Xu Xi Returned
Matron Ruan was convinced that the Xu family meant to pull the wool over the marquis's residence's eyes. Perhaps they had hidden Xu Xi away and would refuse to hand her over until they got enough silver.
But she was only a servant, and without consulting the old marchioness, she could hardly fall out with the Xu family outright.
She gave Madam Xie a smile that never reached her eyes. "Then what do you suggest, Madam Xu? The master and madam are still sitting in your home. We have to give them an answer."
Madam Xie checked the time and suggested to Matron Ruan, "Why don't we go inside and wait? Perhaps they went shopping on the street. Whatever the case, they'll have to come back by noon. If they don't return here, they'll go back to Little Banyan Village. Shall we wait here until noon and go back if they haven't returned?"
Matron Ruan considered it and decided that getting anxious wouldn't help, so she said, "All right." She pointed at the lock on the gate. "You have a key, don't you, Madam Xu?"
"Of course." Madam Xie took a key from inside her robes and went to unlock the courtyard gate.
Matron Ruan beckoned to the young maid who had been standing nearby watching. When the girl trotted over, she instructed her, "You saw what Miss Xi looked like yesterday. Madam Xu and I will go inside and wait, while you and the coachman make a circuit of the city. If you see Miss Xi, follow her and don't lose her. Spend a few copper coins to have someone come and tell me."
"Yes." The young maid dipped into a curtsy and answered respectfully. Once Matron Ruan had followed Madam Xie into the house, she climbed back onto the carriage and told the coachman to drive away.
Matron Ruan, meanwhile, explained to Madam Xie, "I sent the young maid to buy me a few things."
Madam Xie naturally didn't believe that excuse. But she had no reason to stop the girl, either. Besides, judging by the time, she reckoned Xu Xi had already entered the academy to take the exam, perhaps even finished it. There was nothing to fear even if she ran into the young maid afterward, so Madam Xie pretended not to know and went about boiling water and making tea for Matron Ruan.
While Madam Xie and Matron Ruan were waiting in the little courtyard, Xu Xi and her father, Xu Yongyi, had returned to Little Banyan Village in a mule cart.
By then, more than half a shichen had passed since Zhao Yuanliang and Lady Wei had arrived in Little Banyan Village. Lady Wei was on the verge of blowing up, while the clan leader and the village head sat with Zhao Yuanliang in the house, having racked their brains and exhausted every topic of conversation they could think of. As for the villagers who had come to eat melons and watch the excitement, they had long since dispersed, each returning home to whatever they had to do.
So before the mule cart carrying Xu Xi had even entered the village, a villager on his way out to work in the fields called them to a stop and ran over, panting. "...Someone from the marquis's residence is here, looking for you, Miss Xi. The ones who came seem to be the second master and second madam of the residence. I hear the girl who was swapped with you came too."
As he spoke, the middle-aged man glanced at Xu Yongyi.
"Thank you for telling me, Sixth Uncle," Xu Xi said with a smile. "Have Sister Lihua come by my place later. I have two nice handkerchiefs for her."
"All right, all right." Sixth Uncle smiled and waved. "Hurry on home."
The mule cart continued on its way, and Xu Xue turned to Xu Xi. "Sister, what should we do?"
"Let's see what happens," Xu Xi said. Seeing the worried look on Xu Yongyi's face as well, she added, "From the look of things, the marquis's residence won't leave me out here. If I don't go with them today, the old madam might come herself tomorrow."
"If that's the case, you might as well go back with them today," Xu Yongyi said with a frown.
Afraid that Xu Xi would misunderstand him, he hurried to explain, "Miss Xi, I'm not trying to drive you away. It's just that if you won't go back until the old madam comes to fetch you herself, it won't sound good when word gets out, and life at the marquis's residence won't be easy for you afterward. Better to know when to quit while you're ahead and go today. Once there's news from the academy, Xiaoxue and I will come tell you. Surely they can't stop you from studying at the academy?"
Xu Xi nodded. "All right. But as long as I agree to go back, I imagine it shouldn't be a problem to delay my return for a day or two."
Seeing that Xu Xi knew what she was doing, Xu Yongyi felt reassured.
The mule cart had stopped not far from the entrance to the lane.
It wasn't that the driver was unwilling to go in, or that the entrance was too narrow. Rather, the two carriages from the Marquis of Suiping's Residence were blocking the way ahead. If the mule cart went any farther, it would probably be difficult to back out. The driver was a fellow villager who knew Xu Yongyi well, and they were on good terms. So he didn't stand on ceremony and told him directly.
It was only a few steps, so Xu Yongyi naturally didn't mind. He paid the fare for the round trip at once and led Xu Xi and Xu Xue into the lane.
Lady Wei and Zhao Ruyu were in the front carriage. Lady Wei had leaned against the side and taken a nap, while Zhao Ruyu sat by the window embroidering with a hoop. If one ignored the occasional comments from the villagers, the mottled mud walls on either side of the carriage window, and the unpleasant smell, waiting there wasn't uncomfortable.
There was so little room in the carriage that the maids and matrons naturally couldn't all squeeze inside. Matron Li, who attended Lady Wei, had made arrangements: one servant each from Lady Wei's and Zhao Ruyu's households would remain on guard by the carriage door, while the others rested in the carriage behind, changing shifts every mealtime.
The marquis's residence still maintained its grand outward appearance, but its expenses exceeded its income, and its inner establishment had long since lost its former splendor. The number of servants attending each master had been considerably reduced. Lady Wei had only Matron Li, two maids, and two women for menial work; Zhao Ruyu had only Fushu as her senior maid, along with one young maid and one matron for menial work.
Not knowing what they would find here today, the two had brought all their maids and matrons except those assigned to menial work, five people in all. The four maids could take turns, while Matron Li oversaw everything, coming out to check from time to time or exchanging news with Zhao Wuliang's attendants.
When Xu Xi and the other two got off the mule cart, Matron Li happened to be coming out of the courtyard. Seeing the three of them get down and walk this way, she paused in surprise, then looked back and forth between Xu Xi's and Xu Xue's faces.
A moment later, she walked straight up to Xu Xue and asked respectfully, a smile on her face, "Might you be Miss Xi?"
She deliberately raised her voice so that Lady Wei and Zhao Yuanliang, who was in the courtyard, would hear.
Xu Xue froze and blinked her large eyes in confusion. Then she shook her head repeatedly and pointed at Xu Xi. "She is. I'm not." As she spoke, she moved behind Xu Xi.
Matron Li was stunned too. She looked at Xu Xi, then at Xu Xue, unable to quite take it in.
Lady Wei had woken up and was sitting there lost in thought, who knew about what. When she heard Matron Li's words, she straightened up, then rose to get out of the carriage.
Zhao Ruyu had been absorbed in her embroidery and was a moment slow to react. Seeing Lady Wei rise, she instinctively put down her needlework and reached out to help her. Only after she had taken hold of Lady Wei did she recall Matron Li's words. Her body gave a slight shudder, and she glanced at Lady Wei, unable to hide the mockery at the corners of her mouth.
Seeing Lady Wei so excited, everyone must think she would dote on her daughter, wouldn't they? But in their previous life, how had she treated her own daughter? At that thought, Zhao Ruyu suddenly felt fortunate about her own origins.
She would have been better off without a birth mother like Lady Wei.