Chapter 16: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
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Chapter 16: Stunning
In the main courtyard, Ping Tong waited silently outside the left wing room.
A quarter-hour passed, then another, and soon a full half-hour was gone. Growing restless, Ping Tong muttered, “Why hasn’t the young lady finished bathing yet?”
At that moment, another maid dressed similarly to Ping Tong approached with a smile. “Sister Ping Tong, Madam was concerned and sent me to check on the young lady. Has she finished yet?”
Seeing the newcomer, Ping Tong gave a wry smile and shook her head. “Ping Xiao, you’ve come at the right time. Help me listen carefully—does it seem like there’s no sound coming from the room?”
With that, Ping Tong nudged Ping Xiao toward the door.
Ping Xiao, slightly exasperated, asked, “Sister Ping Tong, what are you doing?”
Ping Tong explained, “The young lady insisted on bathing herself, so I stepped out. But it’s been half an hour now, and there hasn’t been a single sound from the room.”
“What?” Ping Xiao was startled. Without needing further persuasion, she pressed herself against the door to listen. After a moment, she frowned and turned to Ping Tong, “It’s true—there’s no sound at all. Do you think something might have happened?”
Hearing this, Ping Tong could no longer concern herself with decorum. She pushed the door open and rushed inside, with Ping Xiao following closely behind.
They both worked closely with Madam Li and knew just how much she valued the young lady. If anything happened to her, Ping Xiao might escape unscathed, but Ping Tong, specifically assigned to care for the young lady, would likely face severe consequences.
Rushing into the room, Ping Tong headed straight for the bathing chamber. She froze upon seeing Daohua leaning against the edge of the tub, asleep. For a moment, her eyes flashed with astonishment, and she stood rooted to the spot.
Ping Xiao followed and was about to speak, but the sight of Daohua in the tub made her swallow her words.
Both maids instinctively held their breath, afraid of disturbing the ethereal beauty before them.
Who would have thought that the scruffy, disheveled girl they had seen earlier would have such a celestial appearance?
After a while, Ping Xiao finally snapped out of her daze. “I used to think that Third Miss Yishuang was already exceptionally beautiful, but now, compared to the young lady, she might only be fit to serve as a maid.”
Ping Tong, also regaining her composure, nodded in agreement but quickly cautioned, “You shouldn’t say such things again. The one from Shuangxin Courtyard is not someone to trifle with.”
Ping Xiao scoffed, “Isn’t Concubine Lin merely relying on her looks and being a few years younger than Madam? No matter how favored she is, she’s still just a concubine.”
Ping Tong shook her head. “You should be more careful with your words. That one knows how to act vulnerable and win favor. You wouldn’t want to get on her bad side.”
Ping Xiao pouted but said no more.
“Young Lady, you’re awake!”
Ping Tong was about to caution Ping Xiao further when her gaze met a pair of clear, bright eyes.
Daohua, still leaning against the tub, first glanced at Ping Xiao, then nodded lightly at Ping Tong.
She hadn’t been deeply asleep; the warmth of the water had simply made her drowsy. Exhausted from the journey, she had decided to rest her eyes.
She had heard every word the maids had spoken. It seemed that Concubine Lin was quite favored, which meant her days ahead would likely be interesting.
“Fetch some hot water. I’d like to rinse off again.”
A quarter-hour later, Daohua stepped out of the tub, wrapped in a bath towel.
“Young Lady, your skin is flawless!” Ping Xiao exclaimed in genuine admiration as she looked at Daohua’s smooth, jade-like complexion.
Daohua smiled, clearly pleased. What woman wouldn’t enjoy compliments on her skin? She was no exception.
Ping Tong approached with several outfits and laid them out on the bed. “Young Lady, Madam prepared these clothes for you. Since she wasn’t sure about your size, she had several outfits made based on Second Miss’s measurements, with slight variations. Why don’t you try them on to see which fits best?”
Looking at the bed covered in garments, Daohua’s lips curved upward. “Mother has been very thoughtful.”
She recalled how her mother had embraced her without hesitation at the county office gate, showing no trace of disdain. It was evident that her mother’s care for her was genuine.
Ping Tong and Ping Xiao unfolded each outfit for Daohua to examine.
Estimating her own measurements, Daohua selected a pale green ruqun. “I’ll wear this one.”
Ping Tong brought the chosen ruqun over, smiling as she said, “Madam mentioned that since the young lady was born during the rice-flowering season and often mentioned in letters how much she loved playing in the fields, she guessed that green might be your favorite color. That’s why most of the outfits prepared for you are green.”
Daohua felt a warmth in her heart. “Sisters, tell me more about my mother—what does she usually do? What does she like or dislike?”
“Madam is very busy,” Ping Xiao began, “managing the entire household, overseeing accounts, and entertaining guests...”
As the two maids dressed Daohua, they recounted Madam Li’s daily life.
“Young Lady, not only is your skin beautiful, but your hair is also amazing!” Ping Tong remarked while drying Daohua’s hair. “I’ll style it into a chui bin fen xiao bun for you.”
Daohua immediately asked, “Can it be simpler? Like just tying it up on top?”
Ping Tong looked disapproving. “Young Lady, only men tie their hair up entirely. We women’s buns are nothing like that.”
Daohua then asked, “Do the other girls in town also wear such elaborate hairstyles?”
Ping Tong nodded.
Daohua sighed inwardly but said no more.
“Don’t worry, Young Lady,” Ping Tong assured her, “I’m skilled at this. I promise to make you look stunning.”
Half an hour later, with Ping Tong and Ping Xiao leading the way, Daohua stepped out of the wing room and headed toward the old madam’s Songhe Courtyard.
They had barely left the main courtyard when they encountered Lin Cailiang coming from Shuangxin Courtyard.
Seeing the ethereal young lady in green, escorted by Madam Li’s two trusted maids, Lin Cailiang’s heart sank. An unprecedented sense of crisis swept over him.
What had his sister relied on to establish herself in the rear courtyard of the county office?
Aside from her tact and understanding, it was the master’s favor toward Yishuang.
But now, with such a legitimate eldest daughter, could Yishuang remain as favored as before?
At that moment, Lin Cailiang felt a wave of panic.
While Lin Cailiang observed Daohua, she was also sizing him up.
“Young Lady, that’s Concubine Lin’s younger brother,” Ping Tong whispered.
Hearing this, Daohua arched a brow, withdrew her gaze, and walked away without a word. After putting some distance between them, she asked calmly, “In the plays, they often say that outside men aren’t allowed to enter the inner quarters of noble families. Do we not have such a rule here?”
Ping Tong and Ping Xiao both lowered their heads, unsure how to respond.
Daohua shook her head, further convinced that her father’s nine years as a county magistrate were well-deserved—not because of his governance but because of his lack of proper rules.
Elsewhere, after Daohua’s figure disappeared from view, Lin Cailiang snapped out of his thoughts and hurriedly left the rear courtyard.
(End of Chapter)
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