Chapter 34: Is the False Young Lady Being Kept by a Man in a Private Residence?

Li Qingluo covered her face: "Granny, I fell a couple of days ago and my face got smashed out of shape. Granny not recognizing me is normal. Besides, I'm just a rough maid, always busy in the kitchen."

Li Qingluo herself hadn't expected that fabricating lies would come so easily to her.

And that granny actually believed it.

"A couple of days ago, I heard that a maid surnamed Chu from the kitchen went home for a visit—was that you? How did you end up looking like this? Don't go showing up in front of the master for these two days! Come with me quickly!"

Li Qingluo sneaked in with them into Prince Yun's Villa, and even she herself hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.

After parting with the granny, in order to act cautiously, she wandered around for a while and still ended up at the kitchen side.

The kitchen already had many people; seeing an unattractive maid, they didn't think much and just let her start working.

Li Qingluo joined in, working in an orderly manner, still wondering when she could slip away to look for Liu Jinzhi, but unexpectedly, the granny she had just met showed up again.

She spotted Li Qingluo at a glance.

"You, come with me."

Li Qingluo stepped out, heeding the granny's words, picked up a prepared meal, and followed her out of the kitchen.

Li Qingluo thought: Fortunately I had just come to the kitchen; otherwise, if the granny came again and didn't see her, it would surely raise suspicion and cause trouble.

After Li Qingluo left, the kitchen staff exchanged glances, someone wondering aloud: "Who is that?"

"Do we have such a maid in our kitchen?"

"You can't tell from the face—could it be Chu Chu?"

"That cheap-talking one usually chatters, but today she hasn't said a word—could it be her?"

Besides Li Qingluo holding the meal, there were also two other people brought by the grannies.

Li Qingluo didn't dare to speak all the way, just keeping her head down and listening to them.

"What background does that woman have? She comes every few days to mooch off us. The young miss doesn't see her, but she herself has the nerve to come, eat, take things, and even have us serve her! It's utterly disgusting."

"Isn't that right? She really acts like half a master, putting on airs in front of us each time—really annoying. Pah!"

As they spoke, a maid forcefully spat a mouthful of saliva onto the meal.

Another immediately followed suit; the granny in front seemed to hear nothing, not turning her head.

The two maids spat saliva together, then turned their heads to look at Li Qingluo.

As if not doing so would make her a misfit, someone who would inform on them!

Li Qingluo guessed in her heart that they were talking about Liu Jinzhi.

So, with a faint smile, she naturally went along, joining in their corruption.

In a secluded little courtyard, Liu Jinzhi was indeed sitting there, enjoying having someone pound her back and knead her shoulders.

After Li Qingluo entered, she followed them with downcast eyes, setting all the food on the table, watching Liu Jinzhi relish eating every dish.

"Mmm! Delicious, delicious—indeed only the food from our Zhu'er's place is the tastiest in Jinling City!"

Her fat hands—one gripping a greasy drumstick, the other constantly shoving abalone into her mouth—ate until her face was slick with oil.

A maid beside her nearly vomited from watching.

After finishing, Liu Jinzhi leisurely picked her teeth, having someone attend to her hand-washing and rinsing.

Li Qingluo watched, wanting to laugh.

It seems Liu Jinzhi has also been living well these past years.

Liu Jinzhi is ten years older than Li Qingluo; she is the biological daughter of the midwife Liu Laopozi, who personally swapped the identities of Li Qingluo and Li Qingzhu back then, and she is also Li Qingzhu's paternal aunt.

In her childhood, Li Qingluo suffered endless abuse and insults at the hands of Liu Jinzhi.

She dumped nearly all of her chores onto Li Qingluo.

Washing clothes, gathering firewood, cooking, working the fields, cutting grass…

If Li Qingluo showed the slightest resistance, she would have the other children in the household gang up to bully, beat, and scold her.

And she would play the victim first, going to the Liu family elders to slander Li Qingluo for things she never did.

Li Qingluo would naturally then receive a brutal beating.

Fortunately, Liu Jinzhi left Liu Village five years ago and hasn't returned since.

It's said she married a butcher, living fairly prosperously.

Looking at her now, she's hardly just prosperous.

She must have already acknowledged Li Qingzhu as her niece and is living an even higher standard of life.

"You, bring me a cup of tea."

Liu Jinzhi suddenly pointed at Li Qingluo with a casual flick of her finger, then tapped the table in front of her.

She let out a belch, and the taste in her mouth immediately spread everywhere around.

Everyone else clearly frowned, some even waving away the smell in front of their noses; only Li Qingluo, long accustomed to it, obediently walked over and poured her tea.

Liu Jinzhi knew these people all despised her.

But even so, what could they do to her?

She is, after all, the paternal aunt of Zhu'er!

Liu Jinzhi drank the tea; a fresh fragrance filled her mouth, letting her comfortably narrow her eyes.

She looked at the woman before her—skin somewhat dark, face grimy and ugly—and thought of the detestable Liu Caoer.

I've heard she also returned to the Li household; I don't know if, when I go to her door, she will still recognize this aunt of mine.

Just then, the granny beside her gave a fake smile and said, "Madam Liu, the young miss has ordered that she won't be free to see you today. So after your meal, please feel free to leave."

Liu Jinzhi slammed her teacup down on the table: "Not free again?!"

Her face full of anger, she said, "Every time I come, you're never free. I'll go find her myself!"

Liu Jinzhi, furious, rose to storm out, but the granny immediately gave a signal, and four or five maids rushed forward to pin her down firmly.

"Let go of me! Do you know who I am? Be careful I report to Zhu'er and have your skins peeled off!"

Granny snorted: "Pah! Do you have no shame? You dare to call the young lady by name—what sort of thing are you? The young lady refuses to see you, yet you keep coming every other day, eating, drinking, and taking things, acting as if you're the master of this place!"

"The young lady, out of a little sentiment, is willing to send you away, but if you still don't know when to quit, be careful—one day you'll lose your life and still not understand why…"

Granny's words made Liu Jinzhi stagger violently.

"You, you dare… Zhu'er, Zhu'er! I want to see Zhu'er! Zhu'er, I'm your own aunt, Zhu'er, hurry up and see how these damned servants are treating me—uh—"

Liu Jinzhi had her mouth covered; several maidservants had long disliked her, and they hurriedly took the chance to pinch and scratch her. Liu Jinzhi's well-fed body was pressed down tight, unable to move at all, and could only let them do their wicked deeds.

Granny pretended not to have seen.

The whole courtyard—only Li Qingluo stood to the side, as if watching a show.

Although she didn't lift a hand, her face was full of excitement.

Just as Granny was about to ask her something, another granny hurried in from outside the courtyard.

"Granny Zhao, quick! The master has returned; the young lady's side says to hurry up and serve the hot dishes he loves. Also, the person serving the dishes—don't make the route too smooth… just her, someone like her will do."

That granny pointed a finger, and it landed on Li Qingluo again.