Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 387

Chapter 387: Future Blessings

Binglu arrived at Aunt’s courtyard and explained her purpose. Immediately, a teacup was thrown at her, splattering tea all over her skirt. Yet, she remained unfazed.

Pei Qingyan stood on the corridor, pointing at Binglu and cursing, “She truly doesn’t consider me her elder. First, she said she didn’t need my people, and now she’s hounding me for the indentures. What does she think of me? And I’m even spying on her. Do I need to?”

Binglu remained calm, saying, “Madam is afraid others might misunderstand Aunt’s intentions, so she sent me here to get the indentures. Since Aunt is so kind, Madam naturally doesn’t dare refuse. It’s best to avoid misunderstandings.”

This wasn’t about fear of misunderstanding; it was clearly about demanding the indentures to free them from her control. Pei Qingyan snorted inwardly but couldn’t say it out loud.

If she gave the indentures to An Zhi, Pei Qingyan wouldn’t be able to control Chunying and Lvliu, and the point of sending them there would be lost.

“You should go back first,” Pei Qingyan said, her tone slowing. “I don’t know where they’ve put their indentures. I’ll send them over when I find them.”

Hearing this, Binglu remained motionless. “Madam told me to wait here for Aunt to obtain the indentures. Aunt is now a guest at the Pei Mansion. If any bad news gets out, Madam will be deeply guilty. The cousin is still searching for a husband, so it’s not good for her to spread the news.”

At this point, Binglu knelt. “I’ve received this mission, but it’s useless if I can’t obtain the indentures. Madam, please don’t worry about me. I’ll just kneel.”

Binglu was An Zhi’s head maid. Forcing her to kneel would be a slap in An Zhi’s face, a blatant provocation.

Pei Qingyan was caught off guard by Binglu’s kneeling. If she hadn’t been scolded by her brother two days ago, she would have made Binglu kneel until she died. But her brother said that no matter if she was doing it for the Pei or Shi families, if she made a fool of herself in the capital, he would no longer help her.

After returning to the house with a flick of her sleeves, Pei Qingyan smashed two more teacups.

Shi Shi watched anxiously from the sidelines. She had heard everything Binglu had just said and didn’t want her marriage to be affected. “Mother, please think of a solution! If Binglu kneels again, not just the entire Pei family, but everyone in the capital will know you’ve sent someone to my cousin’s house and are spying on his wife.”

“That damned girl, her words are full of threats. She’s just like her master; neither of them is a good person!” Pei Qingyan gritted her teeth.

“Even if Binglu is a worthless person, we can’t let her kneel in our courtyard forever.” Shi Shi was close to tears.

Pei Qingyan knew Binglu couldn’t kneel any longer, but she was unwilling to give up the indentures. Besides, if she did, wouldn’t all her money spent on two skinny horses be wasted?

The more Pei Qingyan thought about it, the more she felt she was shooting herself in the foot. Seeing her mother silent, Shi Shi walked over and advised, “Mother, aren’t you worried about Chunying and Lvliu being disobedient? But they have families, and besides their indentures, we have other means to control them. Besides, they’re both filthy prostitutes, their eyes glued to even the slightest bit of money. As long as we offer them generous benefits, there’s no doubt they’ll be tempted. Even if they’re won over by An Zhi, it’s still An Zhi who’s disgusted by my cousin sleeping with Chunying and Lvliu. And when my cousin gets into it, wouldn’t it be easy for us to train others and send them over?”

Shi Shi hadn’t known her mother would go straight to the house to send them off. If she had known, she would have definitely stopped her.

Pei Qingyan thought her daughter’s words made sense. After hearing the maid say Binglu was still kneeling, she had no choice but to ask the maid to fetch Chunying’s and Lvliu’s indentures.

Binglu held onto the indentures, maintaining a respectful smile. Only after she left the aunt’s courtyard did she put away her smile.

An Zhi saw Binglu return and noticed her knees were dirty. After asking what happened, she told her to change into clean clothes while she took the indentures to Chunying and Lvliu.

“You two may you get up now.” An Zhi returned to the chair at the head of the hall.

Lvliu, upon seeing the indentures in Madam’s hand, immediately kowtowed. “Please, Madam, give us a way out. We will obey your orders.”

From the moment she entered, Lvliu had noticed that the young madam of the Pei family was not an easy person to get along with. Before she left South Street Alley, her mother had told her that no woman in the world would appreciate a man with three wives and four concubines, so any skills that might please a man should never be displayed in front of a woman, especially a jealous one. Her mother hadn’t told Chunying this, as she wasn’t a very thoughtful person, but Lvliu had always remembered her mother’s words.

Now, with Madam holding their indentures, Lvliu’s knees trembled with nervousness. She didn’t dare to get up when Madam told them to. Chunlan said, “Madam told you to get up now! Don’t dawdle! Hurry up so Madam can give you instructions.”

Chunying’s knees ached from kneeling. She glanced hesitantly at Lvliu, but seeing that Lvliu didn’t move, she didn’t dare move either. She waited for Lvliu to stand up and then quickly followed suit.

“Tell us everything, from your family background to how you were sold,” An Zhi asked.

Lvliu said softly, “My family has many daughters, and my father always wanted a son. Since we couldn’t afford so many girls, he sold me. After so many changes of hands, I’ve forgotten where my home is. I’ve been learning my trade from my mother in South Street Alley since I was six, and I’ve never seen a customer since.”

“I’m Chunying. I was separated from my family while fleeing famine, and I don’t remember where my home is. I only remember the names of my parents and my brother, and I also learned my trade from my mother at the age of six,” Chunying said anxiously. “Madam, please don’t chase us away. We are all very obedient. If you want us to seduce your cousin, we will do our utmost to do it!”

Chunying remembered what Madam and Aunt had said. Now that the indentures were in Madam’s hands, Madam was like her adopted parent, and she must not be offended.

“Haha.” An Zhi laughed. “I don’t need you to seduce anyone, but I can’t keep you here either. I’ll send someone to inquire about your family. If I can find your family, if you’re willing to go back, you can go. If not, I’ll find work for you outside. I can’t tolerate any injustice. You were sent here by my aunt. You don’t have to do anything in my courtyard.”

Lvliu asked in surprise, “Madam, are you willing to let us go?”

“Yes,” An Zhi smiled. “I’m not sure I’d trust you. Why would I keep you around? I’m not an executioner. I can’t just kill people if I don’t like you. For the next few days, you should stay in the east wing. Don’t come to the courtyard on weekdays. Stay here and behave yourself. You’ll have good fortune in the future.”

After saying this, An Zhi waved her hand, telling Chunlan to take Chunying and Lvliu out.

After Chunying and Lvliu left the house, Lvliu was still puzzled, but she didn’t dare ask any more questions. She suppressed her curiosity and went to the east wing. However, she was wary. She looked around the room again and again, even thinking about how to escape.