The Scheming Minister's Kitchen Maid

CHAPTER 4

15

　　

The following year's autumn examination, Brother Cui failed.

After hearing the news, I asked the master for an hour's leave and went to comfort him.

In the small house, Brother Cui had drunk a lot of wine. Seeing me, he questioned me with red eyes.

“Xin Xi, why didn't you ask him to help me? For him, it's just a trivial matter, why didn't he help me?”

Brother Cui was drunk and talking nonsense.

I wrung a handkerchief to wash his face and poured him a cup of tea.

“Brother Cui, it's okay. If you didn't pass this year, there's next year, and the year after. Your knowledge is so profound, as long as you persist, you will definitely succeed…”

“What next year and the year after?”

Brother Cui suddenly stood up, put his elbow on my neck, pressing me against the bed, his eyes bloodshot, “Xin Xi, do you know how old I am this year? Twenty-five! I'm already twenty-five! I don't have many next years and years after, I must pass this year!”

“But the results have already been released this year…”

Brother Cui leaned in, tearing off the veil on my face, his eyes hazy, “Xin Xi, isn't there still you?”

　　

“Me?”

“Wealth really changes people. Before, you were dark and ugly, but after being taken care of by him for two years, look at your skin now, so tender, you even look a bit like a person from the capital…”

Brother Cui's touch made my face itchy, and I subconsciously pushed him away.

Brother Cui was caught off guard and was pushed hard to the floor.

I quickly got up to help him, but saw Brother Cui suddenly change his expression.

“What? After sleeping with him for two years, you can't even let me touch you now?”

I froze, countless words on the tip of my tongue, but I felt I couldn't utter a single one.

Brother Cui struggled to get up using a chair, glared at me, his voice cold.

“Bitch, don't act innocent with me. A worn-out commodity, still trying to use me as a fool. Don't think I don't know what you're up to. If you hadn't sold yourself to serve him, would he have given you so much money?

　　

And you still want me to repay him? You shameless bitch, you actually said such words! Shameless!”

I stumbled backward, tears streaming down my face, unable to believe that my Brother Cui could say such things.

I retreated too quickly and accidentally knocked over a chair. 

The loud noise seemed to sober Brother Cui up a bit.

He pressed his hands to his head, shook his head, and walked towards me, pulling me into his embrace, his voice softening.

“Xin Xi, I'm sorry, I drank too much, I was drunk, I was talking nonsense. Xin Xi, I don't blame you, really, you did it all for me, I don't blame you at all.

Since it's already happened, just ask him for more. As long as I get a position, we'll get married. After we get married, you won't have to sleep with him anymore, we'll have a good life together…”

Slap!

Brother Cui covered his face, looking at me in disbelief.

I stared blankly at my hand, tears flowing uncontrollably.  

Before he could speak, I fled out the door…

16

　　

By the time I returned to the manor, it was late at night.

I sat on the corridor, covering my mouth and crying loudly, feeling as if my heart had been crushed.

The leaves above me rustled for a while, and then He Xu arrived.

He was holding the black eagle; the man and the bird stood under the dim corridor light, watching me silently.

I knew he didn't like to look at my face. For the past two years, I hadn't dared to take off my veil, afraid he would dislike me. 

My hands fluttered as I searched for my face covering.

After searching for a while, I realized that I must have left it at Brother Cui's house in my haste.

Thinking of Brother Cui, I felt even more wronged and sobbed, covering my face.

After crying for a while, I felt something gently patting my head.  

I realized that at some point, the man and the bird had sat down beside me.

He Xu's hand rested on my back, patting me gently and intermittently.

The black eagle's claws were also on my head, patting me gently and intermittently.

　　

I felt even more wronged and cried even louder.

“Master, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I accidentally lost my veil, I'll make a new one tonight…”

The hand on my back paused. “It's alright. Did he bully you?”

I stopped crying and looked up. 

“Brother Cui didn't pass the exam, he drank too much. I know he didn't mean to say those things, he was just in a bad mood.”

He Xu hummed. “Since you think he's not wrong, why are you crying?”

I was speechless. It wasn't that I thought he wasn't wrong; it was just that after putting in so much effort, being misunderstood was naturally unpleasant.

“Hei Zi, do you really want to marry him? How much do you know about him?”

“We've known each other for many, many years, of course I know him. His parents were cultured people, well-educated and kind. They took care of me and before they passed away, they promised to let me marry Brother Cui. Master, you don't know, many girls in the village liked him, but his family chose me…”

　　

He Xu smiled helplessly. “Maybe, you're just the foolish one in your village?”

I angrily turned my head away. “I'm not stupid!”

He Xu didn't say much, just patted my back.

“Hei Zi, no matter how much you like someone, remember to love yourself first. Men won't cherish a woman who gives so much of herself.”

I looked up at He Xu. “Is it because I'm not good enough? That's why he doesn't cherish me?”

He Xu lowered his eyes, his eyes like countless tiny stars.

“You're very good, he's not worthy. He bullied you, he will receive retribution.”

17

　　

I didn't expect the retribution the master spoke of to come so quickly.

Just eight days after the results were announced, a group of students were suddenly arrested by the court, including Brother Cui.

The reason was that they bribed the examiners, agreeing on specific words and passages in their essays to cheat.

After someone reported this, the Ministry of Justice quickly opened a case. The Ministry of Justice's people worked overtime to re-examine the students' examination papers, and all the students with problematic passages were arrested and taken to the Ministry of Justice.

And the Minister of Justice was He Xu.

“Master, how is Brother Cui doing? How will the court deal with him?”

He Xu has been very busy these days.  

The people in the Ministry of Justice have to work overtime, and he can't even return to the manor.

He came back today, his eyes dark with fatigue.

“If the evidence is conclusive, these students will receive forty strokes of the cane and be banned from taking the examination for life. He's in good health, he won't die, you can rest assured.”

Banned from taking the examination for life?

Brother Cui's only thought these years was to take the imperial examination. If he was banned from taking the examination for life, how could he bear it?

　　

In my panic, I grasped He Xu's hands, anxious. “Master, he wouldn't cheat, he has real talent and learning, you…”

He Xu looked down at my hands, the corners of his lips inexplicably curled up, and suddenly said in a good mood, “You want this official to help him?”

“I... I... but I don't have five thousand taels…”

He Xu smiled happily. “It's alright, this official doesn't lack money.”

“Then, Master, what do you lack?”

He Xu suddenly lifted my veil, answering a different question.

“Xin Xi, don't wear this anymore, it's good like this. This official still has some business to attend to at the Ministry of Justice, I won't eat.”

“Ah? Didn't you just come back? You're not eating?”

He Xu ruffled my hair. “Be good, go play with the black eagle.”

18

　　

Brother Cui was inexplicably arrested and inexplicably released.

The people from the Ministry of Justice said that while the other students had indeed cheated, Brother Cui was wrongly accused.

He had only had a few drinks with the students and had not participated in the cheating.

But because he didn't know people well enough, the Ministry of Justice still gave him forty strokes of the cane as a lesson.

“An hour's leave, go quickly and return quickly, wait for you to have dinner.”

I looked gratefully at He Xu, who had just stepped into the manor, lifted my skirt and quickly ran out of the manor, buying two liang of bruised medicine on the way.

As a result, as soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw a woman massaging Brother Cui's waist.

“You said she would be there, and the Shangshu would definitely help you. Now, it's good, you can't become an official, and you've been beaten for nothing. I can't live this bitter life with you!”

　　

The woman's voice sounded familiar. 

She pushed Brother Cui hard, turned around angrily, and wiped her tears.

Brother Cui ignored his own pain, anxiously got up, and held the woman's hand, coaxing her.

“Qiu Hong, don't cry, you're making my heart ache when you cry. It's all that bitch Xin Xi's fault. It must be because I was drunk and scolded her that night, and she went back and told the Shangshu.

That vile woman! I helped her so much, and she actually repaid kindness with vengeance! I'll get even with her sooner or later!”

Qiu Hong…

My head buzzed, and I didn't even notice the medicine falling to the ground.

So that's what Brother Sun meant by ‘taking good care of him’...

“Humph, she's being protected by the Shangshu now, how are you going to get even with her? Cui Can, I'm telling you, you said you would give me a good life, that's why I left my husband and child to follow you to the capital. If you can't support me, don't blame me for turning against you!”

Brother Cui... Cui Can hugged Qiu Hong tightly, his voice dark and gloomy.

“Don't worry, that stupid woman Xin Xi, how she supported us before, she'll continue to support us in the future. If she dares not support us, her good days will be over.”

“Humph, stop touching there, you're annoying…”

19

　　

I didn't cry.

I went straight to the back garden upon returning to the manor and found Guard Sun, who was off duty.

“Brother Sun, tell me the truth. What did you see when you went to the village?”

Guard Sun was sleeping. Hearing the sound, he got up, holding his blanket and looking at me. “You... you know?”

“Brother Sun, I want to hear the truth.”

Guard Sun scratched his head. 

“When I entered his house, he was disheveled, returning from the next door, and there were shouts of a woman behind him.”

“I told him I was from the Shangshu's manor, he was very excited, asking me if you were dead, how much silver the manor intended to compensate, and said that he was your fiancé, that his family had raised you for more than ten years, and that if they received less than fifty taels of silver, he would go to the capital to beat the drum and lodge a complaint.”

I sat down heavily by the bed, feeling dizzy.

“After I gave him the silver and food, he asked me again if you had been taken in by the master, saying that it was fine if you were, but he wanted five taels of silver from him every month. I told him you were just a scullery maid, and he cursed the women in the village for being useless.

　　

The second time I went to give him silver, seeing that you had gained the master's favor, he made a fuss about coming to find you. He failed the preliminary examination and couldn't participate in the autumn examination, so he used your reputation to blackmail the master, writing him a letter. The master was afraid he would talk nonsense in front of you, so he made an exception and allowed him to take the examination.

Miss Hei, your fiancé is not a good person, and he's not capable either. He must have heard that the manor often kills servants and then gives generous burial money, which is why he let you go to the capital alone. He wanted your blood money.”

Years of devotion turned into a joke overnight.

I smiled bitterly, my voice hoarse.

“Brother Sun, why didn't you tell me back then?”

Guard Sun sighed helplessly. “Miss Hei, I originally wanted to tell you, but the master wouldn't let me.”

“Why?”

“At that time, would you have believed me if I told you? We are not related by blood, but you have been together with him for many years.

If I had told you, you wouldn't have believed me, and it would have caused resentment towards the people in the manor, thinking that we didn't want you to be well.

The master is right, everyone's growth requires hardship. Only after you have experienced it yourself will you know that in the future, you must love yourself more and not easily trust others.”

20

　　

I stayed in my room alone for two days, and He Xu didn't call me to serve him.

On the third night, I tidied myself up and went to serve the master's dinner.

He Xu was tending to his eagle; seeing me, he let the eagle go play by itself.

“So you've figured it out so quickly?”

I nodded embarrassedly, feeling like a fool who had been laughed at by him for two years.

“Master, I've decided. After I repay your wages, I'll return to the village.”

He Xu's face changed, and he frowned and looked back at me. 

“Why? You're not getting married, what are you going back to do?”

“Master, I actually didn't want to come to the capital. My family is all in the village, on the mountain. If it weren't for earning money to support Cui Can's studies, I wouldn't have come to the capital.

You and the people in the manor have treated me very well, but I'm just a country girl, I don't know anything except farming and working. I'm not supporting his studies anymore, there's no point in staying in the city, and the drought in the village has gradually improved. I'm not picky about food and drink, I still plan to go back to farming.”

He Xu looked at me without speaking, and after a long while, he let out a mocking laugh.

　　

“Is he the only one in your eyes? You've been in the manor for two years, and you say you'll leave just like that, without any concern for the people in the manor.”

Seeing that the master was a little angry, I quickly waved my hands. 

“No, I'm not leaving right now. I haven't paid back your silver yet, I'll work for the full term before leaving.”

He Xu coldly snorted, flicked his sleeve, and walked away unhappily.

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