Chapter 6: Let Mr. Xie come to see me

"Madam, that He Fu is obviously here for my son-in-law, why did you let her into the mansion?"

Qingshuang frowned slightly and lowered his head to pour tea for his master.

Su Cheng took the cup slowly and took a sip of the warm tea. "Since we already know what she's thinking, it's better to keep her under our watch rather than letting her do something shady behind our backs."

Hearing this, Qing Shuang did not dare to persuade him anymore, and said in a gentle voice, "Madam is right."

A moment later, a woman's soft voice was heard outside the door.

"County Lady, Fu'er requests an audience."

Su Cheng glanced at Qing Shuang calmly. The latter understood and quickly went to open the door.

"County Lady, it's time for breakfast. I made all this myself." He Fu still had a little flour on the tip of her nose. Whether it was accidental or intentional, she didn't wipe it off. Instead, she rushed straight to the main courtyard with a bright and colorful smile on her face. "Come and try my cooking."

"Miss He, I appreciate your kindness, but I was pregnant at the time, and Suzhou arranged all my meals and drinks himself. He never lets me touch other people's food." Su Cheng interrupted her with a smile, his brows relaxed, and he clearly had no intention of showing off, but this made He Fu pinch her fingertips.

"So that's how it is..." He Fu lowered her eyes, hiding the resentment in her eyes, and whispered, "If I had known that the county lady would only eat the food cooked by Master Xie, I wouldn't have messed with her."

She looked so pitiful. If there was a man standing in front of her, he would most likely be soft-hearted.

"Miss He means well. There are ten dishes here, and they are all complicated. She must have been busy preparing them before dawn." Su Cheng hugged the hot water bottle in his hand, with a smile in his eyes, "Qingshuang, please ask Miss He to take a seat."

"Ms. He, please."

Qing Shuang brought a stool and politely asked He Fu to sit down.

Seeing that she really didn't move her chopsticks, He Fu's eyes flashed with a hint of darkness, but she didn't show it on her face. She sat down obediently, "I originally wanted to share the county lady's worries, but in the end... I ended up doing more harm than good."

"It's okay." Su Cheng waved her hand and let Cai Lian cover her with another blanket. "Has Miss He ever read any books?"

"I only studied Women's Discipline." He Fu smiled shyly, a hint of embarrassment on her face. "My father said that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent. He only hired a female teacher to teach me how to read, but never let me go to school."

"Since you can read, that will be easy." Su Cheng cleared his throat and called softly, "Cai Lian, bring the things over to Miss He."

"yes."

He Fu's smile faded a little, and she looked at Su Cheng with some confusion.

It wasn't until she saw the little maid named Cailian walking towards her with a basket of books that He Fu's expression gradually broke down and she stammered, "County Lady...what do you mean?"

"Didn't Miss He always say she wanted to learn from me?" Su Cheng smiled gently, his eyes resting on her. "These are the books my daughter often reads in school. I sent someone to buy a lot of copies. If Miss He wants to make a name for herself, she must finish reading these books within three days."

“Three… within three days!?”

He Fu could no longer sit still. She stood up suddenly, her face pale and frightening. "County Lady, there are at least forty or fifty books here. Isn't it too demanding to finish reading them in three days?"

"Miss He, do you think I'm being harsh?" Su Cheng's eyebrows curved, his expression gentle. "If these difficulties cannot be overcome, my small temple really cannot accommodate a big Buddha like Miss He. Miss He, please go back. Qingshuang, pack your luggage for Miss He——"

"Wait!" He Fu trembled slightly, her long eyelashes casting a shadow on her eyelids. "I can't let the county lady down. These books... I will read them."

Su Cheng suddenly smiled, as if he had expected that she would give in, and glanced quietly at Cai Lian beside him.

Cai Lian was also unambiguous. She slowly walked up to He Fu and handed her the basket of books. "Read them all within three days, Miss He."

He Fu's mouth twitched twice. Although she felt resentful in her heart, she had to put on a smile and took the bamboo basket. "Yes."

"If there is nothing else, Miss He, please go back to your room. It's never wrong to study hard." Su Cheng raised his eyes slightly, his eyes full of smiles.

I don’t know if it was an illusion, but the two maids actually saw the shadow of the second brother-in-law in the lady.

-

In the guest room in the side courtyard, the He family's maidservant paced back and forth anxiously, "Isn't it just to deliver breakfast to make her familiar? Why hasn't the young lady come back yet?"

"No...I have to go look for it."

Before she could move, the door was pushed open and He Fu walked in with a dazed look in her eyes.

Seeing her master return, the maid was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "Miss, you are finally back! Did you see Master Xie? Miss...Miss, what happened? Why do you look so grim?"

He Fu dumped all the books in the basket onto the table, her expression unspeakably grim. "Look, this is the result of my trip."

The little maid's face changed drastically, and she murmured, "Where...where did you find these books?"

"All of this was given by the county lady." He Fu sat on the round stool in a daze, her face pale. "I'm afraid I won't be able to leave this room for the next three days. If you have cooked in the small kitchen, please bring it to me."

"Why would the county lady send books to you, young lady, for no reason?" The little maidservant scratched her head, unable to guess what Su Cheng meant. "Young lady, aren't we trying to climb up the social ladder with Master Xie? If you stay stuck in your room, reading these tattered books, you might not even see Master Xie!"

"What can I do?" He Fu covered her ears, unwilling to listen to her nagging. "I'll finish reading these books within three days. Three days later, the county lord will personally interrogate and examine them. How can I not bow my head under her eaves? I spoke out of turn and said I wanted to work with her, which is tantamount to playing into her hands."

"She bought these books because she clearly doesn't want me to get close to Master Xie!"

The little maidservant lowered her head, having even less confidence in the future. "Miss, can we really outsmart the county lady?"

Everyone in the capital knew that Lady Fanghua was originally a peasant. She was first adopted by the Zhao family, and then she offered advice to the emperor, becoming famous. She climbed up the ladder to the position of Lady Fanghua step by step, and also had three excellent husbands.

Who can achieve those fame and honor?

This county lady is definitely not an easy person to deal with.

He Fu suppressed her resentment and pondered for a moment before whispering, "It's okay. She has her own plan, but I have my own way. If she wants to use a trick to prevent me from meeting Master Xie, I can naturally find a way to get Master Xie to meet me."

The little maid's eyes lit up, and they were full of excitement, "As expected of a young lady, she is so smart!"

"Go to the He family and ask if my father has made any moves recently." He Fu's face was gloomy, and her eyes were dark. "Tell me what I said. If he still wants me to marry into a prominent family and add luster to his career, then he should keep his tail between his legs and honestly curry favor with Master Xie."