Chapter 421 - Chapter 421: Chapter 428: Not a Disgrace (2/2)
The housekeeper was in a difficult position himself, as one of the maids was his wife’s niece and held in high regard by his wife, which was how she ended up working in the Inner Courtyard. With kinship at play, punishing her too harshly would be improper, yet too light a punishment wouldn’t appease Chen Li, and any larger commotion could only mar the Servants’ dignity before the master.
“The two of you have been in the mansion for a while, and should know the rules by now. Yet, you dare to speak ill of the guests, such audacity! If I don’t punish you, what becomes of mansion rules? Both of you go to the Courtyard and kneel, and I’ll dock your monthly payment for two months. Are you convinced?” The housekeeper raised his voice deliberately, scolding the two maids. The punishment wasn’t particularly harsh, but it wasn’t too lenient either, and was meted out in Chen Li’s view.
After speaking sternly, the housekeeper then turned to Chen Li with an ingratiating smile, more attentive than usual: “Miss Chen, these impertinent maids have been punished. Please, for the sake of this servant, do not be angry any longer. It’s not worth it to upset yourself over them.”
“That counts as punishment? No wonder the mansion’s servants look down on me. Just a light penalty for such humiliation and slander. Let’s see what Big Brother Liu has to say about the rules in his mansion when he returns!” In normal times, Chen Li might have forgiven the maids out of respect for the housekeeper, but today she was already seething with anger and had no intention of letting them off.
Seeing Chen Li disdain him so openly and unrelentingly, the housekeeper’s face darkened. After all, Chen Li was an outsider with not such a high status, and it was her conduct that incited criticism. A few harsh words from the servants merited just a scolding, and yet she was insistent and unyielding.
While the housekeeper thought this way, he still feared that Chen Li would take the matter to the master, so swallowing his anger, he said, “This servant is slow-witted; how shall I punish them to your satisfaction, Miss Chen?”
“Hmph, why keep such maids who do nothing but wag their tongues? Just beat them and sell them off!” Chen Li declared without a second thought, determined to teach the two maids a lesson.
The two maids had not expected Chen Li to disregard even the housekeeper’s face. Their faint hope disappeared, and upon hearing Chen Li’s decision to have them sold, they were terrified and pleaded pitifully: “Miss Chen, have mercy! We won’t dare do it again, please spare us this once!”
The housekeeper’s forced smile froze completely. He hadn’t expected Chen Li to make such an excessive demand. The Liu Family was known for its lenient governance, and for a matter not so serious, even the master would normally just administer a few beatings and demote the servants to lower work as a severe punishment. Worse, selling the two would cause uproar from his wife at home.
“Miss Chen, I’m afraid this is not appropriate. After all, their offense was mere loose talk, and our mansion is in short supply of hands due to the joyous event. With the Mistress soon to enter, if I may plead for mercy on their behalf and keep them here, relegating them to the hardest labor, to see how they mend their ways?”
Chen Li was furious. They were just two servants, and the housekeeper had repeatedly opposed her, insisting on reasons she couldn’t accept to keep them around.
“This, if Miss Chen insists, I dare not disobey, but they are two of the mansion’s top servant girls. I don’t have the authority to decide on my own; I’d have to report to the master.” The housekeeper held back his anger, and it was at that moment Liu Xiu returned.