Outside the class, Su Zipei held a word book and peeped out of the door quietly. Three people immediately appeared in her sight: the old teacher, her fourth young brother and a very beautiful strange girl.
“I don’t have any clothes made by satin with the pattern of iridescent clouds… Who is she? Why my second sister is not here?”
Su Zipei murmured. Suddenly, Qi Xianqing shouted from the classroom, “Who is making noise outside? Come in!”
Su Zipei was so scared that the book in her arms fell to the ground and her body was revealed.
When Qi Xianqing saw Su Zipei, he held his breath and said in a low voice, “Third Miss, the butler has already told you that you must wait in the classroom every day from five a.m. to seven a.m. Today you have broken my rules. Don’t do it again. Find a seat to sit down.”
“Yes, Mr. Qi.”
Su Zipei replied with grievances and she was angry in her heart. He was just a poor teacher invited by Su Family. How dare him to scold her. She would tell her mother to help her punish him!
Qi Xianqing did not care about whether Su Zipei had learned some words or not. From the start, Mr. Qi ask her to recite the poems. She was beaten on hands because of several mistakes. But Su Li did not make any mistakes.
Su Zipei was much angrier, but she did not dare to show it. She still remembered her father’s words.
Soon, a class was over. At noon, Qi Xianqing stood up and left the class.
“The teacher of martial arts center is still waiting for me. I’m almost late!”
Su Qinghao ran away anxiously. Su Zipei opened her mouth and was about to say something, but it’s too late. She turned back and saw that the girl with a fairer skin than her was packing her books.
Su Zipei’s face was filled with smile that she thought was kind, and then she said softly,
“My name is Su Zipei. What is your name, pretty sister? Did you see my second sister? She always wears the linen clothes and looks black and thin…”
“Third sister, Mr. Qi is still waiting for me outside. Talk to you later.”
Su Li turned her head with a smile, and left lightly.
Su Zipei stupidly sat in her position, and she couldn’t even speak a word for a while.
“Mum! Something bad happened. Erya…”
Back to the West Courtyard, Su Zipei hastily pushed the door of the First Madam.
The First Madam was embroidering. The sudden scream of Su Zipei frightened her. The needle almost stabbed into her finger. She hissed and put down her silk cloth, then said angrily, “How many times have you been taught that don’t be panic when you are in trouble? Are you like a girl from respectable families in such a panic?”
Su Zipei curled her lips and said, “But the change of Erya is scary. I didn’t recognize her. I almost thought she was a girl from a noble family. Mother, you must have a look!”
A girl from a noble family?
The First Madam’s scalp was slightly numb. What Su Zipei said annoyed her so much that she couldn’t just sit and do nothing. She immediately put on a cloak and took some people to the East Courtyard.
Since Su Qingtan left home, few people came to Su Li’s small yard. Qi Xianqing came to warn Su Li to practice Xuangong occasionally. After the lunch, Mammy Li made a pot of scented tea and put it on the stone table in the courtyard as usual.
Second Miss liked enjoying the sunshine while drinking tea in the yard.
Suddenly—
Boom!!
The door was forced open. Mammy Li came out from the kitchen and saw the First Madam and some other people. Her face was pale like a piece of paper. Then she said with the cold sweat, “First Madam and Third Miss.”
The First Madam was expressionless. Looking at the tea with aroma on the stone table, she was much unhappier. She sneered, “Su Erya, come out! How dare you to drink the scented tea. You never changed yourself. Where did you steal them?”
After hearing these words, Mammy Li was angrier and felt sorry for Su Li. Why the First Madam still considered the Second Miss to be a thief? Obviously, it’s Su Zipei that had done bad things!
But she was just a servant. How dare she to contradict the First Madam? At that moment, she could only bite the bullet and said, “First Madam, Second Miss is not in the courtyard. Mr. Qi called her out just now. I don’t know when she will come back.”
When she was talking to the First Madam, a puzzled voice came from the back of the First Madam, “Mum, why are you here?”
The crowd looked back and saw Su Li who was holding the Copybook of Dahan in her hands was standing at the entrance of the courtyard. Mammy Li secretly complained, “if Second Miss came back late, she might get over this.”
The First Madam amazedly looked at the girl who was standing in front of the door. The girl had white skin and pretty appearance with luxuriant clothes. The First Madam was fascinated for a moment before she came back to her mind. This was Su Erya.
Was she actually Su Erya?
She didn’t see her just for a few months. She…became so beautiful. Even Erya wore no make-up, her face still looked more beautiful than Su Zipei!
“Mum, why don’t you talk to me?”
When the First Madam heard the word “mother”, she felt so disgusting that she wanted to vomit. Also, she almost lost her mind.
The reason why she tried her best to torture Su Erya was to make her suffer like a ghost, so that even her relatives could not recognize her.
But now the temperament that Su Erya naturally revealed was clearly ten thousand times nobler than Su Zipei! As long as her relatives were not foolish, she would be recognized immediately. Su Qingtan, that small beast, ruined all what she had done!
“Erya, are you all right now? The East Courtyard is the place that men in Su family live in. Go back to the West Courtyard with me.”
Then, the First Madam ordered the mammy to rush into the room and pack clothes without Su Li’s approval. Mammy Li also could not stop her.
Su Li had little properties. Soon Mammy Zheng walked out with a small parcel and threw it to her. She opened the parcel and saw that the silver inside was disappeared, and some expensive silk was gone, too. What came to her sight were all the clothes made of linen!
“Just go. What are you waiting for?”
Zhu Yan gestured Mammy Zheng to push Su Li. Su Li moved forward, but did not fall or hit the door as before.