Chapter 23: Nanny Gu Departs (Part 1)_2

Qiao Hui had Yueyao escorted out.

On the way back, Yueyao felt continuously grateful. If it had not been for her grandmother's resolute attitude, it might have required much more trouble. Yueyao did not know that the Old Madam in her previous life had also wanted to dismiss Old Granny Guh, but she worried that forcibly sending her away would mean that the Lady family would take her back and place her by Yueyao's side as she grew old. Therefore, before Yueyao saw the truth, she had always tolerated it, pretending to be deaf and mute until her death.

Half an hour after Yueyao returned to Lanxi Courtyard, Nanny Gu returned. Hua Lei and others already knew about the matter, now seeing Nanny Gu with a face of grief. No one dared to say much, all sidestepping, fearing trouble would fall upon them.

Seeing Yueyao, Nanny Gu knelt on the ground and still pleaded bitterly, "Miss, this old servant cannot bear to leave you. Miss, this old servant cannot bear to part from you… You cannot be so heartless, to forget your wet nurse once you grow up. Miss, how can you bear it, having been nourished by my milk, how can you…"

Yueyao's expression stiffened.

Qiao Lan walked over, trying to help Nanny Gu up, but seeing that she couldn't, she said with a laugh, "What are you saying, old mother? Your son wants to take you out to enjoy life; the miss is heartbroken by the separation of flesh and blood, she is doing this for your good. Both the Old Madam and the miss have shown you grace. How come in your mouth, it's turned into the miss not wanting you, neglecting you, not providing for you? The miss's kindness has turned into a donkey's liver and lungs." Qiao Lan's words directly pointed at Nanny Gu's ill intentions.

If these words had come from Hua Lei or Mu Qiu, it would have been inappropriate. But Qiao Lan was the Old Madam's person and had just arrived here. Naturally, it carried a different weight.

Yueyao sneered in her heart. Previously, she was naive, but now she understood. Why would Nanny Gu willingly leave? Here she receives two taels of silver as her monthly salary, a quarter brings two new sets of clothes. The key was that Nanny Gu didn't need to do anything in the courtyard, just managing a few maids. She often received many nice things from her, on top of it.

Nanny Gu certainly considered her livelihood. Her son was only a Scholar now and needed to advance to Juren, and Palace Graduate afterward. These not only required money but also connections. By leaving like this, without a monthly allowance, without rewards from Yueyao, or supports from the Eldest Madam, what would they have for sustenance in the future? Leaving would mean cutting off their means of support; how could this not cause Nanny Gu to panic.

Nanny Gu knew that her son planned to have her freed, fearing the shame if his classmates knew he had a mother who was a servant, so he had always wanted to liberate her. As soon as he arrived at the Capital City, he secretly went to ask the Old Madam.

She was terrified at the time. Her son didn't know the hardships of life. Without the money she earned at the Lian family, where would he get the money for his expenses? If they went out, they didn't know how difficult the days ahead would be. Besides living, for the future, she couldn't leave. Also, the Lian family was a centuries-old scholarly family, destined to offer many conveniences no matter what.

Fortunately, at that time, the miss could not bear to let her go, so it didn't happen. She explained the severe consequences to her son. Her son then dropped the thought. But she didn't understand, what had gotten into her son, they had agreed not to bring this up before his success in the Imperial Examinations, why had he come here asking for grace again.

Nanny Gu did not blame her son's ignorance, but she secretly despised Yueyao. If she had asked the Old Madam one more time for grace, even if the Old Madam wanted to let her go, she couldn't. The child she had nursed was so ruthless. However much she resented, Nanny Gu knew that the only one who could turn the situation around was Yueyao. Only if the miss and the Old Madam said they couldn't bear to let her leave, would she be able to stay. "Miss, miss, this old servant cannot bear to leave you. Miss, you cannot abandon this old servant!" Nanny Gu was very panicked at heart, this terror stemming from Yueyao's coldness towards her recently. Even though she hadn't worked previously, the miss had respected her, and the maids and old nannies had all tried to ingratiate themselves with her. Now, the miss was cold to her, and those below didn't treat her seriously.

Seeing the fuss in the courtyard was unseemly, Yueyao coldly said, "Speak inside the house." After speaking, she entered the house. Soon, everyone inside the main house had left.

Upon entering the house, Nanny Gu knelt on the ground and pleaded with Yueyao to show mercy, not to send her away. Yueyao looked at her, "If you don't want to leave, Old Mother, so be it."