Chapter 022: Was she playing him?

Bi Xi blinked a few times and nodded, only then did Fu Zhen release her.

Bi Xi grew up eating and playing with her; Fu Zhen knew well how loyal she was.

But if things were handled without following the rules, it would only harm her.

Previously, Fu Zhen was unable to do much about this, but now it was not too late to fix the problem.

"Miss," at this moment, the door curtain was lifted, and Ru Yi walked in with a fearful expression: "Someone has come from the old madam's place!"

The master and servant inside the room simultaneously looked out the window, and indeed, a sharp-faced nanny was approaching from the courtyard gate opposite.

Ru Yi quickly went to meet her, but the nanny slapped her as soon as they met; the crisp sound and her coarse voice reached inside the room: "You useless thing! Why are you running? Hiding to slack off? No discipline! Bullying the eldest girl because she's unwell, have you always behaved so indulgently?"

Bi Xi instinctively straightened up and stood in front of Fu Zhen: "It's Nanny Qi! She doesn't usually come here in person, but frequently visits Aunt Liu's side. Her coming this time isn't for good reasons, Miss, you should quickly lie down on the bed!"

Nanny Qi was the maid who accompanied the old Madam Fu when she got married and was her close confidant.

In the Fu Family, her words were like the old Madam Fu's own words; even Fu Jun had to be polite to her.

Fu Zhen, being frail and without responsibilities, generally didn't catch the old Madam Fu's eye; her focus was on Mrs. Fu, so Nanny Qi had no need to cross the threshold.

But now she came directly to punish the maid in Fu Zhen's room!

Only an idiot would fail to see that she was targeting Fu Zhen!

Fu Zhen withdrew her gaze and calmly picked up the soup, taking a sip, and then said: "What are you afraid of? Listen to my instructions now; send Ru Yi to the front yard to immediately dispatch Shun Er to South Suburb. Find out who is managing the new estate the family bought? Who is there? Quickly.

"Then, invite Nanny Qi in."

After speaking, she leaned closer to Bi Xi and whispered a few words.

Shun Er was one of the servants brought over by Mrs. Fu from the Ning Family; at the moment, Fu Zhen couldn't trust anyone else.

From yesterday until now, Fu Zhen's resistance against Fu Jun and Mrs. Liu and her daughter had already spread throughout the Fu Family, both inside and out, yet there had been no response from the Rongfu Hall where the old Madam Fu lived. This was rare in the history where the old Madam had always oppressed Mrs. Fu.

After a night, Nanny Qi finally came, but as soon as she arrived, she showed authority by picking on Ru Yi, which was clearly imposing the same method Fu Zhen had used against Mrs. Liu yesterday, now in reverse to intimidate Fu Zhen!

Just as Bi Xi said, since Nanny Qi was usually on good terms with Mrs. Liu, this demonstration of authority likely involved some machinations from Mrs. Liu and her daughter.

If it were yesterday, Fu Zhen might have confronted her directly, but today she had another plan and didn't want to face her head-on.

Bi Xi, trembling, complied and drew back the curtain to invite Nanny Qi in.

Once inside, she swept a glance around the room and approached Fu Zhen who was lounging on the couch: "This servant greets the Miss."

Though she said she was greeting, she merely nodded and didn't bend her waist.

Fu Zhen propped herself up and covered her mouth with a handkerchief, coughing twice: "This won't do, Nanny, please have a seat."

Bi Xi brought over a chair, and Fu Zhen added: "Nanny is an honored guest, quickly brew the top-grade melon seeds tea costing two hundred silver per jar that Mother gave me for Nanny."

She then smiled at Nanny Qi, saying: "Last time I was punished at Rongfu Hall, it was thanks to Nanny's plea on my behalf, I've always remembered that. This tea, I especially reserved for Nanny."

At the time when the original host was punished to kneel at Rongfu Hall, Nanny Qi and Fu Rou played a double act; on the surface, they pleaded for her, but secretly they stirred up trouble. At least half of the punishments the original host received were due to Nanny Qi's instigation!

Nanny Qi's tone softened a bit: "Miss remembers this old servant, so my usual pity for the Miss isn't in vain.

"I am here by the old madam's orders to check on the Miss and heard that yesterday the Miss was frightened on the mountain; I'm here to see how you are now. Would you need this old servant to call a doctor for you?"

After saying this, she scrutinized Fu Zhen's complexion in the daylight.

Fu Zhen sighed as she lay against the pillow; both her figure and face exuded a sense of exhaustion, looking just as she usually did.

It was nothing like the "turning into Rashamon" that people had been saying happened yesterday.

"This body of mine lingers day by day; it's troublesome. The old madam is so concerned and made you come especially for me. — Bi Xi, take out that bird's nest costing four hundred silver per package from the other day and let Nanny Qi bring it to the old madam, and also fetch my ivory fan for Nanny to entertain herself with."

Nanny Qi laughed: "I'm fine, don't trouble the Miss. But since the Miss has such filial piety for the old lady, the old lady's care for the Miss is well worth it!"

The eldest girl has always been like a block of wood, never understood social niceties. Since she became sensible, she never proactively considered them. Even with the old madam, she would avoid her like a rat, trembling at the sound of her, clearly with plenty of money to spare, yet she never loosened her hands a bit to show respect!

In her opinion, the punishments she received in the past weren't undeserved!

If she had been so sensible earlier, would things have come to this?

She already knew everything about what happened on the mountain yesterday clearly; unexpectedly, after being so frightened by Fu Rou, the Miss learned to behave, and also knew what to do.

Fu Zhen smiled slightly, taking a sip of tea.

Suddenly she asked: "Why hasn't the tea been served yet?"

"Miss!" Bi Xi hurried in upon hearing, "The jar of tea you specially left for Nanny... is gone."

"Gone?" Fu Zhen raised her voice, "How could it be gone just like that?"

Bi Xi said, "The day before yesterday, the second girl came by, said she happened to be out of tea at home, and asked to take it away to drink."

Fu Zhen, breathing heavily, began to scold: "Damned thing! Didn't you tell her it was specially reserved for Nanny Qi?"

"This servant did tell her, the second girl said, Nanny adores her and wouldn't mind, and no matter what, she's also a master in the residence, while Nanny is just a servant. This servant couldn't stop her…"

Fu Zhen, overwhelmed with anger, fell back against the pillow.

Bi Xi hurriedly stepped forward to pat her back.

Nanny Qi also couldn't sit still, she stood up: "It's just a jar of tea, no need for the Miss to take it to heart!"

Fu Zhen, between gasps, apologized: "Forgive me, Nanny, it's all my fault. The entrance to this courtyard is too loosely guarded. You come only a few days, and it's our honor, and such a good tea, this year's new produce, Mother only received three jars, it should've been used to serve you well, but now this—"

Nanny Qi maintained a stern face, saying nothing.

What Fu Zhen said, she naturally didn't believe.

Before this, she'd never gotten a single benefit from Fu Zhen, and when she mentioned this and that earlier, she thought she'd changed, but it turned out she was played!

She never intended to give it to her!

She was careless, surprisingly she believed this dead girl! This dead girl was daring enough to play her tricks on her!

She snorted coldly and said, "Tea or no tea, it doesn't matter, what person do you take this old servant for? Dare I covet the Miss's belongings? However, since the Miss mentioned having filial piety to give to the old lady, then take it out, this old servant will take it back to report!"