Chapter 85.1: Abacus

Seeing that Miss Ruan was angry, Chen Rong took a few steps forward and bowed, "I wouldn't dare."

She slowly knelt on the ground, kowtowed to Miss Ruan, and said, "Aunt, please be appeased. Ah Rong was distracted just now."

Seeing Chen Rong bending her knees, Miss Li covered her mouth with a handkerchief, smiling proudly.

Miss Ruan took a sip, glanced at her, and then drawled, "How rebellious."

Chen Rong kept her head down, letting the blue silk block her face. She pursed her lips and said in a clear voice, "Beldame Ping has nurtured me for more than ten years. We are like relatives. In these troubled times, I dare not let her search for her family alone."

Not giving Miss Ruan a chance to open her mouth, she bowed down again and again, and begged, "Even so, Ah Rong was impatient, and didn't inform the master before leaving on her own, tiring Aunt with worry. Ah Rong is guilty and ready to be punished."

As soon as her voice trailed off, a maidservant called out behind her, "In that case, the madam should give her ten strokes of the cane to make her remember." This maidservant, the one who was frightened by Chen Rong's use of the knife last time, couldn't wait to open her mouth as she held a grudge.

Miss Ruan frowned, and without looking back, faintly said, "Who told you to open your mouth?"

The maidservant was first startled, turning to Miss Li for help, and seeing that she was ignoring her, quickly plopped on the ground, slapping herself and saying, "I¹"the slave" was confused, madam, have mercy, please have mercy."

Miss Ruan ignored her, allowing slap upon slap to fall. The maidservant was slapped a dozen times straight before Miss Ruan gently said, "Alright, don't shout at the top of your lungs, get up."

"Yes, yes, thank you, madam, thank you." The maidservant responded gratefully as she climbed up and retreated to stand at the back.

Miss Ruan's gaze, once again, turned to Chen Rong.

She stared at her kneeling on the ground, unmoving, at her slender body that could make any man's heart flutter and all women jealous, and frowned with a touch of disgust.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came.

A maidservant said respectfully outside, "Madam, a few young ladies are asking for an audience."

"Who?"

It was Miss Li who asked the question.

The maidservant respectfully responded, "There are seven or eight people waiting with Ah Qi, Ah Qian, and Ah Wei."

Miss Ruan raised her head, once again taking a small sip, and slowly said, "What are they doing here?"

Not giving her maid a chance to answer, Chen Qian's laughter swept in, "Ah, how opulent is Fourth Aunt's courtyard." After a pause, she exclaimed in surprise, "What is this? My God, such a large coral and this, this, sister, come and look at it, it's really beautiful."

Miss Ruan's brow tightened at hearing Chen Qian's loud and impolite yell. But as she listened, a smug smile appeared on her well-maintained face.

Chen Qian laughed and shouted, and rushed in.

She rushed to Chen Rong's side, stopped, and bowed to Miss Ruan. After the girls all greeted Miss Ruan, Chen Qian lowered her head, looking at Chen Rong, and said with a smile, "Fourth Aunt, don't punish Ah Rong. She just learned that her Qilang has a darling, and is sad. If she's punished again, she might not live."

As soon as she entered the courtyard, she was shouting, and both Miss Ruan and Miss Li had been forced to put up with it.

Hearing her finish without showing any respect for her elders, Miss Ruan was angered a little.

But she didn't attack.

After Chen Qian finished speaking, she pondered.

Chen Qian glared at Chen Wei behind her, gesturing for her to come forward and speak for Chen Rong. But Chen Wei was a bit afraid of her because her birth mother was Chen Yuan's favorite concubine, and had never been in Madam Ruan's favor. How could she dare go forward? Just now outside the courtyard, she was already retreating. No matter how Chen Qian tugged at her, she refused to open her mouth.

Several girls looked on curiously and expectantly. Miss Ruan glanced at them. She saw neither reluctance nor sympathy on their faces, only excitement to watch.

Watching the fun?

Miss Ruan was moved.

She pondered. Taking a sip, she turned to Miss Li, and ordered, "Send Ah Rong to an empty house, so that she may repent for her actions. As for the rest, we'll wait for my husband to return."

It wasn't a heavy punishment, just confinement. Chen Qian smiled and thanked Miss Ruan. Turning to Chen Rong, she winked at her, leaning close to her and whispering, "Stubborn Ah Rong, you owe me a favor."

Chen Rong, clearly uneasy, managed to squeeze out a smile, not replying.

Chen Rong was brought down.

Maybe it was Chen Qian's words that helped. The house where she was held was beside Chen Yuan's courtyard.

Looking at the room that was empty on all sides, except for the bed and skylight overhead, Chen Rong sat down on the bed.