Chapter 18 Missing the Past

Su Erya smiled slightly. But when she turned her head, she was pitiful. She obediently walked in front, exactly as before. Nanny Li followed timidly and kept looking around, hoping to meet the butler. But unfortunately, as they walked to the West Courtyard, she did not meet him on the road. Boom! The wooden door of the big wing of the West courtyard was violently closed, and the First Madam turned her face without expression. She said, “Nanny Li, thanks for your care for Erya during these days. From now on, Nanny Zheng who comes from West Courtyard will take care of her. Nanny Zheng, give her some money and let her go. If she doesn’t go... just beat and drag her out!” Clack! A thick wooden stick was put in front of her, and Nanny Li was so frightened that she trembled violently. Such a big stick could break her legs. But she did not take the money or move. Nanny Zheng grimly smiled. When she lifted the stick to beat, she heard Su Erya’s voice. “Nanny Li, that’s as far as you will go.” Su Erya stood between the two nannies. Although her voice was weak, Nanny Li felt extremely warm. She didn’t know where the strength came from, and she pushed Nanny Zheng all of a sudden and embraced Su Erya tightly. If she left, Second Miss would not fulfill her dream! “Mr. Qi will come soon. You leave and don’t come to the Su House. You can come back in two or three days.” The voice in her ear was extremely cold. Nanny Li was so surprised that her body was stiff, and her heart shocked: was this... the voice of the Second Miss? But the Second Miss was usually gentle. Why did she suddenly have such a cold tone? She was lightly pushed away by Su Erya and left the Su House. Her mind was a mess, but what Su Erya said was clear. After Nanny Li left, Su Erya sighed. Suddenly, she felt her arms were empty. She looked down to see that the Copybook of Dahan had been robbed by Su Zipei. “This copybook is very delicate. Didn’t you feel inappropriate when you held it? You must have stolen it from my room!” Su Zipei said with a smile, but suddenly she frowned and said in a hurry, “Nanny Zheng, take her clothes off. Don’t smudge the satin with the pattern of iridescent clouds!” “Yes, Miss!” Su Erya put on the linen clothes, and her dark eyes stared at Su Zipei who was admiringly toughing the dress that she had just taken off. “Come with me, Second Miss. You hid in the East Courtyard for too many months. The work of the West Courtyard has stacked high like hills.” Nanny Zheng sneered. Su Erya’s face was pale and her body slightly trembled. Many of the servants who had just came to the Su Family felt so bad for her. “Wash it carefully. I don’t want to smell like my second sister when I wear it!” After Su Erya left, Su Zipei threw the clothes to her maid. She held her mother’s arm with eyes sparkled and said, “Mum, you are so excellent!” The First Madam smiled and said nothing, but was calculating this move’s repercussions in her mind. The Lord must have invited the teacher for Su Qinghao, and definitely not for Su Erya. All teachers were not meddlesome. Mr. Qi would not care about whether Su Erya was gone or not. Moreover, she would send a smarter daughter to please him. She would give him some silver tomorrow. This ordeal would then be over. Thinking of this, the First Madam couldn’t help but smile with relief. Su Erya was under her control again, and finally she could sleep soundly! Spring was coming to the end, but it wasn’t hot at all. It was foggy early in the morning. Su Erya wore a piece of thin linen clothing sitting on a small wooden bench in front of the well and looked tired. Pots of dirty clothes sat beside the well, piled higher than her. Many maids covered their nose for the musty smell when they passed. “Atishoo!” Nanny Zheng just got up and went out. She made a big sneeze, and whispered why the weather was not getting warm. She wrapped her clothes, came to the well and was shocked at what she saw. Erya sat there all night and was wetted by dew, but she hadn’t washed even a single piece of clothing! Nanny Zheng flew into a rage at her and picked up the rattan whip on the side of the well. She slammed it on the floor and sneered, “Second Miss, you have been in the East Courtyard for few months. Now you can’t even wash clothes. Maybe Second Miss has a bad memory. And now I will help you to remember!” Crackle! Crackle! Nanny Zheng snapped the whip with her full strength at Su Erya’s back. A sharp pain traveled from her back and hit her heart. Su Erya just groaned twice, then curled her lips. This feeling almost occupied 80% of the memory from her previous life. She was really missing it. After a short period of time— Su Erya’s back bled, but she didn’t make any sound since those first two groans. Nanny Zheng getting really angry with her. Because, before, Erya would scream, but now she was like a dead girl making no sounds. This made whipping her so boring. However, Nanny Zheng was afraid of being punished by the First Madam if she beat Erya to death. She threw the rattan whip down, went to the room, and fetched a bowl of maize bread which was made of rough flour and was harder than stone. She squinted her eyes and laughed, “Second Miss, if you don’t want to wash clothes, it is inappropriate for me to insist. This is your food today. Don’t smudge it.” Nanny Zheng put the bowl next to Su Erya as she spoke. Then she stood up and kicked the bowl. The maize bread was covered by stinking, disgusting, and muddy water.