10
You Have to Sleep with Uncle Er for a While
Magnolia Courtyard.
Bai Jingshu arrived with a grand procession, leading servants carrying charcoal, half a sack of rice, and other supplies. Xuecha and Mama Li busied themselves organizing the items.
Bai Jingshu forced a concerned smile. “I’ve come on Mother’s orders to bring you some daily necessities. She said you may stay at the Bai residence for two more days, but as for meals, you’ll have to cook separately.”
Bai Jingchu’s heart leaped with relief, as if a weight had been lifted. “Oh?” she exclaimed joyfully. “Does that mean I can eat whatever I want?”
Bai Jingshu curled her lip. “No, it means you’ll eat whatever is available. You should know, even Mother and Father don’t have a private kitchen—only Grandfather does. You’re the only exception. Look how much Mother favors you. How enviable.”
Bai Jingchu glanced at the radishes, cabbage, and coarse rice sent from the main house and generously offered, “If you like it so much, Sister, I’ll give it to you.”
Bai Jingshu tried to mask the bitterness in her tone. “I don’t have such luck. From now on, don’t mix your tea and meals with ours…” She lowered her voice. “After all, everyone thinks you’re dirty.”
Jingchu replied earnestly, “I’m not dirty. I’ve bathed.”
“Useless! You served a eunuch for three years and slept with a man. Your body is already tainted.”She stared provocatively at Jingchu, hoping to provoke an outburst.”
A fleeting sharpness flashed in Bai Jingchu’s eyes, quickly concealed as she smiled, pure as water. “That’s not true!” she declared loudly. “Eunuch Li said the silks and satins the Bai family wears now, the delicacies you eat, were all exchanged for by me! Do you really find it dirty?”
Her words left Bai Jingshu speechless.
The head of the Bai family had originally been an eighth-rank official in the Imperial Hospital’s General Medicine Department. Three years ago, he was implicated in the sudden death of Consort Su in the palace and nearly lost his life, let alone achieved the wealth and status they enjoyed now.
Bai Jingshu’s face flushed with restrained anger. “I was talking about the matter with the Marquis’s estate. Why are you bringing this up?”
Bai Jingchu said plaintively, “If I became dirty just from a visit to the Marquis’s estate, are you saying the Marquis’s estate is unclean? Will you still marry into it in the future?”
“None of your business!”
Unable to counter a fool’s logic, Bai Jingshu abandoned all pretense. Flushed with humiliation and anger, she shooed the servants who had gathered to watch. “Put the things down and leave! There’s plenty of work waiting!”
The servants nudged each other and, once out of the courtyard, began whispering among themselves.
Bai Jingshu’s face turned ashen with rage, but she could not vent her frustration. Taking a deep breath to suppress her anger, she pulled Bai Jingchu into the room and asked with a forced smile, “I heard you had a stomachache today and that Second Uncle treated you?”
Bai Jingchu nodded. “Yes.”
“You see how good Second Uncle is to you. They say one should repay kindness. Shouldn’t you do something in return?”
Bai Jingchu looked troubled. “How can I repay him? I have no money.”
“For example, do what you did for Young Master Yan that day. Men all like that.”
Bai Jingchu’s pupils contracted sharply, and she clenched her hands tightly inside her sleeves.
She knew Bai Jingshu was scheming, but she never expected her to be so venomous.
A niece climbing into her uncle’s bed—how scandalous.
If she were truly a fool, she would be doomed, with no place left for her in the Bai family.
Without a second thought, she shook her head. “I don’t want to. My nanny said men and women shouldn’t be too close. I’m a grown woman now.”
“We’re family, just like you and your brother. When you were little, you ate together and slept together—wasn’t that normal? This is a good thing. If Second Uncle sees how filial you are, he’ll surely treat you even better in the future. He’ll save all the best food and drinks for you.”
Bai Jingchu pretended to look tempted, her resolve seemingly wavering.
“Then… then I’ll ask Second Aunt.”
“You can’t let Second Aunt know! Otherwise, it won’t be a surprise. Second Uncle takes a nap every afternoon, and all the servants stay away. Just sneak in during that time, slip into his bed, and it’s done!”
“But I’ve forgotten where Second Uncle’s room is. What if I go to the wrong one?”
That was indeed a problem.
Two years ago, when Second Uncle’s son, Bai Jingtai, got married, the second branch of the family moved to the Chenmo Courtyard in the west compound.
“Once you enter the west compound, head straight to the row of rooms facing you. The second door on the right has a plaque above it with the words ‘Virtue and Medical Excellence’. It’s easy to recognize.”
Bai Jingchu shook her head. “I can’t remember. It’s too hard. I’m not going.”Bai Jingshu had no choice but to patiently pull out a piece of paper, sketch a simple layout of the second branch’s residence, and write down the four characters ‘Virtue and Excellence in Medicine,’ carefully teaching them to her.”
Nanny Li, growing suspicious of the two, deliberately passed by the door.
In the brief moment Bai Jingshu stood up to check, Bai Jingchu had already folded the paper into a boat and was squatting by the water basin, happily playing with it.
What an idiot, Bai Jingshu thought, her patience wearing thin. “Do you remember now?”
“I remember.”
“Then make sure you go tomorrow. And remember, don’t tell anyone.”
After a few more reminders, Bai Jingshu noticed the paper was mostly soaked and wouldn’t leave any evidence. Satisfied with the drama she had set in motion, she left, feeling smug.
As soon as she was gone, Bai Jingchu fished the paper boat out of the water and unfolded it. The map and the words “Thick Virtue and Refined Medicine” remained perfectly intact, protected by the layers of paper.
Trying to trick me into climbing into Second Uncle’s bed—does Bai Jingshu not know how fierce and sharp-tongued Second Aunt is?
The next afternoon, in Chenmo Courtyard.
Bai Jingchu slipped out of Xinyi Courtyard, noticing Qingmo following her stealthily and hiding behind the flower bushes.
She pushed open the door to the courtyard, holding the map Bai Jingshu had drawn for her, and began searching room by room. She was quickly spotted by a servant, who reported it to Second Aunt Bai.
Seeing Bai Jingchu peering around near the main room, Second Aunt Bai, afraid she would disturb Second Uncle’s nap, hurried out and beckoned her over. “Come here.”
Bai Jingchu obediently approached.
“What are you looking for?”
Bai Jingchu showed Second Aunt the note Bai Jingshu had written for her. “Sister Jingshu wrote this for me. She said the room with this plaque is Second Uncle’s. But it doesn’t look the same to me.”
One was written in regular script, the other in cursive.
Instead of answering, Second Aunt Bai asked, “Why are you looking for your Second Uncle?”
Bai Jingchu replied bluntly, “Sister Jingshu told me to sleep with Second Uncle.”
Her words sent a wave of shock through everyone present, and they exchanged uneasy glances.
Second Aunt Bai lowered her voice in anger. “Such madness! Disgraceful nonsense! Someone, take her back to Xinyi Courtyard and have Nanny Li keep a close watch on her. Don’t let her out to embarrass us.”
The servants, assuming she was just spouting nonsense, paid it no mind and stepped forward to escort her away.
Bai Jingchu said with a pitiful tone, “I told you it wouldn’t work. Second Aunt would definitely be angry. But Sister Jingshu insisted I come and even sent Qingmo to follow me all the way. She lied to me—I’ll never trust her again.”
At the mention of Qingmo, Second Aunt grew suspicious. She subtly signaled to the elderly servant behind her with a glance.
The servant immediately understood, tiptoed to the courtyard gate, and peered through the crack for a moment. Turning back, she nodded to Second Aunt Bai.
“It really is Qingmo. She was sneaking around outside for a while, then turned and left. She must have gone to report back.”
Only then did Second Aunt Bai believe Jingchu’s words. “How outrageous! How could that girl be so malicious? To think of such a harmful scheme!”
Bai Jingchu defended herself, “I didn’t mean to harm anyone. Sister Jingshu said I’ve been infected with a filthy disease, and everyone else despises me. Only Second Uncle treats me well. She told me this was how I could repay his kindness.”
At the mention of illness, Second Aunt Bai immediately thought of Chi Yanqing’s venereal disease, and a surge of fury shot straight to her head.
“Heavens! She’s trying to ruin our Second Branch! How could there be such a vicious person in this world? Today, I must confront Bai Chenshi and demand an explanation.”
Truly, one doesn’t feel the pain until the rod strikes their own back. Second Aunt was enraged.