Fen Dai Xiang Rong
Feng Yu Heng turned her head and looked out the open door. At the entrance to the courtyard were two girls; both looked to be around ten years old. The one in front wore an exquisitely embroidered pink dress. In one hand, she tightly held a square handkerchief to her mouth, and her other hand held a small cloth bag. The look of disdain on her face was many times more than that present on Man Xi’s face. While walking, she kicked away some of the spread out chairs in the courtyard. Her movements were deliberate and domineering.
The one following was a bit more introverted. The person under the water-blue dress was pristine. Though she also held a handkerchief to cover her nose and mouth, she did not show any signs of displeasure. Instead, she looked all around with curious eyes taking everything in. Seeing the girl ahead kicking chairs, she pulled slightly on her sleeves and made a request: “Fourth sister, don’t be like this.”
“Then how should I act? Third sister, don’t worry. Father letting them live here is clearly telling us they’re just eyesores. With how much trouble the parents of Yao shi caused, the Feng manor was very lucky to not have been implicated. Even though they have returned to the manor, that should be considered a great favor. Is it possible that there is still a need to publicly curry favor with them?”
Feng Yu Heng recognized their identities based on their voices. They were originally the other two daughters of a concubine. They were third young miss, Feng Xiang Rong and the fourth young miss, Feng Fen Dai.
The original owner did not have too many memories related to these two little sisters. She only knew that the two were two years younger than herself, born in the same year, the only difference was their birth mothers, the third concubine and fourth concubine.
In the time that they spoke, the two young ladies had reached the door to the room. Feng Yu Heng carried the basin of dirty water out. Upon reaching the doorway, she splashed the water out without looking. A voice sounded a small scream. “Ah!” Feng Fen Dai was drenched from head to toe by the dirty water. Her heart felt as if it froze over. As for Feng Xiang Rong who was behind her, she had also been splashed a little, but she had not suffered greatly.
“Which slave here has the eyes of a blind dog!” Feng Fen Dai had not even had a chance to open her eyes before she began to yell, “Damned people! I want them all taken out and clubbed to death! Clubbed to death! Aaah!”
While the person to her side appeared to have gone insane with her yelling, Feng Xiang Rong had clearly seen the one who had splashed the water. It was the master of this courtyard, her second eldest sister.
Feng Xiang Rong hastily walked before Feng Fen Dai and hurriedly tried to remind her: “Fourth little sister, quickly stop yelling. Quickly go back and change your clothes. It would be bad to be seen like this.”
It was now the end of summer. Though it cooled in the early evening, it was still extremely hot during the day. The girls were wearing clothes made of fine gauze. When the water struck the clothes, they would stick to the body. Even their undergarments would begin to show.
Feng Fen Dai was both embarrassed and annoyed. She crossed her arms over her chest and opened her eyes to glare at Feng Yu Heng, who was still holding the basin. Her eyes glared with a ferocity that could shoot flames.
“Feng! Yu! Heng!” She gnashed her teeth while calling out this name. If it weren’t for Xiang Rong tightly restraining her, she really wanted to rush forward and rip the delicate face before her to shreds.
However, Feng Yu Heng just raised the basin and carelessly said: “Fourth little sister, we have just cleaned this doorway, yet you do not watch where you are walking. Thanks to you, there is water here that needs cleaning. How problematic- Man Xi!” She raised her voice and called out, “Quickly clean the doorway!”
Feng Fen Dai’s face turned white with rage, as she pointed at Feng Yu Heng: “You, you.” She continued to sputter for a while uncertain of how to begin cursing. Since she was raised in an affluent family, so for her to curse using the words, “Eyes of a blind dog.” it was not certain if this would be allowed. Yet, even if even she were permitted to continue cursing, her vocabulary was lacking.
Standing to the side, Feng Xiang Rong had even less of a clue on what to say. She was originally very bashful, but hearing that Feng Yu Heng had returned, she secretly ditched her servants and ran towards Willow courtyard. Who knew that when she arrived at the entrance, she would meet someone who had also abandoned their servants, Fen Dai.
As soon as Fen Dai arrived, she began to make impertinent remarks. Second eldest sister Feng Yu Heng had spent a few years away from the manor, yet she learned to become clever and quick-witted and had frightened her to the point of being afraid to speak. They kept silent for a while, as droplets of water fell from Fen Dai’s body.
“Many thanks to my little sisters for coming to visit, but our courtyard is currently much too dirty and disorderly. There’s no way to invite my little sisters to come in for tea. So please return for now. As for the matter of fourth little sister causing a mess, do not worry, I will not tell the adults about it. Especially since little sisters were here to see me out of kindness, being punished for it would not be good.” Carrying the basin, Feng Yu Heng made her words sound completely sincere, as though it were truly as she described.
Feng Fen Dai was stunned speechless by what she had said. Even Xiang Rong was stunned.
Speaking such lies with a straight face, this second eldest sister was really something!
Seeing that the two were stunned in place, Feng Yu Heng raised her hand and gestured for them to leave. Sending guests, it was best take a more direct approach.
Feng Fen Dai was enraged to the point her teeth rattled, but she did not dare allow for Feng Yu Heng to make a big incident of things. Fourth concubine, Han shi had already told her not to go cause problems for Yao shi’s side and instead observe the attitudes within the manor first. It was especially important, as they had heard that Feng Jin Yuan took responsibility for allowing them to remain in the manor. This made it even harder to understand his meaning.
However, from a young age, Feng Fen Dai did not like Feng Yu Heng. Previously, one was the daughter of the first wife, while the other was the daughter of a concubine. She had no way to beat her, nor could she steal from her, but now things were different!
Hearing that Feng Yu Heng had returned to the manor, Fen Dai hated that she could not immediately go and stomp on her a few times. How could she bear to obediently listen. She did not consider that, not only had she failed to trample on her, but she was trampled instead. The outcome of this trip to Willow courtyard was truly agonizing.
“Hmph!” She angrily glared at Feng Yu Heng and threw the cloth bag that was in her hand toward her: “Second eldest sister left in a hurry that year. Many clothes were left behind. I kept them for second sister. Since you have returned, I will return them to you. It’s a shame though. These clothes were made for the daughter of the first wife, but you are now just the daughter of a concubine. You are no longer fit to wear such fine materials.”
Feng Yu Heng nodded, “Indeed correct, daughter of a concubine, we are both in the same boat.” She looked again at Fen Dai’s waterlogged appearance. Being very considerate, she asked: “Fourth sister, don’t you think it would be bad to leave looking like this? How about this, Man Xi, take your clothes off and give them to fourth young miss.”
“This…” Man Xi was very depressed. A conflict between sisters, how did she end up involved? “Second young miss, it’s not that this servant does not want to give my clothes to fourth young miss, but look, this servant is a head taller than fourth young miss. These clothes would not fit fourth young miss!”
Feng Yu Heng loosened her hand, “Then, fourth sister, just pick a place without people and run quickly. If you delay further, I fear that more people will arrive unexpectedly, which would truly be bad.”
Feng Fen Dai truly was a child. Hearing these words, she became panicked and could not be bothered staying angry. She hefted up her dress, turned and ran, leaving a still-dazed Feng Xiang Rong behind all alone in the courtyard. For her, leaving was wrong as was staying.
Feng Yu Heng looked over this little sister. She was not like Chen Yu who handled matters in a sly manner, nor was she incisive like Fen Dai, rather she was timid, a little like Yao shi. She was also mild-mannered.
“Third sister, I trust you have been well since we parted?”