Chapter Eleven: Lunar New Year

Qin Mingyue was unaware that the Zhao family had recently gained a powerful patron. As the end of the year approached, the Jia household grew frantic with activity. With hands in short supply, Ping'er, the maid serving Wang Xifeng, came to her courtyard to borrow help.

"You are too kind, Miss Ping'er. Two maids and a cleaning woman are plenty for my courtyard; the rest are at your disposal," Qin Mingyue replied. Seeing that Ping'er treated her with kindness, unlike the snobbish, condescending attitude of other servants, she offered no resistance.

"Then I thank you, Concubine Zhao. The estate is short-handed, so if you find yourself lacking anything, do send word to our Mistress," Ping'er said, inwardly marveling that Concubine Zhao had truly changed; the rumors she had heard were indeed true.

Qin Mingyue did not take the remark to heart. Wang Xifeng was the niece of Lady Wang, and since she herself was a thorn in Lady Wang's side, it was best to avoid attracting unnecessary trouble.

The Jia estate was currently a hive of activity, filled with servants running errands, purchasing goods, and preparing gifts. The few laboring women she had lent out did not return for several days. Fortunately, there was little work in Qin Mingyue's courtyard, so she managed well enough.

On the day of the Jia family banquet, Qin Mingyue dressed little Jia Huan early and arrived at the Matriarch’s courtyard to wait.

This was the first time Qin Mingyue had seen all the members of the Jia household together. The Matriarch sat in the place of honor, with Jia Baoyu and Jia Yuanchun beside her. Although Baoyu was only three, he was the most favored in the household; plump and rosy-cheeked, he was the very picture of the Matriarch’s ideal grandson. Seven-year-old Yuanchun was eloquent and quick-witted, keeping the Matriarch in fits of laughter.

Jia She and Lady Xing sat to the left of the Matriarch, with Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng sitting below them. On the right were Jia Zheng and Lady Wang, accompanied by Jia Zhu and his wife, Li Wan.

Qin Mingyue sat toward the back. She specifically checked for the young girls of the house. Seeing no sign of the nursemaid for Tanchun—unlike Yingchun and Xichun—she felt a sudden sense of foreboding. The banquet had only just begun, so it would be improper to ask outright, but she signaled her own nursemaid to investigate quietly, hoping no one would notice.

At that moment, not yet two-year-old Tanchun lay shivering with a fever on her bed. Her nursemaid was nowhere to be found, leaving only a coarse cleaning woman in charge. The woman, lacking any patience and seeing that Tanchun lay still, had simply wandered off to drink and play cards with the others.

Poor little Tanchun was flushed with fever, her breathing growing faint. With no one to look after her, Qin Mingyue’s nursemaid finally discovered the child, whose cheeks were burning hot. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the nursemaid panicked, picked the child up, and ran toward the Matriarch’s courtyard.

"What insolent servant is this, acting so crudely? Drag her out and gag her!" the guards at the courtyard entrance shouted, fearing the commotion would disturb the masters.

"The Third Young Miss has a high fever! If anything happens to her, none of you will be able to bear the consequences!" Desperate, the nursemaid ignored all decorum and pushed past them into the hall.

"Matriarch! It is terrible! The Third Young Miss has a high fever!" The cry brought the lively banquet to a sudden, stunned silence.

"What day is this? How dare a servant like you scream and disturb the masters' spirits? If the Third Girl is ill, fetch a doctor. Do you expect us to treat her ourselves?" Lady Wang felt a jolt of alarm but quickly spoke up to rebuke the woman.

Ignoring all protocol, Qin Mingyue handed Jia Huan to Que'er and rushed to check on Tanchun. Seeing the girl’s face bright red with fever, she was shocked. She gathered the child in her arms and secretly channeled her inner energy to heal her.

"Matriarch, forgive me! Lady, forgive me! Tanchun is young, and her condition is truly dire. I beg you, let a doctor see her!" Qin Mingyue pleaded, kneeling on the floor.

"It is merely a fever. A doctor saw her today and said there was no cause for alarm. Surely you don't think the Mistress would harm her? She was being well cared for in the Mistress's courtyard. What is your motive for encouraging your servant to cause such a scene?" a woman beside Lady Wang stepped forward to cast aspersions.

"Take the child away! This is no place for your wild behavior!" Jia Zheng, feeling humiliated, assumed this was just a ploy by Qin Mingyue to vie for favor.

"It is not so! The Concubine had not seen the young miss, so she sent me to check on her. I found not a single maid or woman by her side! In my desperation, I brought her here!" the nursemaid kowtowed, explaining frantically.

"Second daughter-in-law, is this true?" the Matriarch asked.

"Grandmother, do not blame Mother. She has been managing so many affairs lately that she has grown thin. How could she have known that the Third Sister’s nursemaid was such a lazy, deceitful wretch?" Yuanchun, seeing the Matriarch’s displeasure, quickly defended Lady Wang.

"There have been too many affairs in the house lately, and I have indeed neglected the Third Girl. It is my fault as the mistress. Zhou Rui’s wife, send someone outside to fetch a doctor for her," Lady Wang said, taking her daughter’s cue to admit fault.

"A child shouldn't be subjected to such neglect. If the second sister-in-law is too busy, perhaps she should let the child’s birth mother raise her," Lady Xing remarked, enjoying the spectacle.

"Enough! What kind of decorum is this, arguing on such a festive day? Wang clan, this is your fault. Sell off all the servants and women in Tanchun’s room. Our Jia family young misses shall not be mistreated by such people. If this happens again, the management of the household will be turned over to Lian’s wife," the Matriarch concluded. Not wishing to punish Lady Wang too severely for the sake of a concubine’s daughter, she merely gave her a warning.

Seeing the Matriarch’s bias, Lady Xing lost interest in the drama. The members of the Jia family each had their own hidden agendas, yet not one truly cared for the life of a concubine’s daughter.

"Go on, take the child away! What kind of sight is this, all this crying?" Jia Zheng, knowing he had wronged Qin Mingyue but too proud to admit it, ordered them to leave.

"Yes," Qin Mingyue replied. She knew Jia Zheng was unreliable, but she had not expected him to show so little concern for his own child. Throughout the ordeal, not a single person had shown genuine pity for the suffering of such a small child.

The women who had left Tanchun to play cards were quickly gagged and sold off, and the Jia household returned to its festive atmosphere.

Qin Mingyue cared for little Tanchun for several days until she made a full recovery. During this time, Lady Wang’s courtyard made no move to take her back.

Approaching two years of age, and having rarely seen her mother, Tanchun did not recognize Qin Mingyue. After waking, she simply stared with wide, watery eyes.

"I am your mother. Be good, do not be afraid," Qin Mingyue whispered, cradling her. The child was heart-wrenchingly obedient. She channeled her energy through the girl one last time, and satisfied that she was healthy, she finally set her mind at ease.

In the following days, both Lady Wang and Lady Xing sent over medicinal herbs. However, the ones sent by Lady Wang, while appearing expensive, were old and poorly preserved, having lost all their potency. They were far less useful than the gifts from Lady Xing. Qin Mingyue kept Lady Xing’s kindness in mind, planning to find a way to repay her in the future.