Reborn: Revenge of the Concubine’s Daughter

Mammy Tang had been the closest maid of Madam Luo since she was 12 years old. When she was 19 years old, she came into Luo’s Family together with Madam Luo who was at the age of 15. She never married in her life and was loyal to Luo’s Family. The rule that servants should keep distance with masters was very essential for her. She hated the servants who betrayed their masters, so she never bitched about people of Luo’s Family.

Fourth Miss, Luo Baishao, was the biological granddaughter of Madam Luo. Mammy Tang wouldn’t bitch about her in general. Although He Danggui said that Fourth Miss sprinkled itching powder on her chest “negligently”, Mammy Tang wouldn’t judge whether it was right or wrong. Mammy Tang recognized that Fourth Miss had made a mistake since that was a handful of poison but not soil. It was impossible for a person to walk on the road with poisons, and then sprinkled the poison on others by mistake. However, to protect Fourth Miss’s reputation from being damaged, the first thing Mammy Tang wanted to do after hearing He Danggui’s words was to hold He Danggui’s jaw but not to punish Fourth Miss.

In Mammy Tang’s view, every lady of Luo’s Family was pure, innocent, lovable and intelligent. They just liked the dewdrop on the Lotus petals in spring. Even if they made mistakes, they must be led astray by unruly maids. But now, Mammy Tang experienced the terrible effects of the itching powder. It seemed that your bones were suffered an unrelieved itch. People with poor self-control must scratch their skins bloodily.

This moment, Mammy Tang understood why this itching powder became the favorite of procuresses and why it could compel the good women to engage in prostitution. Because you would not want to suffer it anymore after the first time. She thought, “I’m so painful even though I only touched the tea that Third Miss brought. But Third Miss must feel more painful because she touched the clothes with this itching powder directly. She said that at the first time she had touched more itching powder, so she had an itch lasting almost two to three days. She is just a child right now. Poor girl. Third Miss was the only daughter of Ms. Luo Chuanqiong. I must seek justice for her. Who knows what the Fourth Miss would do next time!”

Mammy Tang broke out into cold sweat. It didn’t matter that the thorns of cactus were put on the gauzy dress since it didn’t cause serious injury to Third Miss, but just a little flesh wound.

However, there were a lot of itching powers on the ivory silk inner clothes and underwear. If Third Miss put them on before getting on the sedan, she would be itchy and had to take it off on the way back…Mammy Tang was chilled. There were eight safeguards of Luo’s Family following the sedan. If they heard calls of Third Miss and checked the situation, the virginity of Third Miss would be ruined! And it was her fault if she didn’t send Third Miss to Luo’s Mansion safely. She would feel ashamed even if Madam Luo didn’t drive her out.

Mammy Tang pushed the cold water away and stood up quickly, saying in a low voice, “Third Miss, you are suffering the itching powder. It’s not suitable for you to have a journey. Please stay here just for one or two days. I must go back to Luo’s Family first! I will pick you up the day after tomorrow at the latest! If nothing else happens, I will also take Fourth Miss together to apologize to you. And she needs to listen to some scriptures in the Taoist temple and cultivate her temperament!”

Even if He Danggui wore a veil, others could easily feel her surprise and reluctance.

He Danggui exclaimed, “Mammy, now that you’re uncomfortable, why don’t you leave after having a good rest in the Taoist temple? It’s too late now. Why do you want to leave overnight and let Fourth Sister apologize to me? Fourth Sister never hurts me and shouldn’t come to this simple Taoist temple!”

Mammy Tang said firmly, “Fourth Miss must be punished. It’s good for her. Actually, I have to criticize Fourth Miss and report to Madam Luo as a last resort. Second Mistress Luo was too busy to teach her, so she learned those cheap tricks from unruly maids. Fortunately, she is just 9 years old, so there is still enough time to let her go back to the right way.”

He Danggui asked surprisingly, “What did Fourth Sister do? Do you think the itching powder on the clothes was sprinkled by her?”

Mammy Tang stared at He Danggui, “If it’s not she, then who did that? And I’m not ‘guessing’, I’m ‘sure’ about that. Second Miss picked clothes up, and Second Mistress Luo told maids to pick inner clothes and the underwear. Finally, the clothes were put in Bao Qin Ge where outsiders couldn’t get in. And Fourth Miss has the itching powder, so it must be she!”

He Danggui shook her hands repeatedly and clarified, “Mammy, I think you must have misunderstood. It’s just a coincidence. You have said that when Cui Gen passed the garden with clothes, she fell down and scattered the clothes on her hands. I guess the clothes were stained with both the cactus thorns and itching powder at that time. Fourth Sister is playful. I often see her playing with all kinds of colored medicinal powders in her study. So, I guess that she must have spilled the powder in the garden carelessly, which then got on those clothes.”

Seeing Mammy Tang’s cold face, He Danggui waved her hands and changed her words immediately, “No, no, maybe the powder in the garden was not sprinkled by Fourth Sister. The East Yard is so big, and there are nearly 3,000 people. Others may also have that kind of powder, right? Maybe someone stole the medicines of Fourth Sister and framed her deliberately. Maybe…”

“Third Miss, don’t plead for her anymore.” Mammy Tang snapped and interrupted her, “Although the itching powder is a kind of dirty thing, it’s very expensive. Its price is almost comparable to that of Hedinghong Poison. Ordinary slaves can’t afford to buy a bottle of it after two- or three-years’ work. How can they buy and sprinkle it? I don’t expect that Fourth Miss also collects medicinal powders of various colors. She might have more dangerous forbidden drugs. Oh, I must advise Madam Luo to search Fourth Miss’s Tao Yao Yard! I know that you are kind-hearted and love your cousins. But if you protect her like this, it will be harmful to her in the future!”

“Why?” He Danggui exclaimed through the veil, and tears came out of her eyes again.

Mammy Tang rubbed her palms to relieve the itch. She frowned and said, “Fourth Miss has been spoiled since childhood. Except for Second Miss, everyone loves her most in the East Yard of Luo’s Family. Therefore, she has developed a malicious personality. Now at the age of nine, she has learned to use such a poison to hurt her cousin. When she grows up and gets married, the disputes between she and her mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and concubines will be more complicated and changeable. It will no longer be under her control! Luo’s Family loves her because of her identity, but it can’t be taken to her husband’s family. Even the Emperor’s daughter will have bad times when she comes to her husband’s family.”

He Danggui wiped her tears with a handkerchief and asked, “Must you send Fourth Sister here to teach her? There are also educated mammies at home. Can’t you teach her at home?”

“If it’s not necessary, I don’t want to persuade Madam Luo to make such a decision. Now it’s time to take special measures. I must persuade Madam Luo to send Shao to the Taoist temple and let those nuns who have no emotions and desires discipline her thoroughly.”

Mammy Tang was not exaggerating. She was loyal to Madam Luo, and Madam Luo trusted and relied on her very must. Therefore, her opinions influenced Madam Luo’s judgment largely.

When she was young, Mammy Tang was a powerful woman with insight and ideas. Over the past few decades, she had assisted Madam Luo to manage the family affairs. Now they were tired and rested their lives. But during these years, if Mammy Tang found any problems in Luo’s Mansion every time, as long as she put forward reasonable risk analysis and specific rectification measures, Madam Luo would take her words into consideration seriously. After tasting the sweetness of many successes, Mammy Tang not only deepened Madam Luo’s trust to her, but also produced her subconscious arrogance.

To say the best, aggressiveness and arrogance were vigorous and resolute. But to say the worst, they were headstrong and willful. In addition, the itch of her hands made her impetuous and affected her judgment, which facilitated a better result than what He Danggui expected.

In fact, even if it was not Mammy Tang who came to send messages today, but any other members of Luo’s Family, He Danggui could also play the acting skills and change the themes on the spot. However, Mammy Tang was the closest person to Madam Luo. Her role was equal to thirty ordinary maids and mammies. Even though she still supported the Second Mistress Luo and the Second Miss, as long as she buried a seed of doubt in her heart, she would help He Danggui pull a bow string, knock on the side drum, and let He Danggui perform a big play in Luo’s Family.

Mammy Tang shook her head and sighed, “Third Miss, you have nothing to do with Fourth Miss. Just because you look so good, she felt unhappy and then framed you. When she gets married in the future, she will certainly be the wife due to her identity. Her husband will have many young and beautiful concubines. Will she kill all of them? At that time, if she fits into the Seven Reasons for Divorcing the Wife, not only she will be abandoned by her husband’s family, but also Luo’s Family will be ashamed!”

He Danggui blinked her eyes and suggested innocently, “How about finding a good husband who doesn’t marry concubines for Fourth Sister? My Second Aunt has a lot of personal connections, so she can find a good marriage for Fourth Sister.”

Mammy Tang shook her head and signed, “It’s difficult! Most men are fickle in love. Even if some men don’t want to marry concubines, there are still some situations that they can’t refuse. Men usually have only one or two women that they real love among their wife and concubines, but they are forced to get married with other women. To be impolite, when your deceased grandfather, grandmother and our Madam Luo were young, their relationships were also complicated. Only because the madam of Chai’s Family made a wrong decision, the three people couldn’t release for decades…”

Looking at He Danggui’s innocent eyes, Mammy Tang realized that she even didn’t know what love was. Mammy Tang shook her head, “Forget about it. You are just a kid. No matter how much I say, you won’t understand. In a word, instead of putting your hope on finding a good husband, we’d better make a decision and discipline Fourth Miss carefully. If Madam Luo can be persuaded, even if the Second Mistress Luo and Second Lord object, the Fourth Miss also has to penance two or three mouths in the Shui Shang Temple. Then Madam Luo will decide whether Fourth Miss needs to continue staying here and cultivating her mind according to her performance.”

He Danggui tried her best to persuade, “Fourth Sister gets along well with me. How could she frame me? You shouldn’t blame her without evidences. Even you have the evidences, you must persuade my Grandma to give Fourth Sister a chance to explain. During those months when I was hungry, it was Fourth Sister who prepared midnight snacks for me. So, I could eat well before I went to bed!”

Mammy Tang was so angry that she beat her leg, and said angrily, “Could you be smarter, Third Miss? The intention of Fourth Miss sending you delicious supper for four months is obvious! Only you are still cheated and think she is kind!” Looking at He Danggui’s confused face, Mammy Tang shook her head, “No matter how bad Fourth Miss is, she is still a member of Luo’s Family. I shouldn’t speak ill of her anymore. Third Miss, take your time to think it. By the way, how about the ability of the Taoist nuns in Shui Shang Temple? Do they have a lot of methods to discipline people? If they are not strict enough, we need to find another Taoist temple to guide Fourth Miss.”

He Danggui waved her hands and said, “Don’t look for others. This one is great. People in the Taoist temple, from Master Tai Shan to her disciples, are both very considerate and smart. As long as you tell them your ideas and requests, they must try their best to gratify you. But one thing is important. They don’t like gold or silver. If you give them too much money, they will use all money to make delicious food for guests living in the Taoist temple. In that way, you can’t achieve your expectation.”

Mammy Tang nodded, “OK, I get it. The aim is mortifying and exercising Fourth Miss, so I won’t leave too much money to her. Even though I want to donate, I will donate after taking her home. And I will remind Madam Luo to check the package of Fourth Miss carefully. I won’t let her exploit an advantage and escape from the good chance of molding herself.”

“I hope Fourth Sister can get rid of her bad habits of playing and become the person like Second Sister.” He Danggui signed and raised her handkerchief to wipe her nonexistent tears.

Mammy Tang was worried about these kids of Luo’s Family. She also signed and said sincerely, “If the other Misses living in Luo’s Mansion can have good morality and beautiful looks like you, I’m sure that Luo’s Family will return to the glory when your Grandpa was alive.”

He Danggui tried to be modest, “I’m not as obedient as First Sister, not as quiet as Second Sister, not as clever as Fourth Sister, and not as lovely as Niece Yan. I am not as good as you described.” Suddenly, she looked around mysteriously, and changed a low voice to ask, “Mammy Tang, does someone get ill in Luo’s Mansion? If the one is…one of the twins of Nephew Wei and Nephew Zhu? Is the symptom some red rash on his chest?”

Mammy Tang was surprised. The cunning emotion flashed in her eyes. She asked seriously, “Third Miss, who told you about that? There were only a few people knowing it, and I was the only one among them to come to the Taoist temple and see you. How do you know this?”