Chapter 115: A Cure for the Heart’s Affliction

Just as the family stepped through the courtyard gate, the young maid, Xu’er, came running out. As she took the items from their hands, she laughed happily, saying, "Mistress, the manor sent over some gifts, saying they are for the young master and young miss as a token of welcome."

The "manor" Xu’er referred to was, naturally, the Liu residence.

In truth, given Master Zhou’s means, he could not afford to hire maids or housekeepers. However, Xu’er and Old Mother Wang had been sent over by Liu Qin from the Liu residence; they remained on the manor’s roster and collected their monthly wages from the Liu household, so they were still considered part of the Liu staff.

Master Zhou had declined twice, but eventually, unable to resist Liu Qin’s persistence, he accepted. He felt deeply grateful and comforted by this gesture; with a maid and a housekeeper, Yao Xuanrong would not have to labor so hard, and as a husband, he felt a sense of accomplishment.

Hearing that the manor had sent gifts, Yao Xuanrong hurried into the house.

On the table lay a large pile of items. Upon closer inspection, she saw two bolts each of silk and satin in both men's and women's styles, a bolt of fine gauze, two gold-linked collars for children, two pairs of gold twisted-wire bracelets, and a variety of snacks, pastries, and medicinal herbs.

For a tutor teaching at the manor, this gift was far too generous.

Yao Xuanrong was startled and exchanged a glance with her husband, only to see Master Zhou nod his head.

Once Xu’er had left, Master Zhou said, "Since they have already been sent, let us accept them. We shall simply keep this kindness in our hearts."

Zhou Ruomei and Zhou Chengzhi had already rushed over with cheers. The young girl, already appreciative of beauty, stared wide-eyed at the exquisite silks, while the other, much like Liu Qin herself, was a little glutton who grabbed a bag of pastries with a grin.

Master Zhou understood clearly that although the Master of the house held him in high regard, this gift had certainly been orchestrated by Liu Qin. His eyes grew slightly moist. What virtue or merit did he possess to be so blessed? He was able to settle in a house like the Liu estate, teach such an excellent group of children, and even have a student like Liu Qin.

He could not help but recall that year when he was at his wit's end; it was this very student who told him that a person must be fed before they can do anything else. Her words had enlightened him, curing him of his pedantry, which finally caught the eye of the Master of the house. The young miss was truly his lucky star.

After these reflections, Master Zhou let the matter go and stepped into the inner room. Since the house was not large and there was no separate study, he had partitioned off a corner of the inner chamber to place a desk and stationery for his daily reading.

Though Master Zhou had temporarily set aside his ambitions for officialdom, he had not slackened in his studies. This was partly due to long-standing habit, and partly because he had not forgotten the aspirations he had held since childhood—hoping that one day he might earn a title and not let his years of hard study go to waste.

Meanwhile, Yao Xuanrong went to the kitchen to prepare the family's meal, with Old Mother Wang assisting. As they worked, they chatted, and the conversation drifted to Liu Qin, the young miss of the Liu household.

It was evident that Old Mother Wang both respected and adored Liu Qin. Whenever she spoke of the young miss, her face would light up. "When it comes to our young miss, there isn't a soul in the manor who doesn't love her. She is so clever and has such a sweet temper. She greets everyone with a smile, and even to someone like me, a lowly servant, she is always polite and kind. She is truly endearing."

Yao Xuanrong smiled slightly, then changed the subject. "The young miss is indeed likable. Tell me, Mother Wang, is there someone named Cui Liu in the manor?"

"Yes, she is the young miss’s personal maid, very much valued by her."

"Is she... is she the young miss’s personal maid?"

"That’s right. That girl, Cui Liu, originally served the Old Mistress. Because of her gentle nature and attentive, thoughtful ways, she was assigned to the young miss the moment she was born. She holds quite a respectable position in the manor. Have you met this Cui Liu, Mistress?"

"No... no, I have only heard of her."

Yao Xuanrong lied. She used the opportunity of turning around to hide the shock on her face, but inside, a storm was raging. It felt as if she were falling straight into a bottomless abyss.

The young miss’s personal maid.

These words spiraled in her mind, and she ate her meal in a daze.

"Is something the matter, my dear?"

Even Master Zhou noticed that something was wrong and felt a sense of trepidation.

"No... nothing," Yao Xuanrong forced a smile. "I might just be a little tired."

"Then you should go and lie down."

"Yes."

But lying in bed, Yao Xuanrong could not sleep at all. Her mind kept racing: if the Liu household intended to gift Cui Liu to her husband as a concubine, what should she do?

Such things were not unheard of. After all, given the bond between Cui Liu and the young miss, if Cui Liu had feelings for her husband and only wanted to be a concubine, the young miss and the Liu family would surely fulfill her wish.

At that point, what would she do?

What could she do?

Yao Xuanrong did not rise from that bed; she fell into a serious illness.

After tossing and turning in a feverish state for two days, on the afternoon of the third day, Liu Qin heard that her teacher’s wife was gravely ill and came personally to visit.

"Teacher’s wife, are you feeling any better?"

"Much better."

Yao Xuanrong, propped up against the head of the bed, revealed a pale smile. Having not eaten for two days, her lips were white and her voice was weak. Seeing Liu Qin plop down on the edge of the bed, she quickly turned her face away and covered her mouth with a handkerchief. "Young miss, please sit over there; be careful not to catch the illness."

"It’s fine, I’m as sturdy as an ox," Liu Qin waved her hand nonchalantly. "But why did you get so sick, teacher’s wife?"

"It might have been the exhaustion from the journey, or perhaps I caught a cold. The physician said it is nothing serious, so please do not worry, young miss."

Liu Qin tilted her little head. This illness was rather strange. She had personally gone to receive them on the day they arrived, and at that time, the teacher’s wife had been in high spirits, showing no signs of fatigue or sickness.

How could she have suddenly fallen so ill?

Thinking back to how Cui Tong mentioned running into the master’s family on the street the day before, and knowing Cui Liu had been there too, could it be that the teacher’s wife had encountered her? With a woman’s intuition, the teacher’s wife must have sensed something. Could her illness be related to that?

If that were the case, her illness was easy to explain.

Even though the teacher’s wife was a broad-minded woman, even the most generous of women would overthink such distressing matters.

Thinking of this, Liu Qin feigned innocence and said, "Teacher’s wife, you should have Mother Wang boil some porridge for you. Whenever I was sick, Sister Cui Liu would boil porridge for me, and I would be better after just one bowl."

"Cui Liu... is truly attentive. You must be very fond of her, young miss."

"Of course! Sister Cui Liu is wonderful. A while ago, my mother wanted to marry off Sister Cui Liu, but I wouldn't allow it. My mother even scolded me, but I refused to let her go. Sister Cui Liu also promised me that she would always stay by my side."

Liu Qin’s words caused Yao Xuanrong’s expression to shift several times.

Upon hearing the last sentence, she froze. Did the young miss mean that Cui Liu would always stay with her, and therefore would not be entering her household? Was that what she meant?

"Teacher’s wife, let me tell you, not long ago, a colleague of my eldest brother took a fancy to one of the maids in our manor and wanted to take her as a concubine. My mother refused. My mother said that even for a maid, it is not right for someone from our manor to become a concubine; our household does not believe in such things."

Liu Qin’s words completely set Yao Xuanrong’s heart at ease.

She felt a sudden sense of shame. When had she become so narrow-minded, so anxious about gain and loss, as if her heart had been clouded?

*Originally, there is nothing; where could the dust settle?*

Her heart suddenly cleared, and she felt refreshed and invigorated. Her illness seemed to lift all at once.

That evening, after Liu Qin left, Yao Xuanrong pondered the young miss's words. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that the young miss had come specifically to guide her. For such a young child to possess such a brilliant, crystalline heart—she was truly extraordinary.

From that day on, Yao Xuanrong held Liu Qin in even higher regard.