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墨書 Inktalez
Yun Ke, Yun Yan, and Yun Kexin returned to the Duke of E State Mansion with Shanling, Shining, and Shan Yue, bidding farewell to Feng Yinxiao.
“Father, Mother, these are the three new maidservants that Kexin bought outside,” after dinner, Yun Kexin brought up this matter to Yun Yang and Fu Lianyin. She turned to the three sisters and said, “Shanling, Shining, Shan Yue, quickly greet Master and Madam.”
The three sisters walked up to the Three Elders and Third Madam, bowing and saying, “We greet Master and Madam. May Master and Madam have longevity and peace.”
“Oh, how come I have three new faces?” Yun Ran smirked, saying sarcastically, “So it turns out they are the maidservants that Seventh Sister bought. Must have cost quite a bit, right? So generous! I didn’t see you being this extravagant during Third Uncle’s birthday!”
Yun Kexin shot back, “Elder Sister Five, don’t worry. No matter how much money I spend, it won’t touch your funds, nor will it be spent on you!”
“You!” Yun Ran glanced at the three sisters, pouted her lips, and sneered, “Spending your own money? Seventh Sister can do whatever she wants, right? I really don’t know if these three servants will listen to Father and Mother in the future or just to Seventh Sister.”
“You’ll find out later, Elder Sister Five!” Yun Kexin retorted leisurely.
“Enough!” Fu Lianyin shot a glare at Yun Ran and then smiled at Yun Kexin. “Kexin has grown up and knows how to share concerns with Mother and Father by selecting servants. It’s fine; whatever you spent will be reimbursed by Mother shortly.”
Yun Kexin thought to herself: Thank you for your kindness; these maidservants were not chosen for you!
“Thank you, Mother,” Yun Kexin nodded with a smile. “The money I spent is also from the allowance that Mother and Father give me regularly.” She had been reluctant to use it until now when it finally came in handy.
In reality, Yun Kexin’s allowance was not much; it was only 0 wen per month. The money used to buy Shanling, Shining, and Shan Yue came from Feng Yinxiao. The funds used to purchase them were given to a familiar elderly widow.
“Kexin, your allowance is not much,” Yun Yang said with a nod of approval. “Save it or buy something you want; don’t spend it on this. However, there are plenty of servants in the mansion already. Why did Kexin think of buying maidservants?”
Fu Lianyin smirked; this was exactly what she wanted to ask. Unexpectedly, Yun Yang asked first. Well then, let’s see how Yun Kexin responds!
“Thank you, Father.” Yun Kexin felt grateful for her adoptive father’s affection. With a bright smile, she said, “I happened to see these three sisters working; they were quick and looked good.” She suddenly mischievously winked and said deliberately, “It wouldn’t be bad for them to become concubines for Father in the future; I bought them on a whim when I was happy.”
“You little rascal!” Yun Yang laughed heartily. “You don’t need to worry about Father’s matters; as long as Seventh Young Lady is happy, that’s all that matters.” He looked over the three women standing before him and nodded with a smile. “They indeed look good; Kexin really has an eye for talent.”
Shanling, Shining, and Shan Yue lowered their faces, slightly flushed, not daring to meet the gaze of the Three Elders.
Fu Lianyin gripped the armrests of her chair tightly, wary of herself jumping up: this Seventh Young Lady was becoming increasingly audacious, actually trying to "fish for affection" for the Master outside, and even treating her as some purchased "maid," speaking such words in front of her. It was truly the height of rudeness and audacity, or perhaps the Seventh Young Lady simply did not regard her as her Mother at all!
The tips of Fu Lianyin's fingers dug into the armrests, wishing she could tear the chair apart and throw it at Yun Kexin.
"Oh, Seventh Sister, I am increasingly impressed by you," Yun Ran seemed to have a grasp on Fu Lianyin's feelings, smiling with mockery and sarcasm. "You actually thought to find a woman for Father outside, helping him take a concubine. I must say, your filial piety puts me to shame!"
You flatter Fu Lianyin, and I also feel "ashamed"! Yun Kexin thought bitterly.
"Elder Sister Five is laughing," Yun Kexin said with a naive grin. "I was just laughing too; it can't be taken seriously. The contracts for these three maids clearly state they are to be servants, not concubines."
Fu Lianyin sneered: Servants and not concubines? How nice! If they were to end up in the Master's bed and bear his child, they might very well climb over my head!
"Fifth Young Lady, what do you mean by that?" Fu Lianyin shot a glare at Yun Ran, indignantly scolding, "Are you trying to sow discord between the Seventh Young Lady, the Master, and me?" Ever since returning from Fan City, she had mastered the art of being a smiling tiger, able to hide her seething anger behind a smile. She turned to Yun Kexin, her eyes filled with warmth. "Seventh Young Lady, don't mind your Elder Sister Five. She's just speaking up for our Mother and Father, no ill intent. Rest assured, Mother would never believe that Kexin would 'rebel from within'!"
Oh, Fu Lianyin, not only will I "rebel from within," but I will also make sure you never rise again!
"Thank you to Father and Mother for their trust and for not blaming me for my mischief," Yun Kexin said with a silly smile. "These three maids are now part of the Third House. If they make mistakes, I won't let them off easily." She turned slightly towards the three sisters, half-seriously half-jokingly saying, "From now on, you must listen to the Master and Madam. Do you understand?"
"The servants understand," Shanling, Shining, and Shan Yue replied in unison.
Fu Lianyin tugged at the corners of her mouth, reluctantly nodding in agreement. Her gaze fell upon the youthful trio of sisters with wariness, jealousy, and malice cleverly masked by a facade of "friendliness."
"Since these three girls are servants of the Third House, then I won’t hold back," Yun Ran glanced maliciously at the youngest, Shan Yue. "You, go get me a basin of water for washing my feet."
At this moment, she deliberately cast a sidelong glance at Yun Kexin, gauging her reaction. Unexpectedly, she found that Shan Yue stood there without moving. Feeling embarrassed, Yun Ran raised her voice: "Hurry up!"
Yun Kexin was furious. Why should her maid wash her half-sister's feet? Who did she think she was! Just as she was about to speak up, Shanyue walked to the center of the hall and said to Yun Ran, "Eldest Sister, we are the maids bought by Seventh Sister. According to the rules, we should wash her feet first. However, with the Master and Madam present, may I ask if I should wash your feet first or those of the Master and Madam..."
Yun Kexin secretly praised Shanyue, who was indeed the most eloquent. She had previously instructed her to only listen to her! Shanyue was clever enough not to bring this matter into the open.
"You!" Yun Ran was so angry that she felt cold all over. She twisted her face and shouted, "You bold dog servant, dare to contradict me! Don't think that just because you were bought by Seventh Sister, you can't tell who is the master and who is the servant?! Let me tell you, a maid is a servant, and a servant is here to serve the master..."
"Elder Sister Five, what Shanyue asked is not wrong," Yun Kexin said sharply, her watery eyes turning icy. "She is indeed a maid from the Third House, but with Mother and Father here, do you want her to serve you, Eldest Sister, before serving the Master and Madam?"
"This... this..." Yun Ran was at a loss for words, her eyes darting around anxiously. Finally, she had no choice but to say, "Of course, it should be serving Father and Mother first."
"That's good to know," Yun Kexin mercilessly slapped back. "Elder Sister Five, please give Mother and Father more face in front of the servants in the future. Don't let them see you make a fool of yourself."
Shanling, Shanying, and Shanyue simultaneously cast admiring glances at Yun Kexin, their eyes filled with appreciation.
"Fifth Young Lady, please be mindful of your words and actions in the future," Yun Yang said with a stern face. He had long lost patience with this Concubine Daughter. If it weren't for her deceased mother, he would have wanted to ignore her completely. "If you don't want to be grounded by your father and stay in one place forever, it's best to think before you speak!"
Yun Yang rarely spoke harshly to his children; this was the first time in many years. Yun Ran trembled in fear, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as she bit her lip and lowered her head, looking gloomy.
Shanying cleverly walked up to Yun Yang and Fu Lianyin and smiled while bowing slightly.
"Master, Madam, should I serve you both by washing your feet now?"
Seeing her obedient demeanor, Yun Yang smiled and said, "No need. From now on, you three sisters just need to take good care of Seventh Sister. The Master and Madam have other servants."
Fu Lianyin had intended to use this opportunity to humiliate Yun Kexin's people but was taken aback when she heard Yun Yang say that. She felt an anger rising within her—if the Master had said this, could Madam really bypass him and directly ask the maidservants to serve? While it wasn't unreasonable in itself, it could very well "twist" things under Yun Yang's influence!
"Master's words," Fu Lianyin forced a smile while swallowing her anger. "The Third House actually doesn't lack servants. But since these three young ladies have been chosen by Seventh Young Lady, they should serve her from now on."
“Thank you, Mother,” Yun Kexin said with a hint of sarcasm. “Shanling, Shining, Shan Yue, hurry up and thank Mother for her ‘grace.’”
The three sisters obediently thanked Fu Lianyin. Yun Yang smiled and nodded, then instructed Ruan Ma to prepare their beds in the servants' quarters.
“Seventh Young Lady, come out with me for a moment,” Yun Yang said as he approached Yun Kexin, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Your father wants to have a private chat with you.”
“Yes, Father.” Yun Kexin obediently walked beside Yun Yang and told the three standing nearby, “You all come out too.”
Night had fallen, and the servants of the Third House lit lanterns in the Western Courtyard as a few of them strolled around the Rockery.
“Kexin, did you really go to Tian Zhuang with your cousin and the others this morning?” Yun Yang asked.
“To be honest, Father, we did,” Yun Kexin replied honestly.
Yun Yang paused slightly, his expression darkening before he continued walking. “Did you find anything useful?”
“I didn’t discover any valuable clues, just like what you mentioned about the Ministry of Justice case last time,” Yun Kexin thought about whether to tell her adoptive father about the Brocade Box and her speculation that the murderer would return to Tian Zhuang. She decided not to mention it for now. “But Young Lord asked us to inform you to visit the Ministry of Justice and let them know that when searching for the criminal, it should be done quietly to avoid alarming them.”
“I understand.” Yun Yang stopped and focused intently. “Tomorrow…”
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