The Double-Chapter 40 - 38 Bai Xue

40: Chapter 38 Bai Xue

40 -38 Bai Xue

After the coming-of-age ceremony, Jiang Li’s Fangfei Garden regained its usual tranquility.

Although it had been proven that Jiang Li was wrongfully accused regarding the stolen headdress, not a single person came to comfort her.

Tonger secretly found out that Madam Jiang the Elder had summoned Ji Shuran to Night Wind Hall and severely reprimanded her.

Since Ji Shuran was the one who had taken charge of the entire coming-of-age ceremony for Jiang Youyao, the emergence of such an incident had made a mockery of the event before all the guests, causing the Jiang Family to lose face.

“This time, Lady Ji’s ability to manage household affairs must be greatly doubted by others,” Tonger said with great satisfaction when she spoke of this matter.

Jiang Li smiled.

Madam Jiang the Elder’s scolding of Ji Shuran was probably not because Ji Shuran had messed up the coming-of-age ceremony.

After all, Madam Jiang the Elder was an old hand at internal household struggles, seasoned over many years—how could she not understand the twists and turns within the household?

Moreover, Ji Shuran’s attempts to shift the blame this time were truly clumsy.

Though Madam Jiang the Elder was not particularly fond of Miss Jiang the Second, she was still fairly just and must have used this incident to chastise Ji Shuran.

However, this incident, even though it had saved Jiang Li’s own skin, also laid bare the fact that the internal peace of the Jiang Residence was disrupted, a matter bound to provoke resentment from others.

For instance, Jiang Li was still being ostracized—this was the Jiang family members’ punishment for her.

But Jiang Li herself did not care.

Tonger said with a smile, “The three new maids are still outside.

Would you like them to come in now?”

Xiangqiao and Yunshuang had already been taken away, so Jiang Li herself had Tonger, a maid, and with the guidance of an older maid, she had selected three more.

In this way, she now had, along with Tonger, two first-class maids, two second-class maids, and had also picked a sweeping maid from the outer courtyard.

It was just right.

“Let them come in,” Jiang Li said.

The three maids all came in.

The two second-class maids, one named Ming Yue and the other Qingfeng, were about the same age as Tonger and seemed to be lively and clever.

They crisply greeted Jiang Li; they had not served in the Jiang Residence before.

There was also a first-class maid named Bai Xue, slightly older than Tonger.

Unlike the first two lively maids, despite her name Bai Xue, she had dark skin and a sturdy build, wearing the distinctly tailored apricot-red dress of the Jiang Residence which seemed somewhat hilariously out of place.

Tonger examined Bai Xue, puzzled in her heart.

Generally speaking, a lady’s personal maid also represents the lady’s image.

Aside from character and capability, their appearance must be delicate and pretty.

This Bai Xue, regardless of ability, with such looks, would never be considered for a first-class maid in any other household.

When the older maid was selecting them, she mentioned Bai Xue had great strength and could be one to do sweeping work in the outer courtyard.

Jiang Li had initially thought so too, but in the end, for some reason, Bai Xue ended up as a first-class maid.

The older maid had also repeatedly inquired with Jiang Li, probably feeling that Jiang Li did not understand the reasoning behind it, but Jiang Li was stubborn too.

Tonger, looking at Bai Xue, could not discern anything special.

Jiang Li exchanged a few brief words with the three maids, and Qingfeng and Bai Lu went out to work.

Bai Xue stayed in the room, and Jiang Li looked at her and smiled, “I hear you’re from Zao Hua Village?”

Bai Xue, who had been standing very formally, relaxed a bit when Jiang Li mentioned her hometown, and replied, “Indeed.”

“I used to know a maid who also came from Zao Hua Village,” Jiang Li said with a smile.

The record book detailing Bai Xue’s family background states that she came from Zao Hua Village, not far from Yanjing.

Her family included two older brothers and a younger sister.

Her parents were farmers, tending to just over one third of an acre.

Bai Xue became so dark and sturdy because she had been helping her parents with the farm from a young age.

However, with many mouths to feed and as her brothers married and had children, life became even harder.

To earn her keep, Bai Xue entered service as a maid in Yanjing.

Maid like Bai Xue weren’t favored by the wealthy Official Families in Yanjing, who found her unattractive.

The reason the matron of the Jiang Family chose her was because Bai Xue was strong and capable of heavy chores.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Li selected Bai Xue to be a First-class Maid; perhaps it was good fortune on Bai Xue’s part.

Although Bai Xue was new to the place, she knew well that the Monthly Silver for a First-class Maid was entirely different from that of a Sweeping Maid.

She felt deep gratitude towards Jiang Li for choosing her.

However, she had heard many rumors about Miss Jiang the Second of Yanjing before coming, and had expected someone fierce and formidable.

Instead, she found Jiang Li to be amiable and even concerned about her hometown.

Bai Xue thought to herself that rumors really couldn’t be trusted, they were all nonsensical falsehoods propagated by others. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Bai Xue said, “Miss, what is the name of the maid you know?

Perhaps I might recognize her.”

“She is called Hai Tang,” Jiang Li replied with a smile.

“That maid should now be in her early twenties, with two younger brothers, and her home is next to the rice shop to the west of Zao Hua Village.

Hai Tang is tall and slender, fair and lovely, and rather good-looking.”

Tonger, listening at the side, was puzzled.

She should recognize any maid known to Jiang Li, but she had never heard of a maid named Hai Tang.

Was she from the Jiang Residence?

After lengthy thought, Bai Xue finally scratched her head and chuckled, “I can’t seem to recall such a person.

Zao Hua Village isn’t that big, nor is it too small.

However, if the miss wishes to inquire about Miss Hai Tang, I could write a letter back to my parents and ask them.”

Unable to contain herself, Tonger asked, “You can write?”

“I secretly learned a little from the private school teacher in the village,” Bai Xue replied, her laughter revealing a simple honesty.

Tonger came to view Bai Xue with a newfound respect, as not many maids in the Jiang Residence knew how to write.

Their miss indeed had a keen eye for talent; although Bai Xue seemed unremarkable in appearance, she truly had genuine skills and was deserving of being a First-class Maid.

Jiang Li was somewhat surprised to find that Bai Xue could read, and immediately smiled at Bai Xue, saying, “Then I’ll have to thank you.”

The reason she had picked Bai Xue to be her personal maid was not only because Bai Xue was honest and loyal, but more importantly, it was because Bai Xue was from Zao Hua Village.

When she was Xue Fangfei, she had a personal maid named Hai Tang who also came from Zao Hua Village.

Of Xue Fangfei’s four personal maids, two were beaten to death, and the remaining two were secretly let out of the residence by Xue Fangfei.

One was Du Juan, who had no one in her family, and it was unknown where she would end up.

However, Xue Fangfei knew about Hai Tang – that she was from Zao Hua Village and had two younger brothers.

Shen Yurong had no knowledge of Hai Tang’s origins, so she wouldn’t look into Zao Hua Village.

Besides, Hai Tang was clever and attentively meticulous.

After giving it much thought, Jiang Li deemed it very likely that Hai Tang returned to Zao Hua Village.

To reveal the hideous faces of Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning, it was imperative to find witnesses from the past.

Unfortunately, Jiang Li currently had no way to approach the Shen family, and even if she could, the members of the Shen family might not be willing to testify on her behalf.

But Hai Tang was different.

Hai Tang had grown up with her like sisters; if asked to stand as a witness in the case of Xue Fangfei, Hai Tang would certainly agree.

And all of this, Jiang Li contemplated as she looked at the simple and honest girl before her, depended on Bai Xue from Zao Hua Village.