That patter of little footsteps was heard in the little courtyard and Xue Dongting knew that Rosecloud was back. She felt the girl was not a bad seed and was clever enough. Because she very well could have come back silently, yet she had purposely made some noise to alert Wanqing. She was not on Wanqing's side, but she also didn't have any intention harm her. Xue Dongting also knew full well that if Rosecloud knew that Wanqing was pregnant then she would tell Lady Yu for sure in order to protect herself. And she might perhaps heed Lady Yu's order and send something over to make Wanqing miscarry.
Xue Dongting sighed inwardly, feeling a bit of misery loves company for Rosecloud. In her previous life in the third prince's manor, she was pretty much the same as Rosecloud was now in the Zhang compound. Xue Dongting admitted that the previous her had done some things she had not wanted to do because her hand had been forced. In fact she was worse than Rosecloud because she had acted for personal gain out of greed. Rosecloud, however, was keeping an eye on Wanqing for Lady Yu because she was in love with a man, a love she kept buried in her heart. Maybe she knew that nothing would ever come of it, yet she steadfastly held onto that thread of tender affection and had chosen to not marry for the rest of her life. Even though Rosecloud was in love with Song Yuming, Xue Dongting couldn't bring herself to hate her. Not because she was conceited and felt her beauty was enough to win Song Yuming's heart, but because she knew Rosecloud's affection was hers and hers alone. She loved Song Yuming, but it had nothing to do with him.
Rosecloud went to the outer room and stood, not raising the fine gauze curtain. "Reporting to Second Lady, Miss, I have given the two canisters of incense to Madame and Matron."
"Mm," Wanqing said. "It's cold in the outer room, come inside and chat."
Rosecloud lifted the curtain and entered. She had her head lowered, but Xue Dongting, who was seated in a chair, could clearly see the expression on her face. Xue Dongting scrutinized her closely. She was fair of skin with a round face and her eyes were clear and bright. She had a voluptuous body and was innocently lovable. Dongting smiled. "Did Matron or Madame say anything when they saw the incense?"
Rosecloud responded with her head down, looking at the floor. "Matron loved it and had some lit at once. Madame had already gone to bed, it was her maidservant who received it for her."
Xue Dongting nodded. "I heard Big Sis say that in these rooms there's only you two. How come I didn't see you waiting on her this evening at the banquet?"
Rosecloud's eyes flickered but she was silent.
Xue Dongting wasn't about to let her off. "I heard you once tried to drown yourself in the river and that it was my husband who rescued you."
That sentence made Wanqing frown, and Rosecloud's face fell.
Wanqing gave Xue Dongting a look, telling her not to ask any further. But Xue Dongting shook her head. She already had a plan. Since she wanted to recruit Rosecloud she couldn't keep from getting it all out in the open.
Rosecloud raised her head slightly and looked at Xue Dongting, then dropped her head again. "Responding to Miss," she said softly, "this servant was unaware that the one who saved me was Brother-in-law. Had I know I would certainly have come forward to thank him."
"Oh?" Xue Dongting said. She laughed. "Rosecloud, there's no need for us to stand on ceremony, it's unnecessary. Youy know that Matron took me as her foster daughter to favor me. Actually, I'm nothing more than a village woman."
"Miss is lucky," Rosecloud said. "You're a respectable person, this servant wouldn't dare be improper in front of Miss."
Xue Dongting laughed. She heard self-censure in the girl's voice. "Rosecloud, come back home with me tomorrow. Matron said she wanted some more whale oil to light her lamps. We happen to have some at home, you can get it and take it back to her."
Rosecloud was a bit taken aback. She responded at once with, "Miss, this servant… does not wish to go."
Xue Dongting arched her brow and looked at Wanqing and laughed. "You tell her, this girl doesn't want to listen to me."
Rosecloud knelt down at once. "Miss, this servant didn't mean it like that. It's just… It's just…"
Xue Dongting saw he hesitating and asked, "It's just what?"
Rosecloud clenched her teeth. "It's just… this servant's elder brother and sister-in-law also live in the village. They are overbearing and I do not wish to see them again."
Xue Dongting nodded and got up and went to her. She held her hand and said gently, "Get up now, earlier Big Sis mentioned how my husband rescued you. I just asked because I was curious. I more or less know your situation. Since you don't want to go to the village, tomorrow I'll get the whale oil and bring it over here myself. But there are some things I want you to know. First of all, you've already cut ties with your brother and sister-in-law. They likely don't have the face to see you, you never wronged them. Secondly, back in the village you maybe stirred up a lot of talk, but what others say about you is not the real you. You know yourself. Coming forward and arguing, trying to explain yourself when you hear bad talk about yourself is useless. It will just make people look down on you even more. The only way to shut people up is to do your best to be better than the person they say you are."
Rosecloud looked up at Xue Dongting, a mysterious expression in her eyes. She clenched her teeth and said in a low voice, "If I do that I'll just incur even more abuse!"
Xue Dongting laughed. She knew her words had gotten through to the girl. She grasped Rosecloud's hand and said warmly, "If they curse you again it will only be because they are envious. Their envy just means they have low self-esteem themselves."
Rosecloud looked at Xue Dongting, her eyes hardening. "Rosecloud will take Miss' advice to heart."
Wanqing, watching off to the side, felt somewhat mystified. She and Xue Dongting had not seen each other in a long time, yet it seemed her little sister had grown up and matured right before her eyes. All she had said just now out of the mouth of a sixteen-year-old girl gave one the impression that she had been through a lot already. Wanqing had no idea Xue Dongting had ten years' worth of another life and in her heart had long ceased to be a girl of sixteen!
Wanqing coughed and said to Rosecloud, "It's getting late, go ahead and take a rest."
Rosecloud nodded and assented and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Wanqing looked at Dongting and suddenly thought of something. "Since when do you know how to take someone's pulse? You could tell I was pregnant."
Xue Dongting' heart thumped as she realized her oversight. She quickly put on a smile. "When you got married I had no one to quarrel with, so I perused medical books in my spare time. Even Mama Qiao doesn't know. I wanted to give her a nice surprise. I already had it all figured out, in the future I would open a clinic and get rich for sure. Too bad Mama Qiao took me for a moocher and hurriedly married me off. I bet Mama Qiao is secretly happy with herself, but little could she imagine she had married off a money-making Goddess of Medicine!"