Su Xi-er took the bowl of medicine. I don’t need to drink this medicine anymore since I have almost recovered, but Madam Cook didn’t sleep the entire night. I can’t let her down.
“I will wash the clothes and return them to you. I am sorry for not asking before taking them from you yesterday.” Su Xi-er apologised politely, then picked up the bowl and started to sip the medicine.
Having been simmered for so many hours, the medicine’s bitter taste was especially prominent, causing Su Xi’er to knit her eyebrows.
The female cook laughed. “You need to eat some candied jujubes[1]. if you don’t like the bitter taste. I have a jujube tree at home that is bearing fruit right now. In a few days, I will pick some and make candied dates for you.”
“Thanks Auntie.” Su Xi-er smiled, then clenched her teeth and finished the bitter medicine.
“Go to the kitchen and have some breakfast. Prince Hao had some guards specifically assigned to watch you before he left the posthouse this morning, so you won’t be able to sneak out again. You be careful, you will be punished if you break the rules again.” The female cook urged Su Xi-er as she took the empty bowl.
Su Xi-er nodded. “Thanks for reminding me, Auntie. I won’t go out again.”
After she finished the medicine, Su Xi-er and the female cook left the room together. Su Xi-er heading towards her own room and the female cook walking towards the backyard.
Su Xi-er changed out of the coarse clothes after she went inside her room and put on an emerald coloured dress. She then carried a wooden basin out and prepared to wash the coarse clothes so that she could return them to the female cook as soon as possible.
But just when she walked out of her room, she saw a few men in their 30’s delivering firewood discussing something carefully.
Su Xi-er quietly crept a few steps forward and listened in on their conversation.
“I didn’t expect that the Wei Miss’ were murdered by the manager and a waiter from the Fortune Apricot House. They had absconded and died when they fought against the bailiff runners.”
“Exactly. Fortune Apricot House is Nanzhao’s largest teahouse, yet the manager actually did something like this. No matter how unpleasant the Wei Miss’ were, it’s human lives!”
“The manager and the waiter coveted money and had something to threaten the Wei Miss’ with. Unfortunately for those sisters, it’s not always a good thing to have too much money as they even lost their lives due to it. The Senior Master of the Wei Family is pitiful as well.”
Su Xi-er was puzzled. The manager and the waiter couldn’t have murdered the Wei Misses; they were both so timid. Moreover, with how much money the manager of the most popular teahouse must have earned every year, it’s unlikely that his motivations were monetary.
Everything is a trap; someone set up the manager and the waiter to become scapegoats.
“Let’s not discuss it anymore, this is the posthouse. It wouldn’t be good if the imperial guards of Prince Hao’s Residence catch us gossiping. Let’s unload everything quickly and leave.”
The other men started to unload the firewood into some wooden carts before pushing them towards the back of the posthouse.
When they rounded the corner, they saw Su Xi-er off to the side. Although she was wearing coarse clothes, it wasn’t enough to hide her elegance.
In the few decades between them, they had never seen a woman so beautiful. They couldn’t help but think of the peerless beauty they had heard about a few days ago.
Is the peerless beauty as beautiful as this woman in front of us?
Su Xi-er glanced at them, then walked towards the well. The men in their 30’s continued to stare at her back, only recovering from their stupor when they were scolded by the imperial guard from the Prince Hao Residence.
“Please have mercy. Us lowly people won’t dare to look again.”
The imperial guard expressed his disgruntlement. “Hurry and leave the posthouse.”
“Yes yes, these lowly ones will leave now.” They hurried out of the posthouse after they finished unloading the firewood.
The imperial guard couldn’t help but shake his head and sighed. No wonder Prince Hao ordered us to keep an eye on Su Xi-er. This woman is too attractive. She is attracting stares even inside the posthouse, much less outside of it surrounded by commoners.
If Su Xi-er had gone out, she could probably only stay behind Prince Hao. Otherwise, she would have to put on makeup to look ugly.
1. Also known as ‘candied dates’
An example of how it looks like:
Source: https://www.zhifure.com/snzfj/63917.html