Seeking Happiness

Chapter 78 The hidden meaning behind the words

Meijing heard concubine Yun pass on the message to the maids. She felt very dejected and couldn’t help herself from coming inside again. Seeing that Shu Huan was in a good mood and her face was full of smiles, Meijing couldn’t help but say, “Second young mistress, I don’t understand.”

Shu Huan looked blankly over, “What?”

Meijing said angrily, “Last night, that miss Zhang was obviously being too overbearing. Why don’t you reveal your identity to embarrass her?”

It turned out to be for this.

Shu Huan smiled and asked a rhetorical question, “Miss Zhang should call me cousin-in-law, right?”

“That’s right. Second young master is one year older than her.”

“Isn’t it clear them?” Shu Huan threw the charcoal strip away and patted her hands. “I don’t think she is someone who likes to keep peace. No matter what identity I have, she would always want to get back at me after suffering a loss. If I put my identity as her cousin-in-law out to argue with her, wouldn’t it be that I take my identity to bully her?”

“Oh…,” Meijing immediately understood with a bit of hints. She nodded deep in thoughts.

Shu Huan laughed, “I also didn’t want to do it like that in the beginning. I felt that it was very awkward meeting an outsider while dressing as a servant. I couldn’t reveal my identity, pull her hand, explain that I’m usually not like this and say that I didn’t expect to encounter you while occasionally dressed like a servant. I’m truly sorry…”

While she talked till here, Meijing couldn’t hold in her laughter.

Shu Huan sighed and said, “At that time, I only wanted to avoid the matter. Who would’ve thought that she was so unrelenting…?”

After Meijing listened to that, she couldn’t help but looked for a long while at Shu Huan. Suddenly, she said, “Second young mistress, I feel that more and more you and second young master have similarity in features of a couple.”

“…”

Shu Huan saw how she ran away after having said. Her lips curled up and said behind Meijing, “I also discovered that you have become more and more unruly and dared to say anything.”

Meijing giggles came from outside the curtain, “I won’t dare next time.”

She said that she didn’t dare, but in fact, she became more daring. She knew that this second young mistress was truly good-tempered. If it was miss Zhang, she would presumably be slapped till her teeth fall out.

A clear and loud “pa” could be heard.

At this moment at Heavily Scented Building was really playing the play of slapping. Zhang Hanfang swung the hand that hurt after slapping people. She huffed from anger, “I let you think of a way to meet that second young mistress and tell her about the intimacy of my bastard cousin and that maid last night. Why didn’t you do as I have told you?”

The little and slow maid of last night was kneeling on the ground and cried while covering her face, “This slave has not seen Gu household’s second young mistress before…and mistook the wrong person for her. After I paid my respect did that girl tell me that she is second young master’s concubine and said that if this slave has something to tell, this slave can tell her and she would go report to second young mistress…This slave remembered that miss said to tell this matter to second young mistress and didn’t say to the concubine. This slave didn’t dare to act on this slave’s own initiative and didn’t say anything…”

Zhang Hanfang pointed at her while she gritted her teeth. She was so angry that she was unable to speak for a while. It was still nanny Guan who stepped forward with half her face swollen and gently stroked her (ZHF) back to let her breathing become even. Zhang Hanfang said with hate, “Hear her, she still thinks she is in the right. I have never seen such a stupid thing like her. Why are you still kneeling here? Get out (roll out). I get angry just by looking at your face.”

That little maid got up slowly. She rubbed her eyes and went out while crying. Fortunately, she wasn’t so stupid to truly roll to outside. But her dilatory actions made the anger boil in Zhang Hanfang again. After suppressing it for a long time did she press it down. She looked with gritted teeth at nanny Guan, “Deduct three months of her salary and dismiss her to somewhere far. Don’t let me see her again.”

After nanny Guan complied, the room immediately became quiet. The maids looked terrified at each other. No one dared to step forward and persuade her. They were afraid that they would also be punished. They suddenly heard someone outside the door say, “Miss Zhang, our second young mistress sent the people to let you choose.”

Zhang Hanfang stood up and walked to the door. She saw a pretty maid and four old maids standing outside. The maid was Meijing, but last night she didn’t pay attention. Therefore, she didn’t recognize Meijing. Those old maids were one older than the other. The oldest one was presumably sixty years old. Just by looking at them, she felt repulsive. If she let them stay here to serve her, wouldn’t they dirty her place?

She couldn’t help but lift her sleeves to cover her nose as if she was afraid that the foul smell would dirty her. Her pair of clear eyes stared at Meijing and gestured at her, “What is your name?”

Meijing walked up to her and said smilingly, “Answering miss, this slave’s name is Meijing.”

Zhang Hanfang saw that she was lovable, sweet and her words were brisk, she liked her a bit. However, she still demeaned her, “Meijing? Such a poor taste. If you come and serve me, your name would be Shu Qin.”

• • Shu: book; Qin: zither

What kind of good name was Shu Qin? It sounded like a name of a study companion.

Meijing disapproved very much in her heart, but she still smiled on her face, “The name that miss gave is naturally very elegant, but unfortunately, this slave is not blessed…”

Not waiting for her to finish, Zhang Hanfang’s face darkened, “What? You are not willing?

Meijing said feeling wronged, “Miss misunderstood this slave. To be able to serve you is a great blessing, but this time when we came here, second young mistress only brought this slave. This slave can’t leave her side for a moment. This slave only wishes to have the good fortune in the future to serve miss.”

This refusal sounded more pleasing to the ears. Zhang Hanfang also didn’t dwell on this matter. She only glanced at those four old maids with a gaze full of spurn and said frowningly, “Since you can’t stay, then take these old maids with you.”

She only wanted to use this opportunity to rectify the maid that offended her last night. Now, she wasn’t able to get her, she could only give up. There was no reason to let two filthy old things stay here to suffocate her.

After having said that, she didn’t want to stay outside for one moment more. She turned, wanted to enter the room and also shouted, “Mingluan, bring two buckets of water to wash the ground.”

These old maids of Gu household had very sharp eyes. It took only a moment for them to see the contempt that Zhang Hanfang showed them. Every one of them felt indignant.

One had to know that they had served old master and old madam. At Gu residence, not too mention the young masters and misses, even master and madam treated them with respect. They rarely bothered them to do something. When second young mistress sent them over to serve this miss Zhang, she also asked in kind words about their opinion. Her attitude was respectful and she felt apologetic. She explained that she didn’t brought enough people to the resort and had no way but to trouble them.

The lower the status of people were, the more they cared about faces. Their faces had been swept by Zhang Hanfang and it was in front Meijing who didn’t have much seniority. How could they swallow this humiliation? So, they busily opened their mouths…

This one said concerned, “This old one is unsophisticated and didn’t dare to wish to serve miss, but I would ask boldly whether miss Zhang is living well here. If you lacked something, don’t be shy and tell this old one. This old one will go report to second young mistress and let someone sent it over.”

That one took over, “That’s right. Our second young master and mistress don’t bother with the affairs when they are at home. Now, they had to be the hosts at the resort. It couldn’t be avoided that they would be negligent about some matters. See, when second young mistress sent us over, she was worried and afraid that miss had suffered grievances and let us ask miss whether there was something that miss was not satisfied about. Otherwise, if she hasn’t treated the honorable guests well, when she returns old madam will blame her.”

Last night, Zhang Hanfang received Gu Xiran’s cold treatment and was angry. Hearing this now, she felt that she had immediately become honorable. She slowed down her steps and wasn’t in such a hurry to return to the room.

Meijing felt that it was very funny. She knew the temperaments of these old maids. They were people who wouldn’t suffer losses. Don’t take it that they were fawning now upon Zhang Hanfang. In fact, there were hidden meanings behind the words. Every sentence was pointing out that Zhang Hanfang was a guest. They were respectful to a guest. That was why they didn’t bother with her rudeness. Incidentally, they also raised their own status. Now, they were in the position of second young mistress’s confidantes and that they were hosting the honorable guest in the stead of second young mistress. They were not some obsequious people that were sent over to let Zhang Hanfang choose.