Chapter 023: The Guard Hired at Great Expense

Fu Zhen turned her head: "Aren't you going to fetch the bird's nest and the folded fan?"

"Miss, the bird's nest and the folded fan... they're gone too!" Bixi turned around and pointed at the bare table cabinet. She went over and opened the cabinet doors and drawers with a bang, "The bird's nest was taken away by the second Miss last month, and the folded fan was taken at the beginning of the month. Not just these, the second Miss also took this year's first batch of Longjing tea, hairpins from Duobao Pavilion, rouge from Zhihe Hall..."

Bixi listed a long string of items in one breath, and none of the mentioned shops were not famous and expensive in the capital city.

Nanny Qi's face visibly turned blue. So not only did she not even get a sip of tea, but the bird's nest and ivory fan promised earlier were also gone? Was this all a joke on her?

Nanny Qi couldn't tolerate such a great humiliation!

She furrowed her brow and angrily said: "It's one thing for the Miss to bully an old servant like me, but how dare you even implicate the old lady? What are you trying to do?!"

Fu Zhen sighed: "Why get so angry, Nanny? You are the smartest and most capable person. Just think about it, you rarely step foot here, and I'm no prescient deity to know you'd come today. How could I have prepared everything, these bare tables, empty cabinets in advance?"

"Is what Bixi mentioned true? Did Rou take away the items prepared for the old lady and you? Just ask around, and you'll know the answer in no time, won't you?"

This speech left Nanny Qi speechless.

She instinctively felt that this wretched girl must have some ulterior motive, yet she could find no fault in her actions!

She didn't usually visit often, nor did she announce her visit today in advance. Fu Zhen couldn't have known in advance and prepared ahead of time.

Moreover, Fu Zhen never stuffed her with money in usual times, and she never extended a hand for it, so there was no reason for her to be guarded against her!

On the contrary, it was Fu Rou with her lavish lifestyle...

"It's really a pity about those good things. Rou is so young, she doesn't need that quality bird's nest for nourishment, nor is she in want of food. And yet she takes these away! Nanny, you know, with my ailing body, I can't restrain her. Otherwise, how wonderful it would be if those things were kept for the old lady or presented to you, Nanny!

"She's just a child; what does she need these for?"

Listening to Fu Zhen's ramblings, Nanny Qi gritted her teeth, glared at her after taking a deep breath, then huffed and swept her sleeves as she left!

Fu Zhen craned her neck for a glance, raising her voice, "Nanny is welcome to visit often!"

Visit? What nonsense!

Not even a sip of water gained from this trip, and instead, she left with a belly full of anger!

Nanny Qi quickened her pace.

It wasn't until she stepped out of the moon gate that she stopped, resentfully sitting down on the corridor railing.

This wretched girl! How dare she make a fool of her!

Don't say she didn't know the tea leaf and bird's nest were gone; even if it wasn't a pre-arranged plot, she surely knew they were gone!

She did it on purpose!

This little yellow-haired girl, how dare she ride over Nanny Qi, it's outrageous!

She cursed over and over again, understanding Fu Zhen's thoughts clearly, yet the "two hundred taels of silver per jar" tea, and the countless items Bixi listed, couldn't escape her mind.

——That was tea worth a full two hundred taels! For anyone else, she definitely wouldn't believe it, but these words were spoken by Fu Zhen, and she had to believe it!

Back when Mrs. Fu got married into the Fu Family, Nanny Qi witnessed the spectacle herself; an entire side courtyard was filled with dowry, not to mention the inheritance left by Mr. Ning later, two hundred taels of silver were nothing to the mother and her three children.

But to the rest of the Fu Family, even to the old Mrs. Fu, it was a considerable sum of silver, not to mention to a nanny who only earned a meager monthly salary?

That wretched girl Rou, just because she dotes on her every day, does she really have no regard for her at all?

The more Nanny Qi thought, the less resigned she felt, her gaze involuntarily flickering towards the direction of Rou's living quarters.

The next moment, she lifted her foot and walked toward Rou's quarters.

——No matter how rampant Fu Zhen is, she has to check how many things Rou actually took from Fu Zhen!

As soon as Nanny Qi entered Rou's courtyard, Bixi immediately relayed the information to Fu Zhen.

By the time the news that Nanny Qi lingered a good while at Rou's courtyard and returned to Rongfu Hall with a gloomy face was conveyed, Shun Er had also brought back news from the rural estate.

"The estate is managed by Zheng An and his wife, Zheng An is Nanny Qi's son, and Nanny Qi's nephew Qi Quan is also there."

"How's the management?"

"Not good at all!" Shun Er pouted, "That Zheng An takes after his mother, bullying the weak and fearing the strong, favoring the powerful while stepping on the meek.

"Plus, that Qi Quan is a gluttonous and lazy person, totally relying on being his parents' only child. Nanny Qi indulged him, often causing trouble when he was originally in the house, so he was later sent to the estate by Nanny Qi.

"There, he constantly gets into fights, and the tenants are all fed up with those cousins."

Fu Zhen asked: "Why does he get into fights?"

"Either losing in gambling or causing trouble after drinking, it's always these sorts of things."

Fu Zhen pondered and nodded.

Before taking any further steps, voices were coming from the front courtyard.

Bixi peeked out, came back, and said: "It's the Master! Miss, you'll never guess what! Master has hired two new guards, they're big and brawny, even carrying swords!"

Guards?

Fu Zhen, her mind stirring, walked down to the moon gate leading to the main courtyard, and indeed saw two tall, muscular men standing in front of the door, obviously trained guards.

Mrs. Fu's maid Jin Zhu walked over to give her a look, quietly reminding her that Fu Yun was inside, and whispered to her: "These two were recently hired by Master as Protectors. I heard last night, Housekeeper He went to several martial arts schools in the city to hire some of the best Protectors back, and Master finally chose these two, promising them ten taels of silver a month."

Ten taels of silver a month for a Protector?

That dog of a man spends generously when it comes to dealing with her!

Fu Zhen scrutinized the two strong men, and perhaps her gaze was too bold, as the men seemed somewhat uneasy, turning their faces away.

Inside, Fu Yun's voice emerged:

"...I know you're still upset about me taking in Qingniang, but isn't it normal for a man to have several wives and concubines? Besides, except for Qingniang, I have no one else.

"Moreover, Qingniang is so capable, and you have to look after Zhen every day. I'm just considerate of you managing the household being too tiring, so I found you a helper.

"Since she started managing the back garden, everything is neat and orderly, saving you half the trouble. You should be happy to have her assisting with the household affairs!"

Even separated by a wall, the shamelessness couldn't be contained!

Fu Zhen walked up to the strong men, her gaze traveled up from their feet, finally meeting their eyes: "Which martial arts school do you come from? What's your teacher's name?"