Chapter 131 Fang Zhou’s Secret

Chapter 131: Fang Zhou's Secret

"What is this?" Earl of Yongqing was startled, grabbing the donkey hoof charm and asking.

The old lady snatched the donkey hoof charm back, tucked it into her sleeve, and said seriously, "A new back scratcher I bought. I just lost my grip."

The donkey hoof charm didn't work!

Earl of Yongqing looked suspicious: "Since when are back scratchers that short?"

He hadn't even gotten a clear look before the old lady took it away; that dark thing didn't resemble a back scratcher at all.

"It's a new style." The old lady changed the subject. "Why is My Lord so lenient with Sixth Girl? That girl is always causing trouble. If she isn't strictly disciplined, who knows what trouble she'll stir up in the future."

"Sixth Girl has a sense of proportion."

"Sense of proportion?" The old lady felt the urge to pull out the donkey hoof charm again. "Is that what My Lord calls sense of proportion—going out and hitting the nanny of the Prime Minister's Madam? Don't say it was Fang Zhou who did it; monkey see, monkey do. If Sixth Girl were well-behaved, would Fang Zhou have dared?"

"I heard from Sixth Girl that she'll go to the Prime Minister's residence tomorrow to tend to that nanny's wounds. The Prime Minister's estate made that request, and Sixth Girl agreed without hesitation. That shows she's responsible. Madam, don't be so hard on her."

"Hard? Then what about the ruler beatings Xuan Er and the others endured during etiquette lessons?"

"Sixth Girl's not like them." Seeing the old lady wouldn't let go, Earl of Yongqing's face darkened. "Stop going on about it. If you don't trust Sixth Girl's judgment, at least trust me, okay? Everything I do is for the good of this house."

"My Lord—"

"I'm still the head of this household, aren't I?" Earl of Yongqing said flatly, then stormed off.

The old lady was seething, breathing hard.

In silence, they returned to Cold Fragrance Court. Qiu Heng took the tea Qing Luo handed her and drank a few sips.

Nanny Yu suddenly gave a deep bow: "Sixth Miss, as your governess, I failed to stop Fang Zhou in time, which led to people showing up at our door, making the old lady look bad and humiliating you. I can't show my face here anymore..."

"Nanny Yu." Qiu Heng called her calmly. "Grandmother was really angry today."

Nanny Yu met the girl's composed gaze, confused by what she meant.

"I mean, Grandmother's in a mood. Better not to stir the pot."

Nanny Yu paused.

If she quit as Sixth Miss's governess, she would have to tell the old lady. But the Sixth Miss was right—the old lady was furious, extremely so. For a servant to bother her with her own issues right now would be asking for trouble.

So... should she continue as governess?

But having just spoken, Nanny Yu was stuck.

Fortunately, the girl's calm voice sounded again: "I'm very happy with Nanny Yu. It'd be a hassle to get used to someone new. Please continue teaching me, Nanny Yu."

Nanny Yu breathed a huge sigh of relief: "If Sixth Miss doesn't mind, I'll stay on, if you'll have me."

"You've had a long day, Nanny Yu. Go and rest."

"I'll take my leave."

Once in her side room, Nanny Yu thought it over: The way she and the Sixth Miss interacted was nothing like a governess and student, but rather like an ordinary servant and a young mistress.

How had it gotten to this without her realizing?

Nanny Yu rubbed her droopy cheeks, recalling the girl's calm, collected manner.

It was the Sixth Miss!

The Sixth Miss had never acted like a student, nor had she ever panicked in any situation. She wasn't a student in a submissive role but a pillar holding everything up.

Realizing this late, Nanny Yu relaxed: Since she was just acting as a regular servant, she didn't have to hold herself to a governess's standards. This way, both she and the Sixth Miss would be more relaxed.

In the back room, only Qiu Heng and Fang Zhou remained.

"Fang Zhou, have some tea." Qiu Heng poured a cup and handed it over.

Fang Zhou took it, gulped it down, and sat staring at the cup blankly.

Qiu Heng led Fang Zhou to the dressing table, pushed her to sit, and picked up a comb.

Fang Zhou snapped out of it: "Miss—"

"Your hair's a mess from the fight." Qiu Heng untied Fang Zhou's hair ribbon and began combing her hair, stroke by stroke.

"I'll do it myself."

Qiu Heng pressed Fang Zhou down: "Don't move. It'll be done soon. Back home, we used to braid each other's hair, remember?"

When she first brought Fang Zhou home, though they were of similar age, Fang Zhou could make delicious food and style beautiful hair.

As for her, she only knew how to play and cause trouble.

Though Fang Zhou insisted on calling her "Miss," they were friends who had grown up together.

Fang Zhou stared at her reflection in the mirror as her hair was tied up, tears streaming down her face.

"Miss, don't you ask why I went mad?"

Qiu Heng put down the comb and said lightly, "Everyone has secrets. But if you want to talk, I'm happy to listen."

Fang Zhou wiped her tears and revealed the secret buried in her heart.

"My great-grandfather was once an imperial chef in the palace. Later, he was implicated in a scandal, left the capital, and settled south in Liangshui. My grandfather inherited his skills and opened a pastry shop... One day, a woman and two men came. That woman was Nanny Su."

At the mention of Nanny Su, Fang Zhou no longer hid her hatred: "She said in a picky tone that her young master was unwell and wanted savory pastries. She'd heard our shop was the most famous and came to take a look. She tasted a few pastries, seemed very satisfied, and even paid extra. The next day, she came again and demanded that my grandfather close the shop and make pastries exclusively for her young master!"

"Her young master was Madam Yang's son?"

"Probably. She said they were passing through from the capital and had stopped in Liangshui because her young master was unwell. My great-grandfather had originally fled south with my grandfather to avoid trouble. My grandfather enjoyed running his pastry shop freely, and my parents were buried in Liangshui. Of course, he refused to abandon everything to serve some precious young master..."

Fang Zhou bit her lip before continuing: "After my grandfather refused, the guards Nanny Su brought trashed our shop. When my grandfather went to report it to the authorities, he was beaten instead. Knowing he had offended someone untouchable, he hurriedly took me away from Liangshui to Suiyun County. But the beating and the anger made him fall ill soon after... I cried out to heaven, but no one answered. I had to sell myself to bury my grandfather, but no one would buy me—until I met you..."

When she knelt begging people to buy her, many shook their heads.

"This fat girl must be lazy and gluttonous. Buying her would just eat us out of house and home."

She was both aggrieved and heartbroken.

No, she was just too well-fed by her grandfather, eating pastries all day. Now she had no grandfather, and she would never taste his pastries again. She would lose weight.

Please, someone buy her so she could bury her grandfather.

In her despair, a particularly beautiful little girl pointed at her, crying, "Dad, I don't want the donkey anymore. I want her."

She was the girl the young lady bought instead of a donkey, and she'd do many things so the young lady wouldn't regret it.

The young lady was called A Heng.

"Gather sweet grass from fragrant isles," the young lady said, "and sweet grass is called Du Heng. How about you be called Fang Zhou? From now on, A Heng and Fang Zhou will always be together."

She had a new name, a new home.

Her new name was Fang Zhou.

Fang Zhou and A Heng will always be together.