Chapter 170 "Flaw"

As Lady Bai's gaze swept over, Jing Mo instinctively shrank his neck.
"Forget it, with Jingmo, this clever and smart girl, I can't bear to see her being snatched away by other stinky men. Even if someone wants to try, I have to place a block first."
As soon as the words fell, everyone around burst into laughter.
Jingmo also grinned, but felt a little strange in her heart, as if Madam Bai had a hidden meaning.
"But I can't say anything about it. We still have to see what the children themselves think, right, Jingmo?"
After going around in circles, the conversation finally circled back to Jing Mo herself. She had a bitter taste in her mouth but forced a smile, nodding her head and agreeing.
The group of people chatted and laughed for a while, and finally they heard the commotion outside start to die down. Jing Mo silently breathed a sigh of relief. They had been talking for a long time, mostly gossip about the servants in the mansion. She wasn't particularly interested in these things, so it went in one ear and out the other.
However, Lady Bai listened attentively and occasionally nodded in agreement, expressing her opinion on someone's actions.
As the outside noise quieted down, the laughter inside the room seemed out of place. Jing Mo pondered for a moment and was about to leave when Lady Bai called him back.
"It seems like it's quiet outside, so those of you who don't like noise don't have to stay with me. Go and do your own things, Jingmo, come here, I have something to tell you."
Madam Bai spoke, and the maidservants all obeyed without exception, bowing and then leaving. A few who had a good relationship with Jingmo even exchanged meaningful glances as they passed by, their pupils filled with a hint of envy.
Who doesn't envy the maidservants who can get face in front of their masters?
Jingmo smiled on the surface, but sighed in her heart. Although it might sound like boasting to say this, she found being a plain and ordinary person more attractive than being a glamorous maidservant.
Wait until the room is cleared, Jing Mo takes a few steps forward and stands beside Lady Bai, waiting for her command.
"Did you hear all the gossip just now?"
Lady Bai, without beating around the bush, picks up her teacup, takes a sip, and then asks her own question.
"Everybody heard it."
"Jing Mo doesn't know why Lady Bai asked this, but still honestly answered."
"Then you repeat all the gossip they just said, I hope you don't miss a word."
The pupils shrank slightly, and Jingmo lowered her head to conceal her expression, softly responding.
Fortunately, her memory was good. Although there were some discrepancies in certain places, she roughly repeated everything that had been said by the previous few people.
After finishing speaking entirely, Jing Mo still felt a little uneasy and kept his head down, not daring to look at Madam Bai's face.
After another while, only then did he hear Madam Bai let out a soft laughter.
"What are you nervous about? I didn't say anything. If you can't say it, I'll punish you. Just calm down and relax, I just want to see how good your memory is."
That's what they said, but Jingmo was a little skeptical. Although she didn't believe it, she couldn't say it out loud and could only nod, pretending to agree with Mrs. Bai's words.
"After hearing so much gossip, do you have any thoughts?"
This is truly getting to the topic, Jingmo thought to herself. However, Madam Bai has provided a rather vague question for this topic, and it would be hard to answer without a specific point.
"I don't understand, please instruct me, Madam."
Madam Bai was not surprised either. She leaned on the noble concubine's bed diagonally, propping her head up with her hand, and smiled brightly.
"This is simple, just say it. After hearing so much, what is the first sentence that comes to your mind?"
The first sentence?
Jingmo dared not speak. Her first reaction was that those people were too boring, actually saying such gossips to please Madam Bai.
However, Madam Bai was not easily fooled. Seeing her hesitation, she smiled slightly and asked, "It seems you don't like it, huh?"
Being pinpointed with his thoughts, Jingmo no longer concealed them and simply nodded.
"Indeed, I'm not very interested. Instead of wasting time on these things, it's better to do what needs to be done. I'm still concerned about matters at the estate. If I waste all my time on this gossip, it will be difficult to finish many things."
Madame Bai nodded, but did not say whether it was right or wrong. Instead, she leisurely took another sip of tea.
"You are right in what you said, but," she said as she set down her teacup, "sometimes listening to gossip can also reveal a lot of information."
She gave a mysterious smile and motioned to Jingmo to see if there was anyone outside.
Jingmo turned around and pushed open the door. There were hardly anyone in the courtyard, only a few people gathered together, seemingly discussing gossip.
Close the door again, Jing Mo turned around and shook her head at Lady Bai, indicating that everything outside was normal and there was no unexpected situation.
"Do you remember the last person they mentioned?"
Upon receiving affirmative information, Lady Bai became less cautious. Naturally, she had her own methods of determining whether it was safe outside. Calling Jingmo to observe the surroundings was just a casual action.
"So you are saying, the one they mentioned, the little maidservant who cleans up in the backyard garden?"
"Yes, that's her."
Madam Bai laughed lightly, the sunlight shining on her face, making everything around her appear radiant, as if she were a holy goddess.
"Do you remember any gossip about her?"
"Kyomo vaguely remembers that it was brought up by a low-ranking servant girl."
"...I think it was about her childhood sweetheart's older brother working on a farm?"
This is indeed a bit of a coincidence, but if Jing Mo is not mistaken, she heard from Yu Zan that this little maid has been working in the Bai Mansion for almost two or three years. Even if there is a problem, it should have been discovered early on.
"Yes, she has a childhood sweetheart working at the Tianzhuang."
Mrs. Bai nodded, seeing that Jingmo hadn't sensed anything amiss, she continued to give hints.
"Do you remember why she was gossiped about by others?"
Jing Mo was stunned for a moment, and then she really remembered.
"It's not a strange story, but a few days ago she said she wanted to embroider a small purse for her neighbor's brother. It was seen by a few other good friends and then it spread."
Suddenly realizing something, Jing Mo suddenly looked up to meet Bai Madame's smiling face.
"Do you understand?"
Understood. This young maid is even younger than Jing Mo, how much older can her childhood neighbor brother be.
Why would such a young child start carrying a purse?
And with that neighbor brother working on a farm, a farmer can't stand having all these useless things on him. How could he possibly take a purse?