My Green Tea Junior Sister Smells So Good - Chapter 11

“Yuanluo, this is a blessing from the Young Mistress. Here is a full set of clothes for the four seasons, change into them quickly.”

A young maid approached, carrying several sets of fresh clothing.

Du Yuanluo, momentarily overwhelmed and unsure of what to do with her hands and feet, hurriedly reached out to take them.

The maid dodged her reach. “Look at your hands, covered in coal ash. You don’t know how to cherish new clothes. Go wash your hands before changing. And look at what you’re wearing, those wide robes and long sleeves are no way to do chores. Don’t spend every day thinking only of showing off.”

Du Yuanluo felt embarrassed. Wearing her current outfit for manual labor not only felt disrespectful to Shen Qingyi but was indeed impractical.

She quickly washed her hands and changed into the short-sleeved coarse cloth tunic and trousers typically worn by kitchen maids.

She carefully folded Shen Qingyi’s clothes and wrapped them in a bundle, thinking she would wash them whenever the weather turned fair.

Unexpectedly, the maid snatched the bundle from her hands. “The Young Mistress says the embroidery patterns on your clothes are novel and wants to take them to use as models for sketching.”

Yuanluo panicked. She dared not let these clothes out of her sight, even when she wasn’t wearing them, she had to hold them to sleep at night.

“Please tell the Young Mistress that I will sketch the patterns myself and send them to her immediately. The clothes have been worn for many days; I wouldn’t dare bring them before her.”

“Do you think there’s no one to wash clothes for the Young Mistress? Your needlework isn’t nearly as exquisite as hers. It’s better to let her sketch them herself.”

Having been instructed by the Young Mistress, the maid was naturally using her authority to bully her.

“No, this garment cannot be lent out,” Du Yuanluo insisted, clutching the bundle tightly.

The maid grew angry. “You eat the master’s food and use the master’s goods. Your very life is sustained by them! You’re a jinx who has caused so much trouble, if not for the Young Mistress’s kindness, you’d have been sold to a brothel long ago. Now you refuse to give up a piece of old clothing? It’s not like she’s taking it for nothing, four sets of new clothes for winter and summer in exchange for this old rag. You ungrateful wretch, we’re actually giving you face here.”

Du Yuanluo felt the maid’s words held some truth. The Young Mistress had been kind to her, not just a set of clothes, but even giving her life would be justified.

But these clothes belonged to Shen Qingyi. She valued them more than her life.

Daring not to talk back, she silently took off the new clothes, folded them neatly, and returned them to the maid, putting Shen Qingyi’s clothes back on.

The maid, having failed her mission, harbored resentment and couldn’t help but hurl insults: “To collide with the Young Mistress over a rag… was it perhaps bought for you by your lover? You cherish the clothes he gave you so much, yet he treats you like a garment, wearing you out and throwing you away. How dare you put on the airs of a celestial maiden.”

This maid had filled the vacancy left by Du Yuanluo to become the Young Mistress’s personal attendant, so there was no bond of having grown up together. Furthermore, she feared Yuanluo might return to reclaim her position, after all, being a “deputy mistress” was much easier than being a chore maid.

Consequently, she exaggerated the story to the Young Mistress, who became so incensed she intended to demand the clothes in person.

The maid quickly tried to gain favor: “Young Mistress, given your status, why bother bickering with a fire-tending servant? It would only lower your dignity. I will get them myself.”

Because Du Yuanluo had only this one set of clothes, she never washed them, even wearing them to sleep.

However, there was inevitably a moment she had to take them off. The clothes could go unwashed, but she had to bathe.

The maid took advantage of this opening and stole her clothes while she was bathing. She even withheld the four sets of clothes the Young Mistress had sent.

When Yuanluo finished bathing and found her clothes gone, she had no choice but to retreat back into the tub.

As the water grew colder and colder, she didn’t dare come out.

The maids waiting in line to bathe grew impatient and urged her to hurry.

With a sob in her voice, Du Yuanluo said, “My clothes are gone.”

The maid by the Young Mistress’s side had been waiting to see her humiliated and stopped anyone else from bringing her clothes.

“Weren’t your clothes as precious to you as your own eyes? How did you lose them? It seems they weren’t that precious after all. You’re just using your few days as an immortal’s mistress to put on airs with the Young Mistress, aren’t you?”

“No, I will go apologize to the Young Mistress myself for my offense. I beg you, sister, give the clothes back to me.”

“Which eye of yours saw me take your clothes?”

Du Yuanluo felt certain she had taken them, but she had no proof. Trapped in the bathtub and unsure of what to do, she could only plead, “I beg you, please find me a set of clothes to change into.”

“Begging who? We’re all maids here. Everyone only has two sets of clothes, if we give them to you, what will we wear? The Young Mistress showed you grace by gifting you four sets, but you insisted on doing things the hard way. Who’s to blame now?”

The water grew colder, and Du Yuanluo began to shiver violently. But this wasn’t even the most distressing part.

As darkness fell, the male servants who carried the water arrived to clean the bathhouse. They seemed to have heard about the situation, instead of the usual one or two, five or six men showed up.

Du Yuanluo had bolted the door from the inside, but it couldn’t withstand so many people pushing and kicking.

“Miss Yuanluo, you’ve been bathing all night. Aren’t you finished yet?”

“Don’t delay us from getting off work. What if the Master docks our pay because we didn’t clean the bathhouse?”

“That’s right. We’ve asked nicely and you won’t come out, so don’t blame us if we break the door down.”

The men outside knew exactly what her predicament was, yet they spoke with high-sounding excuses, as if having a reason meant the guilt wouldn’t fall on their heads.

Hearing the door creak and groan, wondering how much longer it could hold, Du Yuanluo closed her eyes in despair. She pulled out her hairpin and slashed her wrist deeply, in an instant, the blood stained the entire tub of water red.

Du Yuanluo began to regret why she had clung to life. She should have died long ago, rather than being subjected to such humiliation today.

With a “boom,” the crumbling door finally collapsed.

Du Yuanluo hated herself for being so sluggish even in death.

Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted nearby, and Du Yuanluo felt herself being lifted lightly out of the water.

Overwhelmed by shame, she covered her face. A lightweight fabric carrying the fresh scent of mountain forests was draped over her, and she was pulled into a fragrant, soft embrace.

The feeling was so familiar she would never forget it in her lifetime.

Peeking through her fingers, she saw Shen Qingyi’s face. She lowered her hands in disbelief.

“Immortal Shen? Is it really you?”

It’s so good… it turns out you really do see the person you miss most right before you die.

She looked wretched, wrapped in Shen Qingyi’s cloak. Du Yuanluo didn’t know how long this hallucination would last, but in this moment, she wanted to say all the words she hadn’t dared to speak.

“Immortal Shen, I missed you so much. I wanted to stay by your side forever.”

“Then why did you leave?” There was confusion and anger in Shen Qingyi’s eyes.

“If I didn’t leave, I would have brought you no peace. I would have brought disaster upon you.”

“Who told you that? Blessings and disasters do not come through a door, people summon them upon themselves. Do not take on blame that isn’t yours.”

“Immortal Shen, you are probably the only one in this world who wouldn’t blame me.”

“I am very angry that you didn’t listen and ran off everywhere.”

“I’m sorry.”

Du Yuanluo’s apologies always came so easily. Shen Qingyi was long since immune to them. “Are you going to run away again?”

“I won’t. But I can’t stay with you anymore. If there is a next life…”

“Those who walk the Path cultivate this life, not the next. If you truly mean it, settle the matters of this life now. Don’t speak of useless things.”

Shen Qingyi pressed two fingers together and performed a gesture, lightly swiping across Yuanluo’s wound. The bleeding stopped instantly.

The sharp pain in her wrist began to fade, and Du Yuanluo finally realized this wasn’t a phantom. Shen Qingyi had truly come. Like a deity, she had appeared exactly when she was needed most.

Shen Qingyi held her for a moment until her frozen body recovered slightly.

“Are you going to run again?” Shen Qingyi questioned again.

“No,” Du Yuanluo whispered, her voice as faint as a mosquito.

“You said it yourself. Don’t make me look for you a second time.”

Shen Qingyi took off her outer robe and put it on Du Yuanluo, then draped the cloak over her again. Du Yuanluo took the cloak off and tried to put it back on Shen Qingyi.

“I’m not cold,” Shen Qingyi refused. She wasn’t good at overly tender words, but she held Yuanluo’s shivering hand.

Du Yuanluo wasn’t worried about Shen Qingyi being cold, rather, without her outer robe, Shen Qingyi was only wearing the tight-sleeved undergarment she usually used for practice. While not improper, Du Yuanluo felt the Immortal should always look the part, ethereal with fluttering sleeves.

Shen Qingyi brooked no argument and draped the cloak over Du Yuanluo. “Follow me.”

The door was already open, but the people outside hadn’t left, they were rolling on the ground, wailing in agony.

Du Yuanluo guessed that Shen Qingyi must have punished them, but her current appearance, freshly pulled from the water, was truly unfit to be seen.

Sensing Du Yuanluo’s hesitation, Shen Qingyi comforted her: “Don’t worry, the blind can’t see anything.”

Only then, by the light of the lanterns under the eaves, did Yuanluo see the male servants clutching their heads and rolling, bloody tears were streaming from their eyes.

Du Yuanluo let out a startled “Ah!” and buried her head in Shen Qingyi’s chest.

“Immortal Shen, let’s… go home.”

“Let’s finish the business first.”

Du Yuanluo didn’t know what Shen Qingyi had come here to do, so she could only follow silently behind her.

Though it was Shen Qingyi’s first time here, she navigated the garden with familiarity, arriving at the back courtyard where the Young Mistress resided.

Tonight, the Young Mistress’s room was brighter than usual, and the sounds of laughter and praise could be heard from afar.

“My daughter is truly beautiful. A beauty in heavenly clothes, there is no one like her in this world. On the first of next month, the Prefect is hosting a banquet for all the members of the city’s Chamber of Commerce. You shall go with your father then. The Prefect has a son of a similar age who is also unmarried.”

“Father, I won’t marry. I’ll just stay and take care of you both.”

“Nonsense,” her mother’s voice chimed in. “A girl must marry when she comes of age. I think this outfit needs proper jewelry to match. Tomorrow, I’ll have your father pick out some suitable pieces from the shop.”

“The Young Mistress is beautiful and looks good in anything. With these heavenly clothes, even a celestial maiden would look just like the Young Mistress, wouldn’t she?”

“You have such a sweet tongue. I haven’t rewarded you yet. You did a great service today, choose any piece you like from my jewelry box.”

“Thank you for the grace, Young Mistress. However, I don’t want jewelry. I would like another reward.”

“Gold and silver are already the highest rewards. What else do you want?”

“I want to ask for a marriage for my brother. My brother has always admired that Du Yuanluo. But since she was previously by the Young Mistress’s side, he didn’t dare dream of it. Now that she has been a ‘bride of demons’ and spent time with an immortal, she is no longer a chaste woman. Although my family is poor, it wouldn’t be considered ‘reaching too high’ for her.”

“Your family may be poor, but you are decent folk. Why marry that woman and disgrace your family line?”

In the quiet of the night, their words carried far. Du Yuanluo felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. She grabbed Shen Qingyi’s hand and shook her head frantically. “Immortal Shen, I didn’t… I’m not that kind of person, I…”

“You don’t need to explain that. Even if what she said were true, it wouldn’t be your fault.” Shen Qingyi stopped walking.

“It’s not true,” Du Yuanluo said, on the verge of tears.

“Is that the point?” Shen Qingyi seemed forever unable to see eye to eye with her.

Inside, the people said something else that elicited bursts of laughter: “Fine, fine. We’ll just bestow her upon your brother, lest she stays in my house and makes the place filthy.”

With a “Bang!”, Shen Qingyi kicked the door open.