Chapter 61: Chapter 60: Endurance
After lunch, Yunluo was just about to return to her room for a rest when Jin Rui lifted the curtain and came in.
"Miss," Jin Rui leaned down and said softly, "The female doctor has been invited to Shuifu Garden. It seems the condition of Third Miss is not well."
Yunluo was startled and asked in surprise, "I saw her this morning, she just looked a bit pale. I didn’t notice anything wrong."
Jin Rui lowered her eyes, pondered for a while, and said, "I heard someone say that scalds aren’t like ordinary wounds; especially in summer, it’s not good when sweat gets on them."
Jin Rui didn’t elaborate on how exactly it was bad. Since her parents were somewhat respectable, she hadn’t done much hard labor since she was young. After working in the house, she was never troubled, and when she got to the Anhua Courtyard, she became the big maid. Yunluo never tormented her subordinates, so she hadn’t suffered much.
But Jin Rui had seen someone with scalded hands before; the fingers were red and swollen, with missing flesh and many blisters filled with yellow pus. Just one glance was enough to make her stomach churn.
Although Du Yunying’s hands weren’t that severe, she was a noble lady, and had never endured such hardship.
Yunluo recalled Du Yunying’s reddened fingers and shivered involuntarily.
It was the hottest time of the year, Du Yunying’s hands...
"Go to Shuifu Garden and have a look. If there’s any situation, come and tell me."
Jin Rui promised, and was just about to turn and leave when she heard someone outside calling "Fourth Miss," so she hurried out to meet them.
Yunuo came rushing in, her eyes slightly red, and grabbed Yunluo’s hand: "Fifth Sister, I-I’m a bit scared..."
"Scared of what?" Yunluo was puzzled. Whatever needed reprimanding, scolding, or punishing had been dealt with in the morning. Du Gongfu and Old Mrs. Xia wouldn’t settle scores after the fact, so what was Yunuo panicking about now?
Yunuo tightened her grip on the handkerchief, her voice trembling: "Nothing will happen to Third Sister, right? I thought having my hair burned was already bad enough, but..."
For a woman, cutting her hair is no small matter. From last night until now, Yunuo had been in a daze, occasionally reaching to touch the nape of her neck.
Qian He and Nanny An saw this and quickly stopped her, saying that luckily the collar fire was put out timely, so the skin on her neck was only slightly red, with no major harm. The ointment made it not that uncomfortable, and they told Yunuo to bear with it and not touch it again.
Although Yunuo agreed, she would unknowingly touch it, and once pressed too hard, causing her to grimace in pain, which made her think of Du Yunying.
She had seen Du Yunying’s hand, which was far more serious than the back of her neck.
Fingers are connected to the heart; if she was so uncomfortable, then what about Du Yunying...
Even though Yunuo and Du Yunying weren’t that emotionally close as sisters, the thought that it was Du Yunying who bravely rushed to save her made her conscience uneasy.
Any resentment or hatred was solely directed at Princess An Ran and Princess Hui; Yunuo dared not be ungrateful and enjoy watching Du Yunying suffer.
She had been restless the whole morning. Hearing that the female doctor was invited to Shuifu Garden, Yunuo couldn’t wait any longer but was afraid of annoying the Miao Family if she went alone, so she rushed to Anhua Courtyard.
"I’m really worried about her. If it weren’t for saving me, why would she use her hands to put out the fire?" Yunuo’s eyes were misty.
Seeing her sincere expression, Yunluo sighed: "Then let’s go together. I’m also quite worried."
Yunuo nodded vigorously.
The two of them headed to Shuifu Garden together.
In Shuifu Garden, the maids and older women were doing their work cautiously, not daring to act carelessly.
The Miao Family wasn’t in the house, presumably with Du Yunying.
Passing through the moon gate into the second courtyard, Quan Yin was seeing the female doctor out. Seeing the two of them, she was momentarily a bit startled.
"Sister Quan Yin, is Third Sister alright?" Yunluo stepped forward and asked in a low voice.
Quan Yin smiled slightly, "Thanks to the two misses, Third Miss’s injury isn’t severe. The female doctor treated it, and she’ll get through it by bearing with it. The two misses, please wait; I’ll go inside to inform them."
After speaking, Quan Yin turned and lifted the curtain to enter, her smile disappearing.
The Third and Fourth Houses really are troublemakers, always causing problems for their own madam and daughters for no reason. Thinking of the Miao Family’s hard work and Du Yunying’s tears made Quan Yin’s heart wrench.
Her own lady was indeed kind-hearted, rushing out to save that Yunuo, a troublemaker who had often stirred up things secretly in the past, even partook in the matter with Miao Ruoshan, causing a big argument between the Miao Family and her maternal family.
The matter this time, in the end, what relationship does it have with Third Miss?
County Princess An Ran was jealous of Yunluo, the distant kin was Yunuo, and it’s their business if they wanted to argue or start a fight with Princess Hui, yet it implicated Du Yunying.
While Yunluo and Yunuo, one lost nothing, and one only had her hair cut, they were both unhurt.
Quan Yin was deeply resentful, wondering why the Third House didn’t fall for it when Sui’er reported the news last time!
The curtain fell heavily in front, and Yunuo, being perceptive, naturally sensed Quan Yin’s mood and gave Yunluo a wry smile: "She’s got every right to be angry, she’s loyal."
Yunluo remained noncommittal. Knowing Yunuo, at this time, Fourth Sister would be thinking well of Du Yunying, but wouldn’t swallow her pride for a maid. Despite Quan Yin’s fake smile, Yunuo’s heart was probably burning with anger.
Her gaze fell on the slightly swaying bamboo curtain. Yunluo couldn’t help but think that if Quan Yin had such an attitude today, then the previous incident with Sui’er probably wasn’t just her being paranoid.
After a short wait, the curtain lifted, and Mrs. Shen Changgen invited them in.
Passing through the inner room, bypassing the decorative screen, the Miao Family was sitting by the bed, turning to glance at them: "You girls have come, so keep Yunying company, so she won’t keep thinking about the injury and feel worse."
After they responded, the Miao Family bent down to stroke Du Yunying’s face, saying: "Mother has other matters to attend to, Yunuo and Yunluo will keep you company, you get some rest."
Du Yunying nodded.
The Miao Family stood up, adjusted her clothes, and as she passed by Yunuo, she said softly: "Your sister’s injury isn’t your fault, don’t dwell on it."
Yunuo looked up at the Miao Family in shock, words turning in her throat but not knowing what to say as she watched the Miao Family’s figure until she left the inner room, still in a daze.
Yunluo was also momentarily surprised but understood upon seeing Du Yunying lying listlessly on the bed.
The events had already happened; what use would there be in the Miao Family reprimanding Yunuo?
Du Yunying bravely saved Yunuo, and in the presence of Du Gongfu and Old Mrs. Xia, who valued sisterly affection, it was the right thing to do. If the Miao Family kept blaming Yunuo for it, not only would they not appreciate Du Yunying’s merit in Lianfu Garden but would also criticize the Miao Family for being small-minded and selfish.
Moreover, the Miao Family didn’t want to hurt Du Yunying’s feelings; if her daughter chose to selflessly rush in, how would she feel if, in front of Du Yunying, the Miao Family blamed Yunuo?
Even if the Miao Family was gnashing her teeth, she could only put on a facade of being broad-minded and magnanimous.
Exiting the room, the Miao Family grasped the Buddha beads on her wrist and recited a Buddhist mantra.
Just consider it as Du Yunying accumulating merit; she endured it.
