Chapter Thirty-Three: The Plan

Upon hearing Xu Ruojin’s words, Liu Cui quickly understood. A sense of disbelief mixed with helpless acceptance settled over her, and she silently bowed her head. “I understand, Second Miss. Thank you for your guidance. I won’t bring you any more trouble—I’ll… I’ll leave now.”

Xu Ruojin waved her hand, signaling her to be patient. “And where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going to see Madam. Whether she beats me, scolds me, or drives me out to be sold, I’ll at least get an answer from her.”

Liu Cui bit her lips until they turned purple. Xu Ruojin admired the resilience that seemed to run in her bones.

She had suffered grievances and wept, but when the truth was revealed, she didn’t sink into despair. Instead, she sought a solution.

Though her actions bordered on recklessness, her intentions never strayed onto a dangerous path.

Xu Ruojin glanced toward the door; Chun Cao was keeping watch outside and hadn’t come close. Xu Ruojin’s voice remained calm. “I do have a way; I just wonder if you have the heart to follow it.”

“I am willing to listen to your guidance, Second Miss,” Liu Cui replied, her eyes filled with longing.

Xu Ruojin lowered her voice. “You could ask Father for help…”

Liu Cui’s expression changed instantly; she wanted to refuse outright, but the words died in her throat.

“If you ask Father, there are two ways this could go. The first, you already know, so I won’t elaborate. The second is to leave entirely. I believe Father would agree to that, too. That’s all I can offer. Whether you heed my advice is up to you.”

Xu Ruojin let out a long sigh. “If you hadn’t been driven out by my sister-in-law’s scolding, I’d honestly want to keep you by my side. But I can barely protect myself, let alone speak up for you. You must look after yourself now.”

Liu Cui collapsed in place, pondering for a long while before finally saying, “I understand. Thank you, Second Miss.”

Xu Ruojin nodded, called Chun Cao in, and instructed her to escort Liu Cui away.

When Chun Cao returned, her face was full of confusion, but since Second Miss said nothing, she dared not ask.

That night, the two of them lay side by side in bed.

Xu Ruojin could not sleep soundly, as Chun Cao, though she turned quietly, kept sighing.

Those soft, worried sighs made Xu Ruojin fear for her well-being.

She sat up. Chun Cao immediately looked at her. “Are you getting up, Second Miss?”

“You’re still worried about Liu Cui, aren’t you?”

Chun Cao nodded. “I am. She’s a good person. When I first came to the Xu household, she was the one who guided me. But the kinder a person is, the more easily others become jealous. Liu Cui has suffered quite a lot because of this.”

“I told her to seek help from Father. As for what she chooses, I don’t know.”

Xu Ruojin spoke the truth, and Chun Cao gasped in surprise, quickly covering her mouth, her large eyes wide with disbelief.

“Whether she stays or goes is her own decision. Do you think I’ve gone too far?” Xu Ruojin was uncertain herself; her feeling was that Liu Cui might choose to stay.

Liu Cui was not like Chun Cao. Even if she endured grievances in service, her inner defiance and pride could not be erased with a few words.

Moreover, Madam Yang had not directly beaten or driven Liu Cui away—perhaps because Father truly favored her.

Otherwise, for such a domineering person, why resort to such schemes against a maid?

But Liu Cui’s choice was not for Xu Ruojin to decide; she admitted her approach was selfish.

She wanted Madam Yang to lose interest in meddling with her, so why not give her something else to worry about? With Liu Cui around, perhaps Yang would finally leave Xu Ruojin alone.

Chun Cao remained silent for a long time before finally saying, “Everyone has their own ambitions. What she chooses is up to her.”

“Will you be able to sleep now?” Xu Ruojin pursed her lips. Chun Cao blushed. “You should rest, Second Miss. You have classes tomorrow. I won’t disturb you anymore.”

Xu Ruojin lay down, pushing her thoughts aside. If not for Nanny Fang’s stories about the women of high rank in Great Wei, she would never have offered such advice to Liu Cui.

As Nanny Fang said, a woman’s life is never easy—always plotting and calculating, and one day, inevitably, someone will have the upper hand.

Since Yang had schemed against her, why shouldn’t she retaliate in turn? Surely Yang wouldn’t expect it.

Now all that remained was to await tomorrow’s news…

The next morning, Xu Ruojin rose early as usual, washed, ate, and waited for Nanny Fang to arrive.

Nanny Fang glanced at the list of books Xu Ruojin had studied and set it aside indifferently, then began to teach her the meanings of virtue, speech, appearance, and skill.

These four—virtue, speech, appearance, and skill—were the so-called “Four Virtues” from the Three Obediences and Four Virtues: moral conduct, speech, appearance, and womanly skills.

First was virtue, which, put simply, meant being serene and chaste, observing propriety, acting with shame, and behaving properly in all things.

But Nanny Fang had her own interpretation of a woman’s virtue.

“What’s written in books belongs to books; daily life is another matter. If one truly lived as the books instruct, she would have to be devoid of all emotion—a fool, really.”

Nanny Fang sipped her tea and continued, “When a woman is married, the entire family—parents-in-law, uncles, aunts, husband, and children—all rely on her. What is virtue? It is observing the rules and keeping your heart upright, harboring no selfishness. To restrain others from selfishness is also virtue, so it all comes down to propriety.”

“This point is said to be most important, but it is also the hardest to measure. If your elders break the rules, you cannot rebuke them; if your juniors do, and they’re not your own, you cannot scold or punish them. As for others, even less so. So this virtue is really built from the experience of daily life. But in my view, the greatest virtue is to keep your own husband in line.”

“A man is like a child. No matter how formidable he seems outside, at home he still has the heart of a child.”

Nanny Fang looked at Xu Ruojin. “My advice to you is to be patient. At home, a girl’s youthful impulsiveness is tolerable, but once married, such rashness will be criticized. Not that criticism matters, as long as your husband protects and cherishes you—and that protection lasts. Otherwise, all is empty talk.”

“I understand,” Xu Ruojin replied earnestly, committing Nanny Fang’s words to memory, then listened as she expounded on speech, appearance, and finally, skill.

“...Skill is most important for a woman—it is her means of survival,” Nanny Fang paused. “A girl from a modest family learns skills to earn money and support her household. A girl from an official’s family learns them for refinement, for better marriage prospects. Later, she may use her skills to socialize after marriage. In other words, it is all a means to an end.”

“So from today on, I’ll teach you the basics of every womanly skill. As for which you will master in the end, that is for you to decide.”

Nanny Fang smiled meaningfully. “You must learn the womanly arts, and you cannot neglect your studies in literature, which I cannot teach you. That will be up to you. Do you find my expectations too strict?”

“Not at all,” Xu Ruojin replied, a gentle smile on her lips. “You are being generous with me. Better to learn more now than to suffer for it in future—if I know nothing, won’t I just be laughed at?”

Nanny Fang nodded in satisfaction. “I am strict with you only because you will be marrying into another household in a few short months. Such grand families are no easy matter…”

Thinking of the Zhang family, Xu Ruojin gritted her teeth. “I will study diligently!”

Suddenly, the name “Young Master Liang” sprang to mind. Xu Ruojin wanted to probe, but instead said, “I am still grateful to Young Master Liang for saving me last time. Please, Nanny, convey my thanks to him. If he hadn’t risked diving into the water, there would be no ‘Xu Ruojin’ today.”

Nanny Fang seemed unconcerned. “I will deliver your message.”

Seeing Nanny Fang had no wish to pursue the matter, Xu Ruojin could only smile and let it drop.

Could it be that Nanny Fang’s coming to instruct her had nothing to do with that cold-faced man?

That fellow—he was truly a mystery!