Qiao Rongjin returned to Haitang Courtyard and told her precious son that the old nanny would be sent over later by the Princess Consort. After that, she collapsed into a chair and refused to move.
These past few days since transmigrating had truly been exhausting. She had been constantly busy—busy, busy, and still busy. She really needed a proper rest.
“Mother, have some tea.” Qi You poured a cup of tea and brought it to her. His eyes were full of heartache. These past days had been truly hard on her.
Seeing his mother personally run errands again just because of a single sentence of his, he felt an indescribable happiness.
“Mmm, the tea poured by my little treasure really tastes the best!” No matter the time or place, Qiao Rongjin always found ways to praise Qi You.
Qi You was already able to respond calmly to his mother’s constant praise, but he still felt shy inside. His eyes sparkled, clearly in a very good mood.
Qiao Rongjin pulled him into her arms. The small body was soft and warm—hugging him felt incredibly comfortable.
For the next half month or so, Qiao Rongjin lived the peaceful life she had always wanted: never leaving the courtyard. The Prince of Rui did not step into Haitang Courtyard even once. She spent her days eating, sleeping, and teasing Qi You.
Anyway, the funds in her hands were still enough to keep Haitang Courtyard running well. She could afford to slack off for a while.
Oh, and there was a new addition to Haitang Courtyard—the old nanny who had previously cared for Qi You. Her surname was Lin, and everyone called her Mama Lin.
When she first arrived, she looked almost as if she were on the verge of death. Because of negligence in caring for Qi You, she and several maids had each received thirty strokes of the rod. That old nanny was lucky—two of the maids died, but she survived. Still, her condition worsened, and she was now bedridden. Whether she would recover remained uncertain. But since Qi You liked her, Qiao Rongjin was willing to keep her.
Thinking that Qi You always needed someone by his side, Qiao Rongjin considered it and ultimately assigned Zhuyun to take care of him temporarily.
She chose Zhuyun after careful consideration. Zhuyun was quiet, loyal, and more trustworthy than the newly arrived Qinyun and Hongdou. She never questioned orders and simply carried them out. She suited Qi You well.
From what she had observed during this half month, Qi You did not like noisy environments or crowds, so he likely also preferred quiet attendants. As expected, Qi You was quite satisfied with Zhuyun.
Meanwhile, Qinyun and Hongdou had proven relatively diligent in their work. Although Qinyun had her own ambitions, she was still doing her duties properly for now. So Qiao Rongjin was satisfied, though she still instructed Qinglian and Zhuyun to keep an eye on her.
As for Hongdou, after being observed by Qinglian and Zhuyun, it was discovered that she had once met someone from Madam Yan’s household.
However, perhaps because Hongdou had stayed long enough in Haitang Courtyard, she refused to cooperate with Madam Yan’s people. When she encountered them again, she even reported the matter directly to Qinglian.
Qinglian had been stunned. She then brought Hongdou along to meet the person. When Madam Yan’s maid saw them together, she looked as though she had seen a ghost and glared fiercely at Hongdou before leaving and never returning.
It was obvious then that Hongdou could no longer be used as a spy. She was simply too foolish for that purpose, and even they did not feel reassured using her.
Later, Hongdou knelt before Qiao Rongjin and confessed everything—why she had entered the manor, why Madam Yan’s people had approached her, and what they had asked her to do.
Qiao Rongjin and Qinglian’s expressions were quite complicated at the time. They had not expected Hongdou to reveal everything so openly.
After learning that Hongdou had merely been “tricked” into the manor by Madam Yan’s people just to get enough food to eat, Qiao Rongjin found the girl rather endearing. Qinglian had also mentioned that Hongdou ate a great deal, and ordinary families truly could not afford to support her.
But in the Prince’s manor, she could eat her fill. No one in Haitang Courtyard despised her appetite, nor beat or scolded her. Her workload was light, and her mistress was not troublesome. The kitchen often prepared extra dishes and pastries, which were also shared with the maids.
Perhaps this was why Hongdou chose loyalty.
From then on, she was completely accepted into Haitang Courtyard. Qiao Rongjin no longer had Qinglian or Zhuyun monitor her.
The servants of Haitang Courtyard lived in a separated side building with six rooms. It was spacious and clean.
As the head maid, Qinglian naturally had the best room—the largest one on the far left with excellent lighting. Next came Zhuyun, then Qinyun, then Hongdou. Mama Lin lived on the far right.
At this moment, Qiao Rongjin was in her room drawing plans. She wanted to install a swing in the courtyard and planned to ask the Princess Consort for two craftsmen once the design was finished.
The courtyard of Haitang Courtyard was actually quite large and had an ancient hundred-year-old tree. In this season, a swing under the tree would be perfect for swaying lazily. Her little son would surely like it.
Qiao Rongjin was a very action-oriented person—once she decided on something, she did it immediately. So she had not left her room all morning.
This gave Qi You another opportunity.
In Mama Lin’s room, Qi You and Zhuyun were inside. The door was closed, leaving only a small crack in the window.
The doctor had said Mama Lin was sensitive to cold and should avoid drafts.
At this moment, Mama Lin was completely different from the woman she had been half a month ago.
Before, although she was sickly and pale, she still looked human. Now she looked like a walking corpse—more like something dead than alive.
Her cheeks were sunken, her entire body reduced to skin and bones. Her eyes were filled with terror, despair, and even pleading as she looked at Qi You.
She wanted to move, but had no strength at all. Her whole body trembled instinctively.
When she first heard that Qi You wanted to bring her to Haitang Courtyard to continue serving him, she had gone nearly insane with joy.
She had believed she could once again control this child, take all his valuables for herself, and later smuggle them out of the manor. Then she would redeem herself and live as a wealthy landowner.
But she never expected that what awaited her in Haitang Courtyard would be a living hell.
Qi You was completely different from the child she once knew. Though still a four-and-a-half-year-old boy in appearance, she knew there was a devil hidden beneath that innocent body.
She was certain this was not truly Qi You. It must be some wandering evil spirit possessing him. Otherwise, how could a child that young think of so many cruel methods of torture?
She wanted to tell Mistress Qiao that this was not her son—that he was a monster.
But she could not move. She could not speak. She could not even dream of reaching Qiao Rongjin.