Chapter 71 A Disservice to Dear Brother

“What did she mean on earth?” asked Qiu Yelan aggressively to Deng Yi. “We have a deal, right?”

“How should I know? I have been here since long ago!” replied Deng Yi coldly.

“Don’t tell me you want to tear up our agreement!” whispered Qiu Yelan. She was indignant.

“You think that everyone is just like you, a promise-breaker!” Deng Yi gazed at her and said, “I think somebody in the Prince’s Mansion of Guangyang must have said something to her, which incurred a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding? Like what?” asked Qiu Yelan curiously.

“You know what the misunderstanding is. No need me to tell you about it.” said Deng Yi, sounding cold. “Or why you mention your Cousin Ruan from time to time before my Mum?”

Seeing she was still bewildering, Deng Yi continued, “My mother wishes you be a capable and tough girl. If you have shown her who you really are today, she might have loved you more… But you just acted like you were a toy of your Cousin Ruan. There must be somebody who taught you to act like that.”

Qiu Yelan understood now. “She came here to meet me because she thought that I must be a tough girl.”

“Probably,” said Deng Yi, frowning. “No idea what happened to the Prince’s Mansion of Guangyang recently. As my mother asked me to go home, I should follow her order.”

Qiu Yelan admonished, “You should not come here again. Don’t make trouble for my brother.”

“You’d better mind your own business!” said Deng Yi. “I know very well the maids my mother will send to you! They must the ones having served my grandmother. They know rules so well that they became strict with the young! Look at you, a naughty girl, I am sure you will be tortured to death by them.”

“Ten thousand!” screamed Qiu Yelan.

“What?” asked Deng Yi.

“Ten thousand dollars. You help me out — You are not going to marry me anyway. So, why do we use this to bother your mother?” said Qiu Yelan. “What you think? It’s a price you cannot resist, isn’t it?”

“The price is good. But I am afraid I won’t get it. My mother is a tough woman.” said Deng Yi, seeming that something terrible happened to him before.

“I heard you are the only child in your family?” asked Qiu Yelan.

“Yep.” answered Deng Yi, frowning.

“Your mother had lost your father many years ago. She only has you. And you are good at your academic… But you can’t even do this. Are you her natural son or not?” interrogated Qiu Yelan, staring at him. We all knew that a son, to a widow, was her most important person in the world. They must be cherished by their mothers. In the general sense, whatever Deng Yi required, his mother would try everything to satisfy him. So, in a general sense, it was a piece of cake for him to stop his mother send two strict maids.

Nevertheless, Deng Yi answered coldly, “My mother has her own idea. I can’t help anyway!” After saying this, he shook his sleeve, walking back to the Cuiwei Pavilion for packing stuff.

Qiu Yelan was standing there alone, watching him leaving. She stood still for a while and then said to her maids, “Let’s go back to the Prince’s Mansion.”

Su He was a little upset, “Miss Shao was recommended by Miss He. But now Mrs. Gu also will send maids over here to teach rules… ” Miss Shao was on the side of Empress, and the two maids were followers of Empress Dowager. If they were under the same roof, Qiu Yelan must be in big trouble.

“Ignore her.” said Qiu Yelan coldly. “Deng Yi has told us whom Mrs. Gu will send to us — He cannot stop it. What else can we do?”

She did not answer Su He’s question and turned to Xiaran, “I, actually, did not want to do something tough for this small thing. However, somebody forced me to do it… Deng Yi gave up the ten thousand dollars I offered to him. Now, you offer this price to ‘Tianya’. He may want to earn it.”

After what happened, she was not in a mood to live longer in the General’s Mansion. She told Qiuran and Dongran to explain her leave to Ruan Qingyan who would be allowed home at dusk. And then she went back to the Prince’s Mansion of Xihe.

Arriving at her room, Qiu Yelan immediately sent Su He to the Jiang’s residence. She told her, “You go there and tell Miss Shao that we have cleaned a room for her. As we don’t know her living habits, ask her to send a maid to come over helping us with decorations. If there are something needed to be improved, we will do it now. We wish she have a good mood when she arrives here 3 days later.”

Su He was upset, “Not sure if Mr. Shaw is really nice or not?”

“She is one person, Okay?” said Qiu Yelan, frowning. “Which is much better than the two ones sent by Mrs. Gu. And, He Shuijin’s attitude is better than Mrs. Gu’s.”

Qiu Yelan thought Su He might come back with one maid sent by Miss Shao. She hadn’t expected her to bring back a group of people. Of which there were He Shuijin, a maid with pretty eyes and colorful clothes and a senior maid wearing a blue wrinkle skirt.

Behind them were more than twenty followers. They entered Qiu Yelan’s yard even without giving an advance notice.

Qiu Yelan was leaning on the west window eating the pine nuts peeled off by Chunran. She was shocked when she saw so many people emerging from nowhere suddenly. She jumped off the chair, put on her shoes and running out for greeting. So many people emerging in the yards spoke for itself. And Su He was not a careless maid who would lead strangers into the yard without an advance notice.

Arriving at the yard, Qiu Yelan encountered He Shuijin. She smiled and said, “Sorry to bother you. I heard that you have prepared a room for Miss Shao. Sister Qizheng and I are free now. So, we both come here with Miss Shao. We are here just for fun. Please be relax.”

“Your Grace, thanks for coming over here!” said Qiu Yelan. She had guessed that Chunfu princess Jiang Qizheng might be here. She was right after confirming with He Shuijin. She immediately saluted to her.

“Our status are almost the same. No need to be so courtesy.” said Jiang Qizheng, breaking into a smile. She rushed to help her stand up and said causally, “Please forgive us to come here without an advance notice.”

“Don ‘t say that. We are greatly honored by your gracious presence.” said Qiu Yelan, looking at the Chunfu princess secretly. She was born in Jiang Family, which meant few people had higher ranks than her. She even had an official princess title which was the only one in her family. She was pretty and kind, seeming like a nice girl…

Qiu Yelan felt pleased to see her. She thought, “Is she my future sister-in-law? Lucky my brother!”

He Shuijin and Jiang Qizheng introduced Miss Shao to her — the senior maid wearing a blue skirt.

Miss Shao’s nickname was “Yuemei” and was born in an official family. About the reason that she never got married and became a teacher…

While Jiang Qizheng and Shao Yuemei were viewing the pear blossom in the yard, He Shuijin walked with Qiu Yelan to a corner and told her about Miss Shao’s family background. “Miss Shao’s parents died in her early age. Her brother failed the examinations and her sister-in-law egged her brother on to let her marry an official as a renewed wife — However, he was more than 60 with a number of children. Miss Shao was only 16 years old then. She, of course, was reluctant to agree the marriage. But she had to follow the rule (that was, follow the older brother’s arrangement if their father died). She finally made a decision that she would not marry anyone in her life. She did this for praying for her parents too. Her sister-in-law, despite she failed to force her to marry an old man, had been angry at her since then. There was no room for her to stay in her family. She had to leave and support herself on her own.”

“Wow. Life is hard to her,” said Qiu Yelan.

Although Shao Yuemei was accompanying by Chunfu princess and other maids now, she also went through a long period of tough days. When she left her home, she was only 16 years old. As a girl, in particular, a pretty girl, she must be strong enough to be independent.

Not only did Shao Yuemei make it finally but also she became the teacher of the princess of Jiang Family. Allowing for her family background, she did not give up on herself… Her experience, if written as an inspirational book, must be tear-jerking and exciting!

“Qizhen and I respect her very much.” said He Shuijin with a smile.

Qiu Yelan remembered that Mrs. Zhou once said He Shuijin was a “material” girl. Those were not good words for a girl in that social environment (which paid respects to officials, peasants, industries and businessmen in a descending order). But in today’s world, she must be credited as a career woman. From this point, Qiu Yelan and Shao Yuemei who worked hard being a teacher of a princess had a mutual affection to each other.

So, He Shuijin had been busy in Shao Yuemei’s business partly because of Jiang Qizheng.

“As Shao Yuemei had experienced so much and had great achievements, she must be a nice teacher who knows exactly what she should and should not do.” Thinking of this, Qiu Yelan could rest assured for she agreed to accept a teacher who never met before. “She must know what she should and should not do.”

She was afraid that the teacher might be a captious and frightening lady.

As long as Shao Yuemei understood who she was and what she could not do, Qiu Yelan had no extra requirements on her talents or teaching ability.

He Shuijin must have reached a deal with Jiang Qizheng. While He Shuijin just finished her introduction of Shao Yuemei, Jiang Qizheng was walking with Shao Yuemei arm-in-arm toward her. She said with a smile, “Miss Shao told me that after she saw the pear blossom, it is unnecessary for her to inspect other places.”

Those sentences were not said by Shao Yuemei herself. If so, Qiu Yelan must have replied her with compliments.

Qiu Yelan, after hearing Jiang Qizheng’s words, would like to “do something good for her brother”. She immediately said, “That is great! I am just a common person. I once thought it was monotonous as the yard is full of pear blossom. I even tried to plant other trees. Thanks to my brother Cousin Ruan who changed my mind. Thus, I did not become a person who destroys the scene.”

Her words made everyone smile. “Miss Shao loved pear blossom the most. There must have some bond between you two.”

Although Shao Yuemei said that it was not necessary to see the other places after seeing the pear blossom in the yard, Qiu Yelan still invited her and others to see her room— Considering that they were both female and there were other people around in the Prince’s Mansion, Qiu Yelan arranged her room close to her own. So, they could take care of each other from time to time.

Qiu Yelan even asked the servants to knock down the walls in the east and south and built a new wall after incorporating some places into her own yard.

And then she arranged a room for Shao Yuemei and another room as the classroom … Considering the girls’ school scale, the classroom was spacious.

It really wasn’t up to her if this was going to happen before.

But now, Qiu Hongzhi, the man in charge of the house, had to give her tremendous sums of money as the protection money for peace. Thus, Qiu Hongzhi would not say anything and let her go ahead when Qiu Yelan knocked down walls and occupied some spaces.

During their viewing, Qiu Yelan tried everything to talk with Jiang Qizheng, heaping praise on her brother Ruan Qingyan — Seeing them off, she thought in proud, “Now, the odds my brother becomes her husband will increase definitely.”

She might not anticipate that the three of them, after leaving the house, gossiped her, “Commandery Princess Ningyi must have crush on her brother Cousin Ruan. She talked about him so much before us.”

“It was the first time Jiang Yashuang had ever been so attached to girl. We should see to it that he will not be heart-broken.”

“I’ve heard that Jiang Yashuang sympathizes with her because he thought she lost her parents in her childhood and her uncle and aunt are not kind to her,” said Shao Yuemei. She preferred to keep silent at most of time.

“How is that possible? There are much more people who are poorer than Commandery Princess Ningyi! I didn’t see he shows his sympathy for them.” said He Shuijin firmly.

“Thanks to grandpa’s mentoring, Jiang Yashuang is always calm and composed.” said Jiang Qizheng, agreeing with her one hundred percent. “He always follows the social rules to the relatives and his sister, let alone womenfolk unrelated to us at all. But this time, he begged me and Miss He for Commandery Princess Ningyi… We have just met Commandery Princess Ningyi and she is beautiful. As a saying goes, ‘A young man has no power to move his eyes away from a beautiful woman.”

“Miss Shao, please keep an eye on her in the future. We need to know who she really is.” said He Shuijin, frowning. “This is the first time Jiang Yashuang is attached to a girl. And Commandery Princess Ningyi is also born in a decent family… I am afraid that Jiang Yashuang is too young to distinguish good from bad!” Shuijin said to Shao Yuemei.

She continued to whisper, “Madame’s meaning is: If she is a nice girl, Madame will try everything to persuade Empress in persuading her engagement with Deng Yi; If she is not a nice girl, she must marry Deng Yi as soon as possible after she terminates her mourning period. Thus, I believe that Jiang Yashuang will move on.”

Yuemei replied, “Don’t worry, Your Highness, Miss He. I will do everything I can to accomplish my task and give you a satisfied answer.”

… Poor Qiu Yelan who spared no effort to entertain and observe Jiang Qizheng thought that what she did assisted her brother Ruan Qingyan. She must not expect that she was the monkey in the cage observed by others.