Chapter 171: Third Older Sister, Could You Please Point Me?

“Third Sister is so intelligent, how could she have learned just a little bit? It just so happens there’s a place in the account book I don’t understand. Third Sister, could you help me point it out?” Ning Xueyan interjected with a smile, her words coming so naturally that Ning Qingshan momentarily forgot to speak. She blinked, and then her heart was filled with great joy.

She was just thinking of a method to have Ning Xueyan bring over the account books when she hadn’t expected Ning Xueyan, this fool, to deliver them herself. How could she not be happy?

“If Fifth Sister has something, Third Sister will definitely help you if she knows how.” She suppressed the joy in her heart and smiled.

“Lan Ning, go and bring the account books over.” Ning Xueyan didn’t hesitate either, addressing Lan Ning who was standing behind her.

Lan Ning, who had been prepared, nodded at Ning Xueyan and went down. In a moment, she brought over the account books. From Ning Qingshan’s perspective, there were five neat books, without any deviation. However, she wasn’t in a hurry. The stains from the account books were all behind one of them. Originally, it was only one that was stained, but if these few books had always been stacked like this, then two books should have been soiled.

She still wanted to find an excuse to take the account books, but unexpectedly, Ning Xueyan herself courted death. Then she couldn’t blame her for being ruthless.

“These are the account books that Fifth Sister is looking at. Fifth Sister is truly an orderly person. These few account books are arranged so neatly; one look and you can tell that Fifth Sister put in effort.” Ning Qingshan smiled while covering her mouth with her handkerchief and reached out to take the account books in Ning Xueyan’s hand.

As long as she pretended to drop the account books on the ground for a moment, the stains inside would fall in front of everyone.

“Third Sister, you said you would help me, right?” Seeing that Ning Qingshan’s hand was about to touch the account books, Ning Xueyan retracted the account books, the corners of her mouth carrying a slight smile, and her black jade-like eyes flickering profoundly with obscure light.

Watching victory just before her eyes, but it brushed past her. Even with Ning Qingshan’s calm and cunning temperament, she was a little bit anxious: “What is Fifth Sister saying? We are sisters, of course, we help each other. Since Fifth Sister has spoken, how can I not agree?”

“Third Sister really wants to help me?” Ning Xueyan’s hand was still holding the account books, without any intention of reaching out. She counter-questioned with a smile again.

“Yes, yes, I will definitely help you.” Although she was a little impatient, it didn’t show on Ning Qingshan’s face. She smiled and scolded, and reached out to take the account books in Ning Xueyan’s hand, teasingly, “Fifth Sister, you don’t want to let go, look, you say again and again, but you won’t let Third Sister look, could it be you don’t really want me to help?”

She was implying that Ning Xueyan deliberately took out the account books, not to let her help, but to show off in front of her. However, while speaking, she was still smiling, impeccable, which could make people see clearly whether she was teasing Ning Xueyan, or if she was really implying something.

“Does Third Sister have time to look now?” Ning Xueyan seemed not to have heard the implied sarcasm in Ning Qingshan’s words, and with a slight smile, asked.

This sentence made Ning Qingshan momentarily dazed. She was still serving the Old Madam, and although the Old Madam had almost finished eating, she, as the granddaughter serving, couldn’t just walk away to look at the account books.

And she couldn’t tell the Old Madam that she just wanted to drop the account books on the ground and didn’t need much time at all.

Since Ning Xueyan had taken the account books, but didn’t give them to her, what did this mean? Ning Qingshan sharply noticed something amiss, and her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“Grandmother, Third Sister said she would help me. You must help me bear witness. If she doesn’t have time to look now, then let her take them to Luoyan Courtyard, and she has to help me look in a moment.” Ning Xueyan walked to the Old Madam’s side and asked the Old Madam with a smile. Her natural little daughter appearance, as if she was really asking the Old Madam to make the decisions, and this expression seemed both affectionate and naive.

It was in line with Ning Xueyan’s age.

Such actions, everyone thought it was a playful action between sisters, and her husband was very fond of it. Ning Xueyan had always been distant to her in front of her. At this time, she showed a close color in front of everyone, which made her feel very respected.

She reached out and patted Ning Xueyan’s hand, and smiled kindly, “Rest assured, Grandmother will make the decisions for you. Since your Third Sister said she would help you, she can’t escape. In a moment, let someone send the account books to Third Sister, lest she doesn’t keep her word.”

Send the account books to her? Ning Qingshan was very anxious. If the account books were sent to her, and something happened at that time, she wouldn’t be able to explain it clearly. Unexpectedly, Ning Xueyan was so cunning, not having discovered the stains on the account books, but instead wanted to go with the flow and send them to her. How could she agree?

But just now she had said in her words that she would help Ning Xueyan, but she couldn’t refuse. Watching Ning Xueyan was about to hand the account books to the maidservant beside the Old Madam, she anxiously said: “Grandmother, let me take a look first, see if I really understand, otherwise, I still can’t help Fifth Sister.”

“Grandmother, look, in just a moment, Third Sister doesn’t acknowledge it!” Ning Xueyan smiled, retrieved the account books, and delivered them in front of the Old Madam, saying.

The account books were placed in front of the Old Madam. This meant to let the Old Madam look at them first, but Ning Qingshan couldn’t make sure now whether the Old Madam would really flip through them. Her mind was rapidly turning. If the Old Madam didn’t look and directly had someone send them to her, then she would be unable to defend herself at that time.

Therefore, no matter what, she must overturn the account books before they were sent to Luoyan Courtyard.

But judging from Ning Xueyan’s meaning, it was absolutely impossible to send the account books directly to her hands. This lowly girl was truly too cunning, but don’t think that she wouldn’t be able to do anything about her.

She turned her head and gave Xia’er, who was standing on the side, a hint, and secretly winked at the account books.

Xia’er had been with Ning Qingshan for many years, moreover, she knew about the matter of the account books, and immediately understood, took two steps forward, and reached out to take the account books in Ning Xueyan’s hand. In her heart, she had always looked down on the others, the identity of her own young lady was the most precious, the rest didn’t need to be treated with respect.

Although she had been scolded by Ning Qingshan, she was also very careful in normal days, but now she was also anxious, afraid that the account books would be sent to Luoyan Courtyard without being looked at. She rushed forward, already forgetting about the situation that should be paid attention to, and rushed over to take the account books in Ning Xueyan’s hand, and said: “Fifth Miss, you should give the account books to me, I will take them to Luoyan Courtyard for our young lady to see.”

She rushed suddenly. Ning Xueyan’s account books were at the moment swaying in front of the Old Madam. Xia’er had to reach out in front of the Old Madam to take the account books, but when she had just reached out, Ning Xueyan suddenly retracted the account books, and Xia’er’s momentum couldn’t be stopped. Her hands went straight to the Old Madam’s face.

“Ah, Xia’er, be careful!” When Ning Xueyan retracted her hand, Ning Qingshan had already felt that something was wrong, and at this time, seeing that Xia’er was about to cause a disaster, she screamed.

Xia’er’s hand was empty, and her momentum had subsided. Her hands seemed to be trying to grab the Old Madam. The Old Madam was startled, and subconsciously dodged backward, and only barely avoided those hands.

“Bold, kneel down!” Nurse Qin was scared pale, and scolded, pointing at Xia’er.

“I…” Xia’er was also dazed. In front of her was the Old Madam’s gloomy face. She was scared and “thud” and knelt down, and anxiously defended: “Old Madam, I…I didn’t mean to. I was going to take the account books in Fifth Miss’s hand. Who knew that Fifth Miss suddenly retracted her hand.”

She was afraid of being punished by the Old Madam at the moment, and she was eager to argue that Ning Xueyan had deliberately framed her. Although Xia’er was arrogant, she also knew that she had caused a disaster this time and was anxious to push the disaster away from Ning Xueyan.

When Ning Qingshan was at the Nun’s Abbey, in order to gain a good reputation for treating her servants well, sometimes, when she was in public with Xia’er, she deliberately didn’t let her call herself a servant girl. At the same time, she also privately told Xia’er that she wasn’t just a servant girl, but was like her sister. In the future, as long as she had something, she would not forget Xia’er.

Therefore, Xia’er was even more devoted to her!

But after returning to the Duke’s Mansion, Ning Qingshan had also admonished her that she must not call herself “I.” But now, in her hurry, plus she had originally looked down on Ning Xueyan, the word “I” burst out of her control.

After finishing, she found that not only did the Old Madam’s face look ashen, but the faces of the other Old Madams also revealed expressions of disdain, sizing up Xia’er.

“Slap the mouth!” The Old Madam’s face was ashen. A maidservant, with her mouth open, was saying “I”, “my”. Where was the appearance of being a maidservant? The dignified Duke’s Mansion actually had a maidservant who didn’t follow the rules like this. What was the decorum? Moreover, if it wasn’t for her dodging quickly just now, the maidservant’s hands would have clawed at her face.

“Old Madam, this servant…” Seeing the two old women come over, Xia’er was greatly shocked, and immediately realized her slip of the tongue.

“Pa!” A heavy slap made Xia’er fall backward, her words were blocked in her mouth, her head buzzed, and she raised her head in astonishment, and the shock nearly made her unable to swallow a single word. She just covered her face and looked at Ning Qingshan with tears in her eyes.

It was Ning Qingshan, whom she respected the most, who had hit her.

“Grandmother, this is my fault, Xia’er doesn’t follow the rules. It’s all because I usually spoil her too much, and am too lenient. I didn’t expect her to dare to defy Grandmother. Please, Grandmother, punish me.” Ning Qingshan knelt down with a “thud”, looked at the Old Madam with tears, and turned to Xia’er and said angrily, with a trace of unbearable sadness in her eyes.

“Xia’er, why don’t you beg for forgiveness from Grandmother!”

Seeing Ning Qingshan kneeling in front of her, the astonishment in Xia’er’s eyes had long turned into a sense of gratitude. The young lady was indeed very good to her. It was also out of her helplessness to give herself a slap. She walked on her knees for a few steps and knelt up, and heavily knocked her head on the ground: “Old Madam, it’s all because this servant is not good, this servant didn’t see Fifth Miss suddenly retract her hand, and almost injured the Old Madam. Please, Old Madam, just punish this servant, but this matter is really unrelated to our young lady.”

Xia’er was also ruthless. After knocking her head down, only the sound of “dong” was heard on the ground. When she raised her head again, there were blood on her fair and tender forehead. She had knocked her head until it bled. And then listening to her wholehearted maintenance of Ning Qingshan, and Ning Qingshan was also anxiously looking at her.

The two people’s performance, the mistress’s kindness and the servant’s loyalty, was somewhat touching!

Aristocratic families valued this kind of loyal servant the most. What Xia’er showed was the appearance of a completely loyal servant. The meaning in everyone’s eyes immediately changed. Seeing her knock her head, with fresh blood flowing, and also sincerely repenting, several Old Madams felt that she was straightforward.

Then, after carefully considering the meaning of her words, they all cast suspicious gazes on Ning Xueyan…