Chapter 69: The Starving Young Miss

  Xu Mingxia sneered, "Grandma said not to eat anything, but you actually secretly hid pastries and brought them in. It seems like you knew in advance that you would be locked up in the Buddhist hall?"

  Xu Mingjin ate while saying, "How can I compare to you? Grandma won't let you go hungry, someone will definitely be sent to deliver food to you soon. I'm not that lucky, so I had to secretly bring a little."

  The cake was still seen by Yuzhu, who knew that she would be locked in the Buddhist hall. She took advantage of the crowd's distraction to secretly take it from the old lady's place and stuffed it into her own bosom. Xu Mingjin ate while sighing: "The cakes from the old lady's place are really delicious, crispy, soft, and fragrant." Xu Mingjin ate several in a row, couldn't help but exclaim: "If only there was a pot of plum wine to go with it!" However, she still admired Yuzhu, having martial arts skills was great, being able to steal the cake from the old lady's room under everyone's noses without anyone noticing, this skill, this technique... Yuzhu, I'm really in love with you!

  Although thirsty, Xu Mingjin had only eaten a few pastries since getting up early in the morning, and her stomach was still far from full. So, she endured her thirst and forced herself to finish all the pastries in the paper package. Throughout this time, Xu Mingxia kept looking at Xu Mingjin with mocking eyes. Xu Mingjin ignored her, finished eating the pastries, crumpled up the oil paper package and stuffed it under the cushion, still kneeling properly. Xu Mingxia, relying on Old Madam's favoritism, remained seated.

  After a long time, Xu Mingxia asked: "What was the situation like yesterday?"

  Xu Mingjin turned his head and glanced at her: "You don't believe me at all, what's the point of me answering?"

  Xu Mingxia was taken aback, and of course, she didn't believe what Xu Mingjin said. But she just wanted to hear what Xu Mingjin had to say, maybe what he said was true? "You don't need to lie to me, besides, I saw that yesterday the young master was holding onto you tightly, and you were struggling all along. I think, you don't like him."

  Xu Mingjin was taken aback by his words, she hadn't expected Xu Mingxia to guess her thoughts. She nodded and said: "Indeed, that day I was hungry while strolling around the clothing store, so I went to Wenxiang Lai wine house to eat. I had never been there before, I wanted to try it out and see if the largest wine house in Beijing lived up to its reputation. As soon as I entered, the waiter saw that I was a woman and took me to a private room on the second floor. Unexpectedly, I bumped into someone on the stairs, and that person was Young Master Wang. The rest... you all saw."

  Xu Mingxia said: "You didn't know in advance that he was going there, so why did you choose to go to that particular wine house out of so many?"

  Xu Mingjin heard this and said: "If I had known in advance that he was going, I would never have left the house."

  Xu Mingxia said: "I don't believe it."

  Xu Mingjin said: "If not, in the future if you know where he is, just tell me and I will definitely retreat. Can this prove my innocence?"

  Xu Mingxia heard this and felt a surge of excitement in her heart, she said: "Good, I'll do as you say!"

  Xu Mingjin nodded and said: "Good."

  Xu Mingjin suddenly remembered something and turned to ask, "Sister, you wouldn't have gone out because you heard he was at that wine house, would you?"

  Xu Mingxia was called "heartbreaker" by Xu Mingjin, and she blushed without saying a word.

  Xu Mingjin burst out laughing. Xu Mingxia pretended to be angry and said: "Don't laugh." But she herself couldn't help but smile.

  Xu Mingjin sighed, "I thought the old lady would lock us together and we'd fight until we're covered in bruises before stopping."

  Xu Mingxia said: "Why don't we have a fight then?"

  Xu Mingjin said: "I'm sleepy, I want to sleep." He stood up and moved the cushion to the wall root, sat down with his back against the wall, closed his eyes, and pretended to be asleep.

  Xu Mingxia saw this and scolded: "You're a pig! All you know is sleep."

  Xu Mingjin ignored her. Xu Mingxia became bored and moved the cushion to the wall, learning from Xu Mingjin and starting to fall asleep.

  Jade Bamboo bribed the gatekeeper's wife, but it didn't work. He then dragged her back and hid in a dark place to shoot out two small stones, knocking down the two wives who were keeping watch. He took the keys from their bodies and opened the door of the Buddhist hall. He quietly walked inside.

  Jade Bamboo didn't expect that Xu Mingjin, who had been worrying the people of Feicui Garden and Songfeng Courtyard to no end, was fast asleep. Jade Bamboo looked at Xu Mingxia, who was also sound asleep on the other side, and carefully shook Xu Mingjin awake.

  Xu Ming opened his eyes and saw that it was Yu Zhu. He was overjoyed, just about to speak, but saw Yu Zhu make a "shh" gesture.

  "Miss, I sneaked in while the gatekeeper was dizzy. It's better not to let the young lady know about it. Here's some plum wine and a whole roasted chicken for you. Eat slowly, I have to go, the gatekeeper is going to wake up." Yuzhu whispered into Xumingjin's ear.

  Xu Mingjin nodded. Yu Zhu quietly slipped out and locked the door before leaving.

  Xu Mingjin knew that the gatekeeper would come to investigate as soon as she woke up, so he stuffed the green plum wine and roasted chicken brought by Yu Zhu under the Buddha's offering table. He went back to sleep again.

  As expected, after a while, the sound of two women scolding each other came from the entrance: "Ah! I've got a big bump on the back of my head, which bastard threw this stone?" "You only have one bump, look at me here, I'm bruised so badly, they're being merciful to you!"

  "Cut the crap! What's with all this 'qīng' business? My old man is still around, watch your mouth!"

  ”……“

  "Stop examining that package, our task is to guard the gate well and not let those two maids out. Let's hurry in and take a look, if someone is not inside, our heads will be in danger, whether that package disappears or not is irrelevant!"

  Xu Mingjin couldn't help but want to laugh. Unfortunately, she couldn't make a sound loud enough to disturb Xu Mingxia, and it was very uncomfortable to hold back. However, the two old women at the door were arguing so fiercely that Xu Mingxia didn't even wake up, which was really impressive.

  The two old women stopped arguing, seeing that the door was locked properly, they finally let out a sigh of relief. However, they were still uneasy, so the sound of keys jingling in the lock echoed at the entrance, particularly piercing in the quiet room. After a moment, the door was opened from the outside. The two old women walked in and saw Xu Mingjin and Xu Mingxia sleeping soundly, they couldn't help but get furious, saying: "Get up, get up, both of you get up!"

  Xu Mingxia was immediately awakened, and Xu Mingjin also pretended to be awakened, opening his sleepy eyes to look at the two women.

  "The old lady told you two to kneel here for a day and a night, not to sleep for a day and a night! Look at your appearance! Do you have the old lady's words in mind?"

  Xu Mingjin got up, took the cushion and knelt down under the offering table. He looked very obedient. The two women were quite satisfied with Xu Mingjin's performance. But Xu Mingxia was different, she was originally sleeping soundly, suddenly being woken up by someone, her heart was very unhappy, and since the old lady was very fond of her, she didn't take the two women seriously at all. Therefore, she just sat there without moving.

  The two old women were at a loss, not knowing what to do. Xu Mingxia was deeply loved by the old lady, and they, as her confidantes, knew this clearly. At this moment, facing Xu Mingxia who didn't care about them, the two of them really didn't know how to react. After a moment of silence, one of the old women looked at Xu Mingxia with a flattering expression and said: "Young Miss, this is the old lady's intention, please don't make it difficult for me."

  Xu Mingxia didn't pay attention to what they said, but instead asked: "What about the food Grandmother asked you to bring for me?" It turned out she was hungry.

  The two maids were taken aback. The old lady had not instructed them to do so, had she? It was the same maid again, who turned her eyes and knew that the old lady actually did not want to punish Xu Mingxia, but only wanted to punish Xu Mingjin alone. Since Xu Mingxia said she wanted to eat, the maid would go get it for her. This way, she could please both the old lady and Xu Mingxia. Thinking this, the maid said: "The old lady didn't instruct me, but if Miss wants, I'll go get it for you."

  Xu Mingxia said: "Go quickly."

  The old woman went out at the sound, and another old woman said: "Sister, wait for me to bring things back, I'll open the door and send them in. Now we have to lock the door first." Xu Mingxia didn't say anything about this. The old woman hurriedly retreated and locked the door.

  Xu Mingjin saw that the door was locked, so he took out the Qingmei wine and started drinking it slowly.

  Xu Mingxia smelled the aroma of plum wine and suddenly felt thirsty, but she was always concerned about saving face and couldn't bring herself to ask Xu Mingjin for a drink. She thought that since the old woman would be leaving soon, she could just wait a little longer.

  Xu Mingjin was thirsty and drank half a bottle in one breath, then took out the roasted chicken. The roasted chicken was fragrant, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, probably made by Yuzhu specially, for fear that it would be troublesome to eat. Xu Mingjin pulled off a chicken leg and said to Xu Mingxia: "Sister, do you want to have some?"

  Xu Mingxia also smelled the aroma of chicken, and at this time, her stomach was growling even more obviously. She almost couldn't bear to run over and eat with Xu Mingjin together, but she still endured it, waiting a little longer, just a little longer, that old woman would be back soon.

  Xu Mingjin saw that Xu Mingxia wasn't eating, so he didn't let her have any either. He himself started eating with big mouthfuls. Xu Mingjin ate two chicken legs and two chicken wings, then gnawed on a small piece of meat, and after finishing the remaining green plum wine, he was full. She stuffed the remaining things back under the offering table.

  It's been a long time, but the old woman still hasn't come back.

  Xu Mingxia finally couldn't bear it anymore, she ran to the door and looked out through the crack, but saw nothing. She paced back and forth anxiously, muttering in her mouth: "This damned woman, just wait till I go out tomorrow and see how I'll deal with her!" But she refused to ask Xu Mingjin for food.

  Xu Mingjin was a person who had eaten and drunk enough, she sat there, watching Xu Mingxia turn around like a headless fly, thinking in her heart: that woman seemed to have encountered trouble, otherwise it would not be possible for her to still not return after half a day.

  Xu Mingjin and her sister were muttering to themselves when they were blocked by someone on their way back from the kitchen.

  This was Mrs. Xu, who gazed at the food box in her maid's hand and asked softly: "Where are you taking this to deliver food?"

  Although it was a gentle voice, the woman's heart was racing with fear. She lowered her head and didn't dare to look into Mrs. Xu's eyes, because although Mrs. Xu was smiling, there wasn't a hint of warmth in her eyes.

  "Returning to the lady's question, yes, it was to deliver food to the young mistress who was locked in the Buddhist hall."

  Madam Xü took a step closer and said: "Is it for Eldest Miss or Sixth Miss?"

  The old woman knelt down with a thud: "Madam, it's really for the young lady! Even if you lend me a hundred guts, I wouldn't dare give it to Sixth Miss!"

  "Madam Xu smiled faintly, but that smile conveyed an inexplicable chill: 'How dare you! Sixth Miss is the legitimate daughter, while Eldest Miss is born out of wedlock. In my heart, Sixth Miss is dearer to me than Eldest Miss! Old Madam had explicitly instructed that no one was allowed to send food to the two misses locked in the Buddhist hall. You are knowingly breaking the rules, guards! Take this insolent slave away to Old Madam and let her deal with it!'"

  The old woman was so frightened that her gallbladder burst, and she repeatedly knocked her head to beg for mercy.

  Mrs. Xü paid no attention to her and let her be dragged away crying all the way to Chunhuiyuan, following herself afterwards.