Chapter 37: Foolish Deeds

Liu Chuyan sat on the embroidered stool, feeling as if someone was secretly watching her. She looked up reflexively, and just then, a thud sounded from upstairs, as if someone had bumped into something. Could it be that he truly was spying on her? Utterly shameless.

As she fumed, she suddenly heard a mutter from above, “The herbal oil has spilled.”

A feeble attempt to cover up.

This won’t do; she couldn’t let him stay upstairs. Even if no one else knew, she herself wouldn’t feel at ease. She rose swiftly, only to see Qingmian entering.

“Miss, isn’t it stuffy in here?”

Liu Chuyan had no idea what prompted this remark, but she nodded somewhat dazedly.

“I knew it would be. The old madam is in good spirits today and wants to go out for a walk. She’s asked several of you young ladies to go gather chestnuts with her.”

“Gather chestnuts?” Liu Chuyan asked in surprise.

“Yes, in the chestnut grove behind the hill. It’s not far—just a quarter of an hour’s walk. Everyone else has been sent away, so the old madam thought you girls might like to see the chestnut trees as they are. She’s already changed and is ready to go.”

Since Qingmian had said so, Liu Chuyan could only reply, “Alright, I’ll go change and be right there.” She would let Xue Ao off for now and deal with him later.

But as she closed the door, she pressed a hand to her brow in frustration. With Xue Ao upstairs, she couldn’t change clothes at ease downstairs. Oh well, she’d change on the bed, behind the curtains—surely he couldn't see through those.

By the time Liu Chuyan had struggled into new clothes, Songling and Qinghe had already dressed as well.

“Songling, you stay here and watch the door.” While Qinghe wasn’t paying attention, Liu Chuyan glanced upwards, and Songling understood at once, bowing obediently.

“Qinghe, go find a couple of cloth bags, so we can bring some back for Songling to see.”

“Yes, miss.”

Once Qinghe had left, Liu Chuyan leaned toward Songling’s ear and whispered a few words. Songling looked startled and troubled by the request, but eventually agreed.

Liu Chuyan took only Qinghe with her and set out for the back hill. After she left, Songling picked up a cup of tea and went up to the loft.

As a martial artist, Xue Ao’s hearing was far sharper than most. He’d already heard Liu Chuyan’s instructions. Watching Songling climb up nervously, he narrowed his eyes.

Songling found his gaze dangerous and severe, her heart pounding wildly. The young miss had told her to ask, in a roundabout way, when Xue Ao would leave. But faced with that look, how could she even open her mouth? She nearly fainted from fear before she could speak.

Xue Ao was quite satisfied with her reaction. He took the tea she handed over, drank deeply, and with a grim face, said, “Do you have something to say?”

“N-no,” Songling stammered, blushing and lowering her head.

“Hm.” Xue Ao considered for a moment, then said no more.

Songling’s heart trembled; it was best to escape. This man truly was unpredictable, and she couldn’t handle it. “If Second Master Xue has nothing else, I’ll just—”

“I do have something.” Xue Ao sat up straight and tossed out three words, and Songling froze.

“W-what is it, Second Master Xue?” She couldn’t understand why he’d changed so abruptly. He’d seemed so amiable last night, and now he was cold as winter, making her tongue-tied.

“Miss Liu went out, didn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“How long before she returns?”

“The old madam is in high spirits and off to gather chestnuts. She’ll be gone at least an hour.”

“That’s good. I have something for you to do. No one will find out, right?”

“You mean… Miss Liu mustn’t know either?”

“That’s right. You’re clever, quick to understand,” Xue Ao’s expression finally eased.

“They’ve all gone to the back hill. Less than half an hour, and no one will notice.”

“Half an hour is plenty. All you need to do is deliver something to the Zhou family village, three miles away.”

“The Zhou family village?”

“Yes. There’s a steward there called Old Third Zhou. Give this to him, and he’ll know what to do.”

Songling took the small cloth bundle Xue Ao handed her, prickling with nerves.

“No need to be afraid. Just deliver it and come straight back—nothing bad will happen.”

“Yes, sir.” With her orders clear, Songling hurried to the stairs. But as she reached the landing, Xue Ao spoke again.

“Your young miss wants me to leave soon, right? Once this is done, I’ll be able to go sooner.”

Songling was instantly alarmed—he’d heard! No wonder… But since he said he’d leave as soon as this was done, she decided to get it over with quickly and scurried downstairs.

Xue Ao noticed how she was as scared of him as if he were a ghost. He stroked his chin thoughtfully—was he really so terrifying? Perhaps. But there was no need to be kind to everyone; being good to Liu Chuyan was enough.

Walking with the old madam, Liu Chuyan’s ears felt hot for no reason. Who was talking about her? She wondered if Songling managed to ask him. She herself wouldn’t dare, not after seeing his expression. If she couldn’t, surely Songling couldn’t either. She sighed quietly.

“Chuyan, are you not happy?” The old madam, Madam Han, noticed her blank expression and lack of interest and asked with concern.

Liu Chuyan was indeed not happy, but wouldn’t admit it. She quickly forced a smile. “Not at all. I was just distracted for a moment.”

“I know what you’re thinking,” the old madam said, her expression growing solemn.

“Oh?” Could her great-aunt read minds? Liu Chuyan’s heart skipped a beat. But she always understood her well—perhaps she truly had guessed.

The old madam smiled mysteriously. “In a few days, your great-aunt will have a surprise for you. Don’t worry, hmm?”

Her face declared, “Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know,” but Liu Chuyan was completely in the dark. Yet, seeing the anticipation in her eyes, she could only nod as if she understood.

“We’re here,” the old madam announced, pointing at a chestnut grove about an acre in size. “Look, these chestnut trees are thriving. The leaves may be turning yellow, but the burrs are still green. Once we knock them down and split them open, the flesh inside will be snowy white.”

Before she’d finished, Han Shuwei eagerly grabbed a long pole, laughing crisply, “We can boil them later—they’ll be sweet and fragrant.”

Second Madam Han apologized to the old madam, hurried forward, and caught Han Shuwei by the arm. “You mischievous child, be careful. And your grandmother isn’t done speaking—where are your manners?”

Han Shuwei, caught up in her excitement, had forgotten herself and lowered her head in embarrassment.

“There, there, don’t scold her. She’s still a child. If she’s happy, let her play. Just be careful—the chestnuts are still spiky. Don’t let one hit your face.” The old madam was in an excellent mood today; even Han Shuwei’s breach of etiquette didn’t merit a rebuke. Instead, she encouraged Liu Chuyan and Han Shujing to join in, and herself chose a shorter tree to beat the chestnuts down.

None of the young ladies had ever actually gathered chestnuts; all they’d done was eat them. Using a long pole took skill, so try as they might, Liu Chuyan and the others couldn’t knock down a single chestnut.

The old madam, however, was hale and hearty. With a few practiced jabs, she sent a shower of chestnuts to the ground. Seeing the girls both frustrated and envious, she laughed heartily. “Come here, Chuyan, let me teach you.”

Liu Chuyan stepped forward to watch her great-aunt’s technique. “You’re amazing, great-aunt. Did you learn this before?”

“Ha! When I was young, I often came here with your great-uncle. We had little to do, so he taught me to plant vegetables, gather chestnuts, even pick wild fruits in the hills. It’s my own land, so no one minded. That’s how I picked up these humble skills.”

“So it was great-uncle who taught you. No wonder.” Liu Chuyan smiled softly. “But these skills are hardly humble—they’re wonderful. Look at us, we can’t even knock down a single leaf. We all envy you.”

“If you envy me, then learn from your great-aunt.” The old madam handed her the long pole.

Han Shuwei pointed up to a particularly dense patch. “Cousin, look there—there must be a lot of chestnuts.”

Liu Chuyan looked up. Sure enough, two fathoms above, the leaves were so thick they blocked out the sky, drooping with their weight. She stretched her arm up and mimicked her great-aunt’s deft motion.

At first, the old madam wasn’t paying close attention. When she looked up and saw what Liu Chuyan was about to do, she broke out in a cold sweat. “No, Chuyan, don’t poke there—that’s a hornet’s nest!”

“What?” Liu Chuyan was stunned. A hornet’s nest? Had she just poked a hornet’s nest? What now?

“Quick, everyone—take off your outer garments and cover the ladies’ faces. Don’t let them get stung!” The maids and matrons responded swiftly, stripping off their coats to shield the ladies.

But in the ensuing chaos, they were no match for the angered hornets.

Terrified, Liu Chuyan dropped the pole. Someone nearby threw a garment over her face, but hornets find every gap—she was stung twice on her face before she knew it.

Han Shuwei was filled with regret but could do nothing except run about with her head covered.

The old madam, the second madam, and Han Shujing fared no better. They hadn’t time to escape and were stung several times before the servants managed to drag them out of the grove.

But Liu Chuyan, being closest to the nest, was left clutching her clothes in the same spot. She dared not remove the covering, so she couldn’t see her way. The matrons nearby could only call to her, guiding her to step left.

Liu Chuyan followed the voice, taking two steps to the left. Unfortunately, she tripped over a stone and fell flat on her back.

Fortunately, Manager He arrived with reinforcements, luring the hornets away and finally bringing everyone back to the villa.

Liu Chuyan, responsible for the disaster, had been stung herself and implicated the old madam as well. She was so mortified she could barely speak, only groaning when she returned to her room, not daring to complain of the pain.

Luckily, the old madam and the others were not seriously hurt. With some medicine and a couple of days’ rest, they would recover. Liu Chuyan, however, was less fortunate: her forehead was swollen with stings, her chin bore several lumps, and worse, her fall had dislocated her calf, which would need time to heal even after being set. Her ankle was also scraped and bleeding.

The old madam was still shaken. After summoning the physician to tend to Liu Chuyan, she returned to her own quarters and had some calming soup prepared for the ladies.

When everyone had left, Liu Chuyan finally let out a breath of relief, though her face, hands, and legs all throbbed with pain. She didn’t dare shed tears in front of Qinghe, since she’d brought this on herself, but after sending her away, she finally wept.

“Does it hurt?”

Liu Chuyan was sobbing when suddenly a white handkerchief appeared before her. When had he come downstairs? Why was he here? Why hadn’t he left yet? She was unwilling for him to see her in such a wretched state and covered her face.

Xue Ao had heard the commotion below and, after a while, pieced together that Liu Chuyan had poked a hornet’s nest while gathering chestnuts, failed to escape in time, had been stung several times, and on top of that, had fallen—he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What are you laughing at?” Liu Chuyan retorted bitterly.

Author’s note:
Thank you, 1651428, for the landmine—kiss kiss.
1651428 threw a landmine at 2014-01-25 01:42:56.
And belated thanks to jc for the long review—sorry I didn’t see it right away, you can smack me~