Qin Huaiyuan’s knitted forehead grew even tighter. Idiotic woman who speaks of everything in front of our daughters! “The two of you are dismissed. I have something to discuss with your mother. Jin- mama , use the best ointment on Fourth Miss. It will look ridiculous if her face swells up tomorrow!”
Qin Huaiyuan picked up on Jin- mama ’s hesitation and snorted coldly. “What, does Jin- mama only listen to the orders of your madame, and considers this official’s words as empty air? Or do you fear that this official will bully your madame?”
Qin Huaiyuan had spent many years at court, so the aura and bearing he naturally exuded wasn’t something servants could stand up to. Jin- mama’s legs began trembling as she immediately apologized, “This servant doesn’t dare! This servant will apply ointment to Fourth Miss immediately.”
“Qin Meng, so you’ve come back to throw your weight around in my quarters! Throw your weight around outside if you’re man enough! What’s so strong about acting all high and mighty with a woman…”
Jin- mama was feeling quite pained by the madame’s carrying-on, and received a further shock when she lifted her head and saw the two young misses standing beneath the covered hallway. She hastily walked forward to grab both of their arms, murmuring lowly, “Don’t stand here, misses!”
Recalling Qin Huaiyuan’s orders and looking at Qin Huining’s worried expression, Jin- mama thought for a moment and brought the two to the side room adjoining the main room. It was usually reserved for tea breaks. She whispered, “Please sit here a moment, misses. This servant will go fetch ointment for Fourth Miss right away.”
Qin Yining nodded, but didn’t thank her this time. The stinging slap on her cheek from her birth mother had forced her to fully recognize the reality of her situation. She’d been home for less than twelve hours—and how much grandstanding and ostracism had she been subject to already?
The old dowager dismissed her, her birth mother rejected her, and the rest turned in whatever direction the wind blew. Even her maids dared to brazenly steal her things, and went so far as to hold back some of her coal when she called them out for the theft. This usurper foster daughter was the pinnacle of it all, provoking fights and encouraging misunderstandings left and right. Each and every one of them thought of her as an easy target, trying to take advantage of the fact that she had no backer in the Qin manor !
She was the sort who would rather die on her feet than live on her knees. Qin Yining had faced down this cold world and lived through everything it’d thrown at herl, how would she accept defeat so easily here?
She’d enough courage to face down wild wolves and patience to hunt her own game. True, she cherished the hopeful dreams of a family, but that didn’t mean that she would constantly give way to these people! Qin Yining touched her cheek gently with one hand, her fingertips pinching softly at the swollen part of her cheek while a chilling smile blossomed on her lips.
“…even a young girl like our daughter Hui can tell, so how could you, my husband, still try to lie to me?! Why was I so blind in marrying you? Would your career have been this smooth if it hadn’t been for my father helping you? You don’t even know to thank my family or treat me better now that you’re the prime minister! And now you even bring a bastard back to fool me with!”
“Will you give it a rest!?” Qin Huaiyuan’s voice was thick with anger. “Idiot woman, I can’t be bothered with you any longer!”
“Please get up, the floor is cold.” Qin Yining frowned and was about to help her mother up, but Qin Huining shoved her hand out of the way and shouldered the other girl aside.
Jin- mama was so alarmed that all color drained from her face. “Madame, it’s almost curfew. It won’t be good for you to just go back now. Why not rest for now and go back first thing next morning? We’d able to explain things to the old dowager as well…”
The little serving girls were so frightened that they didn’t even dare breathe loudly. They crept lightly across the courtyard and hung up the evening lanterns in silence. Warm, orange light began to spread slowly, casting circles of light onto the covered hallway.
Qin Yining smiled coldly at Qin Huining. The latter grew nervous under the unsettling gaze and took out a handkerchief to dab at her tears.
“Don’t blame me for saying too much, Little Creek.” Her voice caught in a choke “How could I have not spoken a few words to mother just now when she was like that? Your words were jabbing right into her. You haven’t spent these years by mother’s side, so you don’t know her pain. It’s natural that you might say something out of turn.” When she saw Qin Yining slowly walk towards her, Qin Huining smiled amiably through her tears. “Little Creek, your face is swollen quite badly. I have a very good ointment for swelling. I’ll have Bitong bring it over to you in a while.”
“Is that so? Then it looks like I have to thank you.” Qin Yining planted her feet in front of the other girl, a cold light flashing deeply in her beautiful, almond shaped eyes. Qin Huining felt like a rabbit on the receiving end of a hungry wolf’s stare.
“No, no need.” She couldn’t help but swallow nervously. “You and I are sisters after all, we…”
SLAP!
A crisp slap reverberated through the air! Qin Huining’s ears rang as stars swam before her eyes. She collapsed in a heap, her senses deserting her at the sheer force of the blow. Off to the side, Cai- mama , Bitong, Ruilan, and Qiulu were all flabbergasted. They couldn’t even form the presence of mind to help the young miss up.
“I don’t need your ointment, save it for yourself!”
“You!” The dazed Qin Huining came to at the sound of Qin Yining’s voice and shrieked. Her mouth began to bleed freely, garbling her words. “You dare slap me?!”
“Yes, and here’s another!” Qin Yining bent at the waist, drawing her elbow back with gusto and whipping it across and down in a fierce blow. She had chopped her own wood and skinned her own game on the mountain; the strength in her hand was not to be underestimated. Both slaps landed in the exact same spot, and Qin Huining’s cheek swiftly began to swell.
The foster girl screamed loudly as she pointed at Qin Yining, “You wild barbarian! How dare you hit me! Servants, grab her!”
Cai- mama and Bitong finally snapped out of their daze and rolled up their sleeves, preparing to restrain Qin Yining. Even Ruilan was eager to join the fray. The three of them rushed Qin Yining, two aiming for the girl’s arms and one for her hair. But they didn’t even manage to touch the hem of her clothes.
Qin Yining sidestepped Ruilan, sending her sprawling with a neat hook of the heel. Her left foot came back down hard on Ruilan’s back. An arm whipped out, backhanding Cai- mama ’s upper arm with a slice. As for Bitong, by the time the dust had settled, Qin Yining’s other hand was firmly clutching her throat.
The three were ashen-faced with pain. Bitong was even holding her breath in fright, not daring to do anything. Qin Yining ground her foot down onto Ruilan’s back, wrenching an agonized cry from her lips. The fourth miss smiled coldly. “It’s one thing for outsiders to try to grab me, but my maid? You went and joined them instead of protecting your mistress? Do you want to die?!”
“Mercy, miss, mercy!” Ruilan’s voice broke as she pleaded. The other servants of Garden of Tranquility who’d wanted to charge Qin Yining down all looked at each other. The desire to rush forward had been doused as thoroughly as a pail of water on a candle. All of them shuddered. Who would dare to look at Qin Yining as dismissively as they had before?
Qin Huining finally managed to scramble to her feet and stumbled behind a column to take shelter. “You, you, you barbarian! Lowborn harlot with no manners!”
“Yes, I am a barbarian!” Qin Yining discarded Cai- mama and Bitong like strays, leaving Ruilan moaning on the ground, and headed straight for the foster daughter. “I’ve had enough. I’ve done my best to please you, and yet all of you still treat me as a barbarian. If that’s the case, then why don’t I show you what a barbarian does?!”