Sang Wan saw that the matter had evidently been resolved by Mrs. Jiang, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief. Noticing Mrs. Jiang's slight unease, Sang Wan tactfully did not ask about it directly. She smiled, lifted her hand, and said to Mrs. Jiang, "Thank you for your help!" Then, she glanced at Liu Ya and joked, "This is the first time this maid has been out on her own, and I came over to check on her because I was worried she might be causing trouble without knowing any better! Don't you, Mrs. Jiang?"
After saying that, Sang Wan looked at Mrs. Jiang with curiosity.
"Ah, this servant just happened to pass by. I saw that they had a small misunderstanding, so I said a few words and now everything's fine. I have to go and serve Madame now. You should go back too, Miss!" Mrs. Jiang hurriedly explained.
"I see. If it's just a small misunderstanding, let's forget about it and go back to our work," Sang Wan nodded gently and sighed at Liu Ya, "You're really quite a handful! Our Shi family is a place with rules and regulations. Even if it's a real problem, the ladies in charge will handle it! Look at you; you even had to trouble Mrs. Jiang for such a little misunderstanding! Luckily, she's kind and warm-hearted, so she doesn't mind!"
No matter what had occurred, since Mrs. Jiang insisted that it was a "small misunderstanding," then that's all it was! Sang Wan didn't really believe that Mrs. Jiang had just been passing by – Mrs. Wang, her mother-in-law, was likely involved in the matter somehow! Mrs. Jiang's intentions were likely Mrs. Wang's as well!
Sang Wan decided not to press the matter further. After all, wouldn't openly questioning it amount to defying her mother-in-law?
Getting the message, Liu Ya didn't try to explain either. She lowered her head and admitted her fault, "It's all this slave's mistake. I'm sorry for troubling Mrs. Jiang. Please forgive me!"
"Ah, how could I take it to heart? I'm not worthy of such consideration!" Mrs. Jiang hurriedly laughed, finally at ease.
With a smile, Sang Wan said, "Since that's the case, I won't waste any more of your time, Mrs. Jiang. Please carry on!"
"You should go back as well, Miss!" Mrs. Jiang waved her hand and smiled in return.
Without saying more, Sang Wan nodded to Mrs. Jiang and instructed Liu Ya to follow her along with the rest. Shortly after, Sang Wan left with Xingzhi and the others, while Mrs. Jiang went her separate way.
After all the dowry pieces had been moved into the small warehouse in the west wing of Ningyuan, Sang Wan kept Liu Ya behind to talk. Only then did she learn the whole story.
As it turned out, two of the men carrying the dowry trunks tripped and broke one of the trunks while going down the stairs; fine cotton, hemp fabric, and plain silk fell out of it. Liu Ya couldn't help but scold them, telling them to quickly pick the items up. The two begrudgingly complied, but they deliberately damaged the fabrics by rubbing them on the ground or "accidentally" stepping on them. Growing more annoyed and agitated, Liu Ya told them to be more careful.
Roused by her words, the two men became sarcastic and began ridiculing Liu Ya, saying that those fabrics were only fit for the stablemen or for cleaning – it wouldn't matter if they were ruined because they'd never be put to use. They even mockingly asked Liu Ya if she really thought their mistress would ever wear clothes made from such materials! Their taunts left Liu Ya angry and flushed with embarrassment, unable to hold back the tears.
Having heard the story, Sang Wan tightly clenched her handkerchief, hands trembling. Clearly, everyone in this household, from maids to servants, was status-conscious, daring to mock and harass even those who closely served her. How could she survive their treatment if they went so far as to direct their ridicule at her?
"Miss, this slave only had the Sang family's best interests at heart!" Towards the piles of exquisite furniture and noble ornaments in the room, Liu Ya looked tearfully and sighed, "No matter how lovely this place is, it's not our home!"
What could Sang Wan do? She too was frustrated and suffocated. But having entered the Shi family, what choice did she have? She had to keep living this life!
She could either continue cowering and retreating as before, languishing in her misery and dying unnoticed, or she could seize this opportunity to break free and transform her life.
"It's alright! They're just thoughtless words. I don't mind them at all – why should you feel upset about it?" Although she carried bitterness and sorrow in her heart, Sang Wan had no choice but to lift her spirits, smile, and console Liu Ya, encouraging herself as well.