Lanpei walked over, and the little maids were so frightened they tried to scatter.
"Stop right there," Lanpei shouted sharply.
She was a second-rank maid serving beside the Second Miss. Which of the young maids didn't fear her?
In the Jing'an Marquis Residence, the highest-ranking personal attendants serving young masters and ladies were second-rank maids. Only the married ladies were entitled to first-rank maids.
"What are you whispering about?" Lanpei asked coldly. "Who said what? Explain everything clearly. Otherwise, the four of you will each receive thirty strokes of the rod and be sold to a brothel."
The young maids were terrified out of their wits and immediately knelt before Lanpei.
They began clearing themselves of blame, betraying one another and recounting who had said what.
After listening, Lanpei's face became extremely ugly.
"…It was the gate servants by the side entrance who said it. We weren't spreading rumors," one of the maids cried. "Everyone is talking about it, not just us. Sister, please spare our lives."
She had no time to take their miserable lives.
She was worried about her own safety.
If she reported this to the Second Miss, the Second Miss would fly into a rage. Wouldn't she end up getting slapped several times?
Lanpei hurried away.
When Zheng Yutan arrived at Jade Hall Courtyard that day, she noticed something strange about the maids' attitudes.
It seemed everyone was holding something back. They didn't dare tell her, yet they secretly pitied her.
Zheng Yutan thought again of the little maids she had seen earlier whispering together. The more she thought about it, the more confused she felt, and a trace of irritation rose in her heart.
She lifted the curtain and entered the Old Madam's bedchamber.
The Old Madam had just gotten up, and a maid was combing her hair.
Zheng Yutan walked over and took the comb from the maid.
"Grandmother, let me comb your hair."
She had very skillful hands—better than the maids when it came to styling hair.
Zheng Yutan had also obtained several secret recipes for hair care and used them on the Old Madam. Even at her age, the Old Madam still had thick hair, with not too many white strands.
The Old Madam was already sixty-four this year. Many people her age had completely white hair, yet she still had streaks of black mixed in. This made her secretly very proud.
While Zheng Yutan combed her hair, the maids outside were already setting the breakfast table.
After it was done, the Old Madam examined herself and nodded with satisfaction.
"Your hands are truly clever."
"It is my honor to serve Grandmother," Zheng Yutan said, then added in a coquettish tone, "Grandmother, is there shredded chicken porridge this morning? I've been craving it."
The Old Madam was very pleased, thinking her granddaughter both sensible and sweet.
"Yes, I had them prepare it specially for you," she said with a smile.
The grandmother and granddaughter chatted happily as they moved to the side room to eat breakfast.
The Old Madam had four first-rank maids serving her. Their status was high enough that even Zheng Yutan had to address them as "elder sister."
Now two of them were whispering together behind the Old Madam's back.
Zheng Yutan again remembered the group of young maids she had encountered earlier.
"Did something happen in the residence?" she wondered.
She didn't ask. The Old Madam disliked girls who made a fuss. Zheng Yutan had to appear composed. She would inquire later after returning.
After the two of them finished breakfast, several madams arrived with their daughters to sit and chat.
Only the First Madam and the Eldest Miss did not come.
The First Madam was busy worshipping Buddha, and the Old Madam had excused her from formal greetings. As for the Eldest Miss, the Old Madam herself had forbidden her from coming.
Several people were openly whispering to one another.
Zheng Yutan frowned, becoming increasingly irritated. What was wrong with everyone today?
Whenever they had fresh or interesting gossip, they usually couldn't wait to tell the Old Madam.
They wouldn't behave like this—hiding things and discussing them privately.
Unless…
They were talking about Zheng Yutan herself.
And they were afraid of making both the Old Madam and the Second Miss unhappy.
Zheng Yutan once again thought about those four little maids.
"Fourth Sister, what are you talking about?" Zheng Yutan noticed the Third and Fourth Miss still whispering to each other and couldn't help interrupting them.
The Fourth Miss froze.
Her name was Zheng Qin. She was thirteen years old, the daughter of Third Madam Hua.
Since the household affairs of the Zheng family were managed by the Third Madam, the children she bore held the highest status in the residence after the Second Miss.
Of course, the Second Miss had both the Marquis and the Old Madam supporting her, so they couldn't compete with that.
Fourth Miss Zheng Qin was somewhat peculiar. She usually wasn't close to the Second Miss and didn't like coming to greet their grandmother.
Hearing the question, Zheng Qin immediately opened her mouth to answer.
But Third Madam suddenly coughed loudly.
The Old Madam heard it and looked puzzled.
"What is it? Is there something that can't be said?"
Third Madam came from a merchant family, and in front of the Old Madam she always seemed slightly inferior. She treated her mother-in-law with great respect.
"Mother, Qin'er and Xi'er were just planning to raise a little dog…"
Third Miss Zheng Xi was also a child of the third branch. She was fifteen years old, an illegitimate daughter.
However, her birth mother had died early, and she had been raised by Third Madam. She had a very good relationship with Fourth Miss.
Third Madam liked her very much and educated her carefully. Zheng Xi was skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—no worse than legitimate daughters.
Zheng Xi was steady and understood what her stepmother meant. She quickly spoke up.
"Yes, Grandmother. Fourth Sister and I were thinking of raising a puppy for fun. We were discussing what kind."
"That's not it at all!" Fourth Miss Zheng Qin suddenly blurted out, completely exposing both her mother and third sister. "We heard some gossip."
"What gossip?"
"They're saying outside that our Second Sister is actually a widow living at home," the Fourth Miss said.
The Old Madam was stunned.
Zheng Yutan's heart also skipped a beat.
However, she quickly noticed something strange.
Everyone in the room except her grandmother showed no surprise at all.
Which meant they had all heard the rumors already.
"Where did such gossip come from?" the Old Madam said, somewhat displeased, though she didn't take it very seriously.
The Second Miss of the Zheng family—whether she was married or not—wouldn't people know that?
"Who knows? It just spread from outside," Fourth Miss said. "People are saying that when the Wen family's Old Madam celebrates her birthday and invites the women of the Jing'an Marquis Residence, unmarried girls are not given their own invitations. They go along with their elders."
"But our Second Sister received a separate one. They say she was already married once and returned home as a widow, which is why she's different from us. Otherwise, why would she still be unmarried at eighteen?"
The Fourth Miss disliked the Second Miss very much. Perhaps it was because the Second Miss always drew too much attention in the household—and she was born of a concubine.
The Fourth Miss couldn't stand it.
So she gleefully exposed the rumor directly.
The Second Miss's face changed with anger.
The Old Madam didn't think much of it, but the Second Miss understood how serious the matter was.
Rumors could be terrifying.
Who knew whether such gossip might harm her reputation in the future?
"Who exactly spread this?" the Second Miss demanded sternly, her bearing suddenly full of authority.
The Fourth Miss was still somewhat afraid of her and shrank slightly.
"How would I know? Mother…"
Now she remembered to call for her mother.
Third Madam was almost furious with her daughter.
If she insisted on provoking Zheng Yutan, she should at least have the ability to withstand the consequences.
"Yutan, don't be angry. It's only a few idle words from outside," Third Madam said.
Zheng Yutan's face turned pale with rage.
"How can a young lady of the Marquis Residence tolerate such slander? Grandmother, we must report this to the authorities and have the government investigate who is smearing the reputation of the Marquis Residence."
Seeing her so angry, the Old Madam became more serious and nodded.
"Someone go report this to the Jingzhao Prefecture. Our dignified Marquis Residence cannot tolerate such humiliation."
A maid acknowledged the order and left.
Fourth Miss, however, was extremely dissatisfied.
She wanted to say, "They're smearing her reputation, not the entire Marquis Residence. Why should her face represent the whole household? What is she, exactly?"
But the Second Miss was still the Marquis's daughter.
Even if she was born of a concubine, the Fourth Miss still didn't dare provoke her openly.
So she could only swallow her anger and sulk silently.