Chapter 29 Locked in the Woodshed

“That’s right. I won’t admit to a fault I didn’t commit,” Wei Ruo insisted.

Madam Yun was furious. “Cuiping, Nanny Zhang, take her to the woodshed! She’s not to be given any food! She can come out only when she admits her mistake!”

“Madam!” Both Nanny Zhang and Cuiping were startled.

It was the first time Madam had been so angry as to confine someone in the woodshed.

“Hurry and do as I say!” Madam Yun commanded.

“Yes…”

Cuiping and Nanny Zhang approached Wei Ruo.

“Miss…”

“I’ll go myself,” Wei Ruo said simply, wasting no words. She turned and walked away.

When she reached the woodshed, Nanny Zhang whispered, “Miss, why not just admit your fault to Madam? Soften your stance a little and promise to change next time—she’ll surely forgive you.”

“I did nothing wrong. Why should I admit to something I didn’t do?” Wei Ruo replied.

Nanny Zhang sighed, helpless, and shut the door, bolting it.

Once the door was closed, darkness enveloped Wei Ruo. The air was thick with the scent of dry wood and dust. She found a pile of straw and sat down. The only source of light came from a small window high up, divided by several wooden bars, slicing the moonlight into segments.

Though the Grain Rain had passed, the nights were still chilly, perhaps because recent years had been colder. Wei Ruo curled up, trying to conserve her body heat.

She remembered the night she was sent from the He family to the Mo family’s country estate. It had been cold then too. Her wet nurse and Xiumei had huddled close, the three of them sleeping together. The weather was even colder that night, but her heart had been warm.

She hadn’t wanted to return to the Wei family, but in the end, she did. She hadn’t wanted to compete with Wei Qingwan, yet somehow she was drawn into it. She tried her best to avoid conflict with her family, yet she was entangled all the same.

Leaning against the earthen wall of the woodshed, Wei Ruo’s mind drifted to her previous life.

In that life, she’d had a drunken, abusive father and a mother who endured everything in silence.

Despite her talent and hard work gaining her admission to the most prestigious university and learning many skills from her mentor, she could never escape the rot of her family of origin.

Her alcoholic father came looking for her, demanding support just as she graduated. She refused, and he beat her. Her mother tried to shield her, holding her tightly, but her father, lost to all reason, beat her mother to death before her eyes.

Then, she grabbed the scissors from the table and stabbed her father, killing him.

In this life, she strove to earn money on her own, to rely on herself and not the benevolence of others to survive in this world. Yet, nothing really changed. As soon as she failed to satisfy her family, she was punished.

In her past life, education hadn’t given her control over her fate. In this life, she felt just as powerless. That helplessness wrapped around her like a shroud, suffocating her.

###

After the doctor who’d hurried to the Commandant’s estate had finished examining Wei Qingwan, he left to write a prescription and prepare the medicine. Only Nanny Li and Cuihe remained to care for Wei Qingwan.

Wei Qingwan, filled with worry, asked Nanny Li in a small voice, “Nanny, do you think my lie will be discovered?”

“Don’t worry, miss. Only heaven, you, and I know the truth—no one else. As long as you keep calm, no one will ever find out,” Nanny Li comforted her.

“But nanny, I feel so anxious… I know it’s wrong to lie, but I really couldn’t bear to see you punished. You’re the one who loves me most…”

“I know, I know, Second Miss has always been kindhearted. It was only for this old woman’s sake that you told a lie. I will remember this kindness for the rest of my life!” Nanny Li said gratefully.

“But seeing my sister punished by Mother makes me feel terribly guilty… I never wanted things to get so serious. I thought, with Mother’s love for Sister, she would never confine her to the woodshed for something like this…” Wei Qingwan choked back a sob.

“Miss Wei Ruo brought this upon herself. You saw how she shouted at Madam, with no sense of respect at all.”

“Mother has always been gentle. Even when my brother made mistakes, she only made him copy books as punishment—she’s never locked anyone in the woodshed before. I really thought that, at most, my sister would be made to copy books…”

“It just shows Madam is truly serious this time. It also proves how much she values you. If it were anyone else, she wouldn’t be so angry. But you are the apple of her eye—she can’t stand for anything to go wrong, not even with Wei Qingruo,” Nanny Li explained.

Wei Qingwan was deeply pleased by these words. Did Mother really value her this much? Was her place in Mother’s heart truly so much higher than Wei Qingruo’s?

“Nanny, when morning comes, take me to Mother so I can plead for Sister. Tell her my injuries aren’t serious, and ask her not to punish Sister any further,” Wei Qingwan said.

“All right, all right. When morning comes, we’ll go. For now, don’t think about it. Try to rest,” Nanny Li replied.

She added a warning, “Miss, never mention what happened today again. Keep it to yourself and never speak of it.”

“I understand,” Wei Qingwan replied, biting her lip and nodding.

###

Wei Jinyi opened his eyes. His head still ached, but his body felt much lighter than before.

“Young Master, you’re finally awake!” Xiaobei was overjoyed.

“Mm…” Wei Jinyi replied. Even speaking made his throat hurt.

“The eldest young lady didn’t lie to me—she really cured you!”

“The eldest young lady? She was here?”

Xiaobei hurriedly recounted everything that had happened.

“So you’re saying I woke up thanks to her?” Wei Jinyi was stunned.

Wei Ruo had caused a commotion in Wangmei Pavilion for his sake, even defying Madam…

“Yes!”

“Where is she now?”

“She was taken away by Madam’s people. They were quite fierce; I think they’re going to hold her accountable!”

Wei Jinyi braced his hand on the bed, trying to rise.

“Young Master, what are you doing? You’re not fully recovered—she said you need more rest!”

“Help me up,” Wei Jinyi ordered. His face was pale, but his tone brooked no argument.

Xiaobei had no choice but to help him out of bed.

“Change my clothes. We’re going to Cangyun Courtyard.”

“Young Master…” Xiaobei was at a loss, but could only dress Wei Jinyi as instructed.

After taking two steps, Wei Jinyi suddenly stopped.

“Young Master, what’s wrong?” Xiaobei asked, alarmed.

Wei Jinyi seemed to have thought of something and changed his mind. “Help me back to bed.”

Xiaobei didn’t know what had prompted his young master’s change of heart, but was relieved he was willing to rest. He hurriedly helped Wei Jinyi back to bed.

Once settled, Wei Jinyi said, “Go now and find Guard Jinghu. Tell him I am gravely ill, unconscious, and my life hangs by a thread.”