Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Singing and Responding (2/2)
Su Wenyue bowed to Mrs. Yang. “Please forgive me, Mother, for taking the liberty of bringing her back home. But this girl has grown up with me since she was young, and seeing her plead so desperately, my heart could not bear it. If Mother agrees to keep her, I am willing to take out a portion of silver from my dowry. If Father and Mother are unwilling, I will send her away immediately.”
“Old Master and Madam of the in-law’s family, please let this servant stay. I am nimble with my hands and feet and can help with the chores at home.” After Xiao Xi spoke, she ignored the dirt and hardness of the ground and kept kowtowing to Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang.
Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang were just ordinary peasant family members; they had never witnessed such a spectacle. Initially, they were worried that having one more person in the household would be an extra burden and something they couldn’t afford. But now, since she could support herself and the young daughter-in-law was willing to contribute personally, it was merely a matter of sparing an extra room. There seemed to be no issue with that.
Moreover, if the Su Family was willing to let her come over, perhaps it was out of concern for their own daughter. Why shouldn’t they sell a favor? Otherwise, how could it be so easy for a servant girl bound by a death contract to buy her freedom? The Su Family had performed all the appropriate formalities meticulously, even considering the face of the Han family. They were parents themselves; how could they not understand the concern for one’s children?
“Alright, alright, girl, get up now, we agree! Just look at yourself, you’re pitiable. See, you’ve even scraped your head. Fourth Daughter-in-law, take her inside to clean and treat the wound. It’s getting hotter and skin breakage could lead to infection, which would be troublesome.’
“Yes, I’ll take her to clean the wound right away,” Su Wenyue promptly responded, pulling up Xiao Xi and bowing to Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang.
“Thank you, Mother, for your understanding and allowing Xiao Xi to stay. I assure you that she will not cause any trouble for anyone.”
“Come on now, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and clean that wound, it’s the priority. Fourth Daughter-in-law, you must be tired from all the day’s activities too. Rest in your room now, and then come out for dinner later. A child from a wealthy family is so courteous, all this kneeling and bowing, what’s it for?”
Despite her words, Mrs. Yang inwardly appreciated Su Wenyue’s respect. Su Wenyue was someone who understood the situation well, followed rules, did not overstep her authority, and knew how to maintain her mother-in-law’s status in the home.
With the drama concluded, Han Yu felt sheepish. He too, could be mistaken in his judgment. Previously he thought that Xiao Xi, like her mistress, was foolish. Little did he realize that she was concealing her wit, playing out this drama so effectively. The maid and her mistress sang in tune with one another; had he not known better in advance, he would have been persuaded that this was truly how things were. They managed to utterly charm his parents, sparing him the effort of making things right for them.
Despite this, Han Yu felt no discontent. After all, neither the Su Family nor his wife made these arrangements without his knowledge, and they must have done this fearing he would be caught in a difficult position.
“Father and Mother, I’ve brought back quite a few things from my wife’s parents’ home; let’s get everything sorted first.” Seeing Su Wenyue and her servant heading to their room, he went off to take care of his own tasks.
“Is this really how it’s going to be?” Mrs.. Liu mused whether her mother-in-law was really going to keep the servant girl who dressed like a young Miss, effectively adding another person to their household?