A Maid Dressed As A Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role (Transmigration) - Chapter 37.2

The night passed, and the next morning, it was still snowing heavily. Chao Mu was ready to leave early in the morning, taking with her the gift A’Zhi had prepared for her.

A’Zhi thought Chen Yue was in a hurry. She unfolded the silver-white cloak and draped it over Chao Mu’s shoulders, adjusting the hood for her. She lowered her head to tie the strings around the little countess’s neck, and Chao Mu watched her quietly.

“A’Zhi,” Chao Mu said softly, holding her hand warmer.

A’Zhi looked up, confused. “Yes?”

Chao Mu just pursed her lips and smiled. A moment later, she called out again, “A’Zhi.”

“Yes.” A’Zhi didn’t even look up. She bent down to adjust Chao Mu’s sleeves and hem, and lifted a corner of her cloak to smooth down the rabbit fur on the red inner robe with her clean, warm palm.

The carriage was ready. Cui Cui came over. “Countess, you can leave now.” But they were leaving so early. She wondered if Miss Chen Yue was even awake yet.

Chao Mu didn’t move. She just looked at A’Zhi, as if she had a belly full of things to say. In the end, she just looked at A’Zhi and called out in a soft voice, “A’Zhi.”

A’Zhi smiled. “I’m here.” She helped the little sweetheart into the carriage.

Chao Mu sat in the carriage, leaned out, and looked down. “A’Zhi, I’m leaving now. Is there anything you want to tell me?” Chao Mu’s eyes were filled with anticipation.

A’Zhi thought and thought, then shook her head. “Countess, I hope you have fun today.”

“…Okay,” Chao Mu said, her fingers clutching the curtain, her eyes curving. “Then I’m leaving now?”

A’Zhi bowed and sent her off. The carriage slowly left, and A’Zhi remained standing there. She suddenly remembered the day she first arrived, when Chao Mu had clearly sensed something was wrong but still said to her gently before leaving, “A’Zhi, are you really okay?” “That’s good. If anything’s wrong, you have to tell me, okay?”

Today, she had asked again and again: “A’Zhi, do you have something to tell me?” “If you don’t, I’m going to leave now.”

A’Zhi lowered her eyes and stood there for a long time, until a layer of fine snow had settled on her eyelashes. She then lowered her head and took three rolled-up pieces of paper from her sleeve. She slowly unfolded them: one was a land deed, and the other two were thousand-tael banknotes. The banknotes were valid throughout the country, not just in the capital. Chao Mu wanted her to have money no matter where she went.

A’Zhi sighed. Her chest was filled with a mix of emotions that had been building up all night. Yesterday afternoon, when she had passed the accountant, he had looked her in the eye. Normally, when they passed each other in the manor, they would simply nod and go on their way, but the accountant clearly couldn’t hide his emotions. He had quickly lowered his head and didn’t look at her, as if he was hiding something from her.

A’Zhi hadn’t shown any sign of emotion at the time, but after dinner, she went to the accountant.

“Are there any other anomalies in the manor’s accounts?” A’Zhi asked, frowning with a serious expression.

Because the monthly wages were being distributed tomorrow, the accountant was still busy and hadn’t gone back to rest. He was both surprised and not surprised to see A’Zhi.

“There’s no problem with the manor’s accounts,” the accountant said, gesturing to the cabinet. “The ledgers are all in there, with dates and years on them. If you’re worried, you can take a look yourself.”

“If there’s no problem with the accounts, then why did your eyes avoid mine?” A’Zhi asked suspiciously. “Are you and the countess hiding something from me?”

The accountant hesitated. He knew A’Zhi was difficult to deal with, but he let a little something slip. “Miss A’Zhi, you’ll find out tomorrow. It’s nothing bad, either way.”

“I never put off today’s business for tomorrow. You’re not going to tell me?” A’Zhi turned to leave, her attitude unwavering. “Then I’ll go ask the countess.”

“No, no, no, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you,” he said. If she went to ask the countess, the countess would know that he had let something slip, and he’d be in trouble. The accountant tried to negotiate with A’Zhi. “But you can’t tell the countess about this, or I’ll be caught between a rock and a hard place.”

A’Zhi looked at the accountant. The accountant took three perfectly flat pieces of paper from his drawer and handed them to her. “This is your deed of servitude. It’s been approved by the authorities. You can see the official stamp right here. From now on, you’re a free person.”

“And these two,” he continued, “are two thousand-tael banknotes. The countess said it’s not easy for people who get their deed of servitude, so she’s giving you two banknotes to celebrate.”

A’Zhi stood frozen, and it took her a while to process what he was saying. She had guessed it was her deed, but she had never expected there would be banknotes as well.

A’Zhi took the banknotes hesitantly and asked the accountant, “Do other people who get their deeds also get banknotes?” Was this a tradition in the Qi manor?

The accountant smiled. “Of course…” he paused for a dramatic breath. “they don’t. What kind of master gives out banknotes, let alone two thousand taels?”

The accountant sat back down at his desk and continued to work. Seeing that A’Zhi hadn’t left, he said, “The countess asked me this afternoon how much an ordinary family’s annual expenses were. I told her it was about ten taels per person.”

A’Zhi looked over, and the accountant smiled and shook his head. “The countess said you had enough money to live to 116 years old.”

A’Zhi’s face went blank. She knew it! She knew the countess had a complete grasp on her small fortune.

The accountant continued, “I added something on top of that. I told her that if you got married and had a family, even a family of three, ten taels a month wouldn’t be enough. The countess got very angry when she heard that and glared at me.” He imitated her expression for A’Zhi, but his imitation was poor. A’Zhi’s eye twitched, but she didn’t look away.

The accountant continued, “After she was angry, she went into her personal vault and took out two thousand taels worth of banknotes.” He gestured with his chin. “Those two in your hands. She gave me the banknotes along with the deed and told me to give you the deed while she was away tomorrow and to say the two thousand taels were a reward from the manor.”

“Three thousand-something taels of silver,” the accountant said, looking up at A’Zhi. “That’s enough for a family of three to live a worry-free life for the rest of their days.” He reminded her that many people didn’t even live to be a hundred, let alone 116. If the money was just for living, it was more than enough.

Chao Mu didn’t just want to provide for A’Zhi for the rest of her life; even though she was unhappy, she had made plans for A’Zhi to get married. She didn’t want her to live in poverty, like a hungry sparrow in winter who had to carefully risk its life. But if she wanted to leave, Chao Mu wouldn’t force her to stay. She was like she was that morning, catching sparrows, scattering grain outside the basket so that even if A’Zhi didn’t enter the basket, she would still have enough to eat.

These two thousand-tael banknotes, along with the one thousand she had given her before, were the three large handfuls of grain Chao Mu had scattered outside the basket, enough for A’Zhi to eat her fill.

No wonder. No wonder the transfer of the head maid’s duties with Cui Cui went so smoothly. A’Zhi had wanted Cui Cui to serve the little countess, and the little countess just happened to send her to audit the accounts. A’Zhi was going to leave with her deed tomorrow, and the little countess just happened to have to go to the Chen manor tomorrow.

The two flimsy banknotes in her hand felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. They weighed her down, and she knelt there on the ground, unable to recover for a long time.

The accountant nervously came closer, wanting to help her but not daring to reach out. “Miss A’Zhi, are you okay? Should I call a doctor?”

A’Zhi shook her head, her voice hoarse. “I’m fine.” She was physically fine. It was just her heart felt like something had hit it, and the dull ache made it difficult for her to breathe. Her eyes were hot, and her heart felt sore.

‘A’Zhi, I want to be friends with you.’

‘It’s okay if you don’t agree. You can say no when you’ve had time to think about it.’

When A’Zhi left the accountant, her face felt ice-cold. She stood on the cobblestone path and looked at the plum tree around the corner of the main house by the light of a lantern. The red blossoms on the plum tree stood out against the snowy wall. The reason she had even noticed the plum tree was because the little countess had put a plum blossom in her hair.

‘A’Zhi, you look so much livelier like this.’

When A’Zhi returned to her room, the normally slow little countess was already in bed. The bed curtains were closed, and there wasn’t a sound. A’Zhi had thought they would talk about things, since they both knew what was going on. For example, A’Zhi wanted her deed and her freedom, and Chao Mu wanted her to stay and keep her company. When the two goals couldn’t be reconciled, A’Zhi thought that with the countess’s “evil” nature, she would dig a hole and have her fall into it.

But she didn’t. She didn’t even cling to her tonight.

A’Zhi trimmed the wick of the lamp and got into her own bed, her hands resting on her stomach. She couldn’t sleep at all. The deed of servitude, a symbol of her freedom, along with the two thousand-tael banknotes, were under her pillow. But A’Zhi didn’t feel the slightest bit of freedom or ease. When she hadn’t had her deed, she had thought how happy she would be to have her freedom. But now that she had it, it felt… meaningless.

She had always been free to come and go in the Qi manor, and her lack of a deed had never restricted her. In contrast, in the palace, she was already free but felt as if her wings were clipped, and she could never fly out of those deep, red-walled courtyards. Perhaps that obsession was what had made her want to leave.

She had come here, and her deed was a symbol of freedom. With it, she could leave. But now that she had it, now that she could leave the Qi manor and the original story’s ending and live a free life under the vast sky, why wasn’t she happy?

It wasn’t until now, until the little countess’s carriage had driven out of the Qi manor, that A’Zhi, standing in the flying snow, finally understood—she had always been free in the Qi manor, by Chao Mu’s side. She was able to be herself and feel the warmth and care from the people around her, like a person with flesh and bl00d, not a tool for fighting.

If the palace was a thin sheet of ice, where every step was difficult and cautious, then being by Chao Mu’s side was solid ground. She didn’t have to hide, because Chao Mu would firmly support her. Although A’Zhi didn’t understand why Chao Mu was doing all of this, she didn’t feel any hint of manipulation or malice. In fact, she was becoming more and more immersed in it.

A’Zhi put away the deed and the banknotes and turned to go back. As she passed the high platform in the courtyard, her eyes glanced up, and she saw a small plate with grain on it for the wintering birds.

A’Zhi returned to her and Cui Cui’s small room, rummaged through her money box, and put the deed and the banknotes inside. She had been so anxious when she put away the first thousand-tael banknote, but now she felt completely justified in taking these two thousand taels! She was a stupid bird who had fallen headfirst into the little sweetheart’s basket, so why shouldn’t she get to eat a little extra “grain?”

A’Zhi hmphed. She suspected Chao Mu had done this on purpose! On purpose to use her kind heart and her generosity with three thousand taels of silver so that she would be too reluctant to leave.

This… this wicked little sweetheart!

The Chao Mu that A’Zhi was grumbling about was leaning against the carriage. Seeing that they were almost at the Chen manor, Cui Cui turned to the carriage and asked, “Countess, did you bring the invitation?” That way, they could show it to the gatekeeper and drive the carriage directly into the Chen manor.

Chao Mu sat with her food box, looking dazed. When she heard the question, she shook her head. “I don’t have an invitation.”

“No invitation?” Cui Cui was stunned. Hadn’t the countess said that Miss Chen had sent an invitation, which was why she was visiting? How could she not have one?

Chao Mu leaned her head against the carriage wall, lowered her eyelashes, and said dully, “There’s just no invitation.” Chen Yue had a carefree personality. When she visited, she would just show up. There was no way she would remember to send an invitation in advance. She wasn’t capable of such a formal thing. She would just send someone to tell her to come over.

Cui Cui was flustered. Should they just knock on the door? Was this the way Miss Chen did things?

When the carriage reached the entrance of the Chen manor, Cui Cui went down and knocked on the door. Chao Mu waited inside. Everything about her today, from her clothes to her hair, was done by A’Zhi. Even the food box and hand warmer she had brought were A’Zhi’s doing.

Chao Mu lowered her eyes and looked at the food box in her lap. Even though she was holding so many things, she felt like a piece was missing from her heart. A’Zhi should have her deed and the banknotes by now. Fearing that A’Zhi would run far away and never return to the capital, Chao Mu had specifically prepared banknotes that could be used anywhere.

The person who had stood outside after the manor banquet, basking in the sunlight and the promise of freedom, would now spread her wings and leave for the vast skies. Just as A’Zhi said, what bird would be so foolish as to be a pet? That would be a complete loss of self. In the end, it was still she who was trapped within the deep walls of the manor, unable to cross the threshold into life and sunlight.

“Mu Mu, you’re here?” A distant voice called out.

Chen Yue had personally lifted her skirts and hurried out. Her long hair, a cloud of black behind her, hadn’t even been pinned up yet. She had just woken up when she heard Chao Mu had arrived. She was so happy she had run out with her hair down to greet her.

“Mu Mu didn’t tell me you were coming.” Chen Yue let go of her skirt and leaned in to open the carriage door. As the two doors swung open, she looked up and saw the aggrieved look on Chao Mu’s face. Chao Mu was pouting in the carriage, her hood still on. Underneath the hood, the rims of her eyes were red. She looked as if she was about to cry.

Chen Yue froze, and a wave of guilt washed over her. As she reached out to help Chao Mu down, her voice started to crack. “Are you frozen stiff? It’s my fault for waking up late and making you wait. Oh, don’t cry.”

Chao Mu was about to whine. “I want to stay and play here all day today,” she said, taking the opportunity to almost burst into tears. This would give A’Zhi enough time to leave. Chao Mu’s visit was just an excuse to find a place to stay. If it weren’t for Chen Yue, she wouldn’t have known where to go today.

“All day!” Chen Yue was ecstatic. She wished Chao Mu would live here forever! “You even brought melon seeds?” Chen Yue’s eyes widened when she saw the food box, and her guilt and sadness were instantly forgotten. “How did you know I love them?”

“A’Zhi prepared them.” Chao Mu handed the food box to Zhu Zhu and stood there, pointing at her shoes and saying to Chen Yue, “A’Zhi prepared these.” She pointed to her cloak, “A’Zhi prepared this.” She pointed to her inner robe, “A’Zhi chose this.” She pointed to her hair, “A’Zhi styled this.”

Chen Yue was stunned. Was she here just to show off that she had A’Zhi? Chen Yue clapped her hands, playing along. “Wow, A’Zhi is so amazing!” She looked around. “Oh, so where is A’Zhi?”

This question hit a sore spot. Chao Mu bit her lower lip, her eyes red, and she let out a tearful sniffle.

 “I don’t have A’Zhi anymore.”