Chapter 816 - 818: The Immortal Venerated Above the Nine Heavens_1
Bai Zehao, who had been listening inside the room, couldn’t bear it anymore and jumped to his feet, saying loudly, "If I wanted to gift it to her, how come I didn’t give it to her personally? And you even dropped it on the ground. Weren’t you afraid it might shatter?"
The little maid Xiaoju, frightened, shivered and quickly said, "I asked the same thing at the time, but Xiaoning told me I didn’t understand, said it was all about the mood, and also that the Young Master had to consider his reputation. Then she snatched the Jade Pendant right out of my hands. I was worried and said I would talk to the supervisor, but she threatened me and said if I didn’t wise up, the Young Master would chase me away."
As timid as Xiaoju was, her speech tended to be a bit rambling. She continued, "If I were to be chased away, my mother would absolutely break my legs. I hesitated, and she said if I didn’t believe her, just wait and see tomorrow, she was planning to give something to the Young Master in return, and we should see if the Young Master accepts it or not."
Bai Ruozhu’s lips twitched. It was that Waist Pendant—if she hadn’t noticed it at the time, Xiaoning would have indeed caught a handle to use against her. This young lady was far too scheming.
"Later, she sent a Bead to the Young Master. I watched from a distance and, believing her, didn’t dare to bring up the Jade Pendant again," Xiaoju said, shivering as she spoke.
Bai Zehao really felt like slapping himself at that point. He hurriedly whispered to Wan Caiyue, explaining, "She said she was grateful to me for lending her money to save her father. She couldn’t repay the money yet, so she first sent a Bead to express her gratitude for my life-saving help. I thought she was showing her gratitude and accepted it. But later, my sister reminded me that it was inappropriate, and she helped me to return it."
Wan Caiyue knew Bai Zehao’s character all too well and shook her head slightly, "I won’t blame you. You just need to be less impulsive in the future."
Bai Zehao wished he could find a hole to crawl into. He had accepted the gift without much thought, not realizing it would lead to so much trouble. He had been far too careless.
Though his voice was quiet, those outside could mostly hear him, and immediately connecting it with Xiaoning’s hanging, they felt even more that this young lady was too unscrupulous. An Embroiderer who disliked Xiaoning even spat in disgust, while others cast contemptuous glances at her.
"Although you didn’t steal the Jade Pendant, hiding a lost item is also wrong. Considering you’re young and were deceived by someone else, you’ll be fined half a month’s salary," Bai Ruozhu originally didn’t want to punish Xiaoju, but there were faults on Xiaoju’s part as well; she had to distinguish clearly, or else the shop’s Embroiderers would become too unruly. And fining her only half a month’s salary, she was still leaving her with living expenses.
Xiaoju hurriedly kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Miss, for your leniency. Xiaoju will never dare to deceive the Dong Family again."
Bai Ruozhu looked at Xiaoning, whose face was swollen like a pig’s head and sneered, "As for Xiaoning, since she is not our servant, I cannot sell her off. But she has deceived her peers and stolen from the Dong Family’s property, as well as fabricated stories to frame the Dong Family. Our shop cannot keep such an Embroiderer! Shopkeeper, take her to the Government Office and let the high officer decide."
"Yes, right away," the shopkeeper of the shop wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, afraid that the Miss would punish him for his lax management. Thankfully, she did not take her anger out on him.
"As for everyone else, stay in the Yard and have a meal. It’s not easy to come all this way, so I have instructed the Kitchen to prepare extra food for you." Bai Ruozhu said with a smile. She was always willing to reward well-behaved employees generously, but she would never be soft on troublemakers like Xiaoning.
The atmosphere that was once Nervous instantly eased, and they were close to cheering in relief.
Bai Ruozhu had someone set up a table and called the Kitchen to serve dishes. The Bai Family’s cuisine was so good it could welcome guests, and those Embroiderers didn’t know whether to be happy or not. Besides, it was a banquet specially arranged by the host family for them. Talking about it would certainly give them face.
The shopkeeper quietly followed the guard as they escorted Xiaoning away. He now understood what punishment the Young Miss meant for him. He swallowed hard; this was absolutely an unwarranted disaster. Xiaoning wasn’t someone he had brought in. Alas, he didn’t even get to taste the splendid feast.
Finally, the matter came to light. Wan Caiyue, with her heavy body, easily felt sleepy. Lin Ping’er urged her to hurry back to her room to rest. Bai Zehao quickly supported his wife’s arm, not caring how many Embroiderers were watching in the Yard, and attentively helped his wife back to the house.
"The Young Master is really good to the Young Mistress. That Xiaoning really picked the wrong person to mess with," an Embroideress whispered.
The others agreed one after another. A maid serving them tea and food overheard and said, "You are just finding out? We see how affectionate the Young Master and Young Mistress are in the Yard every day. Xiaoning doesn’t stand a chance. And has she even looked at herself in the mirror? Can she compare to our Young Mistress? Not even close to being as good as one of the Young Mistress’s little fingernails!"
"Exactly, exactly, the Young Mistress is so beautiful," someone eagerly praised.
The proud maid said, "Our Young Master only has eyes for the Young Mistress, so you’d better be mindful in the Shop. Don’t do things you’re not supposed to and don’t let those messy people cause trouble, or else..." She dragged out her voice, deliberately making a stern face and humming twice, leaving the rest for the Embroiderers to imagine.
The Embroiderers’ table was originally lively, but as the little maid lowered her voice to speak, people in the Main house couldn’t hear. However, Bai Ruozhu had exceptional hearing and naturally caught the conversation. She couldn’t help but laugh. That little maid was quite clever.
Since the guards in the neighboring Yard needed plenty of food every day, the Kitchen was simply too busy. Bai Ruozhu had not only hired two more kitchen maids but also bought some more maids. That little maid was newly purchased not long ago to help in the Kitchen.
Bai Ruozhu thought about it and remembered that she had named her Zizhu. She quietly took note of this little maid; she was quite clever, and perhaps she could be promoted in the future.
After a while, Jiang Yichun returned from outside. The guards and maids saluted him and called out to the house, "Young Master is back!"
Upon hearing this, Dengdeng couldn’t sit still in his grandmother’s arms. He looked eagerly outside, stretching out his little arms wanting his dad to hold him. Lin Ping’er couldn’t help laughing, "You little ungrateful thing, recognizing only your dad. Grandma’s kindness was for nothing."
The appearance of Jiang Yichun suddenly drew all of the Embroiderers’ attention. Those who were eating and talking suddenly quieted down, gazing at Jiang Yichun as if seeing an Immortal from the heavens.
Jiang Yichun, noticing the Yard was filled with many women and being stared at by them like that, frowned and couldn’t help but emit an unwelcome chill. The Embroiderers shivered and reluctantly withdrew their gazes.
The little maid Zizhu watched the drama unfold with a look of good cheer, her expression growing even more triumphant. She whispered, "Your eyes are practically glued to the Young Master. Better pull them back quickly, lest the Young Master crushes them to pieces! It’s no use looking anyway. The Young Master is even more devoted to the Young Miss. You’d better not have any delusions."