Xiao Qiniang naturally protected her maid. She already disliked Li Man'er. When Li Man'er first arrived at the manor, she had even mocked her. Now that she found an opportunity, she naturally had to retaliate.
"Miss Li is from a prestigious family, so why would she bother with a mere maid? Right?"
Xing'er probably felt that Li Man'er wouldn't dare do anything to her. She even raised her eyebrows like her mistress. "This servant is from the Xiao manor. If you want to hit or kill, it should be the masters of the Xiao family. Miss, you should know your place."
"Is that so?" Li Man'er stared at Xing'er and said, "The Xiao family is indeed powerful, allowing even a servant to be so ignorant of the heavens and earth."
Xing'er pouted. As long as their mistress didn't punish her, Li Man'er wouldn't dare do anything to her.
"Miss Li, why get angry? You should be more open-minded. She's just a servant with shallow insights. It's not worth it to get sick from anger."
Liu Ya was furious. This pair of mistress and maid were equally shameless, saying "open-minded" one moment and "shallow insights" the next, clearly insinuating something about her young lady.
Li Man'er looked at Xiao Qiniang, who also looked back at her. Unfortunately, with just that one glance, she couldn't look away.
Li Man'er's eyes were like a vortex, sucking Xiao Qiniang's consciousness in. Slowly, terrifying images began to appear in her mind. Blood-red filled her brain, causing Xiao Qiniang's eyes to ache.
Xiao Qiniang felt a terrible pain in her head, as if someone was forcibly trying to stuff something into it. Her body was weak, she couldn't even lift a hand to rub her forehead.
How did she suddenly become like this?
Li Man'er withdrew her gaze. Xiao Qiniang, who had been seemingly bound, suddenly returned to normal. Her head no longer hurt, her eyes no longer ached, and her body regained its freedom?
"Seventh Miss, are you alright?" Li Man'er sneered. "Even if you're scared, you don't need to be this frightened. If others didn't know, they'd think I was bullying you!"
Xiao Qiniang didn't know what was happening to her. She felt completely weak and was too impatient to continue arguing with Li Man'er. She immediately said, "Miss Li, you've also eaten your fill. You should go back and check on the Marquis."
This was a dismissal.
Li Man'er snorted coldly, "Liu Ya, let's go."
Liu Ya had no choice but to follow Li Man'er out of the main courtyard.
As the mistress and maid walked back to their own small courtyard, Li Man'er was in good spirits, but Liu Ya's mood was terrible. She felt that this matter was of great importance, and Li Man'er should have punished that Xing'er instead of letting her off so easily.
The two returned to their room. Jiaoniang had already tidied up for Li Shu and even fed him.
She had woken up late today and thought Li Man'er would scold her when she returned. However, Li Man'er had no intention of making things difficult for her and waved her away.
Jiaoniang felt as if she had received a great amnesty and quickly slipped away.
With no outsiders around, Liu Ya finally asked, "Why did you let Seventh Miss's maid off so easily?"
"You think I let her off?"
Liu Ya thought for a moment and nodded seriously. She had followed Li Man'er from the capital to Mobei and had some understanding of Li Man'er's temper. She was someone who wouldn't tolerate any grievance, and even if she endured it in person, she would retaliate later, with interest.
Could it be that she hadn't let that Xing'er off today, but was just holding back for now?
"I didn't let her off. You'll know later."
Liu Ya couldn't figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it.
"Alright, I'll take my father's pulse first."
"Yes." Liu Ya quickly carried the medicine box into the inner room, took out the pulse pillow Li Man'er needed, and placed Li Shu's wrist on it.
She quietly retreated and stood guard by the door.
Li Man'er was administering acupuncture to Li Shu. When no one was paying attention, she quickly dripped a drop of spring water from the Spirit Mist Spring into his mouth.
Half an hour later, Li Man'er removed the needles one by one and instructed Liu Ya, "I suspect my father should wake up tonight or tomorrow morning."
A flicker of light flashed in Liu Ya's eyes. "Really?" She was afraid her voice was too loud and would be heard by the guards outside, so she quickly lowered her voice. "Miss, we should find a way to send a message to the Third Master."
"Someone has already gone. Don't worry."
Someone went? When? How did she not know?
Liu Ya was still in shock when she saw Li Man'er yawn and go behind the screen to rest. "You pack up the medicine box and decoct the medicine I prepared yesterday."
"Yes."
Li Man'er, afraid she would be cold, also told her to wear an extra layer.
Liu Ya responded, casually put on a thick vest hanging by the door, tidied the medicine box, and took the medicine pot from the windowsill to go into the courtyard to decoct the medicine.
Li Man'er waited leisurely for news.
How could she have really let Xing'er off! However, if she had acted herself, it would have been difficult to explain. If Xiao Qiniang had killed her own maid, then things would have become even more interesting.
Li Man'er closed her eyes to rest. Although she hadn't exerted much effort in the main courtyard, she had still used a secret technique. Now she needed to rest well so that she would have the energy to laugh heartily when watching the show later.
Liu Ya finished decocting the medicine and watched Jiaoniang feed it to Li Shu. After eating lunch, the morning passed by.
Li Man'er took a short nap. She hadn't rested well yet when she suddenly heard a commotion outside. Her spirits lifted, and she immediately opened her eyes, her eyes shining, waiting for news.
"Miss, you're awake."
"Mmm." She hadn't slept well at all.
"I wonder what's happening outside." Without an invitation from the Xiao family, they couldn't leave this courtyard. It was infuriating to be treated like prisoners.
"It shouldn't be a big deal. It's calm now, isn't it?" Is the death of a maid considered a big deal? But Xiao Qiniang's methods are truly remarkable, suppressing the matter so quickly.
Liu Ya whispered, "Miss, if the Marquis wakes up, can we leave here?"
Li Man'er turned over. "Who knows! When the car reaches the mountain, there will be a road. The seven-day agreement is almost here, yet we haven't seen that Doctor Feng. Could he have been harmed?"
"This servant heard that people like Feng Jue are unpredictable and never take promises to heart."
"Coward."
The conversation between the mistress and maid ended there.
In the evening, Xiao Qiniang actually sent someone to invite Li Man'er over again. This time, the maid beside her had indeed been replaced, and she was lowering her head and trembling, looking very much like a frightened quail.
"Seventh Miss, what do you want me for?" Li Man'er sat down and then said, "Where is that Miss Xing'er? Is she afraid to see me?"