The atmosphere within the Su Manor was exceptionally subtle today. Word had spread that the head of the house, Su Lin, had not emerged from his quarters since returning the previous evening.
The various managers and senior maids moved with extreme caution, their footsteps light as they entered and exited the main courtyard. Yet, the moment they were in private, they could no longer suppress the doubts gnawing at their hearts. Whispers abounded: what exactly had happened to the Su family?
Some speculated that something had gone wrong at the birthday banquet.
As for what that "something" was, opinions varied wildly, and there was no way to verify the truth. Some said strange individuals had infiltrated the guest list, displeasing the Master. Others claimed the one who had offended him was none other than the Second Young Master of the Qiu family. They whispered that the two Qiu brothers had come one after another to show favor, perhaps vying for the hand of the obscure Second Miss, and that the Master was now brooding over how to avoid offending either side. Still others suggested that it had little to do with outsiders at all; rather, the Old Madam’s illness had flared up again after the banquet, leaving Master Su so anxious he could neither eat nor sleep.
To those outside the walls, these matters were mere trifles of domestic life. But for the servants trapped within those high walls, what could be more interesting than the scandals and anecdotes of the masters and young misses?
They could never hope to trample the elites underfoot in this lifetime, but surely there was no harm in chewing over their business in conversation?
The discussion grew more heated. At the height of the excitement, even the servants and hags working in the small kitchen could no longer keep their voices down, and their pace of work slowed.
Suddenly, a crisp voice rang out from the doorway.
"Gossiping about your masters behind their backs? How bold of you!"
The servants in the courtyard jumped in fright. Pots, pans, and half-plucked vegetable leaves clattered to the ground. In an instant, the sound of people dropping to their knees in greeting rose from every corner.
After a long silence, a pair of lotus-pink embroidered shoes stepped lightly past them. Then, a melodious, pleasant voice spoke.
"You may all rise."
The head of the small kitchen, Manager Zhang, let out a long breath of relief and stood up, bracing her hands on her knees.
Fortunate, truly fortunate. It was only the Second Miss, who didn't involve herself in management. Had they encountered the Eldest Miss, they would have been in dire straits today; they likely wouldn't have escaped without losing a layer of skin.
"So it is the Second Miss. May I ask what brings you here? On such a hot day, to personally make a trip to this smoke-filled place."
Su Muhe did not speak. The maid in pink beside her, however, looked displeased and immediately rebuked the woman.
"What? Seeing that it is our Miss, you can't even be bothered to offer a proper apology?"
Manager Zhang stiffened. She clearly did not hold a mere young maid in high regard. Relying on her long years of service in the inner courts and the modicum of respect she commanded even in the main house, she spoke with a superficial smile.
"For the sake of the banquet the other day, us old crones have been busy for over half a month. We finally found a moment of leisure today and let our tongues wag a bit. I hope the Second Miss will not take offense."
Su Muhe offered a faint smile. When she spoke, it was to the young maid guarding the firewood pile.
"Is the fish porridge I requested this afternoon ready?"
The young maid froze, hardly daring to look at Manager Zhang’s expression. She lowered her head and said, "It is ready. It has been warming on the stove..."
Su Muhe glanced at Shang Qu, who walked straight to the stove, carefully ladled a bowl of fish porridge into a pre-prepared lacquer box, and brought it to Su Muhe.
Su Muhe’s hand, free of any polish, gently stirred the porcelain spoon. She leaned in to catch the scent, then took a shallow taste before setting the spoon down.
"Did I not say that before killing the fish, the blood must be drained slowly from the tail, the black membrane inside the belly must be meticulously scraped away, and it must be marinated in dew wine for half a day before it goes into the pot?"
As soon as she spoke, a silence fell over the courtyard.
Fish porridge was no new delicacy, but the process was time-consuming and complex. In the past, the servants would skip a few steps or perform them crudely, and the masters never noticed. Who would have thought they would encounter such a fastidious mistress this time?
Was there some sort of spirit living on the Second Miss's tongue? How could she tell if a fish, cooked until it was falling apart, had been bled at the tail?
"Since I was a child, I studied the identification of medicinal herbs alongside my sister. I can tell the difference between licorice that has dried for one day versus two. Do you think I cannot distinguish the quality of a mere bowl of fish porridge, Manager Zhang?"
She spoke of porridge, but her underlying meaning clearly pointed elsewhere.
Manager Zhang gritted her teeth and decided to play dumb.
"This servant is dull-witted and does not understand the Second Miss's meaning..."
Su Muhe did not reply immediately. Instead, she signaled her maid to pack a fresh bowl of porridge into the lacquer box and wait at the gate. She followed a step behind, saying in a very gentle voice:
"Manager Zhang’s legs and feet seem to be getting less nimble. You should be more careful in the future. Perhaps tomorrow I shall mention it to my sister and have you transferred to serve the Old Madam. The work there is finer; it might be easier for you."
Manager Zhang’s sturdy frame shuddered uncontrollably at the mention of the "Old Madam."
Who didn't know that the Old Madam’s courtyard had been filled with eerie winds and strange occurrences lately? It was profoundly unlucky. Several groups of servants had been replaced; two were said to have returned to the countryside to visit relatives but never came back. Who knew what trouble they had stirred or what calamity had befallen them? Even Old Man Xue, the gatekeeper, had whispered to her in private, hinting that the disappearance and tragic murder of Mr. Kang were likely connected to the people in that courtyard.
"Many thanks for the Second Miss's consideration. As one gets older, there are bound to be minor ailments; this servant dares not make excuses. Please, Second Miss, be magnanimous and do not take today's matter to heart. I will certainly work with all my heart and soul from now on. If the Second Miss needs anything, please do not hesitate to command..."
She lowered her head and defended herself hurriedly. By the time she finally realized something was amiss and looked up, the mistress and maid were already gone.
Manager Zhang straightened her back and spat on the ground almost immediately.
"Bah! A concubine-born slip of a girl dares to come here and put on airs."
Having said that, she turned around with a grim face.
"Haven't you seen enough? Get back to work!"
The servants in the courtyard dared not delay any longer, each lowering their heads and scurrying away.
Still fuming, Manager Zhang grabbed a head of cabbage, placed it on the cutting board, and began to chop. As she chopped, she began to wonder: the Second Miss seemed somewhat different from before. But as for what was different, she couldn't quite say.
Shaking her head, she brought the knife down. The cabbage was quickly hacked into pieces.
***
Leaving the small kitchen, Su Muhe led Shang Qu straight to the secluded courtyard with blue-gray walls in the back of the manor. Passing through a moon gate, she immediately saw a pretty maid guarding the door.
The maid possessed a pair of spirited phoenix eyes. When she gave orders, she exuded a spicy efficiency that was a mirror image of her mistress.
Su Muhe took a deep breath, put on her usual gentle expression, and walked forward with small steps.
"Sister Mei Chong is here as well. I heard Father hasn't eaten much since last night, so I made some easy-to-swallow fish porridge. Is Father inside?"
The head maid, Mei Chong, turned around.
Though she was a servant, hearing a Miss call her "Sister" didn't seem to strike her as odd at all. She merely gave a slight bend of her waist as a perfunctory greeting.
"Mei Chong greets the Second Miss. The Master has said he does not wish to see anyone right now."
"Whether he sees her or not isn't for you to decide, is it?"
Beside her, Shang Qu could not hide her indignation. She tried to bypass the maid to enter the room, but Mei Chong unceremoniously blocked her path.
The head maid, accustomed to her position of power, shot a quick glance at Su Muhe and spoke with a tone laced with arrogance.
"The Eldest Miss is personally attending to him inside. There is no need for anyone else. Please return, Second Miss."
Shang Qu wanted to say more, but Su Muhe stopped her.
"In that case, Muhe will not disturb them." She finished and signaled Shang Qu to hand the lacquer box to Mei Chong. "I must trouble Sister Mei Chong to deliver this fish porridge on my behalf. I just fetched it from the kitchen; it is still hot."
Mei Chong took the box without a word. She watched the mistress and maid leave the main courtyard before dropping the box onto the ground with a loud *clatter*.
"Addicted to brewing soup, is she? It wasn't enough to fawn over the Protector General; now she has to cling to her own father."
Before her words could land, a sharp rebuke came from inside the room.
"What was that noise? Can't you even guard a door properly?"
Mei Chong stiffened and quickly stood at attention.
In the next moment, a terrifying, suppressed roar erupted from behind the carved wooden doors, followed by the sound of a violent struggle and heavy objects crashing to the floor.
The head maid, who had just been so formidable, turned pale as parchment. Sweat beaded on her brow, and her arrogant expression vanished.
She hurried to the moon gate, peered outside, and then called out to several passing servants.
"You lot! Guard this courtyard for me. If another person gets in, I'll make you regret it."
The servants hurriedly complied, scattering to surround the small courtyard until it was completely sealed off.
***
Behind a bamboo grove dozens of paces away, a pink figure cautiously poked her head out. After assessing the situation, she pulled back and hurried to a secluded spot to report to her mistress in a low voice.
"Miss, you truly have divine foresight. The Eldest Miss is guarding that courtyard so tightly; I wonder what kind of scheme she's up to."
Su Muhe’s expression was neutral, but her eyes, fixed on the courtyard, held a trace of mockery.
"Even the autumn cicada, knowing winter is near, will strain to sing for a few more days. How much more so for a human?"
The maid in pink clearly didn't understand her mistress's subtext, still immersed in the frustration of being slighted.
"If you ask me, that fish soup shouldn't have been sent. You went to such trouble, Miss, yet the Protector General's manor hasn't shown the slightest appreciation. Now, looking at the others in this manor, who knows how they're laughing at you behind your back."
"It was just a bowl of fish soup. If it can avert many troubles, is that not a good thing?"
Shang Qu looked bewildered. "What troubles?"
Su Muhe’s voice grew even softer, though her face carried a hint of a sigh. "After what happened before, Father is clearly on guard against me. He wouldn't even let me show my face at the banquet. If I didn't brew this soup and make a show of being filial, it would only make them suspicious and lead them to speculate if I desire more. Rather than that, I would rather take the 'blame' for being a sycophant. It's better than having them spend more effort scrutinizing me."
Shang Qu nodded then, her gaze toward her mistress becoming thoughtful.
She had been by the Miss's side for as long as she could remember. In her memory, whether it was sharing sugar melons and colored strings as a child, or distributing fabrics and jewelry as an adult, her Miss never fought for anything, nor did she ever ask for anything.
The people of the Su family all said: the Second Miss, Su Muhe, simply has that kind of temperament. To put it kindly, she was content with her lot; to put it harshly, she was a pushover. But for some reason, Shang Qu never felt her Miss was truly someone without desires who planned to live a mundane life. She felt the reason the Miss never asked for anything was because she looked down on the things those people gave.
But what did the Miss actually want? She didn't know.
"Has my sister been home the entire time lately?"
Su Muhe suddenly asked. Shang Qu snapped out of her thoughts and replied.
"Yes. It's strange, actually. Wasn't the Eldest Miss always out busy with the business? She hardly ever visited the Old Madam, despite how much the Old Madam doted on her back then. But looking at the situation, the Old Madam is indeed quite ill this time—likely worse than before. That's why she rushed back to keep watch. I just hope she doesn't stir up more chaos..."
"Shang Qu."
Su Muhe spoke suddenly. The maid in pink stiffened, realizing she had overstepped. "This servant spoke too much. It's just that the inner court is whispering that the Old Madam’s medicine has run out. The Master has sent people everywhere but with no results. Everyone is feeling a bit panicked..."
"They are panicked because they fear losing their protection, fear that the benefits they receive will dwindle, and fear that the great tree they rely on for shade is falling. But for you and me, there is truly nothing to be panicked about."
Shang Qu looked pained, her tone tinged with sadness. "Why must you say such discouraging things, Miss? If Mei Chong hears, she'll laugh at us again."
Su Muhe reached out gently and playfully flicked her maid’s forehead with a smile.
"How is this discouraging? It is simply the honest truth. However..." She paused, her voice dropping even lower. "While this is not a good thing for them, for us, it might just be an opportunity."
Shang Qu rubbed her forehead and looked up, her eyes filled with unmasked confusion. "What opportunity?"
*The opportunity to overturn everything and rebuild order. The opportunity to take control of one's life and achieve one's heart's desire.*
Su Muhe gazed at the distant courtyard, her slender fingers tightening within her sleeves.
Watching her mistress's silent profile, Shang Qu felt her previous emotions resurface. She gathered her courage and said, "Miss is always thinking alone, acting alone, and bearing everything alone. My heart aches for you. If you don't find me too stupid, as long as you speak the word, I am willing to do my utmost to help."
Su Muhe looked quietly at Shang Qu. After a long moment, she reached out and gently squeezed the other's hand. In her mind, she saw the thin woman and the boy holding the umbrella at the Prefectural Yamen that day.
"Do not worry. The wind has already begun to blow. All we must do is wait for the right moment to rise with it."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
商曲 | Shang Qu | Su Muhe's personal maid.
张嬷嬷 | Manager Zhang | The head of the Su Manor's small kitchen.
眉冲 | Mei Chong | The head maid of the Eldest Miss (Su Qing).
康先生 | Mr. Kang | A character mentioned as having disappeared or been murdered.
老夫人 | Old Madam | Su Lin's mother; the matriarch of the Su family.
苏沐禾 | Su Muhe | The Second Miss of the Su family.
苏凛 | Su Lin | The head of the Su family.
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