Chapter 33: She was exhausted.

Seeing the two cushions she had placed on her pillow, the mistress cast a questioning glance at her.

Li Yue'er knelt on the bed and spread out the cushion to show her, "I made this last night."

The fabric was her old, faded, and rough clothes, layered on top of each other, except for the top layer, which was her undergarment, made of soft and durable material that wouldn't tear easily.

Li Yue'er even added her previously embroidered handkerchiefs to the cushion and sewed them together with the fabric. Not only did it not look out of place, but it was also very beautiful.

She was very confident that even if there were similar items on the market, the fabric would be better than hers and the patterns would definitely not be as beautiful.

Qu Rong glanced at it twice and then looked away, seemingly unconcerned, but inwardly she had learned something new. So it turned out that a piece of fabric could be specially cut to make a pad, saving the trouble of changing the bedding at night.

Even with the underfloor heating on, the new sheets and blankets were still cold after the maids came in and out to change them. Now that there's a mattress, it saves a lot of trouble and makes things much more convenient.

Qu Rong gathered her dried long hair in front of her, tied it up with a silk ribbon, and then swept it behind her waist. She glanced at Li Yue'er by the bed behind her through the mirror in front of her and asked casually, "You didn't come last night just to do all this?"

Li Yue'er's ears perked up instantly, her eyes brightened as she turned to ask her mistress, her tone a mixture of surprise and delight, "You were waiting for me last night?"

Qu Rong looked away. "...No."

Qu Rong turned the mirror to face the center, got up, went to the bedside, lifted the quilt, and got into bed, not even looking at Li Yue'er. "Why should I wait for you? I went to bed early last night."

Li Yue'er was half-believing and half-doubting. She laid out the cushion and hugged the mistress, her hands wandering all over the mistress's body. Wherever the mistress was ticklish, she would tickle her, which made the mistress push her away.

The mistress's nightgown was originally very neat, with the lapels folded and pressed against her body. Now, the belt was loose, the lapels were haphazardly open to both sides, and the color of the mistress's undergarments was showing through the neckline.

Li Yue'er grasped the mistress's ankle, pushed her skirt up, and pressed her lips to the mistress's chest.

The cool, warm sensation traveled down to my lower abdomen.

Li Yue'er felt that the mistress should not have been trapped in the backyard like this before, because the mistress's waist and abdomen were soft, but when she breathed rapidly and tightened her waist and abdomen, there were beautiful lines in her lower abdomen that conveyed a sense of strength.

I guess my lower abdomen looks softer because I haven't been moving around much these past few months. Before, the lines would probably have been more defined.

She gave him small, gentle kisses.

.

Li Yue'er specially made two pairs, thinking of using them alternately, but the mistress was very clean, and after using them once, she frowned and refused to use the previous pair again.

Li Yue'er had no choice but to remove the damp one and replace it with a new one.

She served the mistress twice because there were no new cushions.

When she returned after rinsing her mouth, the mistress, sitting on the edge of the bed, grabbed her wrist, pulled her into her arms, and then pressed her down onto the second mat...

About half an hour later, the different types of water mixed together in the mat.

Li Yue'er wasn't that clean, so she used the second mat three times.

When the mistress started her period, Li Yue'er was a little flustered, especially since she had used that thing to please the mistress, and she was at a loss when it came to her period.

Fortunately, the mistress was cold on the outside but soft on the inside, and would always give in to her when she pestered her.

Now that the end of the month is approaching, Li Yue'er's period, which was delayed by several days, has finally arrived.

Her menstrual period didn't stop her from serving the mistress; the only one suffering was herself.

Li Yue'er lay on the bed, staring blankly at the bed curtains.

Qu Rong lifted the curtain to look at her, and smiled slightly, a rare occurrence for her. She scoffed, "Let you be greedy."

Now you're behaving yourself, even if you twist your legs like a pretzel, it won't work. When you're menstruating, she says no and that's it.

Li Yue'er, "..."

Li Yue'er blushed and retorted, "I just have a stomachache. What are you thinking, Mistress?"

Her lower abdomen was cold, and her hands and feet could not be warmed up. During her period, she felt as if she were in an ice cellar, shivering from the cold. In severe cases, she could not even stand up.

Garcinia felt unwell because she ate cold food, and drinking hot water didn't help her.

Qu Rong lowered her head and looked down at Li Yue'er, whose face was pale and whose lips were almost colorless. She frowned and reached out to gently touch her forehead. "How can it hurt so much?"

The women around her, though they experienced discomfort during their periods, rarely had such a strong reaction. She herself only felt lower abdominal pain before her period started, and then felt nothing afterward.

Only Li Yue'er was so weak that she couldn't walk after her period started today. She ate a few bites of sweet soup in the evening and went to bed early.

When she returned from the study, Li Yue'er's face still hadn't regained its color.

Li Yue'er raised her hand and hugged the back of her mistress's hand, pressing her warm palm against her face, and said in a feigned weak voice, "If anything happens to me, I beg you, mistress, to show some mercy and care for my mother and sister, considering how diligently I have served them in the past."

It was as if he were making his final arrangements.

The mistress's face immediately hardened, and she said coldly, "I don't even pity you, let alone them."

Li Yue'er bit her lip and remained silent, her long eyelashes fluttering as she fell, looking quite pitiful.

Qu Rong didn't pull her hand away from Li Yue'er's embrace. Instead, she sat on the edge of the bed, frowning and pursing her lips as she looked at her. After a few moments, she finally softened her tone first, "You should go back and visit your own mother and sister yourself."

Seeing that Li Yue'er was listless and lacked energy, she talked about things that would make her happy to distract her, "Dansha has prepared the things. When you feel better tomorrow, Tenghuang will accompany you back."

Li Yue'er's eyes lit up, and she looked straight at the mistress, so excited that she almost sat up.

When Qu Rong saw the light in Li Yue'er's eyes, she felt a sense of relief. Just now, when Li Yue'er was lying on the bed, pale and barely breathing, she felt a tightness in her chest.

Qu Rong glanced at Li Yue'er, "Just like last time, have Lin Mu drive you back. Aunt Qiu treats you very well; she will be grateful for your care of her son."

Why does what you said sound so sarcastic?

Li Yue'er thought to herself that Aunt Qiu wouldn't hold such a grudge against her, but she was grateful that her mistress was thinking of her, so she smiled and kissed her mistress's hand.

The mistress squinted, but instead asked, "You're so happy to see Lin Mu?"

Li Yue'er, "?"

She was bewildered and innocent; what did all this have to do with anything?

The mistress glanced at her face twice, finding nothing amiss, before gently rising and saying slowly, "Considering you're upset, I won't hold this against you for now."

Li Yue'er, "..."

It was clearly the mistress who was being unreasonable.

The mistress said she wouldn't pity her, but she didn't let her serve her that night. She didn't use her hands or mouth, but just said she was tired and wanted to sleep, and told her not to touch her and disturb her sleep.

Li Yue'er's fingertips were icy cold, and as she touched them, the mistress took the opportunity to squeeze her fingers into her warm palm. Li Yue'er's feet were also icy cold, so the mistress had Teng Huang prepare a hand warmer wrapped in cloth and placed it at the foot of the bed beside her feet.

Li Yue'er felt that this was the warmest and most comfortable time she had experienced since her first menstrual period in all these years. The warmth started from her fingertips and soles and spread up her limbs, as if melting her whole body into the mistress's bed.

She moved closer to the mistress, wanting to embrace her and kiss her brow, teardrop, beauty mark, and lips without lust, as if only then could the itch in her heart be relieved.

Although Li Yue'er was half-dead today, fortunately, her discomfort was only severe on the first day of her period. By the next morning, Li Yue'er felt much more energetic.

The thought of going back to visit her family today filled Li Yue'er with even more excitement.

The maids came in to serve, and Teng Huang rubbed her fingertips as she entered, smiling and curtsying to the two women, saying, "Mistress, Miss Yue'er, it's snowing."

The Minor Snow solar term coincides with the Minor Snow solar term.

With the doors and windows open, soft snowflakes drifted down into the yard like willow catkins, but they melted as soon as they hit the ground, without accumulating a layer of white.

Li Yue'er breathed a sigh of relief, stood under the porch outside the door, put her hands together and gently blew on them, saying thankfully, "Thank goodness for the snow, it won't hinder the carriage's journey."

If the snow freezes over, she estimates she'll have to walk back today.

Qu Rong gestured to Teng Huang to take the silver-red cloak with white fox fur trim that belonged to her from the mahogany clothes rack and put it on Li Yue'er, "Wear this when you go out."

Li Yue'er turned her head to look inside at her.

The mistress said, "The Qu family is not short of money. Don't let people think that our Qu family has fallen on hard times and that's why we're treating you so poorly in this cold weather just because you went out and were seen dressed shabbily."

Garcinia wished he could cover his mistress's mouth!

But she didn't dare, so she whispered to Li Yue'er, "The mistress is worried about you and is afraid you'll catch a cold if you go out in the wind, so she gave you this cloak. It's made of amber felt, and the mistress hasn't even worn it since it was made for winter."

It turns out it was both expensive and new.

Li Yue'er carefully wrapped herself in her cloak, and with a smile in her eyes, leaned closer to look into her mistress's eyes.

The mistress lowered her long eyelashes, refusing to let her see.

It was just a piece of clothing, yet she showed that grateful expression again.

Qu Rong sipped her tea and turned away to avoid Li Yue'er trying to kiss her in front of others. If Dan Sha were here, it wouldn't be a problem, but the one standing here is the talkative and outspoken Teng Huang.

The two had breakfast together, and Li Yue'er's complexion finally regained its color, looking no different from usual.

Qu Rong went to her study to get busy, leaving behind the gamboge she was going to use to accompany Li Yue'er out today, and only taking away the cinnabar.

It was cold in the morning, so the mistress told her to go in the afternoon. Therefore, Li Yue'er still had to go to class in the main hall and then ask Sister Su for half a day off.

Before she could even stand up from the table, Meng Xiaoxiao came running over to find her.

Li Yue'er thought Meng Xiaoxiao had come to check on her because she had heard that she had started her period, but Meng Xiaoxiao looked at her lower abdomen with confusion and bewilderment.

Why does menstrual cramps occur? She never experiences menstrual cramps, can eat cold or spicy food as usual, and doesn't feel anything in her stomach.

Li Yue'er and Teng Huang both looked at Meng Xiaoxiao with envy.

Putting everything else aside, Meng Xiaoxiao is full of vitality and is indeed like a young calf with plenty of energy, always having inexhaustible energy.

Meng Xiaoxiao chuckled and explained why she came, "I got my monthly paycheck!"

They've been at the manor for a month now, so it's time for them to collect their monthly allowance.

Li Yue'er and Meng Xiaoxiao are still nominally the master's concubines in the mansion, and their monthly allowance is the same as that of a concubine, which is one tael of silver each per month.

Li Yue'er quickly looked at Teng Huang, "What about my share? What about my share?"

"They're all over at the accounting office. You talk to Miss Xiaoxiao, and I'll go get them for you." Teng Huang said.

After Teng Huang left, Meng Xiaoxiao took out a gray cloth pouch from her bosom, poured out a piece of silver, took Li Yue'er's hand, and placed the silver in Li Yue'er's palm.

Li Yue'er looked at her in confusion, "What's wrong? Why did you give it to me? I had one, but Teng Huang went to get it for me."

Meng Xiaoxiao: "You are yours, and this piece of mine is for you too."

She said, "I have no worries about food, drink, or clothing now, so I don't need to spend any money. I also don't have a mother or sister, so I don't need to spend money on them. That's why I'm giving this to you."

Meng Xiaoxiao held Li Yue'er's hand, still remembering the words they had spoken under the covers back then—

'If only I had money.'

Meng Xiaoxiao knew that Li Yue'er's sister's illness had long since healed, but she had always kept it in mind. Today, she rushed over as soon as she received the money, wanting to give it to Li Yue'er.

Meng Xiaoxiao: "You can keep it, or give it to yourself, or to your mother or sister."

For families like theirs, even a tael or two of silver could be enough to save their lives in a critical moment.

Li Yue'er stared blankly at Meng Xiaoxiao, then looked down at the heavy silver in her palm, her vision blurred so much that she couldn't see the silver ingot clearly.

She tightened her grip on the silver coins, warm tears welling in her eyes.

She felt that her kindness towards Meng Xiaoxiao was just a casual act of helping her, and she hadn't done anything special for Meng Xiaoxiao. Even when she brought Meng Xiaoxiao to live in Songlan Hall, she was only thinking that she was afraid that Meng Xiaoxiao would be bullied by Xu Xinmei because of her.

She only showed a little kindness; it wasn't worth Meng Xiaoxiao treating her like this.

Li Yue'er wrinkled her nose, suppressing the tears welling up in her eyes, took a deep breath, and deliberately asked, "You gave them all to me, so what about Aunt Qiu? Doesn't Aunt Qiu love you anymore?"

Meng Xiaoxiao had already planned it out: "I'll give it to you this month, to Aunt Qiu next month, and return it to you the month after that."

Yes, everyone has a share.

Li Yue'er chuckled, reached out and pinched Meng Xiaoxiao's hot, round face. Meeting her innocent, questioning eyes, she said softly, "Okay, then I'll accept it. Thank you, Xiaoxiao."

She saved it for Meng Xiaoxiao, only giving her small change to buy snacks.

The maids in the house would ask someone to buy them food when they were craving something, which is something Li Yue'er only learned recently after Teng Huang stuffed a piece of dried meat into her mouth.

Meng Xiaoxiao is young and loves to eat, so she'll definitely like those things. I'll bring her some from outside when she comes back today.

Meng Xiaoxiao cheered up, took Li Yue'er's arm and chatted for a while. She would go back to Aunt Qiu's side as an apprentice once Teng Huang returned.

Li Yue'er also put Meng Xiaoxiao's silver into the light blue purse.

Her own six taels were also in there, because she was going home today and the New Year was approaching, so she was taking extra money for her mother and sister to use, and leaving them some cloth to make new clothes.

A six-year-old girl is at the age where she understands beauty, and Li Yue'er didn't want her younger sister to be dressed too poorly. At the very least, there should be a nice dress in the trunk that she could wear out.

Teng Huang bent down to look at her purse and teased, "Oh, isn't this the one the mistress gave me last time?"

Li Yue'er pretended not to understand and smiled as she stretched out her hands and opened her palms towards Teng Huang.

Gambo pulled two silver ingots from his orange-yellow purse. "Here, these are yours."

Li Yue'er glanced at Meng Xiaoxiao's monthly allowance in her purse, then at the silver in her own palm. "Isn't it one tael?"

She held one in each hand, with a guilty expression that said, "I won't give it back even if you gave it to me by mistake."

Rattan Huang glanced at her, "The other ounce was a gift from the mistress."

Li Yue'er blinked.

The mistress didn't tell her about this.

Why didn't the mistress tell her about something that would make her happy?

Teng Huang glanced around to make sure no one was around before bending down and asking in a low voice, his eyes full of curiosity, "Did you two have a falling out over the money last time? That's why the mistress asked me to give you the money this time, and told me to lie to you and say that the accountant's monthly pay was doubled."

Li Yue'er took a breath and asked cautiously, "...If you tell me all this, the mistress might be angry with you."

Teng Huang quickly raised his hand to his mouth to shush, "Quietly, I'll only tell you, you don't have to tell her."

Li Yue'er laughed and lowered her voice, "Okay!"

Li Yue'er put the silver into her purse and casually asked, "Did you really only tell me about this?"

Teng Huang wrinkled his face, hesitated for a moment, and then confessed frankly, "I will also tell Dan Sha that I have no secrets from her."

But she assured that Dansha was not one to talk nonsense, and that she would not tell anyone other than Dansha.

Li Yue'er didn't care about these things. She was afraid that if the mistress found out about this, she would feel ashamed and angry, and might punish Teng Huang by making him copy Buddhist scriptures.

As for the argument we had last time over those six taels of silver...

That's not true!

She never hesitates to spend money, no matter where it came from; once it's in her purse, it's all hers.

Li Yue'er accepted the money with a clear conscience, considering it payment for her hard work during this period. After all, she was busiest at night, sometimes doing it five times a night!

She was exhausted.

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Moon: It's all hard-earned money! [yellow heart]

Mistress: ...And what about me?

Garcinia: You're really addicted! [covers face and peeks]