Chapter 20 Meeting Rujin Again

Chapter 20: Reuniting with Rujin

"Oh, I'm sorry, Manager..." Qin Jiao covered his wrist, wet from the spilled water, looking embarrassed.

Just now, Qin Jiao wanted to examine the jade pendant in the light, but accidentally backed into a basin of cultivated orchids in the room, and bumped into it.

"Are you all right, young sir? Someone, come quickly..."

Before the Manager could finish his words, Qin Jiao interrupted him, "Manager, the clean gauze and medicine are in the carriage outside. Please fetch them for me. The wound on my hand is soaked and it's very uncomfortable."

"I'd better notify the gentleman who accompanied you."

The Manager had noticed earlier that the young sir had a wound on his hand. He dared not take it lightly and wanted to notify Xie Nai. But Qin Jiao suddenly blushed and said shyly, "He has a very short temper. If he sees I'm hurt, he'll definitely get angry and blame you. Don't tell him for now. Please go quickly, fetch the gauze and medicine, and I'll put on a fresh dressing."

The Manager thought for a moment; the young sir had a point. Given how much that lord valued the young sir, if he learned that the young sir had suffered because of his negligence, he would certainly be in trouble. "Young sir, please wait a moment. I'll be right back."

"Okay." Qin Jiao lowered his head and replied.

After the Manager left, a young maid came in to clean up the wilted orchids that had been knocked over. Seeing that she seemed to intend to stay and serve, Qin Jiao's pretty eyes shifted slightly, and he said to the maid, "Could you please tell your Manager to bring the blue bottle of medicine?"

The maid did not suspect anything. After Qin Jiao gave the order, she obediently went to find the Manager. As soon as the maid left, Qin Jiao immediately opened the door and headed straight for the fourth floor.

Before coming to the Embroidery Tower, Qin Jiao had learned that there were nine embroideresses there, each renowned in Nanzhou for their exquisite embroidery skills. They were managed by Yun Niang, the mother of the tower’s mistress, Xun Xi.

The nine embroideresses were housed in three rooms. Qin Jiao murmured, "Forgive my intrusion," and gently pushed open the door to their quarters. Since the embroideresses were all working on the first floor at the moment, Qin Jiao's search went smoothly.

The rooms of the embroideresses were arranged similarly, with nothing unusual at first glance. Qin Jiao did not have time to examine them closely, only taking a quick look. After checking two rooms and realizing time was running out, he was about to leave when he heard a woman's angry scolding not far away.

"You wretch! Were you trying to enter my daughter's room? What do you want? To steal? Shameless trash... I'll call the guards to beat you to death!"

Daughter? And so haughty? Could the scolding woman be Yun Niang?

Qin Jiao's heart raced. He crouched down and quietly crept to a corner. There, a middle-aged woman in purple, about forty, was raising her hand to strike a slender young girl.

"Wuwu..."

The young girl sobbed, raising her hand to intercept the slap. But the more she blocked, the angrier the woman became, and finally she slapped the young girl hard across the face!

"How dare you block me! I've run this Embroidery Tower for seventeen years, and I can't handle you!"

Yun Niang's resounding slap made Qin Jiao's heart tremble.

After being hit, the young girl did not resist, only covering her face and turning aside to sob softly. Then Qin Jiao caught a glimpse of the young girl's face.

It was actually Xu Rujin.

Qin Jiao's heart shook. He quickly recalled the information he had learned earlier.

Yes, Principal Li had mentioned that Xu Rujin used to work in an embroidery workshop before her fiancé passed away.

But Qin Jiao hadn't expected that she happened to work at this very Embroidery Tower.

Having met Xu Rujin twice before, Qin Jiao felt distressed seeing her being hit, but he couldn't reveal himself at that moment, so he could only worry in silence.

Over there, Yun Niang continued to curse Xu Rujin, hurling all kinds of obscenities. Xu Rujin only slumped on the ground, head down, sobbing silently.

After a while, when Yun Niang seemed tired of scolding, Xu Rujin spoke in a low voice.

"Yun Niang, I wasn't trying to steal. Something happened at home, and I came to ask the Lady of the Tower for resignation."

Xu Rujin's voice was barely audible, and Qin Jiao was far away, so he could only catch fragments of what she said.

But Yun Niang's voice was loud and even more furious than before: "Weren't you mute? When did you get your voice back?"

"Please, Yun Niang, tell Miss Xun Xi and approve my resignation," Xu Rujin ignored the question about her voice and pressed on about resigning.

But Yun Niang suddenly sneered contemptuously, "Resign? Do you really have family matters, or..." She leaned close to Xu Rujin's ear and sneered, "Or have you seen something you shouldn't have, and you're afraid I'll kill you?"

"I... I didn't, I wouldn't dare, I saw nothing."

As soon as Yun Niang finished, Xu Rujin waved her hands frantically and shrank back. The girl's thin body trembled with fear; even through her veil, the cold sweat on her face was evident.

Just then, a woman in brown suddenly rushed out and embraced the trembling Xu Rujin.

"Madam Yun, please let Rujin resign. Her fiancé has passed away, and staying in Nanzhou only brings back painful memories. We plan to return to our hometown. Please have mercy on us."

Carefully parting the red silk curtain that hid him, Qin Jiao looked closely and recognized that the woman in brown was Xu Rujin's mother, Aunt Wu. He had met her once during the Furong Winter Festival.

Although he didn't remember the details from their brief meeting, he recalled the mother and daughter hadn't looked so haggard and gaunt before.

Combined with Yun Niang's attitude toward Xu Rujin, Qin Jiao sensed something was off.

Aunt Wu's sudden appearance made Yun Niang explode like a beast whose territory was invaded. She hissed in a low voice, "People as low as you deserve to die. I'd rather pity a dog than pity you!"

Aunt Wu was clearly shocked by Yun Niang's words. She held her crying daughter tighter, her voice choked with emotion: "Madam Yun, how can you say such things..."

"Mother, don't cry. We'll go to the authorities and sue!" Xu Rujin hugged Aunt Wu back.

Yun Niang looked down at Xu Rujin and Aunt Wu on the ground as if they were beggars by the roadside. "Since ancient times, the courts open for money. Go ahead. Let's see if your bones are harder than my silver!"

"Is there no justice? Is there no justice in this world!"

"Don't worry, I still have use for your daughter's life. Making life a living hell is the most..."

Yun Niang's voice suddenly dropped to a whisper. Qin Jiao was frantic from his hiding spot, wishing he had eyes and ears that could see and hear everything.

He couldn't hear clearly, and if he stayed too long, the Manager would come looking for him. Qin Jiao was extremely anxious. Just as his attention wavered for a moment, Xu Rujin and Yun Niang seemed to have said more to each other, and Yun Niang raised her hand to strike Xu Rujin again.

"Stop!"

But this time, before Yun Niang's slap could land, an angry woman's voice cut in.

Qin Jiao focused on the newcomer—it was Xun Xi.

She had somehow arrived on the fourth floor. The beauty no longer wore her earlier charming smile; instead, a glint of hatred flashed in her eyes.

She stepped forward and helped Xu Rujin and Aunt Wu up, then scolded Yun Niang in a low, furious voice, "Mother, have you lost your mind? Why are you treating Rujin like this!"

Yun Niang was somewhat afraid of Xun Xi. Seeing her daughter reproach her, she quickly defended herself, "Daughter, it's not that I'm looking for trouble. Xu Rujin was about to go into your room to steal. I was just teaching her a lesson."

"I didn't, Miss Xun Xi. I only came to ask you about resigning. I didn't try to steal anything."

"Yes, Lady of the Tower, my daughter would never do anything so despicable. Please believe us!"

Xu Rujin and Aunt Wu hurriedly defended themselves.

Over there, Yun Niang's expression was very unpleasant, while here, Xun Xi's face also wore a frosty expression. She gently touched Xu Rujin's face, a flicker of sorrow passing through her clear eyes, but it disappeared in an instant.

"There's a clinic downstairs. Aunt Wu, take Rujin to see her facial injuries. I'll handle things here." Finally, Xun Xi added, "Don't worry, I'll make sure Rujin doesn't get treated unfairly."

Hearing Xun Xi's words, Xu Rujin and Aunt Wu's expressions softened. "Miss Xun Xi, what about my resignation..." Xu Rujin still remembered the purpose of her visit today.

"You can't force fate. Since Rujin insists on leaving, I won't keep you. As for your wages..."

Taking advantage of the conversation between Xun Xi and Xu Rujin, Qin Jiao quietly moved to the other staircase on the fourth floor. He had delayed too long and had to return to the third floor.

"Young Master, where are you?"

"Young Master—"

Just as Qin Jiao was feeling his way downstairs, the Manager and the little maid had already started looking for him!

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