CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 60: REPAYING KINDNESS

"I naturally came to repay the favor."

Nanny Ma felt grateful for the support from the second young mistress... no, Miss Xiao: "How is your young lady doing? Is it convenient for me to meet her?"

"Nanny Ma, you mean to..."

"Don’t worry, second young mistress... no, Miss Xiao has been kind to my entire family. I’m not someone who bites the hand that feeds me. I have something important to discuss with her."

"Alright, come with me."

Nanny Zhou saw Molan bringing a beggar woman into the inner courtyard and was very upset: How is this girl doing her job? She’s becoming more and more reckless!

"Nanny Zhou, old sister, it’s me."

She lifted her hair to reveal her true face.

"Ah, it’s Nanny Ma." Nanny Zhou was also surprised: "Why are you here?"

"I’ve wanted to come for a long time, but didn’t dare to come openly. I racked my brain to come up with this method." Nanny Ma said: "This outfit I’m in is very durable, I’ve worn it for ten days to half a month without washing, isn’t the smell quite strong?" Nanny Zhou... the smell wasn’t just strong, it was unbearable to look at.

"Do you want to see the young lady? Otherwise, I can take you to wash and change, wearing mine?"

"No need."

Xiao Chunyu had already walked out: "Nanny Ma, long time no see."

"Second young... Miss, thanks to your kindness, all thirteen members of my family are well."

Nanny Ma hurriedly paid respect to Xiao Chunyu.

Molan looked confused.

What does ’thanks to the young lady’s kindness’ mean?

"It’s you who gave this old servant silver, allowing me to redeem my family and settle them back in our hometown. Not long after, I heard about the Wu Mansion’s troubles with the law."

If it weren’t for Xiao Chunyu’s advice, her family would also have ended up in prison with their masters.

"Wasn’t it also me who orchestrated the downfall of the Wu family?" Xiao Chunyu said with a slight smile: "You were able to avoid this disaster because you were truly kind to me."

The words Nanny Ma said to Wu Fangfang during the childbirth were remembered clearly by Xiao Chunyu. Later, when Molan and others went to the kitchen to get food for Xiao Chunyu, those nasty cooks were being harsh, and Nanny Ma stepped up and directly took the matter to Mrs. Wu, offending a group of people. After learning about this, Xiao Chunyu secretly sent Nanny Zhou to give her silver, allowing her to redeem her family and settle back in the countryside.

"I know very well what kind of person the young lady is," Nanny Ma said: "It’s not that this old servant is ungrateful or speaking ill of the masters, but truly, the Wu family is unsightly from top to bottom!"

"Nanny Ma, you are no longer anyone’s servant." Xiao Chunyu said: "You are now a good citizen, and your descendants can study and take the civil service exams."

In Xiao Chunyu’s view now, Nanny Ma’s grandchildren have more opportunities than the Xiao family’s descendants.

"Thank you, young lady." Mentioning her descendants, Nanny Ma was very happy: "I’ve sent both my grandsons to the local school, and the teacher says they’re very clever and have a great future if they work hard."

Servants who have worked in large households have a keen eye and understand the importance of reading and literacy. Her two grandsons, one aged eight and the other seven, are just at the age for studying, and having received praise from the teacher, the Ma family is more determined to work hard. If the children can earn a name for themselves, they can bring honor to their ancestors, and the future seems promising.

"That’s good, keep working hard." Xiao Chunyu nodded: "Nanny, was there a reason for your visit this time..."

"Look at this memory of mine, I almost forgot the main matter." She slapped her forehead: "Miss, it’s like this, I came on the orders of Nanny Yun."

Nanny Yun?

"Ever since the young lady had an accident, there’ve been some people lingering from time to time in front of the store owned by Nanny Yun’s family. Nanny Yun is perceptive, and she noticed that many of them were the servants of certain families..."

It turns out it wasn’t that there was no news from Nanny Yun, but rather that no news could get through.

"This old servant too..." Sigh, this habit of calling herself the old servant really dies hard, forget it, forget it, with such a good young lady, being her servant is a blessing: "This old servant also heard that the young lady had an accident, so I hurried to the Capital to inquire. But the street rumors couldn’t ascertain the details. By chance I saw Nanny Yun, and since we’re old friends, we could chat and relate. She asked me to send a message to you."

What Xiao Chunyu hadn’t expected was that Nanny Yun had sold everything she had, along with the money given to her, and bought a shop under the most bustling Zhengyang Building, just waiting for her instructions to start the business.

Moreover, it seems that Nanny Yun’s family can’t manage this shop alone.

"Miss, if you trust this old servant, our whole family is willing to serve you. We won’t hesitate to toil like oxen or horses for you." Having just gained her freedom, Nanny Ma was willing to serve Xiao Chunyu again, and this made Nanny Zhou regard her in a new light.

"Thank you, Nanny Ma." Xiao Chunyu was very pleased. Letting Nanny Ma redeem her freedom back then, she hadn’t expected to be able to put the entire Wu family in imprisonment with her own hands. It was just that someone as good as Nanny Ma shouldn’t be targeted because of her, not realizing that the act of kindness had come full circle with blessings returning to her.

"Nanny, the business I plan to do with this shop is..." Xiao Chunyu without reservation shared her plan with her: "This shop will be entrusted to you and Nanny Yun."

"Alright, I will definitely assure with Nanny Yun that we will handle it well!"

The one who entered the courtyard as a beggar woman, left the courtyard just the same, accompanied by a repugnant smell, cursing as she walked.

"There’s all sorts of people these days; I’m just an old woman, how much can I eat after all, and they won’t even give me that, truly wicked, the heartless wealthy..."

Nanny Tian and Nanny Wan were very upset, saying that Miss Molan is too soft-hearted. See, she’s really not cut out for this.

"It’s alright, everyone has their moments of misfortune, and she’s getting old. I’ll do what I can, and what I cannot, then just leave it be." Molan was very grateful to Nanny Ma, who tried every means to come see the young lady: "If you encounter her in the future, don’t scold her. Giving a bit of food and drink won’t ruin you. If you’re afraid of her filth, just call me over."

"Miss Molan is indeed kind-hearted."

Molan smiled, watching Nanny Ma’s departing figure, hoping from the bottom of her heart that she and Nanny Yun could smoothly open the shop.

"Miss, you gave her a silver note worth three hundred taels without even having Nanny Ma sign an agreement..." Nanny Zhou was deeply concerned.

"Nanny, trust people and they will not doubt you, doubt people and they cannot be used." Xiao Chunyu said: "I trust my own eyes."

Nanny Zhou... weren’t you also the one who fancied Wu Yunping back in the day? Your eyes may not be that reliable.

Of course, she didn’t dare say this thought aloud, only voicing it in her heart.

"Miss." Molan returned to the courtyard.

"Seen her off?"

"Yes, she’s off," Molan said: "Nanny Ma is quite clever."

"Yes, I find her two sons also shrewd," Xiao Chunyu said: "I hope this time, I haven’t misjudged."

Be it good or bad, this is the gamble!

"Miss, what should we do now?"

"Nothing needs to be done." Of course, because there’s nothing that can be done: "With the rewards from the Empress Dowager and the Empress, as long as we don’t starve to death, it’s alright. Oh, next time remember to ask Miss Qiu if there’s any news from Shu City."