Chapter 52: The An Sisters
Chapter 52: The An Sisters
The evening air was filled with the delicious aroma of food that was being cooked in the kitchen. Children were playing in the front garden while a couple of elders were sitting under the pavilion, enjoying the warm tea and chatting among themselves. The abandoned and gloomy Chen Manor from the past was filled with light and chatter.
"My Lady..."
"Lady Chen?"
"My Lady...! "
"Huh?"
Xiang Ling was jerked out of the deep trance she had fallen into when she felt Fu Xiao calling her name. She quickly turned her attention toward the girl and found that the An sisters were also there. All three girls were looking at her with worry-filled eyes.
"What happened? Is everything alright?" She quickly asked when she noticed their expressions.
"My Lady, we should be the ones asking if everything is alright with you or not. What happened to you?" Fu Xiao’s voice was laced with concern as the girl pointed her eyes at something while asking the question.
Confused by the question, Xiang Ling followed Fu Xiao’s line of sight only to let out a gasp of surprise when she saw the mess she had created. She was supposed to peel the onions but she had overdone her job, she had peeled them to the level that there was nothing left except for the peels.
"I... I’m so sorry... I was lost in my thoughts. I didn’t realize what I was doing." She quickly apologized and picked up a basket to collect the mess of onions she had created.
"My Lady, there’s no need to apologize. The work here is almost done, we can take care of the rest. You should go and rest. Ever since this morning, you have been looking quite lost. You need to take care of yourself." Fu Xiao took the basket from her hand and quickly gathered the peels in it.
Xiang Ling let out a sigh as her thoughts returned to the man who had been the reason behind her absent-mindedness. She couldn’t help but keep thinking about the words he said to her that very morning - "I want you to keep me happy if you want me to keep your secret."
What kind of demand was this? How was she supposed to keep him happy? But no matter how many times she asked, he didn’t answer and just said that she would find out in no time. Throughout the day, she had been anxious because of him and kept wondering if he would indeed keep her secret or not.
"My Lady?"
Xiang Ling heard Fu Xiao calling her and quickly shook her head to get rid of her thoughts. "Alright. I will go and get some fresh air. You three take care of the food."
She handed over the work to the three girls and was on her way to exit the kitchen when she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the An sisters. An Mei was 17 years old and An Xi was 15. They were the daughters of Aunt Hua and Uncle Feng - an old couple among the refugees. They also had a 14-year-old son.
For the last couple of days, the two girls had been helping Fu Xiao in the kitchen and around the manor to handle all the household chores as well as taking care of the refugees. Xiang Ling had noticed their good character and how well they got along with Fu Xiao.
"An Mei, An Xi."
"Yes, Lady Chen?" The two girls quickly turned their full attention toward Xiang Ling and waited for whatever the lady had to say to them.
"Do you both like working with Fu Xiao?" Xiang Ling asked and watched as the girls hurriedly nodded their heads with bright smiles blooming on their lips. "Then would you like to accompany us to Dongzhi City to help your Sister Xiao look after the Magistrate Manor?"
Both the girls were confused by the question but that expression soon converted into shock as realization dawned over them. "My Lady, it will be our great honor to serve Your Lady and the Magistrate family." An Mei quickly bowed along with her sister to show their gratitude.
Xiang Ling smiled at the girls before she turned around and exited the kitchen. She headed straight toward the pavilion where she saw Aunt Hua and Uncle Feng an hour or so ago. Just like she predicted, the old couple was indeed there chatting with some other elders.
"Aunt Hua, Uncle Feng, can I have a word with you both?"
The elders were surprised by her sudden visit and the old couple, though confused, followed Xiang Ling to the other side of the garden so that they could talk in privacy.
"Lady Chen, is everything alright?" Aunt Hua asked as she and her husband shared a quick worried look between the two of them.
Xiang Ling smiled warmly at the two before she spoke, "Everything is fine. Actually, I want to talk about An Mei and An Xi. I want your permission to take both the girls to the City where they will be able to work in the Magistrate Manor alongside Fu Xiao. If you both agree, I can promise to look after your daughters and make sure that they will live a safe and happy life in my manor. I will provide them with a salary of five silver taels each month along with bonuses if they perform well, and I will also make sure to arrange them good marriages in the future."
The old couple were too shocked by the sudden offer to speak for a while and the very next second, both of them kneeled on the ground to bow in gratitude. "Lady Chen, we will never be able to repay your kindness. If our daughters can be a part of the Magistrate Manor, what else we as parents can ask for? Our entire family will always be grateful to you and your family."
Xiang Ling helped them to stand up as she smiled in satisfaction. She was finally making some progress in her mortal life.