Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Singing and Responding
Translator: 549690339
The horse carriage was fast, a journey that would take an ox cart two hours to complete was covered in only half an hour, and it was not yet dark when they arrived home. The Han family members were just coming back from the field when they saw two spacious horse carriages parked at their doorstep, continuously unloading items into the house.
Han Yu was pondering how to discuss Xiao Xi’s matter with Father and Mother in a way that would not cause them unnecessary worry. But before he could do so, Xiao Xi took the initiative and appeared before Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang, and with a plop, she knelt down, startling both of them greatly.
“What is the matter with this girl, why would she kneel down so abruptly? Get up quickly,” Old Man Han said, somewhat at a loss, lifting his hand. As she was a grown girl, it was inappropriate for him to help her up, so he could only look toward Mrs. Yang.
Mrs. Yang was also somewhat at a loss and wanted to pull Xiao Xi up from the ground, “Yes, girl, why are you kneeling to us? Get up quickly. There are so many mud and pebbles on the ground; you must have hurt your knees. And look, the fine clothes have been dirtied as well.’
Mrs. Yang, however, felt somewhat distressed about Xiao Xi’s clothes, which were made from fine cloth. It would be such a waste if they were dirtied or damaged. Although Xiao Xi was a servant girl from the Su Family, the Su Family treated their servants well, providing them with nice food, clothing, and living conditions. Xiao Xi, as someone who served by Su Wenyue’s side, was treated even better. To the Han family members, she seemed more like a young Miss from the city. But seeing that Xiao Xi had returned with Han Yu and Su Wenyue, they all speculated about Xiao Xi’s status.
“Old Master and Madam of my parents-in-law’s family, please accept Xiao Xi. Ever since the age of eight, Xiao Xi has been with the Miss, serving by her side. She has grown accustomed to such a life and truly does not wish to part with the Miss. I implore you, Old Master and Madam, to show mercy and allow Xiao Xi to stay. All she desires is to remain with the Miss. Rest assured, all her expenses for food, clothing, and necessities will be covered by herself. Xiao Xi will not take a single thing from the Han family. Having served in the Su Family for so many years, she has saved a considerable amount of silver and is fully capable of supporting herself.”
After Xiao Xi’s tearful plea, Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang began to understand that this well-dressed girl was actually a servant girl from the Su Family. My goodness, the Su Family’s treatment of its servants was really too good! But did this servant girl want to stay at the Han family? Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang cast questioning glances at their young daughter-in-law.
Xiao Xi’s actions were naturally instructed by Mrs. An. Mrs. An was doing this for the sake of her daughter, having her best interests in mind while also providing support. But after all, she overthought things and did not want her daughter to have an unhappy relationship with her in-laws because of this, so she taught Xiao Xi to stage this scene. Xiao Xi, being clever, played out this scene perfectly.
As Su Wenyue was not informed about this arrangement in advance, she was somewhat stunned to see Xiao Xi rush to her in-laws. However, the understanding between maid and master over many years meant that Su Wenyue quickly grasped what was happening. Seeing Father-in-law and Mother-in-law looking her way, she put on a performance with exceptional acting skills, her face showing a mix of difficulty and helplessness.
“Father, Mother, this is Xiao Xi, a servant girl who has served by my side since childhood. She wants to stay by my side, but I did not agree. After all, I am now the daughter-in-law of the Han family. Where a woman goes, so goes her family. I’ve been married into the Han family for several days and am not unknowledgeable about our financial situation. We do not have spare money to support an extra servant girl!”
“But this girl is stubborn and is set on following me. No matter what I say, I cannot persuade her. She redeemed herself, and even claimed that if I do not take her in, she will have nowhere to go. She insisted she does not need the Han family’s support and can fend for herself. She begged me, considering our long relationship, not to send her away. I was truly at a loss. However, Mother is the decision-maker in the household; it was not right for me to decide independently. Hence, I brought the girl here, deferring to Mother’s decision.”
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?
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