She had only heard about Ruan Qingli’s ordeal the previous night and had been so guilty that she hadn’t slept all night.
“Qingli, I’m so sorry. I never imagined Master Li was that kind of person. When he asked me to speak to you, I only thought his family was well-off and that you wouldn’t suffer if you married him. I never expected his character to be so despicable.”
Seeing how guilty Aunt Zhang felt, it was Ruan Qingli who comforted her instead.
She knew Aunt Zhang well.
She was kind-hearted and always willing to help others.
This time, she had simply made an honest mistake out of good intentions.
“It’s all right, Aunt Zhang. You were deceived too, and you meant well. I don’t blame you.”
Only after hearing those words did Aunt Zhang feel a little better.
Fortunately, nothing irreversible had happened.
Otherwise, she would have ruined Qingli’s life.
She said angrily,
“How could that Master Li be so vile? Broad daylight, no less! How did he dare?”
Ruan Qingli sighed.
“Because I have no one to rely on, and Fang Shubai has completely ruined my reputation. He thought I’d be easy to bully.”
At the mention of Fang Shubai, Aunt Zhang reached into her pocket and took out ten taels of silver.
“Qingli, Young Master Fang asked me to give this to you. He said it’s the money from selling your adoptive father’s house and told me to return it to you.”
Ruan Qingli was surprised.
Had the sun risen in the west today?
Still, she worried there might be some hidden scheme behind it, so she didn’t immediately accept the silver.
“Aunt Zhang, did Fang Shubai make any conditions?”
“No.”
“Nothing at all?”
“Nothing. Before I left, he simply asked me to hand this money over to you.”
The fact that he hadn’t asked for anything made Ruan Qingli even more suspicious.
But…
Whatever.
The money belonged to her in the first place.
It was part of her dowry, left behind by her adoptive father.
Fang Shubai was only returning what rightfully belonged to her.
Ruan Qingli had never held so much silver before.
It felt heavy in her hands, giving her a deep sense of security.
So this was what it felt like to have money.
It was wonderful.
The first thing she thought of was the cotton she hadn’t been able to buy before.
Han Sheng had still been sleeping without a proper quilt every night.
“Aunt Zhang, are you free to go out later? Come with me to buy some cotton and cloth. I want to make a few quilts for Young Master Han.”
The moment Aunt Zhang heard that she wanted to make quilts for Han Sheng, she looked at Ruan Qingli with a meaningful smile.
Only then did it occur to her…
Qingli and Young Master Han actually looked quite well matched.
If only Qingli weren’t unable to bear children…
She had intended to ask about it, but after making one matchmaking mistake already, she didn’t dare interfere again.
If she accidentally paired the wrong couple once more, it would truly be a sin.
Besides, Young Master Han was an officer of the government.
He was young and handsome.
How could a man like him not want children after marriage?
He probably wouldn’t marry Qingli.
Better not rub salt into her wounds.
Her thoughts drifted back to Fang Shubai.
Young Master Fang was also handsome, refined, and had earned the title of scholar.
Originally, Aunt Zhang had believed Fang Shubai abandoned Qingli because she couldn’t have children.
But after quietly observing him over the past few days…
It didn’t seem that simple.
She had a feeling Fang Shubai still cared about Qingli.
Perhaps there had been some misunderstanding between them.
If it truly was only a misunderstanding…
What a pity that would be.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Qingli returned to the Fang family.
Thinking this, she asked,
“Qingli… if the Fang family asked you to come back, would you?”
Ruan Qingli had wanted to tell Aunt Zhang everything Fang Shubai had done.
But then she remembered that Aunt Zhang was still working for the Fang family.
If Aunt Zhang learned how calculating Fang Shubai had been, she would probably become so angry that she’d quit.
Ruan Qingli had been married into the Fang family for nearly three years.
During that time, Aunt Zhang had worked there as well.
Most days they worked side by side.
Their relationship was much closer than the one she had with Madam Zhou.
Aunt Zhang had always treated her kindly.
During the winter, whenever Ruan Qingli was on her monthly cycle, Aunt Zhang never allowed her to do chores involving cold water.
Instead, she got up early and worked late to finish them herself.
For that reason alone, Ruan Qingli hoped Aunt Zhang could continue earning her wages.
After all, her family was struggling, and she still had a sick son to support.
Besides, there weren’t many households in Willow Town that could afford servants.
If she left the Fang family, it would be difficult to find another employer.
Aunt Zhang accompanied Ruan Qingli to buy cotton.
Now that Ruan Qingli finally had money, she spent generously, buying ten catties of cotton in one go.
Even the quilt lining was made from cotton cloth, and she chose one of the better fabrics in the shop for the outer cover.
After helping her buy everything, Aunt Zhang returned to the Fang family.
Ruan Qingli stayed home and made the quilts herself.
She had done this kind of work countless times before, so she was very skilled at it.
Still, because she was rushing, she ended up covered from head to toe in fluffy cotton fibers.
By the time the quilts were finished, night had already fallen.
Han Sheng once again didn’t come home for dinner.
She wondered what had kept him so busy.
Assuming he would return very late like the previous few nights, Ruan Qingli heated some water and carried a large wooden bathtub into the room, planning to enjoy a hot bath.
Unexpectedly, she had barely begun bathing when she heard Han Sheng return.
Panic immediately filled her heart.
The door to her room wasn’t locked.
She hurried to climb out of the tub and latch the door.
But in her haste, she slipped in the water while standing up and landed back inside with a loud splash.
The fall itself wasn’t serious.
The noise, however, was enormous.
Outside, Han Sheng thought something terrible had happened and immediately knocked on the door.
“Ali! Are you all right?”
Still grimacing from the pain, Ruan Qingli quickly answered,
“I’m fine! I just slipped.”
“Where did you hurt yourself? Do you need me to come in and help?”
“No! Please don’t come in! I’m really fine!”
The more urgently she refused, the more worried Han Sheng became.
His imagination immediately ran wild.
Could someone be inside her room?
Was she being held at knifepoint and too afraid to tell the truth?
When you care about someone, panic clouds your judgment.
Han Sheng asked once more through the door,
“Ali, are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m really fine! Please don’t come in!”
The more she insisted, the more convinced he became.
Drawing the dagger from his waist, Han Sheng kicked the door open.
Inside the room, Ruan Qingli had only just finished putting on her dudou and undergarments.
Her long hair draped loosely over her shoulders.
Her exposed skin was as smooth and white as jade, still glistening with tiny droplets of water.
Her rosy lips were slightly parted, and she stared at Han Sheng in complete disbelief.
Han Sheng froze as well.
Flustered, he immediately turned around and hurried outside.
Then he awkwardly backed up again, intending to close the door for her.
Only then did he realize…
The old wooden door had been completely broken by his kick.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were bathing. I… I’ll leave right away.”
The cool night breeze outside helped calm him slightly.
Even so, his heart continued pounding wildly.
After a long while, Ruan Qingli finally came out.
Her cheeks were flushed bright red.
She was so embarrassed that she couldn’t bring herself to look at Han Sheng.
Han Sheng didn’t dare look at her either.
Their eyes met briefly before both quickly looked away.
“About what just happened…”
“About what just happened…”
“You first.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were taking a bath. I thought someone had broken into the house and was holding you hostage.”
Hearing his explanation, Ruan Qingli finally let out a relieved sigh.
The way Han Sheng had burst into the room, dagger in hand, had truly frightened her.
She couldn’t understand what he had been trying to do.
Now his actions finally made sense.
“So… that’s why you rushed in?”
“Yes. I… I didn’t scare you too badly, did I?”
“Not too badly. I was just a little frightened.”
“Young Master Han, I’ve finished tidying the room. You can go in now.”
“Oh… all right.”
“It’s just… the door is broken. I couldn’t fix it.”
“It’s fine. I’ll take a look.”
But when Han Sheng examined the shattered wooden door, he found himself completely at a loss.
It seemed that tonight…
There would be no door left to separate the two of them.