Chapter 70 - 69: Questioning
Du Yundi sent Mu Lianxiao off.
Mrs. Zhen turned to look at Shui Yue, who quickly said, "Madam, this is Mrs. Pan."
Granny Pan stepped forward to pay her respects and said, "I work for Mrs. Jin, who is in charge of kitchen purchases. Second Madam knows I have some strength, so she asked me to help carry the releasing bucket today. My husband used to be a traveling doctor for two years, and I assisted him. I’m no good with internal ailments, but I can handle bruises and injuries."
In Fa Yin Temple, they couldn’t find another medical woman for the time being. Seeing Granny Pan looking decent and speaking clearly, Mrs. Zhen nodded her approval.
Mrs. Zhen called Granny Pan to follow her into the inner room. Seeing Du Yunluo turning her head to look out the window, she followed her daughter’s gaze and happened to catch sight of that blue-gray figure before it disappeared behind an angle.
Du Yunluo blinked listlessly.
Mrs. Zhen, inexplicably both amused and annoyed, lightly tapped Du Yunluo on the forehead, chiding, "He’s gone already, what are you still looking at! A young lady being so indiscreet, if this gets out, wouldn’t that be something to laugh at!"
Caught red-handed by Mrs. Zhen, Du Yunluo could only coyly respond, "Mother, please keep your voice down, or it really will get out."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhen was momentarily breathless, shaking her head, she felt helpless with this daughter.
Granny Pan, eyes down, didn’t dare to speak or listen presumptuously to her masters’ conversation, only proceeding to examine Du Yunluo’s foot when Shui Yue called her over.
Du Yunluo’s injury was on her left foot, her small foot white as jade, not even as large as Granny Pan’s hand, yet her ankle was red and swollen.
Mrs. Zhen leaned in to look and said to Shui Yue, "It seems more swollen than before."
Shui Yue frowned and hesitantly nodded, "It seems so."
Granny Pan lifted Du Yunluo’s foot and gently pressed around the injured area. Du Yunluo winced in pain, but seeing Mrs. Zhen so worried, she quickly bit her lip to stifle her cries.
"Fifth Miss’s foot is just sprained, no bones are hurt," Granny Pan confirmed respectfully to Mrs. Zhen, "Madam, get some ice to apply for now, and use warm water tomorrow. Let the young miss rest for ten days to half a month, and she’ll be fine."
Hearing there was no bone injury, Mrs. Zhen finally felt relieved.
Shui Yue gave Granny Pan some broken silver and went to prepare the ice.
In the side room, only Mrs. Zhen, Du Yunluo, Nanny Zhao, and Jin Ling remained. Mrs. Zhen instructed Nanny Zhao to keep watch outside, then sat in front of Du Yunluo and asked, "Explain carefully to me how it happened. Why was the Princely Heir so close to you? He didn’t know you before; do you know him or not?"
Seeing Mrs. Zhen sit down, Du Yunluo knew the situation was becoming tricky to handle.
She had come to Fa Yin Temple for Mu Lianxiao, searching around for his figure. By the releasing pool, Mu Lianxiao’s group wasn’t far from her, and when she took a few more steps forward, she got even closer.
Back when the marriage was being discussed, Mrs. Zhen had asked Du Yunluo about Mu Lianxiao, and at the time, she had firmly denied knowing him. Naturally, she couldn’t change her story now.
Du Yunluo glanced at Jin Ling and Nanny Zhao. So many people had witnessed her at the releasing pool; a lie wouldn’t fool Mrs. Zhen. She pondered for a brief moment and considered thoroughly before replying, "Mother, there were actually quite many people by the releasing pool. The four large water buckets already occupied a lot of space once set down. I wanted to release quickly, so I stood by the buckets. As the lid opened, a carp jumped out and splashed my sleeve, and Jin Ling hurriedly wiped it for me. Worried about getting splashed again, I pulled Jin Ling to move two steps to the side. Suddenly, there was a commotion, and before I knew what was happening, I got knocked over."
Listening to this, Mrs. Zhen looked to Jin Ling and Nanny Zhao for confirmation.
Nanny Zhao nodded, indicating that things were indeed as Du Yunluo said.
Jin Ling vaguely remembered it was actually the young miss who had brushed her hand aside rather than pulling her along but, seeing Du Yunluo’s bright eyes, she didn’t voice her doubts: "Madam, it’s just as the young miss said. That person came out so suddenly; no one was prepared."
Jin Ling’s words made Du Yunluo relax secretly; fortunately, she was quick-witted enough not to confirm her suspicion. Du Yunluo held Mrs. Zhen’s arm, saying, "Mother, I’m not lying. I was dazed at the time, thinking I might fall into the water when I felt someone tug me towards the shore. I lost my balance and fell. I didn’t know it was the Princely Heir until Fourth Brother came over."
Mrs. Zhen listened to Du Yunluo’s explanation, believed most of it, and seeing Nanny Zhao and Jin Ling agree, her doubts were dispelled. Ruffling Du Yunluo’s hair, she said, "You! The old madam was right about you. Sometimes you’re steady, and other times you’re so reckless. If you keep getting hurt like this once we return to the mansion, should the old madam punish you or not?"
Knowing she was at fault, Du Yunluo could only smile without speaking.
"If you ask me, you deserve a stern punishment!" Recalling Du Yunluo’s previous demeanor, Mrs. Zhen grew exasperated again. "Such a proper young lady, but her skin grows thicker by the day. When the Princely Heir greeted me, why were you in such a rush to look outside? Your neck was stretched longer than a bamboo pole!"
Upon hearing this, Du Yunluo instinctively reached to touch her neck and murmured, "It’s not long."
Mrs. Zhen couldn’t help but laugh, despite herself.
"Actually," Du Yunluo carefully chose her words, "the Princely Heir didn’t hurt me on purpose..."
Mrs. Zhen, upon hearing this, felt a chill in her heart. She already knew Du Yunluo was utterly satisfied with this prospective match, and after meeting him, she seemed even more invested.
"Do you think Mother is unreasonable?" Mrs. Zhen feigned a stern expression, staring at Du Yunluo.
With a bashful smile, Du Yunluo cozied up to Mrs. Zhen, who snorted, "Such a girl siding with someone else. Where’s your loyalty gone?"
"To East Street," Du Yunluo blurted out.
As soon as the words fell, both Mrs. Zhen and Du Yunluo were taken aback.
Dingyuan Marquis Mansion was located not far from East Street in Qingshui Alley.
Mrs. Zhen didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry, pointing at Du Yunluo with a sigh. Du Yunluo quickly covered her face with her hand. She just responded randomly, without meaning it, but she knew it would be hard to explain away.
Jin Ling kept a straight face, trying hard not to laugh. Glancing at Nanny Zhao, who was also holding back a smile, she quickly lowered her head, clutching her fingers tightly.
When Shui Yue returned inside, she broke the silence in the room, carrying several ice cubes the size of copper coins in a handkerchief, saying, "These will have to do for now; the young miss should make do."
Out during a trip, inconveniences were inevitable. Mrs. Zhen took the handkerchief and personally tended to Du Yunluo.
The ice chilled the swollen area, making Du Yunluo inhale sharply. Seeing her daughter’s pain, Mrs. Zhen’s little bit of anger dissipated immediately, and she gently comforted her, "Nannan, bear with it for a moment. It’ll hurt for a few days, but will get better after a while."
Du Yunluo nodded.
Someone knocked on the door outside. Nanny Zhao opened it to find the woman they had left by the releasing pool. She went out to ask, "Is everything done?"
"The woman was rescued. We released everything in the buckets, and Sister Zhang is watching them by the pool. I’ve come to get help to move them back."
Releasing the living creatures was important, and with everything settled, Nanny Zhao felt relieved. "Go inquire about who jumped into the releasing pool."
Hearing this, the woman’s expression became complicated.