Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Idea

Chuncao’s desperate sobbing made Xu Ruo-Jin’s head feel as if it were about to explode. Her vision blurred, and her scalp tingled with a sudden numbness. With trembling hands, she pulled Chuncao upright, forbidding her from crying any further. “What exactly happened? Stop crying and tell me clearly.”

Seeing the second young lady so anxious, Chuncao wiped her tears away and recounted what she’d witnessed with Hemiao:

“…I went straight to her house, and happened to catch her husband beating her—beating her so viciously. I hurried over to pull them apart, but he nearly struck me as well. I shouted that I’d been sent by the second young lady, and only then did he stop.”

Chuncao’s face was full of fear and lingering dread. “I was scared, but Sister Hemiao shielded me and led me outside. She washed her face before speaking with me.”

“I told her everything you wanted, Miss. She wept like a child, but said her man was hopeless, just useless mud that couldn’t be shaped, and she didn’t want to cause any more trouble for you.”

Clutching Xu Ruo-Jin’s sleeve, Chuncao burst into fresh tears. “Second Miss, you have to help Sister Hemiao. No matter what, at least make sure her husband never dares to treat her so brutally again.”

“Wasn’t he supposed to be an honest man? How could things have turned out like this?”

Xu Ruo-Jin’s fists clenched tight as she struggled to contain the anger surging within her. She forced herself to get to the bottom of things first.

Chuncao explained, “I’d also heard he was an honest sort. Hemiao said it was because of her mother-in-law… The old woman kept accusing her of being unchaste, so her husband started treating her like this. Although I was never close to Hemiao, I can’t believe she’s the kind of woman they say she is.”

“Nonsense! Hemiao would never do such a thing!” Xu Ruo-Jin looked at Chuncao. “Did you give her the silver hairpin?”

“I did. At first, she refused, but I told her it was something you’d worked so hard to save for her, and who knows when you’ll see her again. I made her keep it, just in case she ever needs it.”

Chuncao wiped her tears away. “She’s suffering so much!”

“These things you heard—who told you?”

Xu Ruo-Jin handed Chuncao a handkerchief. As she dabbed at her face, Chuncao thought for a moment. “It was an old woman who guards the corner gate, her surname is Zhang. She lives quite near Hemiao’s home.”

“Go and fetch Hongxing in here.”

Xu Ruo-Jin couldn’t afford to be cautious with Hongxing any longer. She was her only source for news from within the household.

Hemiao’s misery was something she could not tolerate. If not for the actions of her former self, Hemiao would never have been cast out or married into such a family.

Gently rubbing her brow, Xu Ruo-Jin sat in silence, thinking hard about what to do next.

Whether it was her own outrage or the anger inherited from her predecessor, Xu Ruo-Jin would never turn her back on Hemiao’s plight.

Hemiao was nothing if not loyal, but her loyalty should not be built upon suffering. If it were only a matter of enduring hardship, that would be one thing, but now, with her own footing at least somewhat secure in the household, she had to do something to change Hemiao’s fate—for her own conscience’s sake if nothing else.

Hongxing came in from outside, surprised to see the second young lady looking so furious.

She’d been perfectly fine that afternoon—what had happened?

Xu Ruo-Jin signaled silently to Chuncao, who at once shut the door and stood guard outside, letting no one approach.

“Sit down. I have a few questions for you.”

She gestured to a small stool beside her. Hongxing seated herself steadily, looking straight at Xu Ruo-Jin.

“Don’t look as if I’m about to scold you. This isn’t about you—I want to ask about Hemiao.”

At the mention of Hemiao, Hongxing’s expression eased. She didn’t need to be prompted further before she explained about the family Hemiao had married into. “To be honest, all us maids took Hemiao’s fate as a warning. You end up with the kind of life your mistress arranges for you—she’s the perfect example.”

Seeing Xu Ruo-Jin’s tense face, Hongxing continued, “Her husband’s name is Du Er. His father was once master’s coachman, but after he died of illness, Du Er took over his post. He’d done well enough, but one time when he was out with Young Master, the horse was startled, and Du Er’s leg was trampled and broken. He’s been lame ever since. Master and mistress felt they owed him, so they kept him on for odd jobs in the young master’s courtyard.”

“The household stipend was never much, and Du Er couldn’t do much more than menial labor. Their monthly allowance barely covered food, and that was it. Worse still… he has the most wretched old mother.”

At this, Hongxing’s cheeks colored. She glanced up and saw that Xu Ruo-Jin hadn’t understood her last words.

Biting her lip, Hongxing forced herself to clarify, “She’s a rather wanton woman…”

Xu Ruo-Jin nodded calmly. “I understand. Go on.”

“Marrying Hemiao into that family was terribly cruel. Mistress wouldn’t let her work in the house to help support the family, so she had to find work outside. I heard she even fell pregnant, but somehow lost the child, and after that I heard nothing more about her.”

Hongxing looked at Xu Ruo-Jin. “Why are you asking about her now? I doubt Mistress would ever let her return.”

“She’s suffered too much. I can’t rest easy,” Xu Ruo-Jin replied.

Hongxing gave a bitter smile. “How many of us maids ever have a good life? We live the way our mistresses decide, nothing more.”

“No!”

Xu Ruo-Jin refused at once. “Those I care about must not live such bitter lives. I won’t allow their in-laws to abuse and humiliate them. I’d rather risk everything than let that stand!”

Hongxing hadn’t expected the second young lady to speak so fiercely. As she considered it, her eyes widened in shock. “Abuse? Humiliation? How could this happen to Hemiao? Mistress was the one who arranged her marriage—how could the Du family dare treat her like that?”

Xu Ruo-Jin did not reveal the reasons for the Du family’s abuse. She looked at Hongxing. “Do you have any ideas?”

Hongxing fell silent.

“If you help me set things right for Hemiao, I’ll owe you a favor. You can ask anything of me—if I can’t do it now, I’ll make sure to fulfill my promise in the future. I give you my word.”

There was no doubting Xu Ruo-Jin’s tone, and for the first time, a strange surge of emotion swept through Hongxing’s heart.

How many mistresses would protect their maids so fiercely?

Hemiao, in truth, was not so pitiable…

“I have an idea,” Hongxing whispered, leaning close to Xu Ruo-Jin. The two of them conspired in hushed voices for more than half an hour.

The next morning, as soon as Xu Ruo-Jin awoke, she hurried straight to Madam Yang’s quarters.

Her hair was unkempt, her face unwashed, and she simply pulled on a rough blue robe as she rushed, flustered, to see her mother.

Madam Yang was so startled by her daughter’s appearance, she nearly fainted on the spot!

Anyone unaware of the situation would have thought the girl had fallen into the river again—what on earth was she up to now?