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The sound of footsteps indicated that Baoyu's maid, Xi Ren, had returned. As soon as Xi Ren entered the courtyard, she called out, "Qiu Wen, Rui Guan, where are you?" To her surprise, the little maids inside had sneaked away to play, leaving the courtyard eerily quiet.
I silently cursed my luck and continued to pretend to be drunk, snoring loudly. When Xi Ren stepped into the room, she found me sprawled across Baoyu's jade couch, reeking of alcohol and snoring like thunder. She gasped in shock.
There was no way she could wake me up while I was pretending to sleep. Reluctantly, Xi Ren called over a few matrons, and together they awkwardly lifted me to a temporary lodging. I had managed to pass this hurdle.
That night, I replayed the day's events in my mind and found them increasingly puzzling. How did the patrolling matron happen to be called away at just the right moment? Why were the maids in Wang Xifeng's courtyard napping at such a crucial time? And those account books and letters—how could they be so brazenly left on the bedside? It didn't seem like something the shrewd Wang Xifeng would do...
I pondered: Could someone be secretly assisting me? But if so, who were they? And why help me? Or was it all a trap waiting for me to walk into?
I tossed and turned restlessly until dawn finally broke, and I fell into a fitful sleep filled with nightmares.
The next morning, I felt uneasy and decided to excuse myself from The Jia Manor by claiming there was much farm work to attend to. As I reached the door, I noticed a carriage beside my Little Black Donkey. It was a gift prepared for me by the ladies of The Jia Manor.
The carriage was filled with large chests containing clothing and silks, as well as precious medicinal herbs; several large baskets held two dou of imperial rice and fresh fruits from the garden along with various dried fruits.
My heart swelled with mixed emotions. I thought about how these wealthy families occasionally bestowed small favors upon us poor souls who lived like ants; it must feel quite dignified for them. Yet I had to admit that within this vast The Jia Manor, there were indeed many kind-hearted individuals and numerous servants struggling for survival like myself.
I sighed inwardly, hoping that when the grand house eventually fell, these good people would find a favorable outcome.
To my utter surprise, just as I was about to leave, Wang Xifeng herself came out to see me off. Dressed in a water-red skirt and jacket adorned with a golden phoenix hairpin studded with pearls, her autumn-like eyes scrutinized me and my Little Black Donkey like blades.
With one hand resting on the donkey's back, I awkwardly smiled and thanked her, though my heart raced anxiously; those account books and letters were hidden in the saddlebag on the donkey's back.
It wasn't until I turned around the corner that I let out a long sigh of relief. Looking back at the imposing mansion, my heart was filled with conflicting emotions.
Leaving Rongguo Mansion, I didn’t dare to delay. Following the agreement with the mysterious person, I made my way to West Street Zhao's Tofu Shop.
I pretended to be an ordinary customer buying tofu and said, "Boss, I’d like two pounds of tofu."
The shopkeeper looked me over and asked, "Do you want soft tofu or firm tofu?"
I replied, "I’d like the one that’s neither too soft nor too firm."
As soon as I finished speaking, the shopkeeper led me to the backyard.
There stood a man dressed in a satin cotton robe, waiting there. It was the same mysterious person who had contacted me before.
I took the ledger and letter from my donkey’s back and handed them to him.
The man said nothing, merely nodded and handed me a heavy pouch of coins.
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