Chapter 43

"And that maid..." Xue Shun broke out in a cold sweat as he spoke. He pressed his chest, took a breath, and continued, "Take my jade pendant and hair crown. If she has family, give them to them. If not, exchange them for silver and bury her properly for me."

"Yes, I'll go right away."

Shen Jiao didn't say much. Seeing his hand on his stomach again and his expression in pain, she knew that he was probably sick again.

When he took the things out, he went to the kitchen specifically and told Lingnu not to just give him medicine, but also to remember to make him something to eat.

Ling Nu laughed childishly and said, "Sister, why are you acting like an old nanny, nagging about this kind of thing, as if I would starve the young master. Oh, that's right."

She smiled and covered her lips as if she had figured something out:

"I was too considerate and forgot that the maids in Liao'e Courtyard are all more like the master than the master. I think such forgetfulness, laziness, and inattention must happen frequently. It's not surprising that the master is hungry and has no food to eat. That's why my sister came to remind you specially. Lingnu thanks you, but it's really not necessary."

She hummed twice, waved her fan towards the door as if to shoo away flies, and then focused on watching the fire again.

It seems that she is quite hostile towards the maids in this courtyard.

Shen Jiao was choked by her, but she didn't argue with her. She just said, "It's good that you know. I won't say anything more."

Then he went to do his own work.

Jin Yu and Qiong Zhi were able to eat and sleep well, and showed no signs of fever or illness. Doctor Sun had already examined them, so they could be released now.

Those little maids' voices and knees need to be taken care of.

Shen Jiao distributed the silver to them, but they just looked at each other with some resentment in their eyes, and were unwilling to even say thank you.

When they were asked if they wanted to leave, someone asked hoarsely, "Is he serious, or just saying it casually?"

Shen Jiao said, "It must be sincere, otherwise he wouldn't have shared the money."

Xue Shun has always been a stingy person and is reluctant to spend money easily.

The maids in the courtyard all knew about this to some extent.

Some people decided to leave without hesitation.

Someone hesitated and said he would think about it and reply later.

Some people said nothing.

Some people even doubted whether he could really do it, and wondered if looking back would only bring false joy and make him bear a grudge.

These words made many people who had already decided to leave look hesitant.

Shen Jiao had no choice but to say, "This matter is not urgent. You can think about it slowly. We can talk about it when I come back."

A maid asked, "Are you leaving?"

Shen Jiao shook her head: "I'm not leaving."

"What about Sister Jinyu?"

"I haven't asked yet. I'll ask later."

Seeing that they were asking so many questions and it seemed difficult for them to make a decision, Shen Jiao didn't bother to wait any longer and just got up and left.

She had just asked Jin Yu. The dead maid was the daughter of a tenant farmer in the farm. Her home was in a nearby village. She had to hurry there, otherwise she would miss the burial. Even if the family had the money to bury her, it would be inconvenient to dig her out. That would be too unkind... It was a lie. She just wanted to see whether the family would spend the money on the dead or the living.

Shen Jiao likes to have fun in things that she has to do.

Just like she used the excuse of working to watch Xue Shun steal ice and practice turtle boxing.

Ah, if they don't charge money, it would be fun to kick her out.

Shen Jiao lowered her eyes, looking sad.

Mr. Li, who was driving the ox cart, tried to comfort her, saying, "Alas, it's fate. Don't be sad, girl. I'm sixty-nine years old and have seen a lot of things like this. Good people leave home, saying they're going to live a good life, but in the blink of an eye they make a mistake and are beaten to death and thrown out. It's not uncommon.

Only the masters of Tongcai Villa are merciful and will send the bodies back. As for other families - tsk, who cares about that!

Once thrown into a mass grave, it rotted away within two days. My parents couldn't find it even after looking for it. There was a man in our village who worked for a wealthy family. I don't know how he angered his master, so he was beaten to death and thrown into a mass grave. My parents didn't know about it. A colleague sent a message home, and then they went to look for it. They dug their fingers into the grave, but still couldn't find it. The couple sat on the grave and cried. When they looked up, guess what happened?

Shen Jiao cooperated and asked, "What's going on?"

"The wild dog was grabbing the arm. On the wrist was a red string that the old couple had prayed for from the temple for safety. The mother immediately went crazy and rushed to grab it. The dog mauled her to pieces and she died within two days of returning home. The father, holding a knife in his arms, wanted to seek revenge, but he was arrested before he even got through the door and was sent to Tongcaifang."

"What happened next?" Shen Jiao asked curiously.

"Later... later he went home," said Mr. Li. "The man was kind-hearted and didn't bother with him. He just cut off his two hands and applied medicine. After all, he was a tenant of the man's family, relying on them for food. If he wanted to kill his master after being wronged, how could he do that?

It was such a pity. Without hands, he couldn't farm or work, and had to rely on his children for support all day. He suddenly became depressed and jumped into the river and drowned.

"What about that kid?" "He's been begging everywhere, trying to survive. The village head was kind enough to give him a place to live. He's grown a lot in the past two years and is obviously able to work. If they wanted him, he could continue to be a tenant, but they say they don't need anyone. What can I do?"

"Just keep begging for food." Shen Jiao said.

The tenant had no house, no land, no money, and nothing to leave for his children. He had no choice but to beg for food and sell himself.

Old man Li nodded. "That's right. I saw him a few days ago. He brought a few beggars with him. They were dirty and smelly, and they looked like they were attracting flies. But he's gained some weight, so maybe he's doing well."

"That's really lucky." Shen Jiao had nothing to do, so he asked around.

Old man Li said that the family was a tenant of the Liu family, the same Liu family that ran the Liuwentang bookstore in the county, opposite the Shi family wine shop.

Sounds familiar.

"Are they fighting over where to put up the mountain of lights?"

"That's them," said Old Man Li cheerfully. "They make trouble every year, and sometimes even get physical. But they didn't make a scene this year. The Eleventh Young Master calmed them down. He nearly smashed the lanterns of both families to pieces, but they stopped making a fuss and joined in trying to persuade him. They even gave gifts to the onlookers. I was there at the time and got a big piece of meat and bone from the Shi family's wine shop. The Liu family wasn't much better off, so they just gave me some oil paper to wrap them."

"It sounds like the Shi family is pretty good."

"Yes, he says," said Mr. Li, not quite sure. "Anyway, I've never been shortchanged when I buy wine from him. And unlike other places, his wine is so bland it doesn't even taste like bird."

What he said was a bit harsh, and he laughed awkwardly.

"Girl, look at my mouth..."

"It doesn't matter. Anyone who drinks watered-down wine will want to curse."

Shen Jiao listened to him talk all the way until they reached a fork in the road and were let down. Old Man Li pointed to a small path and said, "Go forward from here, it's only half a mile. There's a river. Take a boat across and you'll reach Liu'an Village. There are also carriages and horses over there. If you can't find it by late, just walk this way and look for our Fengze Village. My house is in the center of the village. You can see the cowshed in the yard. I'll ask my cousin and the girl to prepare a room for you. Stay there for one night and then I'll take you back early tomorrow morning."

"Okay, thank you, old man. I understand."

Shen Jiao waved her hand and walked in the direction he pointed.