Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 335 - 15: Fish (Fourth Update, Author’s Blood吐 Edition)
After angering Bai Lili out of the room, "Yue Baiyou" remained indifferent, cheerfully saying, "What a pity, I ordered a table full of good food! Xiang’er, this longevity pine nut glutinous rice steamed cake is for you. Serve your master well in the future, and you’ll enjoy the best of everything."
Xiang’er, "tearfully grateful," accepted the dish with a name that sounded nice but was actually the cheapest on the table, a complimentary dessert from the restaurant after Yue Baiyou ordered so many dishes.
Secretly she spat: Hah, enjoy the best of everything with you? Who knows if you’ll even live to enjoy it!
"Miss, aren’t you afraid that Miss Bai..." Xiang’er gestured slicing her neck, "in case she might..."
Before she could finish, Yue Baiyou laughed, "Silly girl, what are you thinking! Their family is just mere merchants, would they kill to silence? You think this is a big drama!"
Xiang’er was stunned, "Then what’s all that about the Old Niu Lamb and Beef Restaurant and Tartar spies that you mentioned?"
Hearing Yue Baiyou talk about Tartar spies earlier had frightened Xiang’er, was she telling the truth?
Thinking that Yue Baiyou often went out alone, not letting her follow.
If Miss Bai wasn’t guilty, how could she tolerate this brazen behavior?
A hundred thousand taels of silver! Yue Baiyou dared to ask such a sky-high price, and although Miss Bai did bargain hard, she still promised six or seven tens of thousands of taels.
That much silver, even a tiny fraction would be enough for her to live a wealthy life forever.
"Indeed there is an Old Niu Lamb and Beef Restaurant, and there are problems with that restaurant. But as for the Bai Family, I really don’t know.
But as I said, the Northwest is in a tense situation right now, if word gets out that the Bai family are Tartar spies, even if they’re truly innocent, they would still be thrown around for a while.
And you know people, love to follow the crowd, rumors turn into truth if repeated enough, someone might actually believe it.
Not to mention if the common people in Hami drowned them with their spit, just think if their business can still go on? Bai Lili is a smart person, she knows how to choose wisely."
Yue Baiyou rarely explained patiently to her little maid, which left Xiang’er dumbfounded.
Secretly, she smacked her lips at Yue Baiyou’s boldness and swallowed a mouthful of saliva at her cruelty.
If Yue Baiyou knew she betrayed her, she would surely make her life a living hell.
Thinking of this, Xiang’er’s eyes dimmed, she made a decision in her heart, yet outwardly she was awestruck by Yue Baiyou.
Swallowing her fear, Xiang’er served Yue Baiyou her meal, packed the leftovers, and then the two returned to the Hong Mansion.
Not resting even after reaching Hong Mansion, having decided to leave, Yue Baiyou sorted her burdensome clothing and trinkets, choosing the lightweight and easy-to-carry, asking Xiang’er to pawn them.
Fitting Yue Baiyou’s character perfectly as "even a mosquito leg is meat."
And as the gatekeepers ignored them, it saved them a lot of explanations.
Yue Baiyou watched Xiang’er leave the courtyard, smiling but with no emotion in her eyes.
Truly, people risk life for wealth, Yue Baiyou did, Xiang’er did, now to see if Bai Lili would?
...
The scene shifted back to Bai Lili.
Once back at the Bai Family, she returned to the small building on Lake Heart Island with Qiao Ge, sitting in front of the yellow rosewood carved vanity, looking at her emotionless reflection in the mercury mirror.
Suddenly she erupted, pushing all the rouge, powder, and jewelry boxes on the vanity onto the floor.
"Bastards, all of them! Bashahan is a bastard, Bate Garbage is a bastard, Hong Sheng is a bastard, the Su family are bastards, and that damned Yue Baiyou is the worst bastard of all.
Threaten me? Fine, I’ll show her the price of threatening me..."
Bai Lili spoke more and more wildly, then her whole body spasmed.
Qiao Ge, seeing this, quickly fetched a pill from her pocket, skillfully restrained Bai Lili’s spasming hands, and stuffed the pill into her mouth.
The Bai Family did have a hereditary disease, that’s true, but it wasn’t just passed to boys nor led to early death, it’s epilepsy inherited through their bloodline.
Being Bai Wansan’s only daughter, Bai Lili was spoiled rotten, naturally leading to an intolerable temper.
In public, she was somewhat better, as Bai Lili cared about her reputation. She absolutely would not let others see her during an epileptic fit.
So she restrained herself outside but would rage uncontrollably at home. Hence, it wasn’t the first time she induced a fit from emotional turmoil.
Qiao Ge always had medications prescribed by renowned physician Saint Hand on her, precisely to prevent such sudden occurrences.
After feeding Bai Lili the medicine, Qiao Ge then lifted her with ease, indicating she had some martial skills.
Once she laid Bai Lili on the bed, Bai Lili eventually recovered, covering her eyes, she laughed, "Qiao Ge, do you think this is divine punishment? Am I a Queen doomed to spasm and foam at the mouth anytime?"
As she spoke, laughing, tears streamed through her fingers.
Qiao Ge watched, her heart aching immensely, yet unable to voice any comfort. She had served Bai Lili since childhood, her master used to be adorably lively, carefree like a snowball.
But after her master’s brother "died young" at less than one year old when she was seven, it was the first time she had an epileptic attack. From her father, she learned the family’s secret.
From that moment, her master seemed to become an adult overnight, her temperament became increasingly strange and volatile.
With age, the number of fits increased, this was her third in half a year.
Saint Hand Zhang, treating Miss Bai, had changed the prescription six times, receiving reproaches even from the master last visit.
Saint Hand Zhang, a close friend to her father, coldly said, "I cure illnesses, not fate! At this rate, even King Yan couldn’t save her."
"Master, don’t overthink it, take it easy. That Yue Baiyou, this servant will take care of her for you."
Bai Lili shook her head, "Let’s wait, something unsettles me. Yue Baiyou isn’t a fool, a mere woman with just a maid, yet she dares travel with seventy to eighty thousand taels of silver?
And about that Old Niu Lamb and Beef Restaurant, I did hear my father mention it, but didn’t pay attention then, have someone look into it."
...
Meanwhile, Yue Baiyou’s maid Xiang’er, after pawning some items, did not return to Hong Mansion, but wound her way to the Bai family’s back door.
She had just been there that morning, so the gatekeeper woman recognized her, especially because Miss Bai’s Qiao Ge had personally received her. Seeing her back, she quickly greeted, "Young lady, are you here to see Miss Qiao?"
Xiang’er nodded, handing the woman a silver nugget, weighing two or three mace, "Please, inform Miss Qiao that Xiang’er requests an audience."
The woman asked Xiang’er to watch the door temporarily and briskly headed to the inner gate.
Soon, the woman returned with a young maid.
The young maid smiled at Xiang’er, "Sister Qiao Ge is busy, she asked me to escort Xiang’er inside."
She then took a turquoise-set silver ring from her pocket and gave it to the gatekeeper, "This is a reward from Miss Bai, you know the rules here, keep your mouth shut, and don’t blabber after drinking."
The doorkeeper happily accepted the ring, promptly assuring, "Rest easy, miss, I understand."
As the young maid led Xiang’er away, the gatekeeper spat disdainfully afterward, "You little hussy, I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice, and you dare lecture me. Just a third-rate maid, acting all high and mighty!"
