The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 1)

Chapter 125 - Reprimand

It was just a matter of stepping away for a short while, yet Song Chuning managed to find a way to take advantage of this brief moment. Song Chuyi couldn't help but feel a chill, her heart filled with even more doubts.

Song Chuning seemed to understand what kind of character Hongyu, who was watching over Nanny Yu, had. It was as if she calculated that Hongyu would be soft-hearted and let her through. What was even more frightening was that this little girl, barely old enough, could strike fatal blows without uttering a word.

Song Chuyi couldn't believe that someone could be innately gifted and clever to this extent...

She turned to look at Ziyun. "Are you familiar with the maids from the Second House?" Ziyun was Nanny Huang's granddaughter, well-rooted in the manor with unique advantages, making her more adept at gathering information than Qingtao.

After a moment of thought, Ziyun nodded. "Cuiqiao and Cuiguo were brought in from the Linhai family. I've been mingling with them on the back street since we were little, so we know each other quite well."

"Then can you help me find out if they've noticed anything different about Eighth Miss? Any changes at all?" Song Chuyi frowned, realizing her wording was a bit vague. She emphasized, "Just ask them, having served Eighth Miss for so long, if they've discovered anything unusual about her."

A person's habits and ways of doing things don't change suddenly, and these subtle changes would surely not escape the eyes of those close to her.

Just like herself, when her behavior changed, Qingtao noticed it right away.

Through their time together, Ziyun had gained some understanding of Song Chuyi's temperament. Hearing this, she quickly composed herself and agreed before turning to leave.

Hongyu stood beside them with red-rimmed eyes, her voice as soft as a whisper, "Miss..."

The fact that Song Chuning had such a detailed understanding of the personality of the maid beside her made her skin crawl. If anyone had the idea of manipulating these maids, she feared she wouldn't be able to guard against it.

Thus, the weaknesses of these maids became especially glaring.

Although Hongyu was calm, she was too honest and straightforward, often swayed by a few words and losing her stance. This was indeed a virtue for a master, but sometimes it was also a double-edged sword. Just like this time, Hongyu clearly knew Nanny Yu's importance and had been instructed to guard her closely, ensuring that nothing went wrong. Yet, just a few words led to someone entering to deliver clothes to Nanny Yu...

She let out a sigh and rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit of a headache.

"You should go back and think about where you went wrong." She steeled her heart as she looked at Hongyu, who started to sob the moment she heard this, feeling a deep sense of frustration: "Although the Second Lady is gone, there's still a long road ahead, and we will meet many people... If you continue to be so easily swayed, I won't be able to keep you by my side."

Hongyu's shoulders trembled even more, her head nearly buried in her chest. Upon hearing these words, she pushed open the door and ran out.

Qingtao paused her actions, worry crossing her face as she glanced out the door. With a sigh, she said to Song Chuyi, "Miss, should I send Luyi to check on her?"

But then she began to worry for Song Chuyi again. In fact, Song Chuyi hadn't said anything particularly harsh this time, yet Hongyu had reacted so strongly. Her soft heart made her feel easily wronged, which was not a good sign.

As Song Chuyi nodded, Yushu entered with a smile and asked, "Who are you going to check on?"

Qingtao hurriedly poured tea, saying with a smile, "Nanny Yu ran into a pillar at Taoran Courtyard, and Hongyu was so scared. I was just about to go see her."

Mentioning this incident, Yushu's expression changed. She glanced at Song Chuyi and then solemnly nodded, forcing a smile as she said, "Who says it isn't so? Alas... Old Lady also heard about this and is quite angry. She said she was going to send someone to Shuntian Prefecture..."

But she quickly realized that the topic was too heavy and shifted to discussing lighter matters: "Speaking of which, our household has indeed been busy and complicated lately. A few days ago, that Lady Su came over, demanding to take someone back. She insisted on getting Miss Chen back, causing a scene twice. Can you believe it?"

The Su family? Song Chuyi was somewhat surprised. "Lady Su came to our house to take someone? Isn't their old lady managing things?"

The Su family had already reached a verdict, and according to the rules, they should have returned to their hometown in Taiyuan. How could Lady Su be so bold as to come and demand Chen Jinxin?

Yushu shook her head, a look of disdain crossing her face. "She just saw that Old Lady Su has died, and no one is managing things anymore, so she shamelessly came to demand Miss Chen's dowry."

That didn't seem right. Song Chuyi had met Lady Su a few times and could tell she was a person who knew when to advance and when to retreat. The Su family was in decline; how could she dare come to make a scene at the Song family?

"What's infuriating is that the wife of Duke Ying's heir and the Princess of Zhennan have also been affected, thinking our family is bullying them..." Yushu said angrily. "When Old Lady Su entrusted her legacy to us, they were also present and saw how Lady Su treated Miss Chen. How can they now speak on Lady Su's behalf? They even mentioned that the Su family is indeed having a hard time and that the weak women at home are struggling to make ends meet, implying that Miss Chen should part with some of her dowry to help the Su family..."

The fact that the wife of Duke Ying's heir and the Princess of Zhennan brought up this matter was quite surprising to Song Chuyi. A flash of insight crossed her mind, feeling like she might be grasping something, but as she thought more deeply, she still couldn't figure out what connection there was.

She tilted her head with a smile and said to Yushu, "Maybe they heard the rumors outside. That could be it."

Seeing her no longer mention Nanny Yu, Yushu sighed in relief and turned to persuade her, "The old lady has stewed some medicinal food and is especially waiting for you to come to eat. Although she doesn't say it, she truly cares about you the most..."

Noticing that Song Chuyi hung her head without responding, she sighed again, "In a family, how can there be grudges that last overnight? After all, the old lady is good to you. You're a clever person; some things don't need me to say; you understand them yourself."

Yushu was the most trusted big maid in front of Old Lady Song, effectively serving as her mouthpiece. Song Chuyi understood her meaning and appreciated her goodwill. She took a small box from the kang table and handed it to her, smiling and nodding, "I understand. I will definitely go accompany the old lady for dinner this evening."

With Song Yan's Songtao Courtyard burned down, a new place to stay must be found. Although the old lady's residence still has some rooms, it would be too crowded to live there together. She plans to discuss with the old lady about moving out of Ningde Courtyard with Song Yan. Additionally, the servants around Song Yan will also need to be reselected...