I Am This Type of Woman

94.1

It was perhaps just an illusion, but Ban Hua felt as if the smile the housekeeper gave her was brighter than usual.

"Junzhu, please."

"Thank you." Walking past the open corridor, Ban Hua saw a middle-aged man in a water-blue coloured long robe standing in a corner. She raised her eyebrows, she didn't ask but the housekeeper saw it, he whispered, "That's the retainer that Master hires."

T/N – Open corridor游廊 , see the picture at the bottom.

Ban Hua nodded. Houses of the cultured often hired resident retainers to accompany the masters read poems, enjoy music, or discuss painting and calligraphy. The higher the house's status was, the more retainers kept. Ban family's retainers were acrobats, troupers, singers, dancers, and story-tellers, thus compared to Rong Xia's residence, theirs were simply too common and unbearably vulgar.

"So it is." Ban Hua nodded. She turned and found that the retainer was still sizing her up, Ban Hua frowned, "Do all the retainers here have no manner like this one?"

The housekeeper turned too, his face instantly darkened when he saw that retainer's eyes were still on Ban Hua. Just as he was about to take action, the retainer moved back a step, gave Ban Hua a deep salute, and left.

Ban Hua was puzzled by this behaviour, but as that was just a random retainer, she did not keep it in mind. Ban Hua turned and walked towards the living courtyard.

The number of staff at Cheng'an residence was not big, but each of it's servants and maids were very disciplined. As she entered, every one of them saluted without an inch of discourtesy.

Getting into the inner yard, she came face to face with Du Jiu who was walking out from inside, Ban Hua stopped.

Du Jiu promptly moved two steps forward and performed a salutation. Since the incident of attempted assassination to Duke Jingting, Du Jiu's respect towards Ban Hua had increased quite a few notches, "Have met Junzhu."

"Has your Master Count's medicine been changed today?" Ban Hua saw the door was open, "It's noon already."

"Replying to Junzhu, the medicine has been changed." Du Jiu replied with his head bowed.

"Has he had his lunch yet?"

"Master hasn't eaten yet."

"Understand." Ban Hua nodded, picked up the hem of her skirt and entered the room. The two maids in riding clothes behind her stopped at the door, they did not follow her inside.

Both Rong Xia and Emperor Yunqing were in treatment, but the medicine smell in Rong Xia's room was light and not nauseating, very different from the stuffy and unpleasant smell at the Great Moon Palace. As she entered, Ban Hua found Rong Xia on the bed reading a book. She snatched the book away, "Reading on the bed, don't you want your eyes?"

"You were not here, I had nothing to do but just lying on the bed. What else can I do but reading?" Rong Xia's eyes were widened. At the watery pupils of his, Ban Hua couldn't help but felt her heart softened.

"Literati like you like to keep retainers. Now that you are injured, can't they read poems or paint something to keep you company?" Ban Hua sat down on the bed, "My house have entertainers, I'll let them stay here for a few days. When you are bored, you can get them to amuse you."

"How can I take your fun away."

"It's fine, I've seen all of their shows. When they are here, we can save money on their food."

Rong Xia laughed, "A royal duke's residence is short of money?"

"Who doesn't like having more money?" Ban Hua laughed merrily, "So just accept it. We don't have many staff in our house, but we have a lot of retainers."