Hidden Shadow – CH 006

Chapter Six: Making a Name for Oneself

Shayun Residence was also built on a small island in the lake. As the sunlight parted the morning mist, the red maples and yellow apricots could be seen across the lake, like flames on the water, casting long shadows in the azure water—a truly beautiful sight.

The boat docked at the ferry crossing. Wen-Cui led the two through the apricot grove to a lush bamboo forest. It turned out that the island was surrounded by maple and apricot trees, enclosing the bamboo grove in the center.

“Hey!” A girl of about fifteen or sixteen, with her hair in two buns, appeared on the stone steps, her almond-shaped eyes glaring at Wen-Cui. “Sister Wen-Cui, do not you know our Old Madam is impatient with people from Bixiang Residence?”

Wen-Cui was not angry. She smiled and said, “Miss Man-Xiang, I am no longer with Bixiang Residence. Our Yan-niang has brought the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Young Ladies back to the mansion. I’ve come to guide the two young ladies.”

As the saying goes, one does not hit a smiling face. Although Man-Xiang’s attitude was still unpleasant, she did not make things too difficult. “Sister Wen-Cui knows the Old Madam’s temper. You can wait here. You two young ladies, come with me.”

She turned to leave, completely disregarding her two young ladies.

“Wait,” Ah Shun suddenly called out to her.

Man-Xiang stopped and turned back. “What is it, Young Lady?”

Ah Shun lifted her skirt slightly and walked up the stone steps. Reaching Man-Xiang, she suddenly raised her hand and slapped her hard across the face. “A mere maid, how dare you show no respect! Is everyone at Shayun Residence so unruly?”

From the moment she changed her name to Mei Ruyan, Ah Shun knew she had to cling to the coattails of the Old Madam of Bixiang Residence. The eldest branch of the family was weak, but she was nominally on their side. The second branch had a large number of descendants, so she could not expect the Old Madam of Shayun’s favor. Rather than struggling to survive, she decided to choose one side.

She also knew that the head wife was the Old Madam’s daughter-in-law. Offending Shayun Residence would likely make her future difficult. However, she was different from Mei Jiu; Mei Jiu was a true member of the Mei family, while she was merely an imposter. Without fighting, how could she ever rise to the top?

An Jiu watched this scene quietly, a barely perceptible smile playing on her lips. Sunlight filtered through, illuminating a flickering flame in her slightly upturned phoenix eyes. She felt this girl was perfectly suited to the name “Ruyan.”

“You!” Man-Xiang covered her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. She glared fiercely at Mei Ruyan, then abandoned them and ran away.

Wen-Cui sighed. “Fourteenth Young Lady, Fifteenth Young Lady, let’s go back.”

“Why go back? We are not the ones who did anything wrong,” Mei Ruyan said.

Wen-Cui leaned closer and whispered, “That Old Madam of Shayun Residence is fiercely protective of her children; there’s no reasoning with her. Her wrath is something no ordinary person can withstand.”

Mei Ruyan raised an eyebrow. “You think she can kill me?”

With that, she chased after Man-Xiang.

Wen-Cui felt a surge of satisfaction, worried that Mei Ruyan might suffer alone, so she urged An Jiu, “Fourteenth Young Lady, let’s go see what’s going on. Just in case… we will have someone to look after us.”

“Let’s go see,” An Jiu said.

Why not watch the show? She was with Mei Ruyan; she only needed to follow along, doing nothing, and the credit would be hers. Even if someone else took the lead, she could still win over her grandmother.

The two had just reached the entrance of the courtyard when they heard a commotion inside.

An Jiu stood at the entrance and looked around. She saw about a dozen burly women surrounding Mei Ruyan. On the opposite side of the corridor, there was a couch with maids standing quietly on either side. An elderly woman, well past fifty, was gesturing as she arranged flowers in a vase. She wore a dark blue jacket with gold trim, her hair was completely white as frost, and her face was wrinkled with a few light brown age spots, but because she was very fair, she appeared very clean.

Below the steps, Man-Xiang covered her face and glared angrily at Mei Ruyan.

“Greetings, Great-Aunt,” Mei Ruyan said calmly in a bow.

“Oh dear! What’s going on?” Wen-Cui quickly stepped forward, smiling as she gave the Second Old Madam a deep bow. “Wen-Cui greets you, Old Madam. What mistake has Fifteenth Young Lady made that warrants such a grand display?”

The Second Old Madam seemed oblivious, engrossed in her flower arranging.

An Jiu leaned against a ginkgo tree in the courtyard, calmly watching the spectacle.

Several maids glanced at her frequently, but the Second Old Madam deliberately ignored the people from the main house, so they dared not speak up.

After about half an hour, the Second Old Madam finally completed her masterpiece, a vase of vibrant colors, and the maids beside her rushed to offer their praise.

“Oh dear, why are there two more people squatting in this courtyard?” The Second Old Madam seemed to have only just noticed Mei Ruyan and Wen-Cui.

Maids served tea and massaged shoulders, and one whispered, “Old Madam, there’s someone else standing under the apricot tree over there.” The Old Madam turned her head in surprise and saw a little girl in a light green dress huddled against the tree trunk, looking timid.

Having watched the commotion, An Jiu lowered her head and moved to the center of the courtyard. “Greetings, Great-Aunt.”

The Old Madam picked up her teacup and prompted An Jiu, “Tell me, what did those two do wrong?”

An Jiu glanced at Wen-Cui and Mei Ruyan and said earnestly, “I only saw one of them make a mistake.”

The two girls’ hearts jumped. An Jiu had not been punished with them, and now she was staring at them expectantly—was she going to switch sides?

An Jiu’s suggestive gaze led everyone to believe that the person she was referring to was either Wen-Cui or Mei Ruyan, since only Mei Ruyan had actually hit anyone.

The Old Madam said gently, “Oh? Who made a mistake?”

An Jiu pointed at Man-Xiang. “Her.”

“Oh? Since Man-Xiang made a mistake, why did they take the initiative to apologize?” the second Old Madam asked, puzzled.

An Jiu looked at the Second Old Madam very seriously and sincerely. “Because these old women are all very fierce, they are afraid of being beaten.”

Seeing that her attempt to instigate infighting had failed, the Second Old Madam lost her patience and, too lazy to pretend any longer, slammed her teacup into the courtyard. “No one has ever dared to lay a hand on me! You two have no respect for your elders, bullying this old woman, and you think you can leave peacefully? Beat her!”

“Wait! We sisters are only beating a servant; we’ve never bullied our great-aunt!” Mei Ruyan argued.

Seeing that she herself could not escape being beaten, An Jiu added casually, “Yes, how can a lowly servant be worthy of being called our elder?” The veiled insult nearly made the Second Old Madam faint with anger, but if she lost her temper, would that not be admitting that she was a lowly servant?

A surge of anger welled up inside her, and the Second Old Madam pressed her chest, trying to suppress her rage.

“We sisters are all filial people. If Great-Aunt is truly enraged, what does it matter if she beats us to death for a mere maid as long as it helps her vent her anger?” Mei Ruyan was certain the Second Old Madam would not dare.

The maidservant massaging the Second Old Madam’s shoulders whispered, “Old Madam, if things really escalate, would not that give the Bixiang Residence something to talk about? Would it not be better to make them apologize to Man-Xiang and humiliate her a bit?”

The Second Madam thought about it and agreed. Making them bow down to a mere maidservant would be quite satisfying. “Fine, I will not stoop to your level. Just apologize to Man-Xiang and go back.”

Mei Ruyan said, “Great-Aunt, just beat me to death! I’d rather die than bow down to a servant!”

An Jiu added, her voice carefully controlled, “Do not be silly. Great-Aunt does not have Mei bones or skin. Even if you break or beat her, it will not hurt at all.”

The Second Old Madam suddenly stood up, trembling with anger. She opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly rolled her eyes and fell backward.

Chaos erupted in the courtyard.

“The Old Madam has fainted from anger! Quickly, fetch the physician!” An Jiu craned her neck to look, then her hand was grabbed. She instinctively reached out to deliver a knee strike.

“Ah Jiu!” Mei Ruyan exclaimed.

Mei Jiu’s soul and body were much more in sync than An Jiu’s. Startled, she instantly regained control of her body, her movements abruptly halting as she stumbled forward.

“The Second Old Madam is not well; she cannot take anger out on her. Quick, quick!” Wen-Cui swiftly caught her, urging the two to leave amidst the chaos.

Within a single afternoon, nearly a thousand people in Meihua Lane knew that the newly returned Fourteenth Young Lady and Fifteenth Young Lady had caused the Second Old Madam to faint from anger.

Arriving early and already being “famous”—a cause for celebration for some and sorrow for others!