Volume 1, Chapter 9: The Stale Pastry-Depois de arrastar-se para dentro do caixão e esperar para morrer, toda a Mansão do Marquês se arrepende de ter quebrado as entranhas!(bolhas de luz em fluxo)

Xie Qiqi was well aware of Cui'er’s past suffering. She whispered, "Sister Cui'er is right. I used to dream of being able to show filial piety to my mother; I am willing to do it..."

Xie Qiqi rolled up Yue Huijuan’s pant leg, revealing her bruised and swollen knees. Yue Huijuan flinched inexplicably. Thinking she had caused her mother pain, Xie Qiqi said guiltily, "I'm sorry, Mother, I will be more careful!"

Her mother had fallen like this while praying for her; it must have hurt so much. "Mother, let me give you a massage, and then applying a hot compress will be even more effective!"

Xie Qiqi gently massaged Yue Huijuan’s knees. She couldn't maintain the semi-squat for long, so she simply knelt on the floor. Yue Huijuan watched her daughter’s bowed head as she busied herself. Her heart softened, and she reached out to stroke the top of Xie Qiqi’s head, saying gently, "Qiqi, do you resent Mother for making you kneel today?"

Feeling her mother’s hand caressing her head, Xie Qiqi felt a sudden warmth in her eyes, and tears welled up uncontrollably. During those eight years as a government slave, when she was beaten, starved, and forced to sleep in a smelly, freezing stable, the thing she had craved most was her mother’s embrace. She had not felt this long-lost affection in over eight years. Afraid of breaking into sobs, she bit her lip and shook her head.

"Qiqi, Mother knows you are jealous of Yue’er for being more talented and learned than you, and jealous that your brothers are fond of her, which is why you keep targeting her," Yue Huijuan said patiently. "But she earned all of this through hard work. You don't know how hard Yue’er studied the zither and painting. To master the zither, she studied with an open mind, practicing diligently every single day for years..."

"If you want to earn others' respect, jealousy isn't the way; you must work hard yourself..."

Xie Qiqi’s massaging hands paused. Did Mother think that the conflict between her and Yue Yue was born of jealousy? That Yue Yue worked hard at her zither and painting?

She had spent eight years as a government slave in Yue Yue’s place, struggling daily on the brink of starvation and cold. At that time, her only hope was to survive and return to her parents; she had never had the opportunity to learn such things. So, because she didn't work hard... she didn't deserve anyone’s respect?

"Qiqi, you are Mother’s daughter, and Yue Yue is also Mother’s daughter. Both are flesh and blood! Mother doesn't want to see you sisters at odds," Yue Huijuan said, still stroking her daughter’s head. "My little one has always been sensible and well-behaved since childhood. You wouldn't want to break your mother’s heart, would you?"

Xie Qiqi felt dazed, and at her mother’s words, she nodded subconsciously. Yue Huijuan smiled with even greater satisfaction, praising her: "Qiqi, this massage technique is quite good. Mother feels much better!"

***

Cui'er glanced sideways at Xie Qiqi and smiled. "Since Madam likes it, why not let the Fourth Young Lady come every day to massage Madam? That way, Madam’s legs will recover all the sooner!"

Xie Qiqi was stunned; something felt wrong, but she reasoned that helping her mother recover was her duty as a daughter. When she left, Yue Huijuan handed her a box of pastries from the table and smiled. "Qiqi, you’ve been tired all night. Take these pastries back for a late-night snack!"

As long as Xie Qiqi remained as obedient and sensible as before, her prickly personality didn't matter much; she could teach her slowly. Xie Qiqi hugged the pastry box happily as she walked out of the courtyard, only then remembering that she hadn't told her mother about the ways Yue Yue had been mistreating her. But looking at the pastries in her hands, she suddenly didn't want to say anything. If Mother knew how wicked Yue Yue was, Mother would be heartbroken!

Xie Qiqi had not eaten all day and was famished. Halfway back, she opened the box and took a piece. But as soon as she bit into it, she froze. The pastry was hard, and it had a strong, foul odor. It was unclear how many days it had been sitting there; it was truly impossible to swallow. Xie Qiqi could not believe that her mother had given her spoiled food. She comforted herself by thinking that perhaps her mother had simply made a mistake.

Upon returning to Jifeng Courtyard, Xie Qiqi went to check on Yan’er and touched her exposed hand; it was burning hot. Yan’er had a fever! Xie Qiqi rummaged through the cabinets to find the fever-reducing medicine Dr. Wang had prescribed for her. Remembering the times she had coughed up blood today, she also looked for her lung medicine. Seeing only two packets left, she couldn't help but frown. She had kept her lung illness hidden from the family, and the money for the medicine came from secret savings her grandmother had given her. However, the medicine was very expensive—ten taels of silver per prescription. She only had twenty taels left; what would she do when that was gone?

Xie Qiqi brewed the medicine and fed it to Yan’er. After watching over her for several hours, Yan’er finally broke her fever. Xie Qiqi let out a sigh of relief, feeling so exhausted that her whole body ached, and she fell asleep slumped beside Yan’er’s bed. She didn't know how long she slept, but when she woke up, it was already broad daylight. She went to check on Yan’er and discovered that her fever had returned.

Her wounds were red and swollen; it must have been because the medicine was insufficient yesterday, causing Yan’er’s condition to worsen...

Xie Qiqi hurriedly combed her hair and rushed to find Dr. Gao for more wound medicine. Dr. Gao was brewing ointment, and Xie Qiqi explained her request. Dr. Gao, however, looked troubled. "Fourth Young Lady, you’ve come at a bad time. The medicine I brewed earlier was sent to the border for the Marquis; there is no more wound medicine left in the manor!"

Xie Qiqi was stunned. Her father and third brother were guarding the border; it was only right that they should have priority. "Dr. Gao, if there is no ointment, that’s fine. Can you just give me some raw herbs to stop the bleeding and treat wounds?" she pleaded.

Dr. Gao remained hesitant. "Fourth Young Lady, the war at the border is intense, and the demand for medicine is high. The prices for such herbs have skyrocketed. You must obtain Madam’s permission to take these, otherwise..."

Xie Qiqi understood and turned to seek her mother’s approval. As she stepped out, she ran into Qiuju. Qiuju ignored her and walked straight inside. Xie Qiqi paused. Qiuju and Yan’er used to be like sisters; even if she had betrayed her, she surely still had feelings for Yan’er, right? Had she come to ask for medicine for Yan’er?

Inside the room, Qiuju’s voice rang out: "Dr. Gao, the Fifth Young Lady sent me to get some wound medicine. Her hand was scratched by a zither string just now..."

Dr. Gao’s fawning voice replied: "Oh, is it serious? The Fifth Young Lady’s zither skills are superb; her hands are precious—we mustn't let any scars remain... Here, take this top-quality ointment. Apply it for two days and it will be fine!"

Hearing this, Xie Qiqi’s face turned deathly pale. People climb to the heights and water flows to the lows; in her eight years as a slave, she had seen plenty of people who fawned over the powerful and trampled on the weak. It was normal for servants to be sycophants, but shouldn't a doctor be benevolent? Yan’er was waiting for medicine to save her life, yet Dr. Gao was so snobbish. Was a single finger of Yue Yue’s really more noble than Yan’er’s life?

Xie Qiqi clenched her fists, grief and rage colliding in her heart. She remembered the despair of being thrown into the icy lake to die, and the terror of seeing Yan’er lying silent and motionless yesterday... Xie Qiqi suddenly turned back and walked inside.