Chapter 74 - 73: Pearl
In the room, they were in the middle of a conversation when Shui Yue lifted the curtain and entered, reporting, "Ma’am, Mrs. Shen Changgen is here."
Mrs. Zhen invited Mrs. Shen Changgen in.
The woman in front of Liao, who was following the proper etiquette, left her momentarily surprised.
This Mrs. Shen Changgen was a trusted confidante and right-hand woman of the Miao Family, and she had accompanied Miao Shi as part of her dowry, so she was quite familiar with the affairs of the Miao Household.
In Liao’s previous assumptions, Miao Shi would likely be losing her temper in Shuifu Garden at this moment, with Mrs. Shen Changgen serving nearby, helping Miao Shi scold the Miao Family for their inappropriate actions to vent Miao Shi’s anger.
But she wondered why Mrs. Shen Changgen had suddenly come to Qinghui Garden.
Mrs. Shen Changgen wore a smile on her face, presenting a small money pouch, "This is from our madam, ordered to be delivered to the Third Madam. Today, it was fortunate to encounter the Third Madam, who helped our lady by paying the Silver, preserving the Miao Family’s dignity."
"Ah, I know my second sister-in-law is kind-hearted. If she were at the temple today, she wouldn’t just stand by and watch Mrs. Fang from the Miao Family in such dire straits and despair. So I took the liberty of adding the Silver myself first," said Mrs. Zhen, instructing Shui Yue to accept the pouch.
This "kind-hearted" comment made Mrs. Shen Changgen feel comforted; for all the inexplicable matters concerning the Miao Family, Miao Shi had to suffer the blame silently because, after all, she was a Miao Family member.
Fortunately, Mrs. Zhen knew Miao Shi was kind-hearted, and even if she was merely speaking out of courtesy, Mrs. Shen Changgen was glad.
In Mrs. Shen Changgen’s view, Mrs. Zhen was kind-hearted, but the one with eyes constantly darting around, Mrs. Liao, was far from it.
After exchanging some polite words with Mrs. Zhen and expressing concern about Du Yunluo a few times, Mrs. Shen Changgen finally took her leave.
Once she was gone, Liao gave a faint smile, "Second Sister-in-law is really meticulous, not willing to let you, Third Sister-in-law, pay from her own pocket."
"It’s the thoughtfulness of the Second Sister-in-law as well." Mrs. Zhen didn’t want to get entangled in the scheming between Liao and the Miao’s conflicts, so she responded nonchalantly.
Du Yunnuo’s gaze lingered on the hefty money pouch in Shui Yue’s hand, estimating that it must contain a significant amount of Silver, she said, "The Silver has been sent, so it appears the matter is true. You were unlucky, suffering such unwarranted trouble, spared from falling into the water; otherwise..."
Du Yunluo responded softly.
Du Yunnuo, unphased by Du Yunluo’s indifferent reaction, continued, "In the coming days, we should all make offerings. The events of Mid-Autumn Festival still send shivers down my spine. Hey, Fifth Sister, did Grandma punish you?"
"I’m injured on my foot, so whether Grandma punishes me to kneel or not, I’m already confined." Du Yunluo replied with a resigned smile.
Du Yunluo’s ankle was still wrapped in ice, red and swollen, which was a bit unnerving to look at.
When Du Yunnuo first arrived, she only gave it a cursory glance and quickly looked away. But hearing Du Yunluo mention it now, she couldn’t help but take another look, and it made her anxious again.
Instinctively, she raised her hand to touch the back of her neck, feeling the cut-off hair, pursing her lips.
That day, amidst the chaos, she and Du Yun Ying were purely collateral damage.
Being wrongly punished, kneeling, and scolded, although knowing old Mrs. Xia was harsh out of care, upon seeing Du Yunluo today, Du Yunnuo once again deeply realized, Old Mrs. Xia’s heart played favorites.
Du Yunluo wasn’t punished; she heard that old Mrs. Xia calmed down after just a few scoldings, and had Du Gongfu’s protection.
The feeling of being wronged slowly welled up in her heart. Du Yunnuo felt her knees starting to ache again, as if pricked by needles; she turned her head, sniffling.
Never mind that, why compare yourself to Du Yunluo? She was never able to win since childhood, only bringing herself unhappiness.
After all, she was the apple of everyone’s eye.
Outside, the wind picked up, the sky darkened suddenly, and it looked like a storm that hadn’t fallen in days was about to start. Liao called for Du Yunnuo to hurry back.
With the onset of rain, much of the summer heat dissipated.
Upon his return, Du Huaili saw his daughter injured, comforted her with gentle words, and promised to buy treats from Suyun Workshop the next day, telling Du Yunluo not to cry anymore.
Du Yunluo, now no longer a child, would not be overjoyed by sweets, but this reflected Du Huaili’s thoughtfulness, so she accepted with a warm smile.
At night, Jin Ling helped Du Yunluo remove the pearls on her head and the jade bracelets on her hands, handing them to Jin Rui.
Jin Rui skillfully prepared to return them to the dressing box, then felt something strange. She spread her palm and counted carefully - one pearl was missing.
She had personally pinned ten onto the girl that morning, but now only nine had returned to her hands.
Jin Rui promptly called Jin Ling over, whispering, "Why is one missing?"
Jin Ling froze upon hearing the question, "Nine pearls, correct? When I did the young miss’s hair at the temple, there were nine pearls."
"It was ten, there were ten in the morning!"
Upon hearing this, Jin Ling knew something was wrong. These jewelry pieces were accounted for, each item was meticulously recorded, and they couldn’t be haphazardly altered. She thought back carefully, "When the young miss sprained her foot, the veiled hat fell to the ground; perhaps that was when a pearl dropped."
Jin Rui pouted, glaring at Jin Ling in displeasure. She wanted to blame Jin Ling for not being careful, but on second thought, it was also her fault for not telling Jin Ling the exact number in the morning. Otherwise, Jin Ling would have realized the missing pearl at the temple and could have searched for it earlier, which was better than the two of them staring blankly now.
This matter could not be concealed, and Jin Ling and Jin Rui reported it to Du Yunluo together.
Reclining at a slight angle on the soft couch, Du Yunluo frowned, "A pearl is missing?"
Jin Rui nodded, "There were many pilgrims at the temple; perhaps someone picked it up."
Picked it up?
Du Yunluo was startled; she remembered calling for the maid to carry her back to the side room, she had seen Mu Lianxiao bend down and then rise again. Could it be, he picked it up?
At this thought, Du Yunluo couldn’t help but blush, inwardly cursing: If he picked it up, why didn’t he hand it over? Even if he wouldn’t hand it over, he should inform her; hiding it secretly, what is that...
As she internally complained, a sweet sensation crept into her heart, unknowingly causing her cheeks to burn.
With a shy smile, Du Yunluo didn’t go into details, she simply said, "If it was lost in Fa Yin Temple and can’t be found, then note it in the records first thing tomorrow."
Despite having lots of doubts, Jin Rui followed her instructions.
As for Jin Ling, she pondered about the incident by the releasing pool, but she hadn’t noticed Mu Lianxiao’s actions at that time, so she was left with no clues and gave up.
For several days, Du Yunluo remained obediently within the West Courtyard.
The medical woman would visit once a day, as instructed by Mrs. Xia, and carefully taught Jin Ling and Jin Rui how to tend to a sprained ankle.
Jin Ling accompanied the medical woman out, intending to stop by Anhua Courtyard to collect some clean clothes before heading back to Qinghui Garden, but was stopped by Nanny Hua.
Nanny Hua, smiling warmly, invited Jin Ling to a shaded spot, saying, "Miss has been busy these days, and I haven’t seen her for a while. I heard that at Fa Yin Temple the other day, our Miss encountered the Young Master? What does this Young Master look like?"
Jin Ling, knowing Nanny Hua loved to gather such tidbits, replied, "He’s quite tall, handsome too, a perfect match for our Miss."
Nanny Hua’s eyes twinkled, "Did our Miss find him appealing?"
Jin Ling hesitated a moment, "The Young Master is our future master-in-law, decreed by the Holy Emperor to be wed, naturally he is good."