“Seventh Miss Sheng, this Xiazhi is also a granddaughter of the Feng family. Why is she still working as a servant in your mansion?”
Someone in the crowd suddenly asked loudly, and everyone immediately perked up their ears.
They had been curious about Xiazhi’s identity just moments ago, only knowing that she was also a granddaughter of the Feng family, sold into the mansion…
Qingtian replied, “Indeed, Xiazhi entered the mansion as a bonded servant five years ago.
“She started as a foot-washing maid in Sixth Miss’s service, later gaining Sixth Miss’s favor and being promoted to a second-rank maid—
“Later… after my mistress returned to the mansion, the ugly deeds of Taoniang were exposed, and we then learned that Xiazhi was Sixth Miss’s own elder sister—
“Sixth Miss took Xiazhi with her to Baima Temple. Now that they’ve returned to the mansion, Xiazhi has become a first-rank maid by Sixth Miss’s side—”
Hearing this, everyone looked at each other, seeing shock in each other’s eyes, and began whispering among themselves.
It must be said, this Sixth Miss Sheng is truly strange.
Having your own elder sister serve as your maid, doesn’t that feel awkward?
Some said that Sixth Miss Sheng likely felt too ashamed to ask the Sheng family matriarch for her elder sister’s deed of sale, and thus had no choice but to keep her sister by her side as a first-rank maid—
Others said that even if Sixth Miss Sheng retrieved Xiazhi’s deed, Xiazhi would probably just be sold again if she returned to the Feng family. It was better to keep her close, at the very least allowing Xiazhi to live a relatively easier and more respectable life…
Huang Yaning looked at the Feng family members again and continued her earlier words, speaking with disgust.
“Although Xiazhi is a first-rank maid, she cannot make decisions for her mistress!
“If you wanted money, you should have gone directly to the one who has it. How could you injure Xiazhi like this? She is, after all, your granddaughter. How could you bear to do this?”
“Seventh Miss, we didn’t harm Third Girl! Her injuries were not caused by us—”
Old Li and Young Li frantically shook their heads, waving their hands.
“That’s right, Seventh Miss, we are Third Girl’s family. How could we possibly treat Third Girl like this—”
Feng the Second, unusually gathering his courage, also managed to say something.
Old Man Feng said, “Seventh Miss, we had just waited for Xiazhi and hadn’t even exchanged a few words before she fainted. We did not harm her. If you don’t believe us, ask the crowd. Everyone can testify for us—”
Some among the surrounding commoners actually did speak up for the Feng family. One particularly stubborn man not only vouched for them but also insisted that Xiazhi’s injuries were caused by an animal.
An ani—mal!
Huang Yaning and Qingtian almost couldn’t hold back their laughter.
Huang Yaning glanced at Qingtian, who immediately understood her meaning and declared loudly,
“Brother, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?
“Our Sheng family has never kept any ferocious beasts, not even a single cat or dog. Where would a wild beast come from to bite Xiazhi?”
“If not an animal, then she must have been bullied by someone in the mansion—”
Qingtian shook her head again. “Impossible! Xiazhi is a first-rank maid serving personally by Sixth Miss’s side, and she and Sixth Miss share a… special relationship…
“Which servant in this mansion would have the nerve to harm Xiazhi?”
Several people nodded in agreement. That made sense, but didn’t that indirectly prove Xiazhi’s injuries were inflicted by a master of the Sheng mansion?
Of course, no one dared to voice that question aloud. However, the looks everyone gave Huang Yaning and Qingtian changed, now carrying a hint of accusation.
Qingtian noticed this, her face instantly flushing red with anger.
“You can’t possibly suspect the masters or the mistress of our mansion abused her, can you?
“She is a bonded servant with a deed of sale! If the masters or mistress disapproved of her, they could simply give her a whipping, caning, or sell her off! Who would leave bite marks on her arm?
“Have you ever seen a master or mistress of a prominent family punish a servant like that? Wouldn’t they become a laughingstock if word got out?”
True!
In the capital, no one had ever heard of a household head punishing a servant in such a way.
“Could it be—Sixth Miss Sheng?” someone suddenly shouted. This seemed to awaken everyone. Sixth Miss Sheng was indeed a suspect.
Eyes gleaming with anticipation, everyone’s gaze simultaneously turned towards Huang Yaning and Qingtian.
Huang Yaning, Qingtian, and the unconscious Xiazhi all secretly rejoiced, but none showed a trace of it on their faces.
“It’s impossible… how could Sixth Miss… possibly… do such a thing…”
Qingtian’s expression froze, feigning a look of terror, stammering out only a few words.
Her demeanor seemed less like defending Sheng Mingzhu and more like confirming her guilt.
The crowd erupted in uproar.
Everyone began discussing fervently. The more they discussed, the more suspicious Sheng Mingzhu appeared.
Sheng Minmin learned of the news from outside immediately, a smile never leaving her face.
Sheng Mingzhu’s relatives were weak, sickly, and destitute like beggars; her own elder sister and personal maid was abused by Sheng Mingzhu…
She instructed Qingdai to have her people spread the news quickly.
This should be enough to give Sheng Mingzhu a hard time, enough to shatter the halo brought to her by Dalie Dashi and Lin Zhijing completely.
Remembering the Feng family, she asked, “Have Qiuju and Dongkui still not made a move?”
“Very anxious, but they lack the nerve despite having ill intentions,” Qingdai replied.
Sheng Minmin smiled. “Then give them a push.”
In the end, the Feng family members at the Sheng mansion entrance were taken away by Taoniang, who arrived in a wheelchair. Taoniang paid no heed to Xiazhi’s fate.
Taoniang’s actions infuriated the feigning-unconscious Xiazhi so much that she genuinely fainted, falling into a dead faint.
Huang Yaning sighed and asked servants to take Xiazhi to a medical clinic.
No one among the servants in Furong Courtyard received any news of the events at the Sheng family gate throughout the entire incident.
If even the servants were unaware, Sheng Mingzhu naturally knew nothing.
It wasn’t until the Sheng brothers returned from the academy and came to Furong Courtyard that Sheng Mingzhu finally learned what had transpired outside today.
After hearing it, Sheng Mingzhu’s heart burned with rage like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
The Feng family, they truly deserved death!
If she had killed that group of people earlier, she wouldn’t have suffered such humiliation today!
Simultaneously, she felt deep fear—fear that her brothers would learn she had abused Xiazhi and would never dote on her as they had before…
“Eldest Brother, Third Brother, Fifth Brother… Xiazhi… it wasn’t me…”
As Sheng Mingzhu spoke, tears already fell like broken strings of pearls.
“Little Sister, don’t be sad. Fifth Brother naturally believes you,” Sheng Mingbo was the first to speak, his voice filled with heartache.
Sheng Mingzhu opened her tear-filled, blurred eyes to look at the other two.
Sheng Mingjian and Sheng Mingyi remained silent. They were no longer children of a few years old. In truth, they had long since realized that the person they doted on was not as pure and kind as they had imagined.
But looking at Sheng Mingzhu’s pale, somewhat desperate face, the beautiful memories of their childhood together instantly revived.
They also remembered how rarely they had visited Furong Courtyard recently. They felt they had been utterly remiss, filled with both guilt and pity.
“Mingzhu, Eldest Brother believes you. None of this is your fault. Eldest Brother will help you—”
“Little Sister, Third Brother will also help you!”
