The next day, Su Xubai had nothing to do, so he slept until the sun was high in the sky before getting up. Naturally, no one in the household dared to say anything to him, but as he tidied up and stepped out of the courtyard, he overheard the whispers of the cleaning maids standing in the corner.
“Does this lady think too highly of herself, sleeping until the sun is high in the sky!”
“It’s just because she’s favored, isn’t it? People like her are all the same—relying on the master’s favor, they become arrogant and disregard the rules!”
“No matter how favored she is, she’s still just a concubine. Once she loses that favor, her days might not be any better than ours!”
Su Xubai stood there listening for a long time, his brows gradually furrowing. He slowly walked up behind them. One of the maids heard his footsteps and, upon seeing it was Su Xubai, immediately knelt in fright. “Master…”
“The maids in this household have become so unruly, daring to gossip about their master behind his back!” Su Xubai looked at the young maid kneeling before him, his face filled with anger.
The maids knelt there one after another, not daring to utter a word, only bowing their heads.
Su Xubai naturally understood that these maids were merely opportunists, and there was always someone stirring up trouble behind the scenes. He was so furious that he wished he could beat them all, but in the end, remembering Cheng Chun’s gentle and soft demeanor, he could only turn and leave.
These were all household-born servants, many brought from the capital. If he made a scene here, he would have to explain himself when he returned. If he punished them, they might vent their resentment on Cheng Chun, and in the end, it would still be Cheng Chun who suffered.
Su Xubai stayed in the study for nearly two hours before Cheng Chun arrived. She carried a bowl of soup, and from afar, a faint, refreshing aroma wafted over.
“Fifth Master, I made crucian carp and tofu soup. Please taste it!” Cheng Chun placed the soup in front of Su Xubai.
Su Xubai had been stewing in his emotions for over two hours because of those maids, but upon seeing Cheng Chun’s expectant expression, his anger vanished instantly. He picked up a spoon and took a sip.
The fish soup was clear and refreshing, without a hint of fishy smell, and carried a rich aroma of beans. After tasting it, Su Xubai couldn’t help but take another sip. Then, under Cheng Chun’s hopeful gaze, he nodded. “It tastes good!”
Cheng Chun smiled. “Then please drink more, Fifth Master!”
Su Xubai had originally intended to scold Cheng Chun a little, but seeing the smile in her eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything more. In the end, the matter was left unresolved.
Cheng Chun was very serious when learning characters, so Su Xubai only needed to read from the book once and explain it once before she would go off on her own to ponder it. It didn’t require much effort from Su Xubai, and the two of them sat together like this, enjoying a peaceful and comfortable moment.
However, such moments of tranquility were always difficult to maintain, as there were always a few ungrateful people who would come and stir up trouble.
Nanny Zhang was one such ungrateful person. She had been lying in her room, cracking melon seeds, when unexpectedly, a maid came and told her that Cheng Chun could read account books and had even sent someone to inquire in the kitchen. This news threw her into a panic.
After thinking it over in her room for a long while, she finally decided to confess her faults and seek forgiveness.
She was originally an old servant of the family, only coming to this estate as a steward after reaching a certain age—essentially to enjoy a leisurely retirement. Although her hands weren’t entirely clean and she had skimmed a bit of profit, she was, after all, a senior servant. By taking the initiative to confess her faults, she likely thought Su Xubai wouldn’t hold it against her. Moreover, her daughter might one day become a concubine in the household, making her, in a way, half a mistress.
When Nanny Zhang arrived, Su Xubai was painting. Upon hearing it was Nanny Zhang seeking an audience, he initially had no intention of seeing her. But catching sight of Cheng Chun beside him, he changed his mind and decided to grant her an audience.
As soon as Nanny Zhang entered, she knelt on the floor. “Fifth Master, this old servant was blinded by greed—”
She had barely uttered these words when she noticed Cheng Chun sitting to the side. The rest of her speech died in her throat, and she remained kneeling there, mouth agape, unable to speak for a long while.
Su Xubai found her expression utterly ridiculous. “How exactly were you blinded by greed? Go on, speak up!”
“This old servant, this old servant…” Nanny Zhang glanced at Cheng Chun, then at Su Xubai, before finally forcing out the words, “Fifth Master, there are some things this old servant wishes to discuss with you alone!”
“Alone? Since when have you become so important that you can speak to me alone?” Su Xubai suddenly grabbed the inkstone beside him and hurled it right next to Nanny Zhang.
The inkstone shattered on the floor, splattering ink everywhere, some of it landing on Nanny Zhang’s face. She was startled but dared not utter another word.
Cheng Chun, unsure of what to do, could only continue sitting quietly.
“You originally served my mother and were sent here to manage this estate. Do you really think it was for the reason stated openly—to let you retire here in peace?” Su Xubai glared coldly at Nanny Zhang, his eyes filled with anger.
“This old servant wouldn’t dare!”
“Wouldn’t dare? I think you dare everything!” Su Xubai sneered. “Here, you seem to have taken yourself for half a mistress. Why don’t you think back on why you were sent away in the first place? Given my grandmother’s temperament, someone like you, who pushed her own daughter into my elder brother’s bed, would have been beaten to death with clubs long ago. It was only because my mother pitied your age that she sent you to this villa. And yet, you have the audacity to act like a mistress!”
With Su Xubai ruthlessly tearing away her veil of pretense, Nanny Zhang’s legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the floor. “Fifth Master…”
“Tomorrow, you will hand over the steward’s keys to the mistress. As for you, I will decide your fate after consulting my mother!” Su Xubai coldly tossed out these words. “Now get out!”
From start to finish, Nanny Zhang was unable to utter a single complete sentence before being driven out by Su Xubai, leaving Cheng Chun standing by, too frightened to make a sound.
Only after Nanny Zhang had left did Su Xubai turn to Cheng Chun. “Did you see that?”
Cheng Chun was startled. “See what?”
“People must be disciplined this way. You are the mistress; you must carry yourself with authority and not indulge them in throwing their weight around!” Seeing Cheng Chun’s timid demeanor, Su Xubai felt a sense of frustration, as if disappointed by her lack of resolve.
Cheng Chun remained silent for a long time before finally nodding. “I understand.”
Regarding this matter, Cheng Chun had said “I know” many times, but each time it was still soft and gentle. Su Xubai couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed, but looking at her moist eyes, he couldn’t bear to scold her: “The housekeeper’s keys will be handed over to you later. If there’s anything you don’t know, just come to me, understand?”
“I know, Fifth Master, don’t be angry!” Cheng Chun stepped forward and gently tugged at Su Xubai’s sleeve. The frustration that had been building up in Su Xubai immediately dissipated.