The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir

Chapter 8: The culprit that turned herself in

"Does the marquis have other orders?" Liu Mama turned around.

Feeling as if he had headache, Marquis Moyu asked, "You living near the kitchen. Do you know anything about the kitchen catching on fire last night? Wan-er had just become the person in charge of the household and something like this has happened. And, the culprit still hasn't been caught yet. Wan-er even seriously said that she wouldn't eat until the culprit was caught."

Liu Mama smiled. "It's a good thing that madam is so serious about wanting to manage the household well. This servant only woke up after hearing the other servants shout, "fire" and didn't notice anything strange last night. This servant doesn't know anything that would help madam."

Ning Yuxuan sighed and glanced inside the room before he waved his hand and said, "Leave and ask the other servants if they know anything."

"Understood."

After Wen Wan changed her clothes, she wanted to go to kitchen. None of the wonderful-smelling delicacies on the table had been eaten. Ning Yuxuan stretched his hand out and stopped her. He furrowed his brow and said, "Are you really not going to eat?"

"I'm not eating!" Wen Wan pouted. "I have to find out who stole the chicken. Otherwise, I would be making you lose face on my first day as the marquis's wife."

Finding the situation laughable, Ning Yuxuan wrapped an arm around her waist, scratched her nose, and said, "It's only a small matter. How could it be serious enough that you can't eat?"

Wen Wan said, "Humph! It's very serious. The kitchen is an important place and a thief was able to enter and start a fire. The confinement courtyard is near the kitchen. If the fire wasn't notice quickly and spread to that courtyard, what would happen to people inside the courtyard?"

Marquis Moyu paused for a moment, then he pursed his lips and said, "Wan-er, Nie Sangyu is the only one that lives in the confinement courtyard. You don't have to worry if she lives or dies."

If House Nie didn't still exist, he would have divorced Nie Sangyu a long time ago.

"How can I not care?" Wen Wan glared at him for a moment. "If she dies, would that person in the palace let you off? Would House Nie let you off? No matter what, she was once your main wife."

Ning Yuxuan raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "I see someone is really jealous."

Annoyed, Wen Wan smacked him once before she stepped over the threshold and started walking outside.

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Doctor Li had a weakly scholarly appearance. He had only recently entered the marquis's residence. When he saw Ji Man, he didn't even dare to speak. Ji Man had to say many comforting words and sincerely ask him for help before he would agree to hide some of her jewelry in his medicine box and take it outside to sell them for her.

These items had originally belonged to Nie Sangyu. Even if she wanted to sell these items, she would want to sell them herself. But, right now, she and Muxu couldn't leave the residence. She could only ask someone else for help.

Ji Man calculated. According to the prices here, those jewelry should be able to be sold for two hundred pieces of silver. She would keep fifty pieces, another fifty pieces would be used to bribe the servants to improve her living conditions, and she had a great plan for the remaining hundred pieces.

Since she had to live in ancient times, it wouldn't be too much of a waste if she didn't use her knowledge from modern times. In addition to the guaranteed embroidery work, Ji Man also wanted to do other things.

After Doctor Li left, Ji Man went back to embroidering and mulled over other thoughts as she waited for him to bring back the silver. This room needed to be fixed up. At the very least, there shouldn't be mice living in this room.

Just as she had that thought, Muxu hurriedly came inside and said in panic, "Master. Madam is here."

Eh? Madam? Ji Man raised her eyebrows. The second female lead shouldn't be appearing on the stage so soon. Why did the female lead take the initiative to drop by for a visit?

Ji Man stood up, put the embroidery hoop to the side, and hurriedly went outside to salute, "This servant greets Madam."

Wen Wan was wearing a light blue liu xian skirt and a pale yellow jacket. There was a suet jade hairpin inserted into her hair. She seemed like a celestial being. Ji Man looked at her, then she lowered her head to look at herself. Oh, she truly looked bleak in comparison.

(T/N: Liu xian is a type of flowing, layered skirt. Below is a picture.)

"You can rise. I'm just here to ask about the matter of the kitchen catching on fire." Wen Wan helped her up with a smile. "You live closest to the kitchen, so I also wanted to ask if you were okay. Where you frightened?"

If she said she was frightened, would she get compensation? Ji Man pondered for a moment. She raised her eyes to look at the servant girls that were following Wen Wan. She quietly said, "This servant is fine. As for the kitchen catching on fire, I do have something I want to privately say to Madam. Is Madam willing to hear it?"

Wen Wan curiously said, "Oh? You know something?"

"Madam." The servant girl behind Wen Wan, Tan Xiang, pulled Wen Wan's sleeve and whispered, "The marquis had said that you shouldn't get too close to her."

Wen Wan took a step back and glanced at her. She shook her head and said, "What are you afraid of? It's broad daylight. Leave this courtyard and wait for me there. I'll come out right after I ask her a few questions."

"But..." Tan Xiang furrowed her brow and looked at Ji Man. Her eyes showed that she was alert and on guard.

"Go." Wen Wan waved her hand.

Tan Xiang, two young servant girls, and Muxu all withdrew. Just as Wen Wan turned her head and was about to ask Ji Man what she wanted to say, she saw the person in front of her dropping to the ground to kneel. The sound of Ji Man's knees hitting the ground was very loud and startled Wen Wan so much that her face paled. She hastily looked towards Ji Man's knees.

"Madam..." Tears appeared in Ji Man's eyes from the pain. She raised her head and looked at Wen Wan with a distressed expression. "This servant stole the chicken from the kitchen. This servant wanted to confess, but was afraid of damaging the marquis's reputation. Therefore, this could only be told to Madam."

Nie Sangyu stole the chicken? Startled, Wen Wan automatically asked, "Why?"

At the very least, she was the marquis's concubine. How could she act like a dog and steal a chicken?

Ji Man wiped her tears and quietly said, "This servant dared to do something like this because I was too hungry. Madam, please forgive me."

"How could you be hungry?" Wen Wan's eyes widen. "Does the kitchen not deliver food to you?"

Success! She was just waiting for her to ask this question!