"Mother, we have been busy all day and are quite dirty, we’re going to take a bath first!"
Ye Shiqi said, and the sisters did not wait for their mother’s reply before heading to their rooms.
"Hmph, what secrets they’re keeping, acting so sneaky!"
Mrs. Li... felt that her daughters were very clever. She did not notice that the concubine was eavesdropping at the door. Now there would be another temptress, Aunt Lai, in the household.
She knew she had to be even more cautious to keep her daughters’ secrets from outsiders.
When Hongji and his father returned from the lumber mill, they noticed that the lights in the neighboring small house were off, leading Hongji to wonder if his father had arranged for the concubine to stay the night.
Hongji’s father’s actions upon returning home were unusual; typically, he would have a smoke from the bamboo pipe before eating.
Today, he could not care less about his smoke and immediately asked his daughter-in-law if the driver had gone to pick up Aunt Lai.
"Hmph, it would be better if she didn’t come back from her parents’ house, that temptress took so many gifts there, she probably doesn’t want to come back!"
Although Mrs. Lai said this to appease her husband, she felt delighted inside, thinking that finally, the old man would return to sleep in her bed tonight.
Normally, having her husband by her side as an old couple was something she took for granted. Only after spending two nights without him did she feel lonely and more aged.
Hongji’s father did not even look at Mrs. Lai. His thoughts were on Aunt Lai, waiting expectantly for his daughter-in-law to speak.
"Father-in-law, the driver just went to pick up Aunt Lai."
Mrs. Li believed the driver was very honest; she was unaware of the incident that had occurred between her daughter and Aunt Lai that morning on the road.
"Alright," Hongji’s father was now reassured and waited for the return of his beloved concubine while smoking his bamboo pipe.
Mrs. Lai..., feeling upset, scowled at Mrs. Li, rolled her eyes, and muttered under her breath, calling her a ’fence-sitter.’
Hongji glanced at Mrs. Li and wanted to ask her about his daughters’ results from their trip to the estate today. Seeing his mother’s state, the couple tacitly agreed to wait until after dinner to talk in their room.
Hongji’s father, upon hearing the sound of the ox cart, hastily put down his bamboo pipe, not bothering to smoke, and went out to the courtyard to greet his beautiful concubine.
Mrs. Lai..., watched her husband’s departing figure with venomous eyes that turned red.
Aunt Lai stepped down from the carriage, pretending to wipe tears with a handkerchief, and complained in a pitiful tone:
"Old Master, please stand up for your concubine, this driver... Today, he bullied your concubine, wuu wuu wuu!"
Upon seeing Aunt Lai’s demeanor, Hongji’s father’s heart softened like water. Realizing it was not appropriate to act like the young couples in public, he lightly coughed:
"All right, all right, it’s good you’re back. You must have been wronged at your parents’ home! Try not to go back there too often!"
Aunt Lai, in the middle of wiping her tears with the handkerchief, paused... Her performance had not taken the turn she anticipated; had she not made it clear enough?
"Old Master, how can your concubine have the appetite to eat? Even a man who drives an ox cart bullies your concubine, wuu wuu!"
Aunt Lai cried while wiping her eyes with the handkerchief, sneaking glances at the Old Master. Surely her message was clear now?
"What? You there, come here!" Hongji’s father called over the driver with no smile on his face, sounding quite unfriendly.
The driver..., considered whether it was fortune or misfortune, as troubles cannot be avoided. He knew when helping the young ladies that this "worthless good-for-nothing" would definitely make up false accusations upon her return.
As the driver approached, understanding that this time it might not just be a scolding but possibly a dismissal, he sighed internally. Why are the honest always the ones to end up so tragically?
At that moment, the driver had no regrets about helping the young Lady avoid being beaten by Aunt Lai.
Hongji’s father looked sternly at the driver who was lowering his head as he approached and demanded, "Tell me, how did you bully my concubine?"
"Old Master, I took Aunt Lai to her parents’ house this morning and then went back to work on the estate. I remembered the young ladies were walking to the estate nearby and thought to take them home first. Perhaps I was a bit late in picking up Aunt Lai, and she thought I had bullied her."
The driver was not a man who had sold himself into servitude; he was one of the long-term workers. They were direct and straightforward and preferred the pronoun "I" to referring to themselves as lowly servants, as it gave them a sense of dignity.
Hearing the driver’s words, Hongji’s father felt that what the driver did was not wrong, and his expression softened somewhat.
"Old Master, the driver deliberately drove the ox cart very fast this morning, nearly making me vomit my breakfast from the bumps, wuu wuu, he did it on purpose because he looks down on me for being a concubine."
Hongji’s father, upon hearing Aunt Lai speak , looked sternly at the driver again.
"Heh-heh, Aunt Lai, you’re a concubine and still worried about people looking down on you? If you’re afraid of being looked down upon, then don’t be a concubine!" Mrs. Lai chimed in gleefully, eager for an argument.
Ye Shiqi and her elder sisters saw Aunt Lai making a scene in the yard, clearly trying to make things difficult for the driver who had helped them.