Part 1: A Dream Within A Dream / Rebirth of Ill Fated Concubine

Chapter 009 Evil Servant

On the way back, Lian Qiao tried to hold back, but finally couldn't help asking: "Why did the girl give away the plum blossom? After all, it was bought with silver. If you want to give it away, you should at least leave a branch in the house. Why did you give it to a stranger for nothing?"

"Lian Qiao, when did you see me like plum blossoms?" Jiang Ruan said.

"This... the girl really doesn't like it very much." Lian Qiao shook her head. When the lady was alive, the girl still liked flowers and plants very much. Since the lady passed away, the girl's daily life has been very difficult, and she has no mood for romance.

"If you don't like it, what's the point of keeping it." Jiang Ruan said indifferently: "Why not do it as a favour and give it to someone else."

"But this favour is also made of silver," Lian Qiao was anxious, "The old man has no relationship with us, what's the benefit of giving him away?"

Jiang Ruan walked forward slowly and said: "Of course there are benefits. Everything in the world has a price. Today I gave him a few red plums. The favour he will repay me in the future will definitely be much higher than the red plums. It's just that you can't see it now."

This sounded unclear, Lian Qiao didn't understand, Zi Su followed behind silently, and both of them were very confused. Zi Su said: "What does the girl mean by your words is that you will see the old gentleman in the future? But the red plums were bought casually today. If the girl had already made up her mind, how could she have expected the old man to appear and have a dispute with others?"

"I'm not a god, how can I predict the future?" Jiang Ruan said indifferently. Her tone was very light, but Zisu and Lian Qiao felt that her voice contained some inexplicable coldness, which gave them goose bumps.

When they finally returned to the farm smoothly, they saw a maid in a brand new green jacket coming from a distance. Her lips were painted with bright red rouge. When she saw Jiang Ruan and the other two, she immediately shouted exaggeratedly: "Oh my young lady, its freezing cold and you are still sick. Why did you come out? Where did you go? I looked for you all over the farm but couldn't find you."

"Chunying," Lian Qiao put her hands on her waist and immediately replied: "What are you yelling about in broad daylight? Do I have to tell you where the young lady is going?"

"I'm worried about the young lady. It's better for the young lady not to be sick. Now is the end of the year. What if something else happens?" Chunying was not a good person, and her tone was quite sarcastic.

Zi Su frowned: "You also know that the young lady is not well yet, why are you so loud? It's giving the young lady a headache."

Chunying pursed her lips and looked at Jiang Ruan and said: "Miss, I mean well. Miss is still sick now, so don't walk around and don't let people outside have the opportunity to talk about it."

Jiang Ruan looked at her quietly. Chunying and Qiuyan were both big maids in the manor, and their status in the manor was also very high. 

Qiuyan was busy with things outside the manor all year round, and had very few opportunities to meet Jiang Ruan. Chunying was in charge of things inside the manor, and had a close relationship with Zhang Lan's family. 

She praised Zhang Lan and often tripped Jiang Ruan up. Perhaps it was because of the meaning of the superiors, Chunying had no respect in front of Jiang Ruan, and did not take Jiang Ruan seriously at all. She was not as respectful to Jiang Ruan as Zhang Lan's family.

Jiang Ruan remembered Chunying very well. In the previous life, the rumours about her seducing Chen Zhao spread so quickly, and Chunying did help to spread the rumours. She told the servants as if she had seen it with her own eyes. Because of this, the rumours spread so quickly, and she was ruined so early.

Chunying saw that Jiang Ruan had not said anything for a long time, and looked at her with some surprise, and met Jiang Ruan's eyes on her. The eyes were gentle and soft, but inexplicably frightening, as if she was looking at a thing that was about to be destroyed, indifferent and regretful.

"Miss?" Chunying frowned.

"Who is talking about it?" Jiang Ruan looked at her, suddenly curled her lips, and smiled gently. She smiled very slowly, and the corners of her eyes were frivolous, as if she had changed into a different person, and immediately looked lively and fragrant. Chunying was just a woman, but the charm actually made her stunned, and she couldn't speak for a while.

"It's you who's gossiping, isn't it?" Jiang Ruan's second half of the sentence brought Chunying back to her senses. She was stunned and shook her head subconsciously: "Of course not a servant."

"Dogs are raised to bite outsiders, not to bite one's own people. If the dog sees one's own people and also quarrels, do you know what the outcome will be?" Jiang Ruan asked her.

Chunying shook her head.

"Of course it will be cooked into a delicious dish." Jiang Ruan said softly, and the word delicious dish was said very slowly. Chunying stared at her blankly, only to feel that Jiang Ruan's skin was a little pale in the sunlight, and her delicate and beautiful face was also a little indescribably sad. She unconsciously took two steps back: "Little Miss, Nanny Lan is still waiting in the room."

Zi Su and Lian Qiao's expressions changed. A servant actually used the word "waiting". There was really no respect for superiors and subordinates. Zhang Lan's family's behaviour was too rampant. They usually pretended to obey but actually disobeyed. On the surface, they pretended to be impeccable, but in private, they were extremely harsh on Jiang Ruan.

"Is she waiting for me?" Jiang Ruan raised her head slightly: "Then let's go, don't keep Nanny Lan waiting for too long." She stroked the buttons on her dark green cotton jacket.
...

There were two people sitting in front of the brazier in the room. A twelve or thirteen-year-old girl was leaning in the arms of a middle-aged woman, and her tone was quite harsh: "This room is really cold, and there is a smell. No wonder she smells bad on weekdays."

"Fang'er, don't talk nonsense," the woman scolded: "After all, she is the master. Don't do too much on weekdays, so that people can catch her handle." Although it was a reprimand, the tone was full of love.

The girl sat up a little straighter: "What kind of master is she? Look at how shabby she is. The master has given up on her. I know what to do. Mother, look at this golden hairpin on my head. Is it pretty?" She tilted her head, revealing the hairpin with a gold base and pearl grains on it.

The girl had ordinary features and a slightly dark complexion. She was wearing a brand new pink satin embroidered jacket, a horse-faced skirt of the same colour, a five-colour necklace around her waist, a golden hairpin on her head, eight-treasure necklace earrings, and a large gold collar around her neck. 

Although she was only the daughter of a servant on the farm, her whole outfit was comparable to that of many daughters of wealthy families.

These clothes and jewellery were naturally "taken" by her from Jiang Ruan.

"The quality is good. Fang'er looks really good wearing them." Zhang Lan exclaimed.

Chen Fang smiled complacently and was about to say something else when she heard a soft voice from outside: "Madame Lan has been waiting in my room for so long, is there something important?"

(End of this chapter)

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