Chapter 178: The Black-hearted Mother
Upon hearing these words, Guizhi’s mother, seizing the opportunity, pointed at Granny Wang and shouted, "Oh, you knew she was ill, yet you still insisted on selling her to Madam Xie. You really have ill-intentions!"
Granny Wang’s guilt flashed through her eyes, but she quickly hid it. She tensed up her neck and said, "How would I know she was sick? I haven’t heard anything about it since she was a child. Maybe Ruozhu is mistaken?"
Bai Ruozhu glanced at the two of them unhappily, and said, "Why are you all arguing? She just regained her strength. What if she falls ill again because of your scare?"
The sight of Xi Ya when she’s sick frightened both of them. After whispering to each other, they finally quieted down. For a while, the only sound in the room was Xi Ya’s soft sobbing.
Bai Ruozhu sighed. Xi Ya was indeed pitiful, but her illness would not be cured in a day or two. Could she take the initiative to keep her? Not to mention whether she could afford to support her, but considering that she would certainly be taking Guizhi along in the future, and Xi Ya was related to the family, what if she gave away information about Guizhi?
Bai Ruozhu felt Guizhi’s mother might be more troublesome than the old mansion; she didn’t want to get tangled with her again.
Upon this thought, she quickly took pen and paper to write a prescription for Xi Ya. She dried it and handed it to her, saying, "Take the medicine according to this prescription, drink it frequently, and you won’t get sick again."
Crying and receiving the prescription, Xi Ya timidly thanked Bai Ruozhu, but her eyes never dared to meet Bai Ruozhu’s gaze.
"Oh dear, even though she has the prescription, it’s useless. She can’t even afford to eat, how can she afford the medicine? Poor child," Granny Wang lamented.
Guizhi’s mother gave her a glare and said, "Didn’t Madam just reward you with a tael of silver?"
Granny Wang suddenly remembered the silver, thinking about Xi Ya’s public outbreak of illness and how no one would want her now. What if Madam Xie became displeased and thought she had introduced a sick girl to deceive others, wanting to take back the silver?
"Alas, it is unfortunate that this child and the lady have no fate. We will not bother the lady any more, I will take her to get her medicine." Once done speaking, Granny Wang rushed to take Xi Ya and leave.
Even when Xi Ya left with Granny Wang, she was still sobbing, but she finally turned around to look at Bai Ruozhu. Her eyes were full of fear and pleading, as if saying, please save me....
Bai Ruozhu felt uncomfortable and turned her head to sigh. She wanted to help Xi Ya, but she was not a charity. She could not help every miserable person she encountered. How capable was she?
Peasants do not need maids. If she were to keep Xi Ya, what would that mean? Letting the old mansion know she had spare money would create considerable hassle. Only if Yu Hongxiu was willing to take Xi Ya in, but she had already bothered Yu Hongxiu so much with taking care of Guizhi. How can she ask for more? Moreover, after seeing how scared Yu Hongxiu was when Xi Ya fell ill, she felt even less able to open her mouth to ask.
Now that Xi Ya was gone, it was Yu Hongxiu and Guizhi’s mother’s turn to discuss Guizhi’s indenture. Bai Ruozhu put her somewhat sorrowful mood aside and pulled herself together.
Perhaps Xi Ya’s illness made Guizhi’s mother more confident. She came out and asked, "I wonder how much silver Lady is willing to pay? My family is currently experiencing hardships, Guizhi needs to cancel her marriage deal. We really need money."
Yu Hongxiu frowned slightly. She truly despised Guizhi’s mother. Had the lady not nurtured her, she would have told her to get lost long ago.
"I am a straightforward person. How about eighteen taels?" Yu Hongxiu suggested casually. She didn’t directly say twenty taels to give Guizhi’s mother some room for bargaining.
Guizhi stood aside feeling even more uneasy. She felt like a fattened pig being weighed and haggled over.
As expected, Guizhi’s mother began to beat around the bush, essentially saying that Guizhi was so and so capable, good looking, and she was not satisfied with the price.
Yu Hongxiu hated her indirect behavior. She became cold and asked, "So, how much do YOU want?"
"Madam, please don’t blame me, I’m really helpless. I’ve calculated it, twenty-two taels would be the best," Guizhi’s mother said.
Bai Ruozhu cursed internally. Twenty-two indeed! Look at you, dripped in second-rate goods, you’re just a spiteful old witch!
Yu Hongxiu, stern-faced, said, "Are you not aware of the market price? Even my head maid was not bought for such a price. Your family is in a difficult situation, so I’m already giving a decent price." She waved her hand impatiently. "Enough, I need to head back to the town. Twenty taels, that’s final. Don’t break the rules."
Actually, Guizhi’s mother didn’t expect Yu Hongxiu to agree. She was just trying to raise the price. Hearing this, her eyes lit up. She knew she couldn’t ask for more, or else everything would be in vain if Yu Hongxiu changed her mind.
"Ok, as long as the lady treats my Guizhi well, anything is fine," Guizhi’s mother cheerfully replied.
Yu Hongxiu disliked her more, maintaining a stern face, she said, "I have some affairs to attend to in the mansion, let’s sign the indenture contract now."
She signaled the maid beside her. The maid immediately took out twenty taels of silver, along with a standard indenture contract made by the government office.
The maid borrowed a pen from Bai Ruozhu, wrote down Guizhi’s name, and asked for Guizhi’s mother’s name to write in the seller’s place. They then asked both Guizhi and her mother to press their fingerprints.
Bai Ruozhu glanced at them and saw the maid’s beautiful handwriting, much stronger than any ordinary household’s young lady. It seemed that she was a dowry maid Yu Hongxiu had brought from her mother’s house.
Seeing the silver, Guizhi’s mother’s eyes widened. She pressed her fingerprint, grabbed the silver and hurriedly hid it in her clothes, as if afraid that someone would come to share it.
"Alright, Guizhi will leave with me now," Yu Hongxiu stood up and said.
Guizhi’s mother’s eyes swiveled, she still wanted to instruct Guizhi a few more words, to tell the maid to be smart, so that she could send money home in the future.
"Madam, wait for me to take Guizhi home and pack some things, I’ll deliver her immediately," she said.
Yu Hongxiu looked at her coldly, "No need to bother, she is my maid now. How could she possibly continue wearing her old clothes and shoes? We will certainly provide her with clothes in the mansion."
Hearing this, Guizhi’s mother could only respond with a complied laugh, "Yes, yes, my head is too dull."
You weren’t dull when you were selling your daughter! Bai Ruozhu and Yu Hongxiu shared a silent look of mutual understanding.
Yu Hongxiu gave Bai Ruozhu a glance and then left with Guizhi. Guizhi’s mother, now with silver in hand, no longer played nice with Bai Ruozhu. Without even saying goodbye, she left.
Lin Ping’er sighed, "What sort of people are these? If I had a mother like that, I really would..." She thought of Guizhi, the pitiful child, and hastily swallowed her words. Good thing Ruozhu rescued Guizhi, else who knows what would have happened to that child.
Bai Ruozhu wanted to go with Guizhi to the Xie Residence as soon as possible, but she felt it wasn’t appropriate. So she restrained herself. She planned to go early the next day and could also prescribe a new dietary prescription for the Xie couple.
However, by dusk that same day, bad rumors began to spread throughout the village.