courtyard, "Going to see if Fourth Miss needs any help over there." Nanny Song waved and chuckled, "I’ve just been there. Fourth Miss’s things were packed up yesterday, and the carriage fetching you two young ladies has arrived. Lady asked me to come back and notify the young lady, and have us move the items to the second gate for loading."
We? Xiqiu raised an eyebrow slightly, and Chunyan also caught the implication, asking, "Nanny is coming too?" They had planned for Nanny Song to guard the courtyard while the three of them went to the Marquis Mansion.
"Indeed, Madam specifically instructed it," she smiled at Xiqiu, "She said only taking two maids seems too few, and the Marquis Mansion is not like at home, everything needs to be considered cautiously."
Is she worried that going to the Marquis Mansion might make people think the young lady doesn’t have a personal nanny, affecting the Lady’s face?
Xiqiu smiled and nodded, "Having Nanny along is indeed more convenient, then I’ll trouble Nanny."
Nanny Song politely smiled, "Sixth Miss is too courteous, even though I’m older, I am still your servant. Please don’t hesitate to instruct me if you need anything."
Xiqiu smiled without replying and had Chunyan and Sixing find a servant to carry the trunks to the second gate while she went to Zhui Garden.
Lady’s gaze fell on her leg, frowning slightly, but her tone was gentle, "Though you are younger, in my eyes, you are much steadier than Fourth Girl. When you two go to the Marquis Mansion, you should think for her in everything to avoid causing any trouble and becoming a laughingstock."
"Yes!" Xiqiu replied with her head lowered. Lady continued, "Once you’re there, don’t wander all about the courtyard." Pausing, she added, "Interact less with the Fifth Madam and Second Miss there. If there’s nothing else, accompany your First Sister more, after all, you are family!"
As she spoke, her eyes couldn’t help but rest on Xiqiu. Today, she was dressed in an elegant hibiscus-colored overcoat, underneath a pomegranate-red jiaao, and wore a subtly lined skirt below, standing gracefully before Lady. Her face, though slender, had a faint blush on her cheeks, and her eyes were bright as jewels, clear, and perfectly symmetrical. She had some of Madam Xia’s gentleness, yet was different from Madam Xia’s pure frailty, as if there was something unique about her. But, what it exactly was, Lady couldn’t immediately pinpoint. She just realized, in an unexpected moment, that Sixth Girl had matured into something exceptionally beautiful.
Thinking of Tong Xiyan, who had become even thinner since the winter clothes were made, wearing them loose on her thin, sallow face, she had lost the usual luster she once had. Lady’s expression turned colder and she waved, "The weather is chilly, go get on the carriage first. When your Fourth Sister’s sedan comes, we’ll have someone carry her over."
Xiqiu smiled and nodded, "Yes!" Daihe had already lifted the door curtain, and Xiqiu greeted her cheerfully as she exited, leading Sixing and Chunyan to the second gate. Though the snow on the path had been swept clean, it was still somewhat slippery. Chunyan and Sixing supported Xiqiu on both sides, fearing she might slip.
Xiqiu jokingly remarked, "Now I truly have become a frail young lady." Sixing covered her face with a laugh, though her smile was somewhat bitter, "Miss has always been a Miss!"
At the second gate, Nanny Song and several servants had already loaded the trunks onto the carriage. Xiqiu glanced at the two carriages in front; as she expected, Tong Xiyan had brought twice as many things as she had, requiring five carriages just for the two of them.
A carriage driver from the Marquis Mansion approached with a smile to greet her and bowed, "Sixth Miss, Fourth Miss hasn’t arrived yet. Let me help you onto the carriage, and you can rest there. There’s a heated stove inside; it’ll be warmer for you!"
Xiqiu nodded with a smile, "Thank you, Nanny." She looked back at Sixing, who then, together with the servant, helped her onto the carriage. Once Xiqiu was seated, Sixing took out a pocket to reward the servant, smiling, "It’s freezing out, Nanny, take it to buy some wine."
The servant refused to accept it, smiling, "I’m here on duty, how can I take the Miss’s reward?" Sixing pressed the pocket into her hand, "Nanny, don’t be so formal."
The servant accepted it with a smile and weighed it in her hand, her smile becoming increasingly amiable.