"Miss... Miss?"
Chunxiang saw her lady sitting there quietly, not saying a word, thinking she was still unwilling to accept reality. With a long sigh, she picked up the bowl of bitter-looking medicine, walked to the bedside, and said, "Miss, drink your medicine, things have come to this, and if you harm yourself, it will only pain the people around you."
She thought her lady had finally come to terms as she saw her sit up.
She could understand her lady's feelings, but no matter what, life must go on!
Xu Jing smelled the increasingly strong scent of the medicine, suddenly coming back to her senses, she turned her head to glance disdainfully at the bowl of medicine, then directly took it and drank it all in one go.
Chunxiang's expression was instantly: w(ﾟДﾟ)w
Heavens... was she seeing things! Ever since the incident, her lady had vehemently refused to take the medicine; it always took her and Chunyang begging until their mouths were dry, or Chunyang feeding her bit by bit while she slept.
Even before the incident, her lady had never been so straightforward in drinking a whole bowl of medicine; after all, her lady hated drinking medicine!
But before Chunxiang could finish being surprised, Xu Jing stood up, first standing still to feel if the injuries on her body had healed enough not to affect her movement, then nodded with satisfaction, looking at Chunxiang, she asked, "Where's Chunyang?"
In memory, the original host had two close maidservants who grew up with her, besides Chunxiang, there was one with a steadier temperament named Chunyang.
These two maidservants were loyal, and for over three months, if not for them staying by the original host's side, the original host would have died long ago.
Although looking at the situation now, the original host's death was only delayed by a few days.
Thinking like this, Xu Jing felt somewhat disturbed in her heart, and sighed softly.
"Chunyang took the new batch of embroideries to the market to sell..." Chunxiang responded subconsciously, then suddenly realized, her voice trembling with excitement, "Miss... Miss, have you come to terms? Are you willing to strive forward?"
Xu Jing glanced at the little girl, who was crying and laughing, and wryly smiled, "Like you said, things are already like this, continuing to wallow in despair won't help, it'll only make you all worry for me in vain."
Even though she didn't know why she came here, or if she could go back, she grew up an orphan with her grandfather after her parents died when she was young. When her grandfather passed away three years ago, she became like a rootless duckweed, no matter where she went, it felt the same.
"Yes... yes... Miss, it's great you've come to terms, it's wonderful..."
The little girl's face was wet with tears, she only knew to hold her hand tightly while speaking incoherently.
After contemplating for a moment, Xu Jing was about to ask her some things, when a sharp, piercing female voice suddenly came from outside—
"I say, Miss Xu, Xu, Mr. Xu, today you should pay the rent, right!
I haven't seen a penny of the rent for last month or the month before!
I pitied you back then and decided to rent a good house to a lone woman with no background, but my goodwill isn't to be trampled by you!
If you can't pay rent today, I'll immediately have Lu from the village entrance come over! Our family is waiting for dinner too!"
Xu Jing frowned slightly.
Chunxiang's face quickly showed a trace of panic, saying anxiously, "Shen is here to collect rent again!
What to do, last time she wasn't polite at all, and even brought her man to tie us up to take to Lu.
Lu is the notorious broker in the village, it's said she sells girls... sells them to that kind of place!"
Last time, it was Chunyang who pleaded repeatedly, only then was she temporarily appeased.
Even so, before leaving, Shen had still threatened that if they couldn't pay rent again, she would sell them off first.
Their lady was a legitimate daughter of the Xu Family, even if she was left unheard of in the manor back then, she still had no worries of food and clothing, how could she suffer such grievances!
The Xu Family was too cold-hearted.
Their lord too, the lady... the lady is the birth mother of the Little Lord anyway! Considering the Little Lord, they shouldn't be so heartless to the lady!
Xu Jing saw the little girl almost crying, frowning slightly, comforting her, "Don't worry, if I remember correctly, my Mom left me a carved gold and jade bracelet, right? Bring it out."
Chunxiang trembled slightly, quickly responding, "That cannot be! Miss! That was the last thing Madam left you, it was always on her wrist before her passing, you treasured it always..."
Xu Jing replied blandly, "With no place to live, what's the use of keeping lifeless objects?"
Saying this, she saw the little girl's eyes red as a rabbit's, and added, "Rest assured, I am only pawning it temporarily, I will redeem it sooner or later."
Chunxiang was stunned, looking at the woman in front of her.
Her lady was always extremely beautiful, a palm-sized face, a delicate nose, lips like cherry blossoms, a body with snow-white skin, and a pair of charming and tender peach blossom eyes.
Due to recent tribulations, her body was thin, her face looking frail, as if she might collapse at any moment, but her eyes shone brightly, hiding a sharp and undeniable ripple deep within, giving an unexplainable sense of trust.
This lady had truly changed from before.
Chunxiang watched her lady for a long while, eventually biting her lip, saying, "Okay, Miss, a servant will fetch the bracelet now."
While they were talking, the noise outside kept on, and it was clear that the noise was getting closer to their room.
As Chunxiang just retrieved the gold bracelet, the door was pushed open, and Shen, plump and wearing a lotus-colored straight-collared skirt, barged in with a big, burly man. Upon seeing Xu Jing, she clearly flinched, then snorted, "Oh, not pretending to be a sick beauty today?
Let me tell you, even if you continue lying sick in bed today, I won't be fooled! What kind of illness last over three months and isn't cured!
You might as well move to the unmarked grave on the hillside! Save bad luck for my house!"
Chunxiang's face turned red with anger, "Shen, you may push for rent, but you cannot insult our lady this way..."
"My, such a high-standing lady, to be living with a village woman, renting a house."
Shen looked Xu Jing and Chunxiang up and down with sarcasm, "A fallen Phoenix would even be shunned by chickens, pay up what you owe me first!
I say, Miss Xu, since you're so precious, why not agree to Peng Shi wanting to marry you? Peng Shi might be lustful, but he has money enough for a lifetime of pleasure from his ancestors' virtue.
Heh, if you become his twentieth concubine, don't mention rent, becoming the Phoenix again wouldn't be impossible!"
"You…" Chunxiang said, too angry for words, her body trembling, jaw clenched, "Do you know, my lady is, is..."
"Alright," Xu Jing blandly interrupted Chunxiang, smiled slightly at Shen, "You're just here to collect rent, there's no need to make it ugly, after all, we might still be your tenants for a while."
Shen raised an eyebrow, coldly sneering, "Don't fancy living in my house for free for a while, no way! Today, I'll have you and your maids tied up and sent to Lu. If not, you all have some looks to sell for a good price, I won't lose out!
Da, go tie them up for me!"