A lowly maid is akin to livestock.
Until Jin Feng redeems Tang Xiaobei, she remains the property of Chunfeng House, and the madam can beat or scold her at will, even to death, with no one to intervene.
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Chunfeng House had invested significant resources and effort into Tang Xiaobei, and Jin Feng was deeply worried that the madam, in her anger, might abuse her.
By the light of the lanterns, he stared intently at Tang Xiaobei’s courtyard, his mind racing, contemplating what to do if the madam turned violent. Fortunately, the courtyard remained quiet, with no cries or shouts.
The madam stayed for nearly an hour before leaving, with Tang Xiaobei following to see her off at the gate. From her walking posture, she seemed uninjured.
“It seems the madam is still restraining herself,” Jin Feng thought, his worries easing.
As Tang Xiaobei closed the gate, she glanced deeply at the window where Jin Feng stood, then gave a slight curtsy, clearly understanding his concern.
Tie Chui kept watch by the window until midnight, only going to bed after confirming the madam had retired.
The next morning, as Jin Feng woke, the madam arrived with a maid. “Is the gentleman comfortable here?”
“Quite good,” Jin Feng replied. “How is Miss Xiaobei?”
“Thanks to your kind words, it was just a chill. She recovered last night,” the madam said with a smile. “The flower cart is heading to the river soon. Will you join us or go separately?”
“Together,” Jin Feng said, intending to stay close to Tang Xiaobei until her redemption.
“I’ll arrange the carriage,” the madam said, but as she turned to leave, her personal maid rushed over, looking anxious.
“Madam, bad news!”
“Where are the manners I taught you? Panicking like this, making a fool of yourself in front of the gentleman!” the madam scolded, then asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Madam, the county office sent an official saying that since Sister Xiaobei is unwell, she needn’t attend the flower queen contest until she’s recovered,” the maid replied nervously.
“Where’s the official?” The madam, forgetting decorum, twisted her plump frame to rush out. “Tell Old Liang to prepare a hundred taels of silver!”
“Madam, the official left after delivering the message,” the maid said quickly.
“How could this happen?” The madam stomped in frustration. “Tell Old Liang to prepare a horse. I need to see Lord Liu!”
She hurried off, forgetting Jin Feng entirely.
Jin Feng, relieved by the quiet, sat back down. Over half an hour later, the madam hadn’t returned. The Chunfeng House flower cart left without Tang Xiaobei, and since she wasn’t going, Jin Feng stayed behind.
With the girls at the river, Chunfeng House was eerily quiet. By evening, when the flower cart returned, the place regained its bustle, but beneath the lively facade, tension simmered. The girls tread carefully, wary of provoking the madam, who was on the verge of erupting.
“Sir, I’ve got news,” Tie Chui said by the window. “As you suspected, after last night, Xiaobei’s night demon reputation has spread like wildfire. The young masters who paid to queue for her are now demanding refunds from the madam.”
“The ways of the world are harsh,” Jin Feng sighed. “But we should be able to leave soon.”
Per his plan, redeeming Tang Xiaobei would take time, but the county’s ban on her participation had shortened the process significantly.
Just then, the madam’s voice sounded at the door. “We’ve all been out today, neglecting you, sir. Please forgive us!”
“No matter. With Miss Xiaobei facing such an unjust calamity, I’m in no mood for revelry,” Jin Feng said, steering the conversation to Tang Xiaobei. “By the way, Madam Zhou, why didn’t Miss Xiaobei attend the contest today?”
“It’s those gossipmongers spreading lies, calling Xiaobei a cursed night demon. It reached the county governor’s ears, and he, swayed by slander, barred her from competing,” the madam said angrily. “Isn’t that ruining her reputation?”
“What now?” Jin Feng asked, feigning anxiety.
“After this fiasco, Xiaobei’s done for,” the madam said, wiping tears. “She’s my dearest girl. I just want to find her a good match to marry into.”
Jin Feng, pretending not to catch her hint, sighed, “Such a pity.”
Seeing he wasn’t biting, the madam pressed on. “Sir, didn’t your wife take a liking to Xiaobei last time? I can see you’re a trustworthy man. Why not redeem Xiaobei and take her away from this heartbreaking place?”
“Well…” Jin Feng hesitated. “But Miss Xiaobei is… is…”
“Oh, Mr. Jin, others may not know, but you do! Xiaobei’s no night demon, just caught a chill,” the madam said, wiping more tears. “She’s devoted to you. If she heard you say this, she’d be heartbroken. Oh, my poor girl…”
“Enough, Madam Zhou,” Jin Feng said, gritting his teeth. “How much to redeem Miss Xiaobei?”
“She’s my dearest girl,” the madam repeated, then said, “I won’t make it hard for you. Just five thousand taels, and you can take her.”
“Five thousand taels?!” Jin Feng exclaimed. “I… I don’t have that much…”
If she’d asked for two or three hundred taels, he’d have paid to save time. But five thousand was blatant extortion. Even if he had the money, he wouldn’t be taken for a fool.
“How much do you have, sir?” the madam asked. In business, one starts high and negotiates down.
“Let me check,” Jin Feng said, pulling out some silver notes. “A hundred and forty taels in total. If I hadn’t rewarded Xiaobei yesterday, I’d have another hundred.”
“A hundred and forty? That’s far too little,” the madam said, shaking her head like a rattle. “Not to mention what I paid for Xiaobei, the clothes and jewellery for her training these years cost at least three thousand taels.”
“Madam Zhou, if I redeem Xiaobei, I won’t take the clothes or jewellery,” Jin Feng said. “My wife has sixty or seventy taels. We’ll keep some for travel and try to scrape together two hundred taels. Will that do?”
“No, no, too little,” the madam refused.
“Then I’m out of options,” Jin Feng said, shaking his head “regretfully,” knowing he couldn’t back down further.
