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

Chapter 014 Bait

The winter New Year was very peaceful. 

The lively places became more lively, and the deserted places became more deserted. No one had come to Jiang Ruan's yard for a long time. The three of them had a rare period of leisure.

The air was fresh in the morning. Zi Su and Lian Qiao were sitting at the door mending clothes. Their clothes were so old that they couldn't be any older. They had been mended again and again. Although the two of them were excellent at embroidery and could wear clothes with embroidery of flowers and grass, the bright silk threads were also extremely precious to them. They would not use such delicate patches on weekdays.

The girl sat quietly in front of the window, looking at the pages in front of her seriously. The sunlight sprinkled on her beautiful face. Her eyelashes as long as butterfly wings trembled gently. Her eyes were pure and beautiful, with a softness that made people feel pity.

Lian Qiao looked back inadvertently and was a little dazed. She thought that her girl was really a rare beauty in the world. When she was quiet, she was clear and soft, like a quiet landscape painting. When she was fierce, she had a kind of sharp and flying charm.

Seeing Lian Qiao in a trance, Zi Su also turned back and said thoughtfully: "The girl is getting older now and taller. The old clothes are a little difficult to fit. Spring is coming soon. Let's make two new clothes for her some time."

"It's easy to say," Lian Qiao came back to her senses and continued to sew the buttons on the clothes in front of her: "The expenses given by those people at the end of the year have been reduced by half. Two new clothes will require a lot of material. Where can we find it? I think we have to go to the mountains to pick some herbs to exchange for some silver and save it to buy cloth for the young lady." 

Then he paused again: "Our girl is so beautiful, but the clothes she wears are all old and shabby. At this age, other girls wear clothes that look like flowers, but our girl doesn't have a single bright piece of clothing. Her good looks are wasted in vain. If our girl wears those beautiful clothes, she will be better than all the girls in the capital."

Zi Su couldn't help but smile at what Lian Qiao said: "You are the only one who can say that. What's the point of talking about the capital now? I don't know when I can go back home."

Once they talked about going back home, the interest of the two people was somewhat lost. After a while, Lian Qiao shook her head and said: "Don't think too much. Didn't the young lady say that you can go back after the New Year? I think the young lady has made up her mind. We don't need to rush."

Zi Su nodded: "The young lady is smart, but... I hope there will be no mistakes."

While they were chatting, someone knocked on the door outside. It was Xiao Yuan, the maid who came to deliver firewood. The farm gave them firewood instead of charcoal. It is self-evident who instructed them. Every winter is the most difficult time for the master and servants. But the firewood is also given as a quota, and no more is allowed. Zhang Lan is really not afraid of freezing the three of them to death.

Xiaon Yuan greeted Jiang Ruan and picked out the firewood from the basket. She was very skilful. Lian Qiao helped beside her. After finishing, Xiao Yuan glanced at the clothes in Zi Su's hand and said with a smile: "Sister Zi Su has a very clever hand. The needle and thread are fine and solid, and you can't see it from the outside."

Zi Su smiled: "It's just sewing for fun. Who would notice it when I wear it on weekdays?"

"Sister Zi Su is wrong," Xiao Yuan shook her head: "This year, my mother made me a new pink short jacket. When I want to work, I tore a hole under my arm. I wanted to mend it, but it's not easy to mend that place. If I'm not careful, it will be seen. It's very annoying. If I had sister's craftsmanship, I wouldn't have to worry about it."

"How difficult is that," Lian Qiao returned the basket to Xiao Yuan: "Just let Zi Su mend it for you."

"Really?" Xiao Yuan looked at Zi Su in surprise, her eyes full of undisguised expectation.

Zi Su smiled and nodded: "Of course, but I don't have peach-coloured silk thread here, you have to bring the silk thread along."

"No problem, thank you sister Zi Su, you are so nice." Xiao Yuan smiled immediately after hearing this: "If I had known that sister Zi Su was so easy to talk to, I should have come to visit more often on weekdays. I have a pile of torn and haphazardly sewn clothes."

"You girl," Lian Qiao pretended to be angry: "You just want to take advantage of us. Everyone knows that the maids serving you outside are well-dressed, so there is no such thing as torn clothes."

"Who said it's glamorous," Xiao Yuan pouted, "Although it's a little quiet here, I would rather serve a good-tempered person like the young lady. To be honest with the two sisters, the people outside are indeed difficult to serve. Not to mention Nanny Lan, even her youngest son is not an easy person to deal with. It's ok to make trouble everywhere on weekdays, but he has been very excessive recently. I heard that he sold a piece of land at home without telling Nanny Lan. Nanny Lan was furious when she knew about this last night. These days, we maids dare not speak, for fear of offending her."

"Oh? Is this true?" Zi Su winked at Lian Qiao, "Although Chen Zhao likes to make trouble on weekdays, he is not very generous. Why did he sell the land?"

"That's right," Lian Qiao said, "Is he trying to help us?"

"No," Xiao Yuan waved her hands repeatedly, "Our maids in charge of purchasing know about this. Nanny Lan was very angry that day. It is said that when she asked him where the silver went, he didn't know. She turned his room upside down. Guess what the result was - not a penny was left!"

"Ah," Lian Qiao exclaimed, "That's really strange. A piece of land can be exchanged for a lot of silver. It's impossible that it was all spent in just a few days. Could it be that the silver flew away by itself?"

"Nanny Lan is also very strange, but that person didn't know anything when asked, and finally had a big quarrel with Nanny Lan and left." Xiao Yuan said.

The three talked about this matter again, and they had their own opinions on Chen Zhao's attitudes. Seeing that it was getting late, Xiao Yuan wanted to get up and say goodbye. Lian Qiao sent Xiao Yuan to the entrance of the yard. Zi Su put down the clothes in her hand and walked to Jiang Ruan who was reading a book. 

Jiang Ruan raised her head and said with a smile: "He is very brave. He sold the land as soon as he said it."

"Miss," Zi Su frowned and said: "Although I don't know what happened, I think that the sale of the land was instigated by you. I am very confused, but I am stupid and can't figure it out."

"Can't figure it out?" Jiang Ruan smiled: "It's very simple." Before the voice fell, Lian Qiao shouted outside: "Why are you rushing in? Are there any rules!"

An angry voice sounded from the other end: "Don't block the way, let me in!"

Zi Su couldn't help but be stunned. The voice was very familiar. It was Chen Fang. What was Chen Fang doing here?

Jiang Ruan smiled indifferently, just spread her hands and said: "Look, you will understand soon."

(End of this chapter)

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