Chapter 33: Conflict

On the morning of the next day, in front of everyone in the Ziwei Courtyard, Momo Zhou determined the candidates for the foreign affairs momo.

Sure enough, it was Mrs. Niu and Momo Liu.

Momo Wei’s smile froze on her face, and everyone looked at her in surprise. Of course, some were dissatisfied with her arrogant posture yesterday, so they gloated at her misfortune.　　

Those who are meddlesome went up to ask Momo Zhou: “Wasn't it said yesterday that Momo Wei is already settled? Why was it suddenly changed to Momo Liu?”　　

Momo Zhou rolled up her sleeves, and glanced at that person expressionlessly: “Who is talking nonsense outside, trying to guess what the master is thinking? I don’t remember the master has ever promised someone else the job.” After finishing this sentence she turned around and left, leaving behind the crowd who were whispering.　　

Momo Wei’s face turned red and then turned pale. She looked at Momo Liu and Mrs. Niu who were surrounded by the crowd then snorted coldly and walked away.　　

After everyone’s enthusiasm had dissipated, Momo Zhu winked at Momo Liu and went straight back to her room. Seeing this, Momo Liu exchanged a few more pleasantries with everyone and only quietly followed after everyone dispersed. Arriving in Momo Zhu’s room, Momo Liu was overjoyed and stepped forward to give her a blessing: “Momo Zhu is really capable, this time it’s all thanks to you being thoughtful for this little sister.”　　

Momo Zhu smiled slightly and waved her hands: “Although I have worked hard, I still want you to be able to get on the stage. You must know that the master above us is not easy to fool.” As she spoke, Momo Zhu looked at Momo Liu again. Momo glanced, “Since it’s done, that note, don't know if you…” This was to remind Momo Liu to cash in the twenty taels of silver.　　

Momo Liu patted her forehead: “Look at me, too happy to patronage.” Then she took out a pouch from her sleeve pocket, took out the note written by Momo Zhu yesterday, and handed it over. Momo Zhu continued to stare at Momo Liu’s movements without saying a word.　　

When Momo Liu took out the money, she hesitated for a moment, then smiled and took out two ingots weighing about five taels, and handed them over respectfully.　　

Momo Zhu looked at it but didn’t respond, she stared at Momo Liu with a half-smile and said nothing.　　

Momo Liu apologized and said with a smile: “I don’t have much cash on me…”　　

Momo Zhu looked at Momo Liu’s purse with a smile but not a smile, and blocked Momo Liu’s hand with her backhand: “I said it yesterday, helping you because you're a straightforward person, now looking at it… forget it, I don’t want this money anymore, just… don’t forget, it will take after the Spring Festival to finally decide on the candidate, even if you want to cross the river and tear down the bridge, isn’t it too early¹?“

- Kicking away the people who helped you after achieving the goal

Momo Liu felt a “thump” in her heart when she heard those words, and in a blink of an eye, clapped her hands as if she remembered something: “Recalling this memory.” As she spoke, she felt around her waist. Finally, for some reason, she found a few taels of silver, and together with the ten taels of silver that were taken out earlier, held them in front of Momo Zhu with both hands.　　

”This is the suppressing² silver that I hid in my belt before, that I eventually forgot, it happens to be five taels ah.”　

- Ancients believed that silver can ward off evil spirits

Momo Zhu smiled slightly, and then replied: “I really saw the right person…”　

At this time, there was a sudden noise at the door, Momo Zhu frowned, she took a few steps forward while putting the money into her sleeves, opened the door, and looked outside, but there was nothing.　　

”What’s the matter? Is someone outside?” Momo Liu also came over.　

Momo Zhu thought for a while and shook her head: “It’s probably the wind, it’s fine. You go back first.”

Momo Liu responded, and before leaving, she smiled and said: “When the time comes, I still need to rely on older sister, so please don’t forget this little sister.”

Momo Zhu smiled reservedly and sent Momo Liu out.　　

After the person left, she took out the silver she had just obtained and looked carefully, the smile on the corner of her mouth was a little disdainful but also a little satisfied: “You still want to play that trick with me, heh—”　　

Over there, Ren Yaoqi was sitting in the western secondary room of the main room, drinking tea slowly. Seeing Momo Zhou coming in, she raised her eyes and said, “What’s the matter?”　　

Momo Zhou stepped forward and bowed her head and said: “It has been arranged according to Young Lady’s order.” After speaking, she looked at Ren Yaoqi with some hesitation and said, “Young Lady, is this really useful?”　　

Ren Yaoqi looked at Momo Zhou with a smile, and blinked mischievously, “Momo might as well wait and see.”　　

”But Concubine Fang squeezed in a lot of people…”　　

”There is an advantage of having a lot of people.” After Ren Yaoqi said this, she picked up the teacup and drank tea. Although Momo Zhou still had doubts in her heart, she didn’t ask any more questions.　　

In the afternoon, for some unknown reason, the matter of Momo Liu buying off Momo Zhu in private, the news that the two of them conspired to squeeze Momo Wei out spread like wildfire.　　

Although she didn’t know whether the news was true or not, Momo Wei was furious. In the evening, when the masters were all going to the Ronghua Courtyard to express good night, she stood in the backyard with her hand on the waist and started cursing.

Momo Liu was still a little guilty after all. Although she was angry in her heart, she didn’t dare to go out to defend herself. She just stayed behind closed doors.

Momo Zhu may be thick-skinned, or maybe she understands that this matter is actually the master’s intention, and she just made a fortune, so she doesn’t take it to heart. Anyway, if she wants to investigate in the end, she will not be able to find it...

Luckily, Momo Wei also knew some smarts. When heard that the masters were coming back to the yard, she shut up, spit on Momo Liu’s door, and left.

But at night, there was another good person who secretly told Momo Liu about the person who leaked the news, fearing that the world would not be chaotic.

It turned out that it was her archenemy, Momo Guan, who had inquired about this matter from somewhere and then, adding oil and vinegar³, told the women in the backyard.

- To exaggerate, adding something that was not originally there

When Momo Liu heard this, she felt even more annoyed with Momo Guan. Early the next morning, seeing Momo Guan’s gloating smile, Momo Liu gritted her teeth and picked up the boiling water on the stove, and poured it on Momo Guan.

Momo Guan howled like a pig being slaughtered, jumping away. Fortunately, it was cold, and Momo Liu didn’t splash it properly, therefore she only splashed some water on Momo Guan’s boots.

After Momo Guan came to her sense, she became furious, screeched, and rushed forward. The two fought in the small kitchen of hot water. In the end, the commotion was so loud that née Li was alarmed, and née Li sent Momo Zhou over to see what happened.

Momo Zhu reprimanded Momo Liu and Momo Guan with a cold face. Afterward, she admonished Momo Liu alone for a long time and then punished both of them for half a month.

The bridge between Momo Guan and Momo Liu had grown even bigger.

Seeing that it was the twelfth lunar month, every household became busier and busier. All the rooms of the Ren Estate were also busy changing the decoration of the inner room of the courtyard. Like the vases and decorations in the inner room, the masters got tired of looking at them for a year, so they had to put some away and put them back in the warehouse, and then they found new ones and put them out. The pomegranate bonsai in the Ziwei Courtyard was also requested by Third Master to be replaced with clivia and narcissus⁴.

- Clivia

- Narcissus