The Countess's courtyard.
"What's going on? Didn't I tell you to calculate the timing? What use are you if you can't even control a little girl no bigger than my palm?"
Nanny Zhou knelt on the ground with tear-streaked cheeks and an awkward posture.
"Madam, it was fine at first. When we were nearing the city gate, the second young lady complained of a stomachache. I only said a few extra words and was publicly punished with ten boards."
"I think you deserved it, you blabbermouth. If you can't handle things by force, can't you at least speak softly?"
Seeing the Countess was furious, Nanny Zhou dared not retort, lest her attempt to complain backfire and she suffer another punishment.
"Your appearance infuriates me. Get out."
Nanny Zhou immediately scrambled up, bowed, and hurried out of the room. Zhao Jingyi happened to be passing by with her maid. She frowned at Nanny Zhou's appearance.
"Mother, Yi'er pays her respects."
"Come sit quickly."
Zhao Jingyi's eyes darted greedily to the pastries on the small table. The Countess was amused by her behavior.
She poked Zhao Jingyi's forehead with her finger. "You little glutton."
Zhao Jingyi grinned and offered a pastry, the Countess's favorite, to her lips.
"Mother, you eat first."
The Countess looked at her tenderly, took the pastry with her hand, and savored it.
"Is it good?"
"It's delicious. You're such a child who never grows up."
"In front of Mother, I'll always be a child. Mother, did Nanny Zhou upset you?"
"That person in Yimei Courtyard. Even when hitting a dog, one must consider its owner."
"Eldest Sister is causing trouble right after she returned. I thought she was a gentle and kind person."
"Gentleness is only for outsiders. When people realize they're about to suffer a loss, they'll always show their claws. You are heartless, with no foresight at all."
"Then let me accompany Mother to see Eldest Sister. I'm just a child, and my words are innocent. She can't possibly say anything. I'll vent your anger for you."
"I don't need you to vent my anger, but if you're bored, accompany me."
...
"My lady, the First Madam has arrived."
Jun Jiuli rose to greet her, but the First Madam quickly waved her hand.
"We are all family, no need for such formalities."
As soon as she said this, Jun Jiuli plopped back onto the main seat and said with a blooming smile, "As I remember, Eldest Aunt is indeed the most kind and generous."
The Countess was stunned by her behavior. Just as she was about to find a seat, Zhao Jingyi said, "Propriety must not be abandoned. This is what our teacher taught me. Eldest Sister, haven't you learned this?"
"Eldest Aunt is my elder, so I naturally must follow her wishes. If she tells me not to do something and I do it anyway, wouldn't that be disrespecting her?"
Zhao Jingyi was speechless and didn't know how to retort. She was young and didn't know how to hide her emotions.
Being outmaneuvered for the first time made her very unhappy. She stomped her foot and glared at Jun Jiuli.
"Fourth Sister, do I have something on my face?"
"How could there be on your face..."
Realizing what she meant, she became even more furious. She stamped her foot and turned to find a chair to sit on.
"Shu'er, Yi'er is just a child with a temper. She insists on winning or losing in everything. Don't be angry with her."
"I am her elder, so naturally, I won't argue with her. However, younger sister's competitive nature needs to be tempered, lest she..."
The Countess's face darkened. This girl was too audacious. She was just being polite, and the girl was taking advantage of it. She was someone who couldn't read people's expressions or discern good from bad.
The Countess sat down and was about to mention Nanny Zhou's matter and reprimand Jun Jiuli. Unexpectedly, before she could speak, she was interrupted by a scream.
"Yi'er, are you alright?"
It turned out that the stool Zhao Jingyi was sitting on had collapsed in the middle, and she had fallen directly onto the floor. Her legs and back were caught tightly by the edges of the chair.
Her tender skin beneath her clothes must have been red and scraped. She cried without any composure, and the Countess was startled by her appearance.
The maids and servants around her quickly gathered, none daring to move rashly. They were afraid of the wooden splinters piercing Zhao Jingyi, and even more afraid of accidentally cutting her with a knife.
If this little ancestor were to be harmed by them, a beating would be the least of it. They feared being resold.
In this situation, they dared not move her and could only search the estate for someone skillful to try and help.
Zhao Jingyi wailed incessantly, and the Countess was heartbroken, constantly wiping her tears with a handkerchief.
"Yi'er, don't be afraid. It will be alright in a moment. It's okay, it's okay."
"Mother, it hurts so much. Yi'er's legs hurt so much. Will my legs really be alright? I'm so scared, Mother."
"Someone will be here soon, and they will split the chair open, and Yi'er will be able to get out. There will be no problem. Yi'er, don't be afraid."
Hearing the word "split," Zhao Jingyi's face turned even paler, and she quickly shook her head.
"Mother, I don't want to. I don't want to be split. Those knives are not discerning. What if Yi'er gets hurt? Wuwuwu~"
"No, no. Yi'er, don't think too much. They wouldn't dare to cut you with a knife."
Soon, a servant arrived with a knife. Zhao Jingyi appeared very resistant, crying and yelling at him to get lost.
She always looked down on these servants and laborers. She absolutely refused to let a low-status servant get so close to her, let alone touch her.
"Yi'er, stop making a fuss. Do you want to be stuck like this forever? It will be better soon."
The servant's heart was filled with regret, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Since Fourth Sister was so uncooperative, there might not be any reward even if it was fixed. But if she moved and got injured, he would surely be punished.
The Countess, unable to handle Zhao Jingyi's tantrum, finally had the situation resolved by Granny Li, who usually cut vegetables in the kitchen.
After a significant delay, Zhao Jingyi, once freed, could barely stand. She thought her legs would be like this forever and cried inconsolably.
The Countess comforted her for a long time before she stopped crying. She then looked at Jun Jiuli with a face full of accusation.
"Eldest Sister, why are you so wicked? That chair was broken, and you didn't warn me. You made me lose so much face, and my feet hurt so badly. We are sisters in the same family, how can you be like this?" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Everyone in the room turned their attention to Jun Jiuli, who had been so insignificant moments ago. Those of her generation looked at her with great disapproval.
"I haven't lived in this room for many years. All the furnishings were arranged by Eldest Aunt. How would I know if they were broken or not?"
The Countess felt a blush of shame. If this story spread, people would say she mistreated her niece.
Just as she was about to smooth things over by saying that the custom-made furniture hadn't arrived yet, two maids helped the Old Madam walk in.
"Hmph, you mean it's your Eldest Aunt's fault. The one who was injured is her own biological daughter. She is already heartbroken, and you, a junior, are adding to her distress?"
Jun Jiuli did not immediately admit fault as she expected, nor did she say things like she wouldn't dare again.
The room fell silent. The Old Madam gritted her teeth.
"All of you are mute! Your Eldest Aunt has been working tirelessly to prepare for your return. Is this how you repay her? She is your elder, and it is not for you to criticize."
The Countess, at the opportune moment, shed a couple of tears and quickly wiped them with her handkerchief.
"Mother, I am not suffering. As long as the children are well, I am content."
The Old Madam nodded. "This is your courtyard. If Yi'er is injured here, you cannot escape responsibility. You've moved in, yet you didn't inspect it. Although your Eldest Aunt helped you clean and organize, these tables, chairs, and stools were all bought from outside. It's common for them to use inferior products. Your Eldest Aunt is so busy every day, she can't possibly account for every little thing, can she?"
Looking at the old stool, everyone chose to turn a blind eye.
"You don't say a word, like a mute, not at all like the bloodline of our Countess's manor. Since it's a crime of oversight, you shall be punished to kneel in the ancestral hall for three days. Do you... Ah!"