Chapter 156 Goodbye
The three maids had different personalities that would emerge to the surface constantly.
Just take packing up as an example. Shang Xin was busy packing up pastries. Meijing was busy packing up clothes for all four seasons and all kinds of fine and soft valuables. Liangchen very carefully put the painted stones, embroideries and carved jewelries that Shu Huan did in these few days together.
Shu Huan drank a cup of tea on the side and steadied her mind. When she saw Meijing tied up one after another bundle and piled them on the bed, she couldn't help but laugh and asked, "Meijing, what are you doing?"
Meijing turned her head, wiped the sweat and with a blank expression, she said, "Packing up things!"
"Do you have to bring so many clothes?"
"It's not much. I only picked five set of clothes for each season. These are all to wear for when going out. Moreover…" Meijing bit her lips and said, "Second young master is not here. How much monthly allowance did second young mistress assemble? When we leave the residence, you have to provide for us. I want to bring more clothes. Even if you can't wear them, we still can pawn them in case of an emergency…"
Shu Huan's heart became a lot softer and said with warmth in her voice, "It was hard on you for being so thoughtful, but don't bring these clothes. Let's make some new one when we are outside. Shang Xin, Liangchen, don't busy yourself anymore. Go back to your room and pack up the things that you want to take with you. Don't leave anything important. I can pack up here by myself."
The three maids exchanged two glances before they went out.
Shu Huan went and opened those bundles, took out all the clothes and put them back into the chest. She grabbed a set of plain white clothes with orchids embroidered on the skirt and wore it. She took down the white jade annulus of luck and that pair of nine lotus hairpin from her head and put them in front of the dressing table.
These two kinds of ornaments had been given by old madam and Lin shi when she went to pay her respect for the first time. She didn't want to take them with her. It wasn't to express her noble character and that she didn't want to take anything of Gu household, but it was because she didn't want to bring the things from people she didn't like with her to avoid causing her to remember unpleasant memories. As for the pair of red gold bracelet that Fang shi had given her, she will take it with her, but she also took it from her wrists. Otherwise, if she saw it, she couldn't help but sigh.
After having done these, she rolled up her own calligraphy and paintings. Together with the embroideries, painted stones and banknotes, she made a small bundle. Aside from these, there seemed to be no need to bring anything else. However, before she went out of the door, she still turned and looked once. After she hesitated for a moment, she turned back and took out a set of clothes that Gu Xiran often wore and put it in her bundle.
In the courtyard, Liangchen and Shang Xin who were fast were already waiting with their own small bundle. Qiaoyun was looking curiously at them with a sleepy face. Meijing was still busying herself inside the room. They could faintly hear her shout, "Wait for me. I will be done in a moment."
Shu Huan suddenly wanted to laugh, but when she looked up, she saw concubine Yun coming in from outside. Her hand was on maid Xiangqian's hand for support. She (Y) stood there and looked silently at her (SH). Her expression clearly showed that she already knew that she (SH) had been divorced, but there was no complacent happiness in her eyes. Instead, her gaze was complicated.
This was just great (sarcastic)!
Shu Huan felt heartlessly relaxed. She didn't have to trouble herself with concubines and gentle maids anymore. Whether concubine Yun wanted to leave Gu household or continue to stay here and to whom maid Huiyun who stayed at the resort would marry to, had noting more to do with her. She didn't want to interfere in other people's lives. Now, she only needed to be responsible for her own life. Therefore, she nodded slightly at concubine Yun and said, "Meijing, hurry up."
"Done, done!" Meijing rushed out while touching her hair. When she saw that her bundle was a bigger than the others, she was very embarrassed and said, "I…I didn't bring much! you brought too little…"
These words just fell when old madam's maids Zisu and Fuling came. They came to send the slave contracts of Liangchen and Meijing and also said, "Did second young mistress finish packing? Then, we will send you out."
As they spoke, one came forward to take over the bundle and the other went forward to lead them out.
Shu Huan laughed bitterly. In the eyes of outsiders, they would certainly think that these maids were affectionate and that they didn't become hostile in a flash. In fact, it was probably because old madam was still not at ease and was in a hurry to let people send her out. She even didn't give her the opportunity to say goodbye to Gu Xihe.
She would leave. She also didn't want to dillydally.
Shu Huan followed the maid outside. When she passed by concubine Yun, she (SH) heard her (Y) whisper, "Second young mistress, take care."
She still used second young mistress to address her. At this time, it sounded a bit ear-piercing.
Anyway, she had nothing to talk about with concubine Yun. Shu Huan nodded. When she was about to continue walking, she heard her (Y) say in an even more low voice, "Old madam, she…she arranged a marriage with Zhang family for second young master…."
Zhang family! Zhang Hanfang?
Shu Huan was surprised. What she was more surprised about was that she didn't feel uncomfortable at all. She didn't know why, but she wanted to laugh very much!
Zhang Hanfang! This hot-tempered and very proud girl!
Shu Huan didn't believe that she (ZHF) could always suppress her temper and could always pretend in front of old madam to be a gentle and beautiful girl which was completely different from her own character. Then, there was only one explanation. Old madam had always thought herself to be astute. In the end, she was blinded by kinship and couldn't see the shortcomings of her own granddaughter.
When she turned and looked at concubine Yun's face, she knew why she (Y) wasn't a bit happy. Presumably, her (Y) heart is in torment now! One old second young mistress was gone, a new one had appeared. She would still be a concubine. The most terrible thing was that Zhang Hanfang's identity didn't allow for her (Y) to be irreverent at all. Moreover, she (ZHF) was someone hot-tempered and wouldn’t tolerate a sand (Y) in her (ZHF) eyes. Then, one could imagine how miserable her (Y) life would be in the future!
"Second young mistress."
She was just thinking when Zisu who was walking in the front urged her.
Shu Huan shook her head and followed her (Z).
She didn't have the time to bother with concubine Yun's affairs. Anyway, it wasn't like she (Y) didn't have a choice. Now that she thinks about it, there must be more to why old madam wanted to form a marriage alliance with Zhang family. It may be related to the business affair; that they needed to rely on a marriage to overcome the crisis. Otherwise, such a clever person like her would probably not be willing to find a granddaughter-in-law with an equal strong personality to make herself (OM) more stressed.
Turning her hand palm up, he gathered the clouds. Turning her hand palm down, he turns them into rain.Turning her hand palm up, he gathered the clouds. Turning her hand palm down, he turns them into rain: very powerful and capable.
Shu Huan couldn't understand these stratagems and schemes. Therefore, she also didn't think more about it. Anyway, she was leaving this complicated household where every step you took was frightening. In the future, it was fine if she was just a bit more alert and that she didn't need to put a hundred eyes on her body. It was just, she didn't expect that she had just left Gu residence when she was already being calculated against again!
Shu couple was waiting outside the gate. Seeing her come out, Shu Fu was full of bitterness. He moved his lips as if he wanted to say something but couldn't say it. Xu shi looked coldly at her with a frown. Looking at her attitude, if it wasn't because she couldn't pull down her face in front of people, she would've rushed over, beat and kick Shu Huan and tore her into pieces.
She (SH) truly didn't want to see these hateful people!
Shu Huan frowned. She first looked at Zisu and asked, "What is going on?"
Zisu turned her face and didn't look at her. She only said, "Old madam ordered to let your maiden family come to pick you up. If something had happened to you, she didn't know how to explain to your maiden family."
Fuling was more direct. She said to Shu couple, "The letter of announcing divorce is here. The person had also brought over for you. In the future, both of them can marry other people. To grow old, get sick or die, they don't have anything to do with each other anymore!
Shu Huan gritted her teeth in secret. She understood now!
Old madam was afraid that she would go out and commit suicide or set a trap together with her maiden family by pretending to have disappeared and then come asking for money. She (OM) was truly thoughtful, but she added trouble for her (SH) that she couldn't get rid of!
Since it was already like this, she could only face it calmly.
Shu Huan pressed down the displeasure in her heart and said, "Let's go. Goodbye!"