Mama Liu, whose face and body were originally covered with blemishes and mottling of impending death, had improved under the care of Shen Xiangwan.
Before she couldn’t even eat a small bowl of rice a day but now she could take two small bowls of rice. Besides that, she could also drink a lot of soup now.
Mama Liu’s favorite pastime activity was to look forward to Shen Xiangwan’s visit and listen about the big to small, every matter of the mansion from her. Mama Liu didn’t know what’s going on with that fat girl that she would just chat with Mama Liu the whole day. As soon as the little one entered the courtyard, Mama Liu could always hear her chirping. However, whenever Mama wanted to sleep, this girl would leave quietly.
From the unintentional words of the little girl, Mama Liu could easily analyze whoever had gained power in the mansion now.
And from these inadvertent remarks, she could also probe into whoever was disgraced, or about to be disliked by the masters.
However, from the information that the little girl had unintentionally mentioned, Mama Liu could also tell who was now gaining power in each and every courtyard of the mansion!
*
"Mama, have some soup."
On this day, when the little girl came in, she looked somewhat drawn and weary. Her little rosy face also turned a bit pale.
Such her caused Mama Liu to frown. "Is there anything new happening today?"
"Ah, no!" Shen Xiangwan hurriedly shook her head, but a pair of large eyes showed some aggravation and caution.
When she was serving the soup bowl to Liu Mama, Mama Liu seemingly accidentally touched the little one’s arm, causing the little girl's body to tremble. The little one’s round face was instantly covered with a fine sweat.
The old lady’s dim eyes narrowed slightly, and she suddenly reached out to grab the little girl's wrist.
"Who did this?"
The cold, bony hand tightly gripped Shen Xiangwan’s arm. The sharp cold breath emanating from Mama’s body made her tremble inside.
Shen Xiangwan hurriedly shook her head in fear.
"Mama, don't worry about this. I just wanted to stew some soup for you. But they said...said... that I shouldn’t occupy the kitchen on this side. It's alright, in the future, this girl will go to the kitchen that is further..."
Speaking till the end, the little girl was aggrieved and began to shed tears. Mama Liu looked at this little doll and noticed that the initial fat girl now had turned into a nervous and anxious little girl. That chubby little round face had also become much thinner now, almost turning into a little pointy face.
Mama Liu sneered and slowly let go of her hand and leaned back in a seemingly careless manner, "It seems that this group of people has already considered me as a dead person."
Shen Xiangwan quickly lowered her head and didn’t dare to look at Mama Liu.
Although Shen Xiangwan was deliberately trying to please and flatter the once very powerful Mama Liu in this house, it was also true that she was being bullied today.
Those snobbish old people who loved to bully the newcomers had turned to please the Deputy Head Mama Lin, who was going to be appointed as the Head Steward....
Only she, Ru Yue, and Mama Yi and the others had all analyzed that the most powerful person in this house was Mama Liu. The only prerequisite was that her health had to get better.
For this reason, when she was put here by the steward to serve Mama Liu, she vowed that for the sake of Xiao Qi, Ru Yue, and the others, she would serve the head steward of the backyard, Sister Liu, well and would live a good life!
Serving a seriously ill old person was tiresome, but Shen Xiangwan was a handy servant. Every day when she went out to fetch meals, she would get all sorts of gossip from the mouths of the youngsters and maids in the various courtyards. Although they had been here for less than half a year, the information network had been gradually expanded, because of the unity of the newly bought weak personnel. And then with the increment in their income, they also got some reliable personnel. She seemed to only wait upon Mama Liu in the courtyard every day, but all the events in this mansion were under her scrutiny and could be roughly controlled.
In the past, she was able to try to conceal the matter of Mama Liu's meals. However, as Mama Liu’s health improved, the portions of food she ate were impossible to conceal.
"Thank you, Mama Li." Receiving the lunch box from the kitchen, Shen Xiangwan smiled as usual. However, turning back around, she faced the steward who was in charge of the kitchen.
Although the latter did not speak, those shrewd eyes crossed a trace of doubt. Turning around, the steward called the woman who was fetching rice for Shen Xiangwan to one side and inquired in detail.
After perceiving and understanding Mama Liu's daily meals, she immediately sensed something bad.
Back then, this Mama in-charge had also been promoted by Steward Liu, but after Steward Liu fell ill, she turned around and went off to wholeheartedly please Deputy Steward Mama Lin.
Now, what if the former head steward, Sister Liu, got better? Would she get any good results? When she thought of Steward Liu's ruthless methods, she didn't dare to let the situation go on.
When the maid beside Deputy Steward Lin came to fetch food, this steward personally received her and seemingly unintentionally mentioned it to her.
"Lately, Steward Liu seems to be eating well. Yesterday, I heard that she ate two bowls of rice and a bowl of ginseng soup tonic. It seems that Steward Liu will be able to take up her post soon to take care of these complicated matters in the backyard. It is really great…a great thing. Haha..."
The little maid’s face changed slightly as she listened. She quietly turned around and left with the meal.
When she entered the courtyard, she found that slightly fat Mama Lin was happily applying nail polish.
"Chief Steward Mama, I'm afraid... It’s not good."
The little girl eagerly kneeled to serve the soup and tangled for a moment before carefully saying this sentence.
"Oh, what’s wrong?" Mama Lin slowly and leisurely blew on the hot soup. Her fat round face was without the slightest emotion.
"The Division Head of the kitchen was saying that these days, Mama Liu over there...seems to eat... more and more. The little girl who was serving her seemed to cheerfully skip away as well.”
"Oh!"
When she heard this, Mama Lin, who didn’t even move her eyebrows before, finally had a slight change in her complexion.
She put down the bowl, "Recently, the concubine has also babbled to me. She said that as the errand girl is not around, she was a little bit uncomfortable these days. Let's switch her back and send a new person to take care of Mama Liu. I think Hongfeng is good enough, just send her to serve. Also, what is the name of that servant girl? Find a fault..." Deputy Steward Lin's eyes turned cold. ‘Daring to spoil her good fortune, hmph!’
"And in the kitchen over there, inform the steward that the house is a little tight on the budget recently. Meals of the stewards and the like who aren’t doing much work, have to cut down."
When the little maid listened to this, she immediately understood it and quickly nodded before leaving quietly.
*
After hearing that she was going to be deployed away, Shen Xiangwan was silent.
In fact, she also wanted to bring Mama Liu’s meal by concealing it from the people in the kitchen, so that Mama Liu's food could be slightly better. However, their current authority had not reached the point where she could conceal Mama Liu's meals.
After first hearing the words of the kitchen steward and Mama Lin's maid, Shen Xiangwan knew that she had to leave.
She calmly carried the meal into the house and talked about the big and small matters in the house as usual.
"Mama, May I leave? I heard that the concubine’s side is not used to being without this servant girl, so I'm afraid I'll be summoned back."
Mama Liu's withered face had no expression, but underneath the loose eyelids, a trace of cold light flashed across her eyes.
"Well, girl! In this house, Mama still has a bit of say. Hehe..."
She shakily got up and wrote some words before swishing the note down into Shen Xiangwan’s hand.
"Take it and find the Doctor Zhao in the house."
Inviting the Family Doctor Zhao to see and give her medicine, this granny was indeed a bit of a powerhouse. It seemed that she was becoming more and more confident in her own body.
Shen Xiangwan secretly pocketed this note and turned around to find the most skilled doctor in the reserve, Zhao Family Doctor.
That old head Zhao sighed as he looked at the list of symptoms on it.
"Well, who said to me to owe this old woman Liu a favor back then heh... just, Let me go and have a word to Madam first."
That night, Shen Xiangwan was transferred out of Head Steward Mama Liu's courtyard.
Although the newly replaced girl, Hongfeng, was also respectful on the surface, those wild eyes revealed a light of excitement and bloodthirst.
That day, when she entered the courtyard, she was carrying a large food box. She put it down and sweetly smiled at Mama Liu on the bed. However, the obvious disgust in her eyes, and the slightly twitching of the nose by dislike, was still entered in Mama Liu's eyes.......
Looking at the vat of soup on the table, Mama Liu trembled like an ignorant old person, "Soup...I want...soup..."
Hongfeng looked at the old lady who exuded a corrosive atmosphere. For no reason, she couldn’t help but think of her good sister back then. At that time, her little sister made a small mistake and was killed by this woman’s order.
Today, the steward asked her to come here. Wasn't she just giving her the opportunity?
When she thought of this, Hongfeng quietly took a deep breath. Lifting up the soup, a treacherous smile appeared on her face, "So, the Stewardess Mama wants to eat the soup, huh! Let this girl serve you, ah!"
Mama Liu repeatedly nodded her head and opened her mouth, but the girl ruthlessly shoved the spoon into her mouth, "Drink, drink… Drink more, this girl will serve you well. You dead old woman still doesn’t know who sent me here, right? Gee, I’m sent here by Steward Lin to take your life. As long as you are dead, Steward Lin will be in charge of everything in the backyard. Even the young masters will have to listen to Steward Lin, and act according to her face... What are you, huh? Being a steward could only be a dog to the masters. Deputy Steward Lin is not like you. She is the rightful head of the backyard...."
Her eyes were radiating excitement. She viciously propped the spoon against Mama’s mouth and fiercely poured the soup in Mama’s mouth. By this kind of ruthless pouring of the soup, Mama Liu badly choked on it, and her eyes turned white. She used her hands and feet together to stubbornly hold on to Hongfeng’s hands, but the little maid’s strength was so unimaginable and surreal at the moment...