The evening mist was heavy, and the afterglow of the setting sun spilled over the estate, casting a somber hue upon the vermilion gates.
Inside the estate, in the Servant Girls’ quarters of Luoxia Courtyard, light and shadow flickered across the mottled walls, as if concealing countless untold secrets.
In a corner of the room, a woman lay silently on a simple wooden bed, as if forgotten by the world.
Her face was as pale as paper, her brow was tightly furrowed, and her lips were bloodless. A single, undried teardrop clung to her long lashes, a testament to either the sorrow of her life or the unwillingness of her death.
The Servant Girl Xiao Cui entered the room lightly, carrying a bowl of steaming medicinal soup.
She looked at the woman on the bed, her heart filled with worry.
“Elder Sister Ru Yi, you must wake up,” Xiao Cui murmured, placing the medicinal soup on the table. She walked to the bedside and gently tucked the woman in.
The woman’s name was Ru Yi, and she had been a second-rank Servant Girl attending to the young mistress of the estate.
She was clever, nimble, and diligent, and her exceptional embroidery skills were deeply favored by the young mistress.
But just a few days ago, a major incident had occurred in the estate: the young mistress’s most beloved jade hairpin had gone missing.
That jade hairpin was priceless, the apple of the young mistress’s eye.
In a fit of rage, the young mistress ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.
And Xu Ruyi, at that very moment, was framed as the one who had stolen the hairpin.
“How could Elder Sister Ru Yi be the one who stole the hairpin? Someone must have framed her,” Xiao Cui thought to herself.
Ever since Ru Yi had been locked up, Xiao Cui had been frantic with worry, wanting to clear her name.
But the politics of this estate ran too deep; a lowly Servant Girl like Xiao Cui had no way to even begin.
After being locked up, Ru Yi had been subjected to much torment, sustained only by thin gruel and deprived of sleep. Her constitution was already weak; how could she withstand such abuse?
By the time Xiao Cui had finally managed to wait until the young mistress released her and brought her out, she was already on the verge of death.
“Sister, if only you could wake up, we could leave this man-eating place together,” Xiao Cui said, tears welling up in her eyes again.
This time, she too had been thoroughly frightened, losing all sense of composure.
Suddenly, the fingers of the woman on the bed twitched. Then, she slowly opened her eyes.
Her gaze was vacant and bewildered, as if she had not yet fully awakened from her stupor.
Xiao Cui, who had been watching her intently, noticed at once and was overjoyed. “Elder Sister Ru Yi, you’re awake! You’re finally awake!”
Ru Yi looked at Xiao Cui, her lips moving as if to say something, but no sound came out.
Just then, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open, and a slightly plump, older woman walked in.
When the woman saw that Ru Yi on the bed had opened her eyes, she smiled in satisfaction. “Aiyo, the girl Ru Yi is awake! You’re a lucky one to have survived. And it’s your good fortune, too. The person who framed you was found out by the young mistress just today.”
Upon hearing this news, Xiao Cui’s face lit up with a delighted surprise. She hurried over to Mama Li’s side and asked impatiently, “Mama Li, is that true? Who was it that stole the hairpin?”
Mama Li, seeing her reaction, also seemed excited. She slapped her thigh. “Xiao Cui! You’ll never guess! The thief was that girl, Chen Xiang!”
Xiao Cui thought of the ever-tearful Chen Xiang and was surprised, but more than that, she was furious. “It was her! Elder Sister Ru Yi was so good to her, yet she dared to frame her like this. Has her conscience been eaten by dogs? Mama, how did the young mistress find out it was her?”
At this, Mama Li also found it strange. “This morning, that girl Bai Zhi was getting up and passed by Chen Xiang’s bed. She happened to see a corner of a silver pouch sticking out from under Chen Xiang’s bedding. She thought something was off and immediately reported it to the young mistress.”
“As soon as the young mistress heard, she had people search the place. And what do you know, they found a full three hundred taels of silver.”
“The young mistress immediately had Chen Xiang detained. After some interrogation, it turned out that Chen Xiang was indeed the thief. She had stolen the item and, fearing punishment, framed Ru Yi. That girl Ru Yi really suffered an undeserved disaster today. The young mistress has said to reward Ru Yi with fifty taels of silver and let her rest until she’s well before returning to serve.” After speaking, she stepped forward and placed the purse she was holding into Ru Yi’s hand.
Looking at her pale face, she felt a pang of sympathy. Fearing that Ru Yi might hold a grudge against the young mistress, she couldn’t help but add a word of caution, “Ru Yi! Don’t you blame the young mistress. She is the master, and we are the servants. Even if the young mistress wanted to beat you to death, it would be normal. Fortunately, our young mistress is a benevolent one. You just rest up, and once you’re better, go back to serving her!”
The weak Ru Yi glanced at Mama Li and nodded lightly. “Thank you for your concern, Mama. Ru Yi understands. Once I am better, I will return to serve the young mistress.”
Receiving the answer she wanted, Mama Li stood up, satisfied. “Good. Then I’ll be going. The young mistress cannot be left unattended. Xiao Cui, take good care of the girl Ru Yi.”
Xiao Cui walked over to Mama Li. “Yes, Mama, rest assured. I’ll see you out!”