Chapter 126
Chapter 126: Planting Trouble
Luo Ning was afraid that Qiu Lan might miss something.
She wanted to look for it herself.
The next morning, Qiu Lan said to Nanny Kong: “Miss wants to eat lotus seed soup, and it is best if the lotus seeds are fresh. Nanny Kong, take some people to the small pond in the Rear Garden to pick them.”
She added: “If there are none, then go to the market to buy some.”
Nanny Kong liked this kind of work. When she heard it, she at once took a bamboo hat for shade and led two rough servant women and Dong Yan out.
As soon as they left, Luo Ning, Qiu Lan, and Qiu Hua went to the side room where Dong Yan lived.
The two nursemaids acted as if they had seen nothing.
Lin Zhao asked: “Princess Consort, what are you busy with?”
Luo Ning could feel that Lin Zhao really wanted to follow her and stay by her side. Lin Zhao was smart. She seemed to understand that the two nursemaids would surely become Luo Ning’s people in the future, but her own future was still unclear.
Lin Zhao’s “meddling” was a kind of test to see whether Luo Ning rejected her or not.
Luo Ning and she did not need very direct words. One look was enough.
Luo Ning planned to keep Lin Zhao by her side from the start. Lin Zhao’s martial arts were strong and could not be replaced, and she could also teach Luo Ning and Qiu Hua.
“Sister Lin, we are going to search for something. Qiu Hua, go guard at the courtyard gate so Dong Yan cannot come back all of a sudden. Sister Lin, come in and help me look,” Luo Ning said.
The others all answered at once. They had not the least bit of doubt about Luo Ning’s orders.
The thing was easy to find. They opened Dong Yan’s chest and soon found a bundle.
Inside the bundle were two pairs of shoes and socks, a few books, a copybook for calligraphy, and several prescriptions.
The shoes and socks were all men’s. The books also looked new. Two of them were proper books, titled Collected Annotations on the Classic of Poetry and Records of Great Peace. The copybook was cursive script by a famous master, but it was a printed copy, not the real thing.
The few prescriptions were all for relieving summer heat.
Luo Ning’s gaze fell on Records of Great Peace.
“Let’s go back first,” she said.
After flipping through the book, Luo Ning’s feelings rose and fell. Memories rushed at her again and again. Her head felt a little dizzy.
The three of them came out of Dong Yan’s room.
Back in the main room, Luo Ning sat on the heated brick bed by the window and handed the book to Qiu Lan and Lin Zhao.
Qiu Lan could read. Back in Shaoyang, when Luo Ning was bored, she had thought that Qiu Hua and Qiu Lan would be her dowry Head Maids in the future, so they had to understand reading and writing.
Checking account books, keeping records, writing invitations, all these needed the Head Maid to help.
Lin Zhao, however, did not know much. She only knew some simple characters and could not recognize the complicated ones.
“This book is what Second Young Master uses in the school, right? Is there anything wrong with it, Miss?” Qiu Lan finished reading but did not understand.
Lin Zhao understood even less.
Luo Ning said: “Very wrong. Extremely wrong.”
Then she told Qiu Lan to go call Qiu Hua and the two nursemaids in.
Qiu Hua looked at the book and was just as confused. The two nursemaids had only turned two pages when their faces both changed.
Luo Ning slowly explained the whole matter to them.
Qiu Hua’s temper was a bit hot. She said: “Miss has not treated Dong Yan badly, yet she dares to betray you! I will go drag her back.”
Luo Ning thought for a while and said: “Dong Yan cannot read. She put this bundle right on the top of the chest, so it is clear she just tossed it in by hand. She has only been used by someone.”
Qiu Lan nodded: “I also think she is not bad. She is honest and follows the rules. Aside from being a bit greedy for food, I have never seen anything annoying about her.”
Nanny Yin’s face was serious. She said: “Miss, a book like this showing up in the manor is no small matter.”
It was not only meant to harm Luo Ning. It was meant to drag the whole Marquis of Zhen Nan household into trouble.
Who had such a deep hatred?
Luo Ning thought of her last life.
It was exactly the same as in her last life, except back then Qiu Lan had taken the blame for Luo Ning. She had cried that she did not know better, then killed herself by smashing her head against the wall to prove her innocence and protect Luo Ning.
“…Do not spread this for now,” Luo Ning said, a little absent-minded for a moment.
Everyone in the main room was looking at her, waiting for her to decide.
They all trusted her and took her as their sky.
She said not to spread it, and no one objected. They all knew Luo Ning could handle it.
Her ways worked.
Luo Ning had won over the people around her.
“First burn this book. A real Records of Great Peace is easy to buy. Every bookshop has it. Qiu Hua, go to the Outer Courtyard and tell Ping An at the gatehouse to secretly buy a copy and bring it back,” Luo Ning said.
There was a very clever Servant Boy at the gatehouse. He had some brains and had carried messages for Wenqi Courtyard several times.
Luo Ning felt he could be useful. In secret, she had been giving him one tael of silver every month so he would run errands for her.
Qiu Hua took the order and left.
Wenqi Courtyard had a small kitchen. Qiu Lan tore the book page by page and threw the pieces into the stove in the small kitchen to burn them. While she was there, she also made a bowl of egg custard for Luo Ning.
At noon, Nanny Kong and the rough maids had peeled a lot of fresh lotus seeds. They made several dishes with them, and every dish was very delicious.
Everyone in Wenqi Courtyard ate until they were full.
“Miss, are you going to send something to Second Young Master?” the maid Dong Yan asked.
Luo Ning said: “Not for now. He only just left.”
“Will you send things later?” she asked again.
“We will talk about it later,” Luo Ning said.
Dong Yan seemed to have something she wanted to say, but held it back.
Luo Ning did not ask either.
On the third day after this, Nanny Zhen from the East Main Courtyard suddenly came over, bringing some dishes to Wenqi Courtyard.
“Madam’s dowry Country Estate sent these up for her. There is fat shad fish, lotus roots, and some melons and fruits. Madam cannot finish them, so she asked that some be sent to each place,” Nanny Zhen said with a smile.
Luo Ning thanked her.
Nanny Zhen even sat down and started chatting with her, talking about many things.
“Miss, look at this little knot I made. No matter how I tie it, it does not look right. From where should I pull the thread tight?” Nanny Zhen asked with a smile.
Luo Ning’s face did not change. She also smiled and said: “This part is pulled the wrong way.”
Just as Nanny Zhen was about to ask for more details, she seemed to remember something and suddenly said: “What a bad memory I have. The small kitchen is still boiling Madam’s medicine. Qiu Lan, could you send someone to tell them? Would that be all right?”
Qiu Lan, who had just brought in tea, said: “I will go take a look.”
Nanny Zhen smiled and said: “The weather is so hot. How could we trouble you? Just send a young maid to tell them. It is the same.”
In Wenqi Courtyard, only Dong Yan was a young maid.
Outside, the sunlight was blinding and could burn the skin.
The maids by Miss’s side were all treated delicately. Running errands was naturally the job of the rough-work maids.
Sure enough, Qiu Lan stood at the doorway and called: “Dong Yan, go to the main courtyard and tell them.”
Nanny Zhen kept smiling and continued asking Luo Ning for help.
She even brought up Bai Yu Lin.
“The Master of the House has done such things that Madam is disheartened. Her maiden family members are so useless that Madam has no face. These days she has been low in spirit,” Nanny Zhen said.
Luo Ning said: “Please urge her to take care of herself. Nothing is more important than her own health.”
“That is also what I have been telling her,” Nanny Zhen said.
She kept talking and would not leave.
At last, Qiu Hua said in a sharp, mocking tone: “Nanny Zhen, you really have a lot of free time and nothing to manage. Our Miss is busy.”
No one from Wenqi Courtyard could show a good face to Nanny Zhen.
Only Qiu Hua, with her quick temper, would say it out loud.
Just then, the young maid Dong Yan came back and said to Nanny Zhen: “The sisters said the medicine has already been given to Madam. They also told you to go back quickly. Madam has asked about you several times.”
Nanny Zhen stood up. “As soon as I sat down, I forgot the time. Miss, this old servant will go back now.”
Luo Ning nodded.
She told Qiu Lan to reward Nanny Zhen and the maids who had carried the dishes. Qiu Lan took out some red envelopes and handed them out, and only then did the nurse leave.