Nanny Shen changed Mrs. Wang’s tea and glanced at the cloth bag on the small table, saying, "Lady, the young lady’s kindness is truly too significant."
The Wang family had just sent over some items, not exceeding three thousand taels in total, including cash and goods, but Qin Liuxi’s return gifts, especially the Angong Pills, were something money couldn’t easily buy.
"Yes, truly significant." Mrs. Wang wiped the corner of her eye and said, "I don’t even know how to repay her."
Nanny Shen looked around and saw that the house had fewer servants now; all the servants were busy with miscellaneous tasks, and it was the same with the maids, regardless of whose maid they were, all were heavily commanded.
With fewer people, there wasn’t much disorder, and it wasn’t easy for words to be overheard, but Nanny Shen still cautiously looked outside to see if anyone was around before she spoke.
"You are being too sensitive about this. As they say, ’one’s honor is everyone’s honor; one’s loss is everyone’s loss.’ Let’s not talk about our extended family; just our main branch, and you folks are even more so a unity, ought to be like a rope twisted together in cooperation, why mention owing anything?"
Mrs. Wang shook her head: "That’s logically true, but think about it, do we deserve such treatment? If you were her, could you do the same?"
Nanny Shen was left speechless by the question.
"We can’t do it, even I can only offer courtesy on the surface, but cannot manage to give such generous gifts." Mrs. Wang touched the cloth bag and sighed lightly, "I have come to understand, with her, you do her a little good, and she returns much more."
Although these were things worth being happy about, why did she always feel a bit heartache inside?
Nanny Shen said, "Lady, you are ultimately blessed, the days ahead are still long, and you have plenty of time to be good to her. These relationships, whether between parents and children or masters and servants, are all built over time based on mutual affection; it will only get better."
"That’s exactly right." Mrs. Wang pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "I’ve had my hardships since marrying into the Qin family, and lamented my thin fortune before, but now, it seems that Heaven hasn’t treated me poorly."
"When the Third Young Master returns, you’ll see even more good fortune," Nanny Shen stated.
Mrs. Wang, thinking of her son, felt a slight sourness in her heart but dared not dwell on it and said, "Later, discuss the gift list with Chief Li again, no need for very expensive things, mainly bring some special products and characteristic trinkets from Li City. Who doesn’t know about my current downfall, I really don’t have anything too impressive. As for this, let it be known only to our mother."
She tapped the kang table, and added in a low voice, "Xixi sent these two items, be careful not to let it slip, lest they know about it and create a stir. It’s not merely about appearing biased towards her maternal family, I fear they’ll blame Xixi for being unfilial; there’s no need to cause her this trouble."
Nanny Shen said with a stern expression, "Rest assured, I know the difference between kin and non-kin. Lady, it’s hard to understand the young lady, the way she lives her days aren’t notably luxurious, and her dress isn’t particularly gorgeous either. But you see, such precious medicine, she could casually bring out for a return gift."
With such items, who knows how much gold and silver they could be exchanged for, yet she gave them away.
Mrs. Wang: "Ten years, separated by different places, what kind of life she has been living, whom she interacted with during this time, what she has been doing, we really don’t know and needn’t inquire. She’s a person with discernment."
She also recalled the pile of jewelry she saw at Qin Liuxi’s place, her eyelids twitched a few times, and those items and this medicine, were they really mere gifts from friends?
Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m