As soon as Cui Muli's voice sounded, the courtyard suddenly fell silent.
Lan Xia and Fu Lu froze, with only one pair of eyeballs still able to move, and they stared at each other.
They were caught speaking ill of the Second Young Master, what should they do? What to do! Those who make false remarks about the master will be dragged to receive a slap in the face!
The two of them were at a loss and frightened. They turned to look at their Young Lady with a tacit understanding, with two rays of expectation in their eyes.
Miss, we made the mistake because of you, you can't ignore it!
After the calluses on her ears, Xie Miao's face was about to have two holes poked out by them. She seemed very calm. She stood up with one hand on the bench, picked up the thin silk and then looked towards the door, "Thank you for your concern, Cousin Cui."
Her voice was still hoarse from the illness and her attitude was polite but distant. She only thanked him but had no intention of inviting him in.
Before Cui Muli could react, Song Zhi had already rushed forward, "Miss Cousin, today our Young Master specially bought pastries from Bazhenzhai to visit you."
He puffed out his chest and looked arrogant, already anticipating the cousin's ecstasy and attentiveness after hearing this. However after waiting, he only heard her order the maid: "Go and carry things quickly."
Fu Lu stepped forward to take away the food box then stepped back. Lan Xia suddenly felt blessed and said, "Second Young Master, please sit with the Young Lady for a while. I will go make tea for you."
Xie Miao stopped her and just as she was about to speak, Cui Muli said, "Okay."
Speaking of this, Xie Miao had no choice but to let go and said politely: "Cousin Cui, please sit down."
No one mentioned what had happened just now. Those who were slandered didn't care and those who said bad things didn't blush or feel sad.
There were only two wooden stools in the yard and Cui Muli randomly picked one and sat down. Xie Miao fell back on the bench and when she raised her eyes, she saw him staring at her.
Because she had been ill for several days, her complexion was not good. Her face without makeup was white and flawless, exuding a sickly air. Only the tip of her nose was red, just like the cat Cui Muli saw in the market a few days ago.
Madam Xie was not exaggerating this time. She was indeed ill. Unlike in the past, she was always suspected of exaggerating.
Cui Muli asked: "Are you better?"
The person in front of her who asked the question was the eighteen-year-old Cui Muli but Xie Miao was thinking of Cui Muli from the previous life. Gradually, their faces overlapped and she could no longer tell the difference.
That's right, no matter which life Cui Muli was in, she didn't want to be involved with him anymore.
Xie Miao replied: "I just caught a little cold, just rest for a few days."
Cui Muli noticed that her eyes were turbulent for a moment but soon became calm. The eyes that used to accommodate all kinds of emotions are now just calm.
Xie Miao seemed to have changed under some circumstances that he didn't know about but no matter what, it had nothing to do with him.
Cui Muli completed the task assigned by Cui Shi Shuo and after a brief greeting, he stood up and left. Xie Miao didn't even show him to the door. Cui Muli looked back for the last time and saw her lazily lying back on the bench.
By the time Lan Xia and Fu Lu came back, there was no trace of Cui Muli and Song Zhi in the courtyard.
Lan Xia's hand holding the tray was shaking a little, "Young .. , Young .., Young Lady, is the Second Young Master angry?"
Seeing that Xie Miao's face remained as usual, Fu Lu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Second Young Master has read the books of sages and is a gentleman so he won't argue with us."
"That's good, that's good." Lan Xia put the tea on the small table. She put a piece of mung bean cake on the plate and handed it to Xie Miao, "Miss, try it quickly. The Second Young Master went to Bazhenzhai to buy these pastries especially for you."
Bazhenzhai's pastries are extremely famous. They are limited to 200 pieces per day. They are sold at midnight and will be sold out when they are sold out. It is heard that one has to queue up to buy them in the darkest hours!
Lan Xia felt that she had been careless just now: the Second Young Master was cold-faced but warm-hearted and he was actually very interested in the Young Lady!
Without even looking at it, Xie Miao said: "I don't like sweets so you can share the food."
Lan Xia and Fu Lu have been serving Xie Miao since she was a child so they naturally know that she doesn't like sweets but this is a gift from the Second Young Master. In the past, she would eat all of it even if she didn't like it.
Lan Xia was heartless and started eating happily without caring so much.
Fu Lu frowned secretly and asked, "Miss, why don't you let the Second Young Master sit for a while longer?"
Xie Miao said: "Cousin Cui has many things to be busy with."
After saying that, she covered her face with silk and began to bask in the sun.
The news that Cui Muli went to visit Xie Miao quickly reached Madam Xie's ears. She suddenly felt that good things were not far away. She was about to chat with Xie Miao about the bright future but she heard Xie Miao say: "Aunt, I have been restless recently. I want to go to Qingxin Temple and stay for a few days."
These words aroused Madam Xie's thoughts again. Remembering that Xie Miao had been having troubles for half a month, she readily agreed, "Go ahead and come back when you feel better."
Xie Miao hesitated to speak.
In fact, what she wanted to say was more than that. She also wanted to say: Aunt, the secular world is too disturbing. I want to take the tonsure and become a nun - but Madam Xie will probably think that she is possessed by evil spirits and tie her up directly.
Xie Miao cried silently: How can I break up with such a strong and capable aunt?
In the end, she swallowed the words back but she had already thought of a roundabout strategy: from time to time, she would go to Qingxin Temple to stay for a few days, then half a month, then a few months... such a step-by-step process, her aunt would get used to it.
Just like her aunt, she was not a Buddhist in her previous life but in the end she was used to sitting quietly in a room surrounded by incense.
Over time, you will get used to it.
*
Before leaving, Xie Miao went to see Madam Cui. Except for Madam Li's daughter-in-law, Feng, who went home to visit relatives, all the wives and young ladies were there.
Madam Cui is in her sixties with silver hair all over her head and a kind look on her face. She was sitting on a mahogany chair covered with half-worn dark brown cushions. The third lady Madam Wu was kneading her shoulders. The eldest lady, Madam Li was sitting aside looking at the embroidery and several young ladies were chattering around their grandmother.
Cui Xijun brought the newly embroidered handkerchief to Madam Cui, "Grandma, look at the double-sided peonies I embroidered. Is it better than before?"
Cui Xirong came over to look at it and joked: "Sister Xijun, if you hadn't said anything, I would just think that there are rooster combs stacked on top!"
Cui Xining curved her lips and said righteously: "Nonsense, it doesn't look like a cockscomb. It's obviously a fluttering moth that lost its wings and fell on Xijun's embroidered surface!"
Cui Xijun hugged Madam Cui's arm and pretended to be angry: "Okay, you guys dare to join forces to make fun of me. Grandma, please help me teach them a lesson."
Madam Cui listened to the laughter of her granddaughters with a fond smile on her lips, "Okay, okay, don't make fun of Xijun because she can embroider like this. You should praise her, praise her."
Upon hearing this, Cui Xiyao, the youngest, quickly handed the sesame cake in her hand to Cui Xijun, "Sister Xijun, this is a cake specially left for me by grandmother. If you embroider well, I will reward you on behalf of my grandmother."
Cui Xijun scratched her nose, "Since grandma left it to you, I don't want it. You just eat it all." She pouted and acted coquettishly, "Grandma is only nice to Xiyao and doesn't prepare pastry for us."
Madam Cui hugged her and said, "Everyone has something. Stay for dinner later. Everyone has something."
Madam Xie entered the door and saw that the room was very lively. She said with a smile: "Since Mother has put aside food, you can't miss my share." She then took Xie Miao out from behind her and said, "A-Miao is here too. She was just sick but she said that she wanted to come and pay her respects to Mother."
Xie Miao's eyes swept across the people in the room and finally stopped on Madam Cui. She smiled happily and said, "Hello, Grandma, A-Miao is here to say hello to you."
After bowing, she greeted everyone else in the room one by one.
Madam Li and Madam Wu were quite friendly. The smiles of the Cui ladies became lighter, especially Cui Xijun, whose eyebrows were immediately covered with a layer of frost.
Madam Cui said lovingly: "Okay, okay, you have been sick for a long time, are you feeling better? Come to grandma, let me take a good look."
Xie Miao obediently stepped forward and took her hand to give her a closer look, "Thanks to my aunt's careful care, I have recovered almost completely."
Madam Cui patted her hand and said, "You are still a little thinner." Then she ordered the maid: "Let the kitchen stew the ginseng soup and give A-Miao a tonic at noon."
Cui Xijun's expression became even more disdainful.
She came to act like a spoiled child to her grandmother before she even recovered from her illness. How contrived!
Xie Miao saw everything in her eyes. In her previous life, she would have pretended nothing was wrong and behaved like a coquettish girl to Madam Cui and she would have received her love and care. But now she is Xie Miao, who had been the mistress of the Xie family for several years and she has long looked away from these illusory love.
To be fair, Madam Cui is an excellent person. The Cui family was not allowed to have concubines so she was responsible for the three houses of the Cui family. Madam Cui did not manipulate her daughters-in-law based on her status but was willing to give her housekeeping rights to her daughters-in-law. However, the eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Li was frail and sick, and the third daughter-in-law was too gentle so the housekeeping power fell to the capable and astute Madam Xie.
Madam Cui valued Madam Xie and she felt pity for Xie Miao, who lost her father and mother when she was young. She had some sincere love for her. For this reason, Cui Xijun often lost her temper. She couldn't see clearly that the love received through marriage ties could not be as good as that of a biological granddaughter.
Cui Xijun opposed Madam Xie and also dislikes Xie Miao. This will last for many, many years.
Xie Miao didn't care, she came for other things, "Grandma, Xie Miao wants to say goodbye to you today."
Madam Cui said: "Oh? Say goodbye? Where are you going?"
Xie Miao said: "I want to stay at Qingxin Temple for a few days."
Madam Xie continued: "I see that A-Miao has been feeling out of sorts lately so why not go and stay in the nunnery for a few days, listen to the Buddha's Sanskrit and recuperate her health."
"That's fine." Madam Cui took off the small-leaf red sandalwood beads she had worn for many years and pushed them onto Xie Miao's wrist. "You go and stay in peace for a few days. Grandma is waiting for you to come back."
Xie Miao certainly knew the value of this string of Buddhist beads. In her previous life, this string of Buddhist beads was also given to her by Madam Cui. Unexpectedly, it was five years earlier in this life.
She was polite and thanked her obediently, "Thank you, Grandma."
*
After a group of people had a lively meal, Xie Miao and several juniors left first.
When there was no one around, Cui Xijun sneered impatiently: "It's really hard for my Cousin Xie. Even though she is sick, she insists on paying her respects to my grandmother. Those who don't know would think that she is my grandmother's granddaughter and they only met halfway."
She smiled coldly, not hiding the malice in her words.
Cui Xining, as the eldest and most stable among the sisters, frowned slightly and said, "Xijun."
Cui Xijun said nonchalantly: "Sister, forgive me. My grandmother gave her the Buddhist beads that she has worn for five or six years. I said this out of jealousy."
After saying that, she ignored everyone and left with her maid.
Cui Xining was very helpless towards this cousin and said apologetically to Xie Miao: "Xijun is quick to speak, cousin Xie, please don't argue with her."
Xie Miao smiled and said, "I won't take it to heart."
Although Cui Xijun lost her mother when she was young, she had a harmonious family and was loved by her father and brother. It is not surprising that she developed a wilful and impulsive temper. In the Cui family, everyone loves and tolerates her which is her blessing.
Xie Miao was once very envious. If she could, she would also like to be someone like Cui Xijun. But at the same time, she also knew that an unyielding temper would bring disaster to Cui Xijun and even the Cui family. Even though her good brother Cui Muli would always smooth things over for her, the damage caused was still irreparable.
This is Cui Xijun's life and she should bear it by herself.
Cui Xining led Cui Xiyao and Cui Xirong out, her goose-yellow skirt spreading out like ripples.
Xie Miao couldn't help but feel sad when she thought about Cui Xining's ending in her previous life and then thought about herself and Cui Xijun.
Everyone in the world is suffering, who can overcome it?