Chapter 19 Being Framed

After Mrs. Li went away to visit relatives, Daya could only continue to work hard with her two younger sisters.

The rice in the fields began to bloom, attracting insects and rats; they couldn't bring in the water during the day, and could only do so at night.

Hongji of course couldn't let the children stay in the fields at night. After eating dinner, he would go to the fields to channel water from the ditches into the fields.

Mrs. Lai had once gone through their clothes and shoes when the three oldest children were not around, but she found nothing.

The first time she searched, she wanted to hit Siwa. Siwa dared neither cry nor hide, looking timidly at Mrs. Lai.

"Wah wah wah wah wah"

The sudden loud crying of Ye Shiqi drew Hongji over, and this somewhat conscientious father scolded Mrs. Lai.

Late, Mrs. Lai would come quietly and leave quietly; actually, besides searching the clothes, she wanted to see if Mrs. Li had hidden any private money.

She couldn't believe that Mrs. Li had been to the county for a month and worked in a wealthy family without making any money, receiving only some goods.

The role of Ye Shiqi here was to pretend to cry and act foolish. Her father's room had nothing of value; the only decent clothes and shoes she had hidden away.

As night fell, she would take out two picture books for recognizing words from under her seat, actually fearing that her grandmother might find and take them, placing the books under her seat as a mere diversion.

Tired from the day's work, Daya, along with her three sisters and Wuwa, enjoyed the picture books under the oil lamp.

Hongji stopped his carpentry work at night. This was his only time to rest, and he would read and teach the children, although he didn't know many characters himself, having learned some while apprenticing in carpentry.

Drawing lines for carpentry was a skill every craftsman needed to understand.

"Don't you hurry up and sleep? Does the oil lamp burn for free?"

Often, when they were most engrossed and joyous, the scolding of Mrs. Lai could be heard from next door.

"Children, go to sleep! I'll stop the story here for today and we'll continue tomorrow," Hongji, tired from talking and hearing his mother's scolding, dutifully arranged for the children to sleep.

Daya and her sisters obediently went to bed, and before falling asleep, they recounted the stories their father had told them under the mosquito net, wondering if life would be less harsh if they were like the princesses in fairy tales.

Daya and her sisters never voiced their complaints aloud; their family's attitude towards girls might be somewhat unique in the village.

But other families treated boys better than girls. As girls, living under the treatment of the elders, they felt somewhat inferior, always industrious.

...

Mrs. Li returned to the Young Master's courtyard in Tang Mansion. The Young Master was sleeping restlessly, his face a bit red, a symptom of a fever.

All she could do was stay by his side, and after a day, the Young Master's fever subsided and he became very clingy to her.

After the Young Master recovered, Mrs. Li once again took him to Madam's courtyard.

"Mrs. Li, I didn't expect the Young Master to be so attached to you. What shall we do about this? This monthly visitation cannot be missed to leave the Young Master behind," said the Madam.

"Madam, the monthly visitations are my only chance to see my children," replied Mrs. Li. "You don't know how pitiful my children are at home! The oldest is only eight, the youngest barely two months old, and the three older ones go out to work every day, rain or shine. With me not at home, so many chores are left to their tiny bodies."

Mrs. Li, as she spoke, began to cry.

Madam, who was also a mother, frowned as she listened. Although she had never endured hardship as a wealthy lady, she was aware that poor families faced greater difficulties. She had someone investigate Mrs. Li's family; the father and son were carpenters, which should have brought in a good income, and with Mrs. Li's monthly salary from her work, the family should have been well-off.

"Your Mother-in-Law? What about the two younger sisters-in-law at home? They are adults, how can they let the little children go out to work?"

"They just stay at home..."

"This is simply outrageous, and your husband? With the family treating the children this way, does he not care?"

"My husband is very filial; the money from the carpentry work is all kept by my father-in-law and mother-in-law."

"Mrs. Li, you are just a servant, I can't treat you too well, but I can only reward you with some items and money. Things will get better when the Young Master grows a bit older."

"Yes..."

Madam gave Mrs. Li some more items, including fabric and cotton.

"Thank you, Madam." When Mrs. Li saw these items, she thought of her children's winter clothes. Every year, the children wore thin clothes and often caught colds.

Mrs. Li took the items back to the yard and received many envious stares.

She then carried the Young Master to the young madam's courtyard, where she was scolded by the young madam.

The young madam sat on a round chair in the hall, leaning against soft pillows, her stern gaze fixed on Mrs. Li, who was holding the Young Master.

The maid took the Young Master from Mrs. Li's arms.

"Mrs. Li, do you realize your mistake?"

"Young madam, Mrs. Li is at fault..." Mrs. Li guessed that the young madam was referring to the Young Master running a fever, for which she was responsible.

"If you know your mistake, you must correct it. The Young Master is still very young. How could he have become feverish right after you left? Could it be that you did not take good care of him? He was already feverish before you headed home, and yet, seeing the Young Master feverish, you insisted on going home."

"The little woman dare not. Indeed, she saw the Young Master in good condition before leaving home; he was not even awake then."

"Still making excuses, the maid reported that when the Young Master became feverish, all the doors and windows in his room were open. The weather was starting to cool down, how could you be so careless?"

"Young madam, this is really unjust to the little woman. When I left, the Young Master's room door was closed, and only a little window was open, not all the doors and windows."

Upon hearing the young madam's words, Mrs. Li understood why the Young Master had become feverish after she had left; it was due to catching cold, yet she could not comprehend how the doors and windows had been open.

"Mrs. Li, I previously thought you were very honest, which is why I have always kept you by the Young Master's side. But not only have you been careless, you now even deny it by making excuses. Everyone around the Young Master has said that it was your carelessness that led to his fever."

"Young madam, when I left, I instructed the maid to take good care of the Young Master. It's not me shirking responsibility; I truly feel wronged."

"Mrs. Li, I might disregard the words of one or two maids, but when everyone in the Young Master's courtyard says so, it indicates your negligence."

"Young madam, whether or not this is a false accusation, the Young Master's fever is my responsibility. I will be more careful in the future." Mrs. Li was starting to understand; she was powerless alone, and there were people deliberately setting her up to be unjustly treated, and it wasn't just one person; everyone in the courtyard wanted her gone.

"Mrs. Li, you admitted your mistake, how should I punish you? I will penalize what matters to you most—the leave to visit your family next month will be cut by one day, and you won't be allowed to go home. Your monthly salary will be sent by someone else from the young madam's side."

The young madam's triumphant expression, along with her maids, all smiled smugly, watching Mrs. Li's panicked face. The sadness in her expression brought them a perverse joy.