"Miss, are we really going to let her off so easily?" Cuilü asked, unwilling.
"Cuilü, listen to the miss!" Qiuxin glanced at her and pulled her aside, explaining everything in detail. Only then did Cuilü feel reassured. "The miss has become formidable! I said that the Fang woman has her own small kitchen in her courtyard, yet she wants us to dismantle ours. We simply won't dismantle it—let's see what she does!"
"Qiuxin, take Caiyu and Caihuan and make a personal trip for this matter."
"Alright." Qiuxin agreed, but a bitterness welled up in her heart. A little girl of only five years old was already being forced to adapt to the scheming and infighting of the inner household.
"From now on, all of you must be sharp. As the saying goes, 'The heart of caution cannot be absent.' The more we know about what goes on outside, the better we can protect ourselves. Don't think that just because I'm young, you can hide things from me. Little do you realize that hiding things from me could be what harms me. As for Mama Lin and Taohong, once I find out where they've been taken, I'll find a way to bring them back. I've already lost my mother, and you few are all I have left. From now on, we must rely on ourselves for everything. At present, there are only the two of you, so you must be even more loyal and united—don't stir up trouble, but don't fear it either. You're both reliable; I don't need to say more. If others bully you, you must give it back to them fiercely. If anything happens, I'll bear the responsibility. I cannot be like my mother—soft-hearted and weak."
These words were spoken neither humbly nor arrogantly, blending kindness with authority. Qiuxin and Cuilü listened with heavy hearts. Their miss was so young yet already had to learn to be independent. As her servants, they couldn't afford to hold their own miss back. Searching their consciences, their loyalty went without saying, and the part about not being bullied brought them some comfort.
Thinking back, some of the troublesome servants had taken advantage of the madam's gentleness and dignity, her humility in all things, and had grown very bold. The miss had usually followed the madam's ways. Now, with the Fang woman here, making things difficult at every turn, and after the miss's serious illness, her temperament had changed considerably. She was no longer as impulsive as before; she had developed an edge, and her words and actions were increasingly methodical. This was a good thing.
Considering she was an orphaned girl trying to make her way in this inner household—if the master doted on her, things would be fine, but now it didn't seem that way. The Fang woman had just entered the household, and the days ahead would surely be full of scheming and bullying. If she couldn't stand on her own, her whole life could be ruined.
A little girl of only five, forced to grow up—how could it not break one's heart!
As Qiuxin and Cuilü thought this, they felt more respect and comfort toward their miss. They solemnly knelt and responded, "Miss, rest assured. We two are your trusted confidants. As for the others, we'll keep an eye on them—you needn't worry. Even if some blind fool wants to bully us, we're not afraid. You've just recovered from a serious illness, so you mustn't overthink. Once you've regained your health, we can make plans then."
"The small kitchen has already made the bean porridge you like, miss. I'll go bring it to you!"
After breakfast, Xia Qinghe sat in the courtyard to aid her digestion, while Qiuxin took Caiyu and Caihuan to the Fang woman's quarters.
Before long, Qiuxin returned from outside with a dark expression.
After dismissing Caiyu and Caihuan, Xia Qinghe finally asked, "What did the Fang woman say?"
"Hmph! She puts on such airs. She even wants you to hand over all of the madam's former dowry to her—what a nerve! I couldn't hold back my anger and argued with her a few times. Then the old maid by her side scolded me—truly a dog relying on its master's power!" Qiuxin said, seething with anger.
Xia Qinghe rarely saw Ruixin looking like this; it seemed she was truly furious.
"They're trying to intimidate us! And they even want my mother's dowry! What nerve!!"
"When I went, the master was there too." Ruixin glanced at her young lady, her voice a bit low.
"Oh? He didn't say anything?"
Ruixin shook her head, worried her lady might be hurt. In truth, Xia Qinghe felt nothing for this father. Though she had taken over the original owner's body and he was the original owner's biological father, he had treated her poorly and indirectly caused her death. She intended to seek justice for the original owner.
It seemed Lady Fang had already persuaded Xia Tingmei. Her mother was gone, and if even these dowry items couldn't be protected, she thought the original owner would be deeply grieved.
"If we don't give them, would she really send people to snatch them by force?" Cuilu said indignantly from the side.
Xia Qinghe glanced at this silly girl—how could she be even more foolish than herself?
"Silly girl, it's very possible."
Before she even finished speaking, they saw Mama Li leading a group of matrons and maidservants striding arrogantly to the courtyard gate.
"Miss, the madam has said that from now on, all food, clothing, and expenses in the household will be managed uniformly from the main storeroom. So, the storeroom in Qinghe Court will be merged into the main household storeroom."
"Mama Li? Right? You look quite familiar to me. Wasn't it you who pushed me into the water that day?"
Ruixin and Cuilu were both startled inwardly—so the young lady hadn't fallen in on her own; someone had pushed her! Wasn't that attempted murder for money?!
"This is my first time seeing you today, miss. You must not wrong an innocent person." Mama Li was stubborn as a dead duck, refusing to admit it. She didn't believe that without witnesses, anyone would trust the words of a young girl.
Hmph, a child with a father but no mother to care for her—could she really overturn the madam's control in this inner household?
Without waiting for anyone in Qinghe Court to react, they began entering the storeroom. They didn't even bother asking for the keys, directly smashing the lock, ready to move things out.
Xia Qinghe watched them coldly, standing firmly at the door. "Anyone who wants to leave will have to step over me!"
Seeing this, Ruixin and Cuilu also stood behind her with solemn, resolute expressions.
"He'er!" Xia Tingmei's voice came from behind.
Xia Tingmei and Lady Fang entered the courtyard one after the other. "He'er, don't take it to heart. In a few days, our whole family will be heading to the capital. I'm taking this opportunity to organize the household's belongings. Once in the capital, your father will need to spend where necessary in his official position. If the family pulls together, things won't go wrong."
Lady Fang wore a look of maternal affection, trying her best to appear virtuous and thrifty.
"Oh? I've already sent you the household management authority and account books. This here is only my mother's dowry. Does the master's official spending require the use of a wife's dowry?" Xia Qinghe said coldly. Everyone knew that in this era, for a man to touch his wife's dowry was a matter of masculine dignity; ordinary men wouldn't do such a thing.
"He'er, you're still young and don't know how to manage a household. Let your mother manage it for now. When you marry in the future, it will naturally be given to you as your dowry—only more, never less!" Xia Tingmei's face darkened. He had come to Qinghe Court precisely because he feared Xia Qinghe would make an unreasonable scene.
"My mother has already passed away." The implication was clear—she was only a stepmother.
Lady Fang's face remained tightly composed, not a trace of hatred showing, but she clutched her handkerchief, twisting and wringing it again and again. These words not only humiliated her—Xia Tingmei, upon hearing them, would only grow angrier!
Sure, the older woman surnamed Xia's expression grew even darker. "At such a young age, how can you be so stubborn and inflexible?! What did your mother teach you before? You learned nothing good, but you've certainly mastered the habit of talking back! From now on, you will follow Madam Fang. Since she has entered the household, she is your mother and has the right to discipline you!"
Madam Fang felt a surge of satisfaction inwardly. Once this little girl fell into her hands, she would make sure she got more than she bargained for.