Chapter Twenty-Three: Grandmother Arrives!

Hong Xiao nodded, “Just now, the lady of the main house and Hui Niang started fighting again. I asked around and found out that Hui Niang snatched those two bolts of cloth that belonged to the lady. Don’t we have two left here? The lady went upstairs just now, and I figured she’d come soon to take these two as well. Should we give them to her?”

Give them? Does she really think I’m easy to bully?

But if I don’t, she’s my own mother—the consequences of defying her are not something I want to face.

And then there’s Hui Niang, who’s always relied on Xue Yang’s favor to bully Madam Jin and me. If I don’t teach her a lesson this time, she’ll only get worse.

Xue Fanzhi’s eyes flickered; she beckoned Hong Xiao over with a crooked finger and whispered, “Come here, I have a plan. Do exactly as I say…”

…

The second floor was quiet; not even a maid stood at the door to lift the curtain. Madam Jin swept aside the curtain herself with a loud rustle and strode in without ceremony. “Sleeping again? Are you really that tired?”

She entered and saw Xue Fanzhi and Hong Lian both asleep, and her voice rose sharply.

Hong Lian opened her eyes and rubbed them. Madam Jin shot her a glare, “I’ve never seen such laziness. You’re practically a deputy mistress now—get up and wake your mistress!”

Xue Fanzhi slowly opened her eyes and sat up.

Seeing Xue Fanzhi awake, Madam Jin went over and sat by her couch, smiling ingratiatingly, “Little Eight, you must be tired. Did you sleep well?”

Xue Fanzhi, sounding distracted, said, “Skip to the point, I want to go back to sleep.”

Which answered Madam Jin’s question—if she’d slept well, she wouldn’t need more rest. Clearly, she’d been disturbed.

Madam Jin’s smile stiffened, but she forced herself to keep smiling, “How can you talk to your mother like that? I was worried you’d be lonely and came to keep you company!”

“I’m not lonely!” Xue Fanzhi replied, cutting off any further discussion.

Madam Jin could see her daughter was changed—she wasn’t as obedient as before. She assumed Xue Fanzhi was still angry about the refugees and didn’t think much more of it.

Since sweet words wouldn’t work, Madam Jin abandoned pretense and ordered Hong Xiao, “What are you standing around for? Go fetch the cloth Madam Jiang sent today!”

Hong Lian looked to Xue Fanzhi.

Xue Fanzhi answered coolly, “What cloth? There’s no cloth in my room. If there were, would I be lying here asleep?”

Others might not know, but the maids did—Xue Fanzhi trusted the old steward and liked reading Daoist texts, painting, playing chess, and needlework.

If she had cloth, she’d be making dresses.

Madam Jin didn’t listen to the second half; she didn’t care. She simply assumed Xue Fanzhi didn’t want to hand over the fabric and tried coaxing her, “The leftover cloth is either green or red. Neither suits you. Let me take it.”

The royal ceremonial attire was always black, since the dye produced the most precious fabric.

But aside from the imperial family, no one else could use such cloth.

The next best dye was red, so valuable fabrics tended to be red or yellow. In her previous life, whenever Madam Jin got fine cloth, she would give it to Xue Jiaoyue, and if Xue Fanzhi protested, she’d claim red didn’t suit her.

But red was the most common color—if it didn’t suit her, what would?

Now, to get her hands on the cloth, Madam Jin wouldn’t even spare the green.

Xue Fanzhi sneered, tilting her head with a slow, confident swagger, “Madam, I look good in anything—even a rag. Who says I don’t suit it?”

The old Xue Fanzhi would never have said such things. She used to shrink from trouble, never asking, never telling, wishing she could hide her head.

Madam Jin frowned, wondering how her daughter could change so much over a single incident.

Hong Lian thought, Here goes the lady praising her own beauty again—when did this start?

Madam Jin, seeing her argument fail, tried another tack, “Even if you look good in it, who will you wear it for? You hardly speak, so even if your parents favor you, what future do you have?”

“Yue Niang is clever…”

Xue Fanzhi interrupted, “So Seventh Sister will marry up, and then help me rise? Yes, after I was scattered by the refugees, she couldn’t wait to tell the world I’d been ruined. She urged you to hurry to Jiankang, so with such a sister—should I rely on her to lift me up? She’ll launch me to the heavens like a firework, right?”

Hong Lian nearly burst out laughing at her mistress’s wit.

Madam Jin realized her argument sounded wrong, but how else could she get the fabric?

“I won’t argue anymore—are you giving it or not?” Madam Jin asked, her patience spent.

Xue Fanzhi shook her head, her expression cold and unwavering, “Don’t say I don’t have it—even if I did, I wouldn’t give you anything. Don’t even think about my things from now on.”

With the matter laid bare, Madam Jin rose in anger, “If you want to split from your mother and sister, fine—let’s make it clear today!”

She ordered Hong Lian, “Go fetch the cloth!”

Hong Lian stood with her head bowed, unmoving.

Madam Jin shouted, “You’re out of line! When the master returns, I’ll sell you!”

Hong Lian remained unmoved. Xue Fanzhi frowned at Madam Jin, “Why take it out on her? If I say I don’t have it, then I don’t. Even if you sell me along with her, it won’t change a thing.”

“Wait till I find it!” Madam Jin huffed, then began tearing through the room, overturning boxes and chests, leaving Xue Fanzhi’s quarters in chaos. Still, she found no cloth.

Sweating and flushed, Madam Jin spun around, “Xue Eight, where did you hide the fabric? Give it to me now!”

“If she doesn’t hand it over, what will you do? What can you do?” A dignified voice sounded from the doorway, and all three looked up.

Madam Jin was startled, her eyelids twitching as she hurriedly called out, “Mother, what brings you here?”

It was Lady Xue, with Madam Jiang following behind.

Xue Fanzhi hurried to stand and salute, “Grandmother, you’re here?”

Lady Xue replied, “Stand up. You’re bullied like this, no need for ceremony.”

Xue Fanzhi knew Lady Xue had come to help—she wasn’t here without reason; Xue Fanzhi had sent Hong Xiao to return the cloth. She believed Lady Xue would see the cloth and understand what was happening in their courtyard, depending on whether she wished to intervene.

Judging by Lady Xue’s gifts, she would help—besides, not doing so would cost her dignity. Fortunately, Xue Fanzhi had gambled right!

She went to greet Lady Xue, who graciously took her arm and sat on the southern couch.

Then Lady Xue called Xue Fanzhi to stand behind her and rebuked Madam Jin, “Ransacking your own daughter’s room for things—you really are getting bold, Jin. You came from a wealthy family, but your behavior is disgraceful!”