Chapter 7: Escape, Hurry and Escape

“Steward Yao…… Waaah…… Mo Wan is scared…… Mother doesn’t want Mo Wan anymore……” Yao Mo Wan pretended to be frightened as she huddled at the corner of the bed, both hands wiping tears, appearing just like she had lost her head out of fear.

“Fuu! Third Miss, don’t cry, Second Madam just went to some place really far away, do you want to go find her?” Yao Tu’s heart ached as he crouched down next to Yao Mo Wan, in his eyes were evident pity.

“Want…… Mo Wan doesn’t want to be apart from mother……” Yao Mo Wan nodded vigorously, her tear stained face like raindrops on a pear blossom turned towards Yao Tu. In her heart though, she started to become on guard.

“Third Miss, listen carefully, right now Ting Yue is waiting for you in the firewood room. Here is the key and ten or so banknotes. Go find her, she’ll bring you to find Second Madam. Remember, you can’t let anyone find out, otherwise they’ll capture you and won’t let you go to find your mother.” Yao Tu pondered for a short moment before squeezing the firewood room’s key and the banknotes from his waist into Yao Mo Wan’s palm. Yao Tu knew clearly, if Third Miss stayed in the fu, Big Madam would definitely not let her off. He himself was slight of body and light of words, all that he could do he has done.

”slight of body and light of words” means basically, he’s not that strong either physically or with influence, aka his words are light and not many people would listen to him.

Looking at the key and banknotes in her hand, a smudge of relief streaked through Yao Mo Wan’s heart. Then she looked at Yao Tu.

“Thank you……” You will definitely receive good karma due to your kindness, Yao Mo Wan pledged to herself.

“Third Miss…… Hurry and go! Ting Yue has probably gotten anxious waiting.” Seeing the glistening tears in Yao Mo Wan’s eye, Yao Tu couldn’t help himself from wiping the tears. He, when all’s said and done, had watched Third Miss grow up from the time she was an infant, in his heart he was somewhat reluctant to part with her.

“En, then Mo Wan is going!” Yao Mo Wan knew in her heart she could not tarry, so she got up and left the Bright Virtuous Pavilion.

On the road, Yao Mo Wan meticulously avoided the servants, very soon she arrived at the firewood room in the back garden. Seeing that there was no one around, Yao Mo Wan hurriedly opened the firewood door lock. Ting Yue was a little yatou her mother had saved off the streets in the past, afterwards she had always served at her mother’s side. Perhaps because of that saving grace, Ting Yue was loyal and devoted towards her mother. This is probably also the reason Yao Tu had her find Ting Yue, Yao Mo Wan thus thought.

丫头 – “yatou” = servant girl

At precisely the moment she opened the door, Yao Mo Wan’s pupils dilated. Suddenly everything else blanked out, all she could see was Ting Yue hanged from the roof beams, her hair disheveled, the corner of her mouth dyed with blood, her entire body covered with cuts and bruises.

“Ting Yue…… Ting Yue!” Yao Mo Wan was only shocked still for a moment before she hurriedly turned to close the door securely, then carried over a stool to step onto and release Ting Yue.

“Third Miss…… Third Miss! Are you alright? That’s great! You’re alright!” When Ting Yue opened her eyes and saw Yao Mo Wan, she immediately started crying tears of joy.

“Who was it that beat you up like this?” The rim of Yao Mo Wan’s eyes were tearful as she reached out to tuck a strand of Ting Yue’s messy hair behind her ear.

“It was…… Third Miss, why would you be here? Hurry and leave! Leave from the back door! It would be terrible if you get caught by high mo mo! Hurry and go! Ah……” Ting Yue seemed to have remembered something and tired to push Mo Wan away with all her might, but because it implicated her wounds she involuntarily cried out in pain.

高嬷嬷 – “high mo mo” it translates to elderly lady, wet nurse, catholic nun. This isn’t a servant position I’m familiar with. I’m guessing wet nurse because nurses often stay in the fu to serve the child they were brought to take care of, but the fact she seems to be a highranked ‘mo mo’… I’m not sure it’s a wet nurse so I’m leaving it as ‘mo mo’ for the time being.

“I’ll bring you with me!” Yao Mo Wan resisted, not letting her tears fall as she shouldered Ting Yue up and strenuously walked out of the firewood room. Luckily, the back door was only a few meters away from the firewood room. Yao Mo Wan and Ting Yue left Yao Xiang fu without a single hindrance.

“Third Miss…… You……” Seeming to notice that Yao Mo Wan was different from how she usually was, Ting Yue spoke with suspicion.

“Let’s find an inn first, then I’ll explain to you.” Yao Mo Wan interrupted Ting Yue’s question, arduously supported Ting Yue to the closest inn to settle down, then sent one of the inn’s waiter to find a doctor to treat Ting Yue. Throughout this entire process she exhibited extraordinary precision, not the slightest trace of foolishness could be seen.

In the room of the second floor in the inn, Ting Yue watched with wide eyes the Yao Mo Wan who was busying back and forth, and finally could not resist opening her mouth.

“Third Miss …… how?”

“How could I be so clearheaded, right? In the Fragrant Harmony Courtyard I accidentally took a fall, but thanks to it my head was knocked back to normal. But to be able to protect my purity, it was only thanks to Liu Xing. Ting Yue, who was it that beat you to this point? Why are you afraid of high mo mo seeing me? If I remember correctly, this is high mo mo…… was personally selected by jie jie from within the palace to specifically serve mother!” Yao Mo Wan’s complexion was grave as she spoke suspectedly.

“It’s better? If it’s better then it’s great! Wuuwuuu …… it’s great! Miss, you can’t return to Yao Xiang fu! News came from the palace, something has happened to Eldest Miss, afraid by now she has already…… high mo mo was chosen by Eldest Miss, but was Second Miss’s trusted aid. For all these years, high mo mo has always followed Big Madam’s orders, adding poison in Second Madam’s medical soup! Last night this servant inadvertently caught high mo mo sprinkling a lot of black powder into Second Madam’s bowl so this servant was tied up by her and locked into the firewood room. She even said that she had already sold Miss into the brothel. In a fit of anger, this servant ferociously attacked her so she had this servant hanged…… Miss, let’s leave the Imperial City. If Big Madam finds you, she definitely won’t let you off!” Ting Yue sobbed quietly as she recounted what happened in a choked voice.

“High mo mo…… Yue er, I can’t leave! Being dumb and foolish for ten years, I have never done anything for mother before. And now that mother has tragically passed, as her daughter, if I don’t take revenge for her, I do not deserve to be called her daughter. There are one hundred-twenty banknotes here, Mo Wan thanks you for taking care of mother all those past years, you can go.” Yao Mo Wan pressed the banknotes into Ting Yue’s hand, speaking solemnly.

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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira, Edited by Mintzu

[Chiyomira’s Corner]

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