The needlework path was blocked, but Suian wasn't discouraged. That's how things were in this world—one couldn't limit oneself to a single avenue. Her own limitations were considerable, confined day after day within this mansion, within this small courtyard. Ninth Master spent less than two hours here daily. The old woman who cleaned Mr. Lin's courtyard came over to chat with her, and after much talk, she remarked that Suian "lacked ambition."
To be honest, Suian used to think lacking ambition was just fine. She had sold herself into the household, fully conscious of being a servant. The household had paid to buy her, giving her money to treat her father's illness and providing them both with food. In that sense, father and daughter had survived. Speaking of this, she was deeply grateful to the household. When working, she was diligent and honest, never slacking or cutting corners.
She had never imagined that fortune could fall from the sky or that wealth could be obtained without effort. Only by giving and receiving in return could she feel at ease and sleep soundly.
So, what she understood as "lacking ambition" was simply being content with one's lot.
Of course, she wasn't saying that those with ambition were wrong—everyone had their own fate and fortune.
Though she loved money, sometimes when she came across good paper that Ninth Master had discarded after use, she could cut out a small piece to practice writing. That brought her more joy than anything else.
Compared to those ambitious sisters, she had originally thought she had taken the simplest and easiest path. But now, it seemed this path wasn't so easy to walk either.
Suian felt immense pressure weighing on her head. One was manumission, and the other was how to make a living after gaining her freedom. With just her and her father, to be honest, she seemed more capable than her father. Without a strong laborer in the family, it couldn't last long. She couldn't possibly sell herself again after gaining her freedom, could she?
At this thought, she sighed heavily. Just as she stood up to go outside and look around, she saw the rough servant woman who attended to Mr. Lin's family approaching.
"Auntie Fang, what brings you here? Isn't it late to still be out?" Although Auntie Fang was a rough servant, her tasks weren't heavy. She usually finished her work in half a day and went home. As born-servants, though their house wasn't large, it was still their own small home, making them seem more at ease than someone like Suian.
Suian glanced at the sky outside. It was so late today, and Auntie Fang still hadn't left. Could it be that she hadn't received any reward money either and had come to complain?
Auntie Fang wore a mysterious expression, looking at Suian as if wanting to speak but hesitating.
"Auntie?"
"Suian, I have something to tell you. Well, let me put it this way—I know something, and I want you to give me some advice on what to do."
Suian thought this was manageable. Even if she had no advice, listening wouldn't hurt. "Please sit. I'll pour you a cup of hot water."
Just as she stood up, Auntie Fang pulled her back, saying she wasn't thirsty. Suian let it be.
"I was about to leave just now, but then I remembered I left the broom behind the courtyard this morning. When I went to get it, I happened to overhear something. Guess what I heard?"
At such a moment, as a good listener, one naturally had to show interest. Suian quickly straightened her expression and whispered, "What did you hear?"
Auntie Fang lowered her voice mysteriously. "The voice inside sounded like Mrs. Lin's. She said they were able to settle in this courtyard thanks to Young Master Lin and Miss Lin's aunt. She also said the marshal had arranged for them to stay here out of regard for their aunt…"
Suian gasped. This was a lot to take in.
Auntie Fang could tell from her expression that she understood and patted her hand, saying, "I knew you were a clever girl."
Suian immediately realized why Auntie Fang had asked for her advice earlier. This matter was discovered by Auntie Fang herself. If reported to the higher-ups, they would already have the information and naturally wouldn’t treat Auntie Fang poorly.
The difficulty lay in how to report it and to whom. Auntie Fang was a born-servant and knew many people, but this matter couldn’t be shared with everyone. The best approach was to report it to Old Madam’s trusted confidant, but such a person was not someone Auntie Fang usually had access to.
The purpose of seeking Suian’s help was to relay the message, of course, without overshadowing Auntie Fang’s credit.
Suian thought it over and decided she must help. Otherwise, after all her hard work and effort, even if she received no credit, if someone with ill intentions accused her of flattering the Lin family, Old Madam would be furious, and she would suffer. And Ninth Master—if he remained unaware, it would be fine, but if he found out, he would surely drive Mr. Lin’s family away. Then, seeing her and recalling her recent actions, he might dismiss her with a single word.
But whom should she tell? Although she was a study-companion maid, she was still different from Ninth Master’s other personal maids. For example, Lianxiang, Hexiang, and Meixiang were all familiar and close with Old Madam’s senior maids. Should she ask Auntie Fang to approach Lianxiang?
No, this matter was too significant. Even if it didn’t affect her now, it might cause trouble for her in the future. If Auntie Fang hadn’t mentioned it, she could have remained in the dark, but now that she knew, if she didn’t take the initiative to report it, wouldn’t she be seen as someone who enjoyed watching the drama unfold?
Seeing Suian lost in thought without speaking, Auntie Fang grew anxious. "You silly girl, I’m doing this for your own good. You’ve been running around for their family these past few days…"
Suian snapped back to attention just as Auntie Fang’s words reached her ears. Even Auntie Fang had noticed her efforts; refusing now would make her seem too timid. "Then I’ll go on your behalf. Coincidentally, Ziyu-jie from Old Madam’s side asked me to draw a few embroidery patterns. I’ve finished them but haven’t delivered them yet."
Auntie Fang smiled and nodded repeatedly.
Suian asked around and found Ziyu in the small tea room of Zhengyang Hall.
Ziyu smiled when she saw her. "Did you receive any rewards today?"
She had been nearby when Mama Lu came to talk about the Lin family’s behavior and had heard everything.
When it came to sarcasm and mockery, no one in the entire household could rival Ninth Master. Suian had long developed a thick skin and paid no attention to Ziyu’s teasing, though her eyes drifted to the pastries Ziyu had been eating.
"Here, have some." Ziyu noticed and chuckled, pulling her to sit and pushing the plate of pastries toward Suian.
"I wasn’t hungry—I was too angry to eat." Suian pouted, picked up a piece with her handkerchief, and took a resentful bite.
Ziyu poured her a cup of tea and laughed. "Old Madam praised you for being steady, but we see dozens of relatives mooching off us every year. Is it worth getting angry just because you didn’t get any reward money?"
The sweet pastry made Suian squint her eyes in delight. Covering her mouth with her hand, she mumbled, "It's not because of that. Old Madam assigned me a task, and I put my heart into doing it. Even if there's no reward, it shouldn't matter. But Auntie Fang, who cleans Mr. Lin's courtyard, said the Lin family is benefiting from Mrs. Lin's younger sister's good fortune, and she claimed Mrs. Lin said so herself…"
"I just don't understand. It was clearly Old Madam who instructed me, and I worked hard to help arrange everything. Yet Mrs. Lin says it's all thanks to Young Master Lin and Miss Lin's aunt. What does their aunt have to do with it?"
As she spoke, Suian kept stuffing pastries into her mouth, seemingly unaware that her words warranted careful consideration.
Ziyu was taken aback at first, but upon recalling Old Madam's unusually cold attitude toward Mr. Lin, she suddenly felt a chill run through her. Still, she asked, "Was it Auntie Fang who said that? Could she have misheard?"
Suian shook her head. "Auntie Fang forgot her broom and overheard it while passing by Mr. Lin's room."
Ziyu stood up, fetched another plate of red date cake from the small cabinet nearby, and placed it in front of Suian, who seemed entirely focused on the pastries.
In her heart, however, Ziyu thought, No wonder Ninth Master is surrounded by so many people, yet Suian has firmly held the position of reading companion for years without being pushed aside. Her way of speaking and acting is something ordinary maids could never learn. Even Old Madam praises her character. In Ziyu's opinion, good character is secondary—this ability to stay out of trouble and navigate social situations with ease is truly rare.
After all, in this household, merely having good character might lead to taking the blame for others at any moment. Being able to live peacefully and safely is the real skill.
"Alright, if you like it so much, take some back with you. Just be careful not to overeat and upset your stomach," she said with a gentle smile. "The Lin family came here in a state of decline, seeking refuge. Old Madam is only tolerating them out of respect for the master. Otherwise, who would bother with them? Once the master returns the army to the capital, there will be a reckoning."
Hearing Ziyu's words, Suian seemed somewhat appeased, though she still muttered, "Mr. Lin appears quite aloof." Implying that his aloofness was merely superficial.
"Alright, I should get going now. Oh, I almost forgot—the chrysanthemum embroidery patterns you asked for last time…" She took a few sheets of paper from her pouch.
Ziyu took them, examined them carefully, and tucked them away before smiling. "Yours are still the best. The ones others draw are either unattractive or the paper is all wrinkled."
"If the patterns aren't good, there's nothing to be done. The wrinkled paper might be because they didn't let it dry properly after drawing. These little things can't be rushed," Suian said quickly as she wrapped the remaining red date cake in a handkerchief. "Honestly, I don't even think they look nice. What's so appealing about chrysanthemums? They look all wild and unruly, yet so many people like them…"
"Oh, you silly girl! Good thing you study with Ninth Master, or he'd give you a good scolding if he heard that!" Ziyu was both amused and exasperated. "Alright, you should head back now. Be careful—it's getting late, and the path might be difficult to walk."
Suian stood up, took the lantern from Ziyu's hand, thanked her, and walked briskly outside. As luck would have it, she ran into a group of masters who had come to pay their respects to Old Madam right at the entrance.
The eldest son led the way. He had taken an arrow for Commander Chu on the battlefield, sustaining a leg injury that left him somewhat impaired in walking, yet he still appeared spirited and energetic. First Madam walked beside him, followed by a group of children from the eldest branch.
Suian, holding a lantern, bowed with the other maidservants by the roadside. After what felt like an eternity, as the crowd finally dispersed, she was about to straighten up when a sudden sense of danger struck her. In her line of sight, a pair of boots embroidered with multicolored gold threads came to a halt. Looking up further, a bright red cloak filled her vision.
She cursed her own misfortune inwardly and said, "Greetings, Ninth Master."
Chu Yi glanced at her and suddenly remarked, "You’ve been visiting Old Madam’s courtyard quite frequently lately." Could it be that she had changed her mind and wanted to stay by his side, thus rushing to curry favor with his mother?
However, the word "frequently" in his words sent a chill down Suian’s spine. Indeed, she had been diligent—aside from the first time when Old Madam had summoned her, every subsequent visit had been initiated by her. She had urged Ziyu to open the storeroom and pressed her to fetch items for Mr. Lin’s family to furnish their house…
At this thought, her entire being tensed up. She wished she could immediately kneel, cling to Ninth Master’s leg, and declare her innocence.