A stew of the Red Chamber

Chapter 8 Undercurrents

The way she called her "sister" was so sincere and heartfelt that Ping'er's heart skipped a beat.

She genuinely cared about Wang Qing, but if she hadn't been ordered by Wang Xifeng, she wouldn't have been so open about bringing him food and showing concern for him late at night.

Seeing Wang Qing's sincere and open expression, Ping'er felt both ashamed and guilty, and said in a hoarse voice, "This servant...this servant is not as kind as you think, sir. It's just a favor I'm doing."

As soon as she said it, Ping'er remembered Wang Xifeng's instructions and felt a little regretful.

Unexpectedly, Wang Qing's expression darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Wang Qing is an orphan with no relatives or friends. He is best able to tell who is good to him. My sister is truly kind to me, and Wang Qing would never be wrong about that!"

At this point, he raised his right hand and solemnly said, "If Wang Qing ever achieves great success, he will never forget your kindness today!"

Although Wang Qing's words were impeccable, Ping'er was, after all, Jia Lian's concubine, and her solemn oath to heaven was somewhat ambiguous.

Unfortunately, Wang Xifeng sent her here precisely to win Wang Qing's favor. Although she wanted to correct the ambiguity in his words, she was afraid of scaring Wang Qing and ruining Wang Xifeng's plans, and she was also worried that going along with his words would cause an even bigger misunderstanding.

He could only lower his head, feeling ashamed to accept Wang Qing's gratitude.

However, Wang Xifeng did hint at a certain possibility.

Ping'er knew her own situation and felt guilty. Fearing that staying any longer would only deepen the misunderstanding, she quickly picked up the food box at her feet, stood up and said, "I can't stay by Grandmother's side for too long. Since Master Qing has finished eating, I'll head back now."

Wang Qing didn't insist on keeping him, but his expression darkened, and he rose somewhat flustered, saying, "Sister... Sister, please have some tea before you go!"

Although he looked slightly flustered, he did not change his form of address.

Ping'er dared not look at him any longer. She lowered her head and began to pack the dishes into the food box, politely declining, "It's getting late, Master Qing, you don't need to be so polite."

Having said that, he picked up the food box, turned around, and left.

"I'll see my sister off!" Wang Qing stepped forward quickly.

"This servant is unworthy and unworthy to trouble Master Qing with your escort. I hope you will not be too kind to me!"

Ping'er declined briefly, but seeing that Wang Qing still showed no sign of stopping, she paused slightly and spoke again, "Otherwise, this servant dares not come next time."

"Well..." Seeing her resolute attitude, Wang Qing finally relented and stopped, saying, "Take care, sister!"

Ping'er gave a slight bow to the side and quickly took her leave.

Wang Qing watched her leave the backyard, then a smile appeared on his lips as he turned and went back into the house.

Skilled hunters often appear in the form of their prey.

Although Ping'er had a good reputation in the mansion, she was, after all, Jia Lian's concubine.

She came to deliver food late at night and even shared it with him without any hesitation. Wang Qing found it hard to believe that she would be so outrageous.

After much thought, Wang Xifeng realized that either Grandmother Jia would ask about it later and she would feel guilty for neglecting her duty, or she would be sent to make amends after learning that the task of catching the thief had fallen to her.

However, regardless of Ping'er's purpose for this trip, Wang Qing could clearly feel the goodwill she conveyed in her words, so he naturally couldn't be impervious and keep her at arm's length.

Moreover, only by showing genuine gratitude can this play continue.

……

Ping'er walked out of the backyard and saw a servant bringing over tea.

Seeing that Ping'er was about to leave, they didn't care about Wang Qing anymore and eagerly followed behind Ping'er with tea.

"The young lady is leaving already?"

"You haven't even had your tea yet!"

Ping'er ignored them, only stopping at the courtyard gate. She said, "Why are you following me instead of serving Master Qing? How long has he been here? You haven't even boiled the water! You're supposed to be relatives of the household, yet you treat him so poorly!"

She looked around at everyone, then continued, "Master Qing is a martial artist, and his appetite is not like that of ordinary people. I just spoke with him, and we will be all allotting him an extra portion of his allowance from now on. You'd better take care of yourselves!"

After saying that, he left without looking back.

Although Ping'er was loyal, she was not stupid.

A man's confident assertion that he would never forget a woman's affection after achieving success is clearly not as simple as it seems.

In wealthy families, it was common for them to exchange concubines, let alone someone who was just a maidservant.

If Wang Qingzhen could produce Huiwen, Wang Xifeng might very well go along with it and sell herself for a good price.

As for Jia Lian, if he could really outmaneuver Wang Xifeng, then the others in the room wouldn't have all been kicked out.

Giving Wang Qing a warning to the servants in the courtyard might make his life a little easier, but it would also make it harder for him to play the victim in front of Grandmother Jia.

Striving to secure as many opportunities as possible for Wang Qing to preserve his future is not only about leaving yourself a way out, but also about providing extra protection in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Although she was kind to others, she also knew that good advice was hard to persuade a damned ghost.

Therefore, he did not do a good deed in vain. He simply made a light comment and then left to report back to Wang Xifeng.

……

Rongguo Mansion, East Wing.

Madam Xing dramatically swung the handkerchief in her hand, swaying her shapely figure, twisting her waist, and tiptoeing into the backyard with a radiant face.

Following the laughter from the backyard, he arrived at a pavilion, raised his hand to tuck a corner of his hair behind his ear, and bowed deeply to Jia She, who was flanked by two women, striking a pose as he said, "Master!"

Without even raising his head, Jia She stretched out his withered, rough hands and pinched Cuiyun and Jiaohong, who were nestled on either side of him, hard before coldly asking, "Is everything settled?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Xing straightened her back slightly without realizing it, then lowered her posture, bowed, and said with a fawning smile, "Although the old lady didn't agree, she did take 1,500 taels from her personal funds..."

Before he could even utter the word "silver," he suddenly noticed Jia She's face darken.

Madam Xing was startled, her smile froze instantly, and her tongue trembled involuntarily.

Jia She roared, "Useless! You can't even handle this small matter!"

"Master...Master!" Madam Xing stammered, pleading, "I've tried everything, but the old lady just won't budge. What can I do? Besides, even if we send someone over, isn't it just to get some money? Wouldn't that save us the trouble?"

"Foolish!" Jia She said angrily, "Don't you even think about it? The second branch of the family was robbed, while we suffered no losses. If she weren't guilty, would the old lady be so kind as to give us compensation?"

"Uh..." Madam Xing was taken aback, but after thinking about it carefully, she felt that Jia She's words made sense.

Seeing this, Jia She became even angrier, scolding him for his lack of self-respect: "You can't even be bothered with this much, yet you have the nerve to be so smug? The old lady has always been biased; she's only willing to give me 1,500 taels to shut me up today. Who knows how much she's secretly given to the second branch of the family!"

Although Madam Xing deeply agreed, she dared not add fuel to the fire, and could only advise, "After all, we still managed to get 1,500 taels, and we didn't suffer any losses. Even if the old lady gives too much to the second wife, we can almost even things out by splitting the cost."

Hearing this, Jia She's expression finally softened somewhat. He raised his hand and asked, "Where's the silver?"

Madam Xing hurriedly unbuttoned the buttons under her breast, reached into her silk jacket, and pulled out several silver notes from her bosom, carefully handing them to Jia She.

Jia She snatched the silver note, waved it in his hand with obvious disdain, and said irritably, "Look at your stingy attitude! Go on!"

"Ah!" Upon hearing this, Madam Xing felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders and quickly took her leave.

Unexpectedly, just as she turned around and took a step, Jia She called out, "Stop!"

Madam Xing quickly turned around, her face beaming with a smile, and asked, "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

Jia She pondered for a moment and said, "Tell Qin Fu to make preparations. If that thief comes to the manor to cause trouble again next time, we'll have to make a scene."

……