Bai Suihe discreetly winked at her. Dongmei felt as if she were looking at her young lady from before her marriage. Her eyes couldn't help but soften; the young lady had finally come to her senses.
Seeing the young lady dance attendance on the old madam every day made the maids' hearts ache. At her maiden home, she had been doted upon in every possible way, but over the past year or so, she had suffered no less than them, the servant girls. They had subtly reminded her a few times, but the young lady always said it was the rule—that every daughter-in-law had to endure this to pay her dues.
They also knew clearly that the young lady was aware she had married up, and she understood the significance of this political marriage. No matter how much dissatisfaction she felt, she kept it all buried in her heart.
Back then, it made them gnash their teeth in frustration. They all blamed the young lady's wet nurse, who was always preaching her rural mindsets to the young lady—nonsense like "every daughter-in-law eventually has her day as a matriarch," "filial piety comes above all else," and "a wife must submit to her husband."
Fortunately, Mrs. Bai noticed something was wrong. Keeping the young lady's reputation in mind, she gave the wet nurse a sum of Silver before the wedding and sent her back to her hometown to retire. Looking at it now, it wasn't entirely the wet nurse's fault; the young lady had her own considerations.
As for why she had even kept it a secret from her maids? Dongmei never even thought to question it. The young lady was the master, and masters never owed explanations to their servants.
"If you are feeling dizzy, you should rest well, Third Young Madam. Otherwise, the Third Young Master will be heartbroken when he returns," Dongmei said as she tucked her in. Seeing her young lady's rosy, freshly-awakened complexion, the maid quickly walked over to the dressing table. Using her body to block the view from the door, she swiftly applied a layer of pale powder to Bai Suihe's cheeks.
Bai Suihe blinked. This maid was truly clever; she even knew how to help cover her tracks. Bai Suihe ran her fingers through her hair a couple of times to make herself look even more haggard.
The manor doctor arrived very quickly. When the Third Young Madam had fainted the day before yesterday, it had been due to sheer exhaustion. It would be a massive joke if word got out that the Third Young Madam of a wealthy, noble family had fainted from overwork. However, he had already accepted the old madam's hush money, so naturally, he wouldn't dare leak the news. He hadn't even dared to leave the manor these past two days, afraid that a slip of the tongue would end up offending these nobles.
As he stepped into the Third Young Madam's courtyard, his eyes couldn't help but show a hint of sympathy. If a married woman couldn't earn the favor of her mother-in-law, no amount of Silver Coins could make her life any easier. Among all the young madams, the Third Young Madam's quarters were the most luxurious, yet she lived the hardest life.
Checking her pulse through a silk handkerchief, the manor doctor found it rather strange. The pulse had changed too quickly. How was it that today, her pulse felt bursting with vitality and perfectly healthy?
Despite his doubts, the doctor didn't dare voice them. Unless she had taken some miraculous elixir, it was impossible for a person's pulse to change so drastically overnight. If he pointed this out, wouldn't he just be shooting himself in the foot and proving his medical skills were inadequate?
After pondering for a moment, he spoke with a profound tone, "The Third Young Madam must not overthink during her pregnancy. Resting should be her top priority. I will prescribe another dose of fetus-preserving medicine for the Third Young Madam. That should stabilize her condition."
Bai Suihe naturally knew her own body perfectly well. When she woke up this morning, all her previous exhaustion had vanished without a trace. Right now, she simply didn't want to meet with the female relatives and get dragged into their domestic scheming. She had no experience with such things and was afraid of falling into their traps. She made up her mind to avoid conflicts with them as much as possible before the estate was inevitably confiscated by the authorities. As for after the confiscation, who would have the time to care about her? By then, even if her temperament changed slightly, it probably wouldn't attract any attention.
Catching a look from Bai Suihe, Dongmei immediately slipped a small embroidered pouch into the doctor's hand. "Thank you, sir. We hope the manor doctor will continue to take great care of our Third Young Madam's health."
Feeling the thin but dense pouch, the doctor rejoiced inwardly. Although the Third Young Madam was in a bad spot within the manor, she had a strong financial backing. Just look at how generous she was! On second thought, remembering the pulse he had just checked, he gave a knowing look and added, "Pregnancy is never easy. The Third Young Madam should try to rest as much as possible. Do not stand or sit for too long, and ensure a good balance of work and rest."
Bai Suihe highly appreciated the doctor's tactfulness. She turned to Chunxiang, who was standing by the door. "Chunxiang, please see the doctor out and bring back the medicine."
Not long after the doctor left, the main courtyard also received the news. Sitting on a soft couch, the old madam, Xu Huizhen, pondered for a moment before turning to Nanny Zhou beside her. "Ms. Bai is in poor health. I cannot let outsiders say that I am a harsh mother-in-law. Instruct the kitchens to take extra care of the Third Branch these days. Give them priority for whatever provisions we have in the manor."
Nanny Zhou lowered her head and assented. She already understood the underlying meaning of the old madam's words. The main kitchen provided fixed rations every day. If the Third Young Madam wanted better food, she would still have to pay for it out of her own pocket. When the Third Young Madam inevitably ordered delicious meals, she couldn't possibly leave out the main courtyard. Even the other branches of the family might get a chance to take advantage of it.
Bai Suihe was unaware of the old madam's schemes. She had already gotten up and was letting her maids help her wash and dress. She didn't have much time left, so she had to hurry.
"Young lady, is this really okay?" Chunxiang asked nervously. Although her figure wasn't much different from her young lady's, they were still two entirely different people, even with the same hairstyle.
"What does it matter? After I leave, you just lie in bed and pull down the bed curtains. Who would come to check on us anyway?" Bai Suihe carefully inspected her disguise, constantly touching up her face.
In the modern world, makeup techniques were virtually synonymous with plastic surgery. Back when she worked in an office, she had spent plenty of time studying it with her female colleagues. While she couldn't compare to professional studio makeup artists, altering a person's facial features was well within her capabilities. Sure enough, the reflection in the bronze mirror slowly began to change. Her facial features gradually took on a striking resemblance to Chunxiang's.
Wearing the exact same clothes and keeping her head lowered, it was practically impossible to tell them apart from the side profile. Besides, no one usually paid much attention to a maid coming and going. As long as she kept her mouth shut along the way, she could definitely pull this off without a hitch.
Chunxiang and Dongmei stared at Bai Suihe in sheer astonishment. Having served the young lady for so long, they never knew she possessed such an incredible skill. Neither of the maids suspected anything amiss. When Mrs. Bai was raising the young lady, she had hired numerous tutors. Perhaps one of them had taught her this in class.
Bai Suihe smoothed out her hair. Once she was certain there were no flaws, she waved to the two maids and headed toward the backyard's side door with a food box in hand.
Chunxiang was so anxious that her palms were sweating. "Dongmei, do you really think it's okay for the young lady to do this? I am truly worried about her going out all alone. Why don't you follow her?"
"We must listen to the young lady. You need to get into bed and lie down first, and I will stay here to handle things. We cannot let anyone know about her leaving the manor, or she will be damned beyond redemption," Dongmei said much more calmly. Since the young lady had made her decision, it wasn't their place to question it. They just needed to guard her secret well.
Following Chunxiang's instructions, Bai Suihe went to the side door and discreetly slipped a Silver Coin to the old woman guarding it. Without asking any questions, the old woman immediately opened the door. "Ms. Chunxiang, remember to come back early."
Bai Suihe didn't answer. Instead, she just nodded and swiftly disappeared through the door.
The gatekeeping old woman was a bit puzzled. Why hadn't Ms. Chunxiang stayed to chat with her for a few words today? Was there something wrong over at the Third Young Madam's courtyard?