Being a second wife is difficult

The alley was narrow and long, with no light at either end. In the afternoon, the sun slanted down from the top of the wall, drawing a line between light and shadow on the ground.

Cui'er stood in the shadows, waiting until her palms were sweaty before she heard footsteps coming from the other side.

When Granny Ding came in, she was still adjusting her cuffs. When she looked up and saw her, she paused for a moment: "Are you crazy? Meeting in a place like this in broad daylight."

Cui'er didn't respond. She froze on the spot, her face deathly pale. Her lips moved, but the words were barely out of her throat.

"Granny, I'm doomed, I slept with the Second Master."

Ding Mama's step, which she was about to take, suddenly froze on the ground.

Her expression shifted several times in a short span of time, first astonishment, then shock, and finally a suppressed rage: "Are you crazy? If the Second Madam finds out, she'll skin you alive!"

Cui'er's shoulders trembled, and tears welled up and streamed down her cheeks.

She raised her hand and wiped it haphazardly, her voice extremely low and trembling with tears: "I know... but I didn't think that much back then."

"That day, the Second Madam got angry with the Second Master in the room and told him to go to the study to sleep. I thought the study lamp was not lit, so I brought a lamp over and put it on the table. Then, thinking that he was in a bad mood, I casually said, 'Second Master, don't be angry. Madam is just upset about things in the mansion.'"

"This servant didn't expect this either..."

Her voice trailed off, "After I finished delivering the lanterns, I was about to leave when the Second Master suddenly grabbed my wrist. He was very strong, and I couldn't break free. Then the lanterns went out, and my mind went blank. By the time I came to my senses, it was too late."

Granny Ding stood motionless in the alley, her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes darting left and right as if she were quickly calculating something.

Cui'er was someone she specifically chose from her fellow villagers and sent to work at the Earl's mansion. She valued the girl because she was obedient, discreet, and efficient.

But now that she has made such a huge mess, Ding Mama knows Fang Shi's personality better than anyone else. She can tolerate any injustice, but there is only one condition.

Anyone who catches her eye must die.

Granny Ding frowned more and more. Fang Shi had driven people away herself, allowing her own people to take advantage of the situation. In the end, the ones who would suffer would be the people around her.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and she couldn't help but curse, "You're so foolish! I picked you out from my hometown; how much effort did I put into getting you into the Earl's mansion and making you work for the second wife?"

"And you've ruined all my years of hard work with just one incident! Do you know that if the Second Madam finds out about our relationship, I won't be able to clear my name either? You'll uproot all the connections I've built in this household over the decades!"

Cui'er's tears welled up again. She knelt down, clutching Ding Mama's clothes, her voice trembling: "Mama! Mama, please save me... I know I was wrong. I've been keeping your words in mind these past few days, being very careful in front of the Second Madam, not daring to say a word. But the more careful I am, the more afraid I am of making a mistake, and the more afraid I am of making a mistake, the more tense I become."

"After the last welcome banquet, the Second Madam has been in a bad mood and keeps making snide remarks to me. I live in constant fear that she will find out that I and the old lady are from the same hometown, and I can't sleep well at night."

"That night, when the Second Master grabbed me, my mind went blank and I just... I half-heartedly... I..." Her voice trailed off, as if she couldn't continue.

Granny Ding's face alternated between pale and flushed. She opened her mouth to utter a curse, but couldn't come up with anything new. In the end, she could only manage a low growl filled with suppressed anger: "Now you know fear? Too late!"

Cui'er knelt on the ground, her knuckles white as she gripped the hem of her dress, shaking her head repeatedly: "Please, Granny, save me! I'll never dare to do it again!"

Granny Ding took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She looked up at both ends of the alley to make sure no one was nearby before turning her gaze back to Cui'er. Her voice deepened, as if she were speaking to Cui'er, or perhaps to herself.

"The second master is also a muddle-headed man. Doesn't he know what kind of person his wife is? A few years ago, before Fang Shi married into the family, the old lady arranged a maid to open her face for him. Later, Fang Shi herself assigned a concubine maid. But which one of them stayed under Fang Shi's care for more than three months? One was said to be 'dishonest' and sent to the estate, and the other was said to be 'unhealthy' and sent back to her hometown."

The old woman sighed, her voice lowering slightly, "It's not like the old lady hasn't mentioned it, but whenever Fang Shi is mentioned, she cries and makes a scene, constantly mentioning her family, who work in the Six Ministries. The old lady can't do anything about it, so she just turns a blind eye."

As she spoke, her thoughts returned to the matter at hand. Her gaze fell on the man opposite her, and her tone carried a hint of disappointment: "The Second Master knows better than anyone what happened to those two. Yet he's already forgotten everything that happened in his own room just a few days ago. Especially since this time he dragged you into it, not just anyone."

"You're the second madam's most favored maid, serving her every day. Doesn't she know who you are? But the second master is a coward. He had a lot of resentment towards Madam Fang and nowhere to vent it, so he took it out on you! It's a pity you suffered this undeserved misfortune!"

Cui'er also let out a soft sob, but didn't reply.

Granny Ding sighed again, this time lowering her voice: "These next few days, avoid her attention, go along with everything she says, agree to whatever she says, don't talk back, and don't hide too obviously. People have bad memories sometimes, and there are many things going on in the manor. After a while, who will remember this? I'm afraid even the Second Master won't remember you."

"Once things have calmed down, I'll find another excuse, like saying someone from your hometown has come to propose marriage, and that you've reached the right age to go back and get married. Then I'll release you from the mansion. You'll leave cleanly, and no one will bother to investigate."

Cui'er suddenly raised her head, tears still clinging to her face, but her eyes suddenly lit up: "Granny, are you really willing to save me?"

"If I don't save you, who will?" Granny Ding sighed after being looked at by her, and reached out to pull her up from the ground. "Remember, don't do anything these next few days, don't go near the Second Master, and don't talk to anyone. Just be patient and wait. I'll come to pick you up once I've made the arrangements."

Cui'er straightened up, vigorously wiped her face, and replied in a low, solemn voice, "This servant remembers. This time I will definitely listen to everything you say, Granny, and I will never cause trouble again."

Granny Ding nodded, wanting to give another word of advice, when she suddenly heard a very faint sound coming from the base of the wall, like something hitting a tile, muffled but exceptionally clear in the narrow alley.

The two of them stopped talking at the same time and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

Behind the clump of dwarf holly by the wall, a stray cat jumped down from the flowerpot, walked away on the blue brick ground, its tail tip brushing the corner of the wall, kicking up a small fallen leaf as it turned over.

Granny Ding stood there for a while, making sure there was no more movement around, before turning her gaze away and saying in a low voice, "Go back now, don't stand here."

Cui'er nodded, turned around and walked quickly to the other end of the alley. Her steps were hurried, as if something was chasing her. Ding Mama stood there for a few more moments, then also went back to the courtyard where she was on duty. As her clothes brushed past the threshold, they were suddenly lifted by the wind and fell down.

The alleyway fell silent again. Behind the wall, under the flower bushes, Hongxiu was huddled up, her heart pounding like a drum.