Chapter Twenty: Cloth

Jin could not help but cry, her voice trembling, "Why can't you understand me? I know you hate me today, but you are my own child, flesh of my flesh—would I ever harm you?"

"Our Xue family cannot rely solely on your second uncle; someone must rise above the rest. You are dull and clumsy, you can barely speak clearly—how could we depend on you?"

"Your sister is clever and lively, her looks are outstanding. Your father started raising her himself when she was very young, nurturing her with great care. She is sure to succeed in the future. Take today, for example—the Ninth Prince only pitied you enough to want you as a maid. If it were Yue-niang, she would surely be a candidate for the prince's bride!"

"Can you compare to that? No, you cannot! And when your sister prospers, won't you benefit as well? When you marry into the Qin family, you'll have someone to rely on. So what if I treat your sister a little better? Not only should I be good to her, but you should be thoughtful of her too—after all, she is your sister. Am I wrong?"

Even if the Ninth Prince only wanted Xue Fanzhi as a maid, he had not favored Xue Jiaoyue. Honglian could not fathom where Lady Jin found such confidence, insisting on belittling their mistress to elevate Xue Qiniang.

She was about to rush out and confront Lady Jin, but Hongxiao held her back with reason; offending the mistress could mean being sold off. In the end, they were only servants.

Inside, Xue Fanzhi was too weary to argue. "Everything you say is right. Now I wish to rest. Please go and attend to your more excellent daughter."

Her tone was utterly perfunctory, and Lady Jin, no fool, felt the sting. She opened her mouth to scold, but Xue Fanzhi stood up and pushed her toward the door.

Filial piety governed the realm now, and Xue Fanzhi's actions were blatantly rebellious. Lady Jin stared at her in shock. "You dare push me?"

Xue Fanzhi responded calmly, nodding. "Yes, I pushed you. If you wish me dead, go ahead and shout to the world that I pushed my mother—let the family head beat me to death. Whether I live or die means nothing to me. If you want me alive or gone, it's your choice."

Her words were not lightly spoken. She had lived a whole life before, enjoying riches and honor; life and death had long ceased to matter.

Lady Jin, of course, could not utter such things aloud.

As they spoke, Xue Fanzhi had already pushed Lady Jin to the threshold, dropped the curtain, and then heard a voice from outside: "Eighth Miss, wait! This old servant has brought something for you!"

Xue Fanzhi raised the curtain, and Hongxiao and Honglian, having heard, came out from the partition to assist.

The visitor was none other than Madam Jiang, the attendant to Old Madam Xue. Madam Jiang carried four bolts of silk in her arms and handed them to Hongxiao with a smile. "Age is catching up with me. I thought I could manage without help, but I ended up quite out of breath!"

Clearly, these were gifts from the old lady. Xue Fanzhi, stunned by the honor, quickly raised her hand. "Madam, please come in for some tea!"

"No need," Madam Jiang replied, pulling a porcelain bottle from her sleeve and handing it to Xue Fanzhi. "This is ointment the old lady requested from the physician—especially for bruises and injuries. Keep it to apply to your shoulder, lest you be left with a scar."

---

Old Madam Xue had always been distant from her descendants, so much so that in her previous life, Xue Fanzhi had no subconscious memory of her grandmother. Why was she now being gifted silk and ointment in this life?

Xue Fanzhi was overwhelmed, the ointment in her hand feeling almost unreal.

Madam Jiang saw the dazed look on Xue Fanzhi's face and sighed inwardly. This child had been neglected for so long that she could hardly believe anyone would treat her kindly.

"With nothing else to do, I'll take my leave," Madam Jiang said, her voice even gentler. "The old lady has just finished her meal, and I must attend her as she rests."

Xue Fanzhi finally snapped out of her stupor and hurriedly thanked her.

Madam Jiang waved her hand, dismissing the need for a send-off, and turned to go.

Lady Jin, who had been watching, was bewildered. Only after Madam Jiang had walked three steps away did she react, reaching out to tug at her sleeve, demanding, "What about Qiniang? Did the old lady not give her ointment?"

Madam Jiang had served Old Madam Xue for fifty years. Though a servant, her mistress's cold nature commanded respect—no one dared lay a hand on her.

She herself was astonished at Lady Jin's behavior, but her composure forbade any anger. Smiling, Madam Jiang explained, "There was only this ointment. Qiniang's injury is on her face, and the old lady feared that careless treatment might harm her skin, so she withheld it. Lady, you should wait for the master to call a physician for Qiniang."

Xue Jiaoyue was the apple of Xue Yang and Lady Jin's eye; no one dared administer treatment lightly, lest they be blamed.

Lady Jin, however, did not see it that way. After Madam Jiang left, she scrutinized Xue Fanzhi, asking, "What trick did you use to win the old lady's favor? I never noticed it before—you really know how to curry favor!"

What kind of mother spoke of her daughter like this?

Xue Fanzhi had no patience for Lady Jin's posturing and turned away.

Lady Jin pursed her lips. "I'm your mother—what do you have to hide from me? If the old lady likes you, I can benefit as well."

Still ignored, Lady Jin's features, never particularly gentle, darkened. She spat, "I knew she was useless—nothing to look at, really!"

This was clearly directed at the maids, but Hongxiao and Honglian kept silent.

---

When Hongxiao, carrying the silk, was about to enter the room, Lady Jin snatched it from her hands and headed upstairs.

Honglian, seeing Hongxiao's empty arms, could not help but cry out, "Madam, those were given to the young mistress by the old lady—where are you taking them?"

Lady Jin turned and glared fiercely at Honglian. "Stupid thing, didn't you see there are four bolts? Two of them are for Qiniang! And besides, it's my own family's property—what business is it of yours? Utterly ridiculous."

Having vented her anger, Lady Jin turned and went upstairs.

Honglian, unafraid of being scolded, had simply had enough of such treatment. Her anger welled up in her chest, and she began to sob.

Hongxiao whispered, "Don't make trouble. After all, she is the young mistress's own mother—what is she supposed to do?"

Honglian pressed her lips together, stifling her cries.

But Xue Fanzhi was not deaf; sitting cross-legged on her bed, she heard every word clearly from outside and sighed inwardly.

To be honest, the two maids were angry—how could she not be as well?

But in such days, she herself did not know when there would be an end.

With the chaos outside, and having no real skills to survive, running away was impossible. With parents alive, she could not rely on relatives or friends, and besides, would life under another's roof be any better?

In her previous life, she only found peace after marrying Xiao Yi—but in this life, she would never marry Xiao Yi again. So what was she to do?

Was marriage the only solution to escape her predicament?

Xue Fanzhi closed her eyes and thought of her fiancé, Qin Jianyu.

Yes, before marrying Xiao Yi, she had a fiancé—but for certain reasons, the engagement was broken.