Zhang Pozi had originally been full of hope, but upon learning of the method Feng Ruoyan suggested, she immediately began to waver.
Stealing from one's master, and specifically stealing a deed of servitude, meant a brutal beating to death if discovered.
"No, no, eldest miss. If we're found out, we'll be beaten to death. It won't do... it just won't do..."
Fear spread through her body. She had personally witnessed runaway maids being beaten to death, some even having their feet cut off and eyes gouged out.
Feng Ruoyan casually took Zhang Pozi's hand. "What you did to them before is now coming back to you. If you stay in the Feng manor, you'll be bullied to death anyway. If you try this, you might just succeed."
Zhang Pozi lowered her eyes. Though her face remained outwardly calm, her heart churned like stormy seas.
She was swayed, but still hesitant to take this decisive step.
"Eldest miss, this matter is of grave importance. This old servant must go back and think it over before making a decision."
"Of course. It concerns your life and livelihood, so it's hardly a small matter. You must consider it carefully. If you decide tomorrow, come to the manor and see me."
Feng Ruoyan took off the bracelet on her wrist and placed it in Zhang Pozi's hand. "Whether you find fortune or ruin, wealth or destitution from this day forward, it all rests on your decision."
"Yes, this old servant understands. If eldest miss has no further instructions, this servant will take her leave."
"Go and see Granny Zhang out," Feng Ruoyan signaled to the maid beside her with her eyes.
"This servant obeys."
Feng Ruoyan lightly folded her sleeves, picked up a teacup from the table, and took a sip of clear tea, a calculating smile playing on her lips.
...
"Young madam is back. This servant has already boiled the water. Why don't you take a bath before resting?"
Cai Qing had prepared hot water early, waiting for Feng Jin to return so she could have a comfortable bath and rest sooner.
"I'm tired. Prepare the hot water and then go back to your rest. I don't need you to attend to me here."
"Yes, this servant obeys."
Cai Qing and Chu Qing said in unison. The young madam was truly far better than any master they had served before.
At night, she always let them return to their rooms to rest, never making them stay up, nor would she scold or abuse them at the slightest provocation. When she had something good, she would think of them first.
Following the young madam, they felt like real people for the first time, not just servants. They finally had their own dignity.
After preparing the hot water, the two withdrew together.
Feng Jin simply tied her long hair into a bun at the back of her head, securing it with a hairpin.
She tested the water temperature before removing her clothes and sinking her entire body into the hot water. All the fatigue melted away. Feng Jin leaned comfortably against the edge of the bathtub, thinking how much more pleasant it would be with a cup of hot milk.
Alas, the dairy cow kept in the back courtyard was pregnant and currently produced no milk. She would have to wait until the cow gave birth to a calf before she could think about milking again.
After soaking for a while, Feng Jin stood up. Before she could reach for her clothes, she heard the sound of a door opening. She quickly grabbed some clothes and wrapped herself in them, asking warily, "Who's there?"
"It's me..."
With those two simple words, Feng Jin immediately recognized the voice. She slowly let out a breath of relief, tidied her clothes, and stepped out from behind the screen, her gaze directly locking onto the man sitting there, sipping tea.
"How did you get in? I specifically locked the door. How did you open it?"
Before her bath, she had specifically locked the door and checked it several times before getting in. How had Ling Mohan managed to enter so brazenly without a sound?
The man put down his teacup, lifted his eyes, and glanced at Feng Jin. "That lock couldn't stop me."
Feng Jin's brows furrowed slightly. She moved to the door and saw the lock on the doorknob, completely broken. This was a lock she had just installed, and it was already ruined.
"When you enter a room, don't you know to knock first? Breaking the lock like this is wrong. You're trespassing, and this is a woman's room..."
She rambled on incessantly, truly fed up with Ling Mohan's uncivilized, primitive behavior. If she counted, the number of locks that had met their demise at his hands was countless. Today, for her sake and for the sake of those poor locks, she would demand justice.
In a short time, Feng Jin had formulated many arguments in her mind, preparing to have a proper discussion with Ling Mohan.
However, Ling Mohan's eyes didn't even register Feng Jin's presence. He didn't utter a single word in response to her questioning.
Being so utterly ignored, if she were to tolerate this any longer, she would have a problem. Unable to bear it any longer, Feng Jin stepped forward and snatched the scroll from Ling Mohan's hand, slamming it onto the table.
"What do you mean? Didn't you hear me speaking to you? You won't even reply with a single word."
Ling Mohan wasn't angry. He slightly parted his lips and spoke with the utmost calmness, "This is Ling manor, my home. This is my room. Have you ever seen anyone knock before entering their own room?"
This was not the first time Feng Jin had locked the door from the inside, forcing him to develop a set of lock-picking skills.
Feng Jin was instantly speechless. Her mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
After some thought, she felt even more that Ling Mohan's words made sense. She didn't even know how to formulate a rebuttal, yet she stubbornly refused to admit defeat. "Even so, you shouldn't have pried the lock open. Look for yourself inside this box. It's filled with all the locks you've broken..."
The box contained only damaged locks, nothing else.
"Cough... cough..."
Ling Mohan coughed lightly, masking a hint of embarrassment on his face. "If you hadn't insisted on locking the door, I wouldn't have resorted to this."
He clung to this point, determined to shift the blame onto Feng Jin. Even if he couldn't push all the responsibility onto her, he wanted Feng Jin to bear at least half of it. Only then would it be fair and just.
"I locked the door because I was bathing. If I didn't lock it, should I just leave it open? Besides, even if I locked the door and you couldn't get in for a moment, you can't forget you have hands. These hands can also be used to knock. Don't always resort to prying locks."