Xuecha was still unwilling to accept the situation and wanted to argue, but Mama Li discreetly held her back.
She had a vague suspicion that Granny Bai must have played some underhanded trick. But Granny Bai was the Eldest Miss’s confidante—how could the Eldest Miss not know? Most likely, she had ordered it herself, and the purpose was obvious.
“It was my carelessness, but fortunately, the situation isn’t serious. I’ll brew some medicinal soup for her to wash with, and she should recover in two days.”
“Two days?” Bai Jingshu sneered. “Once you’ve caught such a filthy disease, there’s no hope of recovery! Don’t waste your efforts.”
Then, turning to Madam Bai Chen, she said, “I don’t think there’s much point in examining her further. It’s as plain as the nose on your face.”
Madam Bai Chen nodded, finally letting Bai Jingchu off the hook.
She instructed Mama Li, “Tomorrow morning, bring your young lady with me to the Marquis’s estate. Make sure she’s properly groomed and dressed—don’t let her look too shabby and embarrass our Bai family.”
Bai Jingshu couldn’t suppress the smugness at the corners of her lips. “This place is so filthy, Mother, let’s leave quickly.”
In an instant, the crowd scattered like a receding tide, as if fleeing from a plague.
Mama Li’s heart ached with pity. “My poor young lady, could it be true that you’ve been infected with that filthy disease? What are we going to do?”
Bai Jingchu tidied her disheveled hair and tilted her head with a triumphant smile.
It seemed her gamble had paid off.
Bai Jingshu’s actions were clearly aimed at justifying the annulment of the engagement with the Marquis’s family.
Of course, the next step would be to drive her, now disgraced, out of the Bai residence—killing two birds with one stone.
“Showing off one’s skill with the axe before Lu Ban the master carpenter”—how dare you, with only three years of experience in poison, try to outsmart me right under my nose?
Tomorrow, I’ll make sure Madam Bai Chen loses both her advantage and her dignity, utterly humiliated.
Early the next morning, Mama Li woke Bai Jingchu from her sleep and began helping her wash and dress.
Her wet nurse dressed her in an autumn-spice-colored soft smoke-gauze jacket embroidered with gold thread and a moon-white pleated skirt scattered with delicate floral patterns. The outfit made her delicate, palm-sized face appear even more radiant, as fair as freshly peeled eggshell.
Her jade-like nose and cherry lips, paired with a pair of clear, sparkling eyes, shone as purely as raindrops on pear blossoms in early spring. The dimples that appeared and disappeared with her every smile added a touch of playfulness and sweetness.
Mama Li looked exhausted, clearly having had a sleepless night—perhaps from worry, or perhaps from staying up late altering Jingchu’s dress.
As she smoothed hair oil with her palms to style Jingchu’s hair, she couldn’t help but chatter with concern: “Yesterday morning, I heard that the Lin family sent a matchmaker. The implication was that they wish to form a marriage alliance with our household.
The Lin family is wealthy and influential, with a first-rank official in the court who holds authority over the evaluation and appointment of hundreds of officials—their pockets are undoubtedly well-lined.
With the Lin family securing the Eldest Miss’s marriage, Madam will surely have even fewer reservations. Today’s visit to the Marquis’s estate is precisely to annul the engagement.
It’s just a pity for you, young lady… used as a pawn, discarded after being taken advantage of. What will become of you in the future?”
Bai Jingchu hadn’t expected that chubby Bai to be so efficient—right after she’d given her instructions, he had immediately sent a matchmaker. No wonder Madam Bai Chen had carried herself with such confidence and authority yesterday afternoon.
Being confined in this Magnolia Court, her access to information was far too limited.
Mama Li continued her admonitions, “When we get to the Marquis’s estate later, be sure to act obediently. Don’t let any foolishness show. If things really don’t go well…”
She hesitated for a moment, as if finally making up her mind: “Kneel down and beg the Marquise to give you a way out.”
She must have also realized that after Bai Chen-shi annulled the engagement, she would burn the bridge once she crossed the river—kicking her out of the Bai family.
Bai Jingchu, seemingly carefree, was enjoying her breakfast with a good appetite.
Mama Li sighed and muttered to herself, “What’s the use of telling you all this? If only the First Madam had cared for you a little, if she hadn’t sent you to that eunuch’s side to suffer for these three years, you’d still be as clever as before. You could’ve surely married into a wealthy family and lived peacefully, tending to your husband and children.”
Once everything was tidied up, Bai Chen-shi sent someone to hurry them along.
The messenger stood outside the courtyard, keeping a distance from the three of them, and shouted loudly.
Mama Li wanted to follow.
The messenger said, “There’s only one carriage today, and it can’t fit so many people. The First Madam wants you, Mama Li, to stay at the estate. There’s no need to accompany us.”
Mama Li insisted, “The journey isn’t far. I can follow behind the carriage.”
The messenger’s face suddenly darkened. “The First Madam said the Marquis’s household has many rules. You’ve never seen much of the world, and if you all tag along in a noisy crowd, you’ll only make a spectacle of yourselves.”
Mama Li glanced at Bai Jingchu with concern but didn’t press further.
Bai Jingchu followed the messenger out of Xinyi Courtyard.
Along the way, the servants in the estate pointed and whispered about her.
“Ugh, she’s contracted such a shameful, filthy disease and still parades around without a care. An idiot is an idiot—doesn’t she feel any shame or embarrassment?”
“That’s too harsh. It’s not like she wanted to get this illness. She had no choice.”
“If she hadn’t been willing, could Young Master Yan have forced her? Clearly, she was the one being wanton. She deserves it.”
“Regardless of how she got the disease, if word spreads, it won’t sound good. The First Madam definitely won’t allow her to stay in the estate and ruin the reputation of the young master and the two young ladies.”
“Exactly. I doubt she’ll live much longer. In ordinary families, when such disgraceful, dishonorable things happen, they’d hang a three-foot white silk from the beam right away.”
“I’m not even sure if she’ll make it back alive. Poor thing—she barely managed to survive until that old eunuch passed away and returned unscathed. It would’ve been better if she’d just stayed in Xianghe to mourn him as a widow.”
“As the old saying goes, ‘The sting of a wasp, the tail of a scorpion…'”
“Even after raising her for over a decade, she still can’t compare to a biological child. This was originally the young lady’s fate to bear. Ah, such is destiny!”
Some spoke venomously, some pitied her, and there were even servants making lewd remarks, lamenting the waste of her fair appearance.
Jingchu raised her collar, covering her neck completely, and tucked her hands into her sleeves.
Ah, if only one of these maids or servants had even a slight knowledge of medicine or had read medical books, they wouldn’t just parrot what others say.
How could a venereal disease progress so quickly?
Fate? Destiny? I, Bai Jingchu, didn’t believe in it three years ago, and I still don’t now. My life, like the curved lifeline in my palm, has always been held firmly in my own hands.
She boarded the carriage and headed straight to the Marquis’s estate with Bai Chen-shi. After presenting their visiting card, an elderly maid came out to greet them. They turned past the spirit wall, where Bai Chen-shi was invited into a small sedan chair carried by two sturdy maids. Winding through the estate, they finally set the sedan down in a flower hall.
Along the way, Bai Jingchu looked around with a naive curiosity, drawing a sharp glare from Bai Chen-shi.
When the Marquess’s wife saw the two enter, she did not even rise from her seat, merely moving her lips with an air of arrogance.
“Please take a seat, Madam Bai. Serve the tea.”
Bai Chen-shi felt displeased inwardly, but she did not show it on her face. She still performed the proper courtesies, greeting the Marquess’s wife respectfully before taking a seat to the side.
Bai Jingchu stood obediently behind Bai Chen-shi.
Without any polite small talk, the Marquess’s wife got straight to the point: “Madam Bai, what brings you here in person today?”
Bai Chen-shi leaned forward slightly, her face full of ingratiating smiles. “I would not trouble you without good reason. A few days ago, this girl had the honor of serving the young master for a night—a matter you are aware of, Madam.”
The Marquess’s wife glanced at Jingchu out of the corner of her eye, a flicker of admiration passing through her gaze.
“This girl, once tidied up, does carry herself with remarkable grace. One can tell she has been raised with care.”