Chapter 55: The mistress definitely likes her!

At dawn, Li Yue'er was woken up by her mistress.

She was still half asleep and not fully conscious. Instinctively, she turned over, lay flat, and spread her legs, as if she wanted to sleep but her mistress could take whatever she wanted.

Qu Rong, "..."

Qu Rong pinched her cheek. "We're going to the hot spring resort to celebrate the Lunar New Year today. If you don't want to get up, then we won't take you."

Li Yue'er opened her eyes and took a moment to catch her breath before realizing what her mistress had said, "Going out to celebrate the Little New Year?"

Today is the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, which is indeed the Little New Year in the north.

Qu Rong had already sat up, throwing off the covers and tossing her long hair behind her. She glanced at her sideways and asked, "Don't tell me you want to stay at home and have New Year's Eve dinner with the old lady?"

Li Yue'er sat up abruptly, shaking her head like a rattle-drum, "I think I'll pass."

Eating with the old lady is too unappetizing, and if the old lady is there, she probably wouldn't even have the right to sit at the table.

Li Yue'er leaned forward, resting her forehead against her mistress's lower back, her arms wrapped around her waist like vines. "I want to go too! Wherever Mistress goes, I will go! I swear to never be separated from Mistress for the rest of my life!"

Qu Rong looked down at her and scoffed, "Sweet talk."

But it just just so sounds good.

Qu Rong gently patted Li Yue'er's hand, "Hurry up and pack your things. We'll set off after we finish eating. Today is a festival, so the streets are crowded and carriages will have difficulty moving. We need to get out of the city as soon as possible."

The mistress had already stood up to comb her hair and wash up, and Li Yue'er, after getting dressed, also went to pack her luggage.

Before moving to Songlan Hall, Li Yue'er slept in the mistress's room every night, but she still kept some of her clothes in the courtyard.

Since moving to Songlan Hall, even though she had her own room in the courtyard, Li Yue'er's clothes were mostly kept in the mistress's wardrobe. Even when the maids washed and dried her clothes, they would scent them with incense and fold them together with the mistress's clothes before putting them in the wardrobe.

At first, the maids would ask questions, but seeing that the mistress had tacitly agreed, the maids stopped asking and simply placed Li Yue'er's clothes next to the mistress's clothes.

As the wardrobe was opened, a fresh and slightly cool fragrance of plum blossoms wafted out.

Not only were her clothes reeking of the mistress's scent, but she herself also bore traces of the mistress's presence. Similarly, the mistress's bedding carried the bitter smell of medicinal herbs from her.

Li Yue'er picked out the clothes she wanted to take to the hot springs, gripped the closet door, turned her head, and asked, "How long are we going to be gone?"

She looked at the wardrobe with a troubled expression.

Knowing how long you're going to be is the best time to pack clothes.

Qu Rong was combing her hair. "I won't be back until at least after the New Year, no later than the fifteenth of the first lunar month."

Although the old lady said that the Qu family could do without her, once she quit, her stubbornness would only last until after the New Year before she would have to give in and bow her head.

Unless she is bewitched and has lost her mind, she would not want to hand over the Qu family's business to the Zheng family, who killed her son and daughter-in-law.

That was about half a month. Li Yue'er didn't have many clothes to begin with, so she simply brought them all.

While tidying up, Xiao Yi fell to the ground. Li Yue'er let out a small exclamation and quickly bent down to pick up the clothes and pat them gently.

As luck would have it, she looked down and saw her red cloth tray.

Inside, besides the gold-plated face mask, there were also the scholar's cap and jade thumb ring that she had extorted from the mistress. Naturally, the silver that she had poured out of the blue purse yesterday was also picked up by the mistress and put back, all of which were placed on the tray.

only……

Li Yue'er clutched her clothes, tilted her head to look at her purse, then pursed her lips and slowly squatted down.

The purse wasn't tied tightly, and a corner of what looked like paper was sticking out.

It's like her contract of indenture.

Li Yue'er froze, her eyes fixed on the purse. When she reached out to take it, she unconsciously held her breath.

Her heart was pounding, and a bold idea popped into her head.

The mistress put her indenture in a purse. When she wants to leave in the future, will she take the purse and also gain the indenture and freedom?

Like unspoken love, it is hidden in the smallest details of actions.

Li Yue'er's outstretched fingers curled slightly. Thinking that her mistress really wanted to set her free, she bit her lip and lowered her eyes, feeling lost and sad.

Does the fact that the mistress can set her free mean that she also cherishes her in her heart?

Li Yue'er's cheeks flushed slightly as she reached out and picked up the purse again.

With her small garment tucked between her chest and legs, she freed her hands and carefully untied the purse strap.

The mistress definitely likes her!

Otherwise, I wouldn't have stuffed the indenture into her purse!

A smile appeared in Li Yue'er's eyes as she opened her purse, pulled out the paper, and then froze.

She thought the indenture wouldn't fit inside, which is why she only showed a corner of it. Who would have thought that when she opened the purse, what she thought was the indenture was indeed just a corner—

Paper!

It's just that the color is similar to the contract.

Li Yue'er, "..."

Li Yue'er held the paper and examined it repeatedly. Although the realistic color and material deceived her, she would never have thought it was a contract of indenture if someone hadn't deliberately put it there to mislead her.

There were only two people sleeping in the room, and it's obvious who did it besides her.

Li Yue'er squatted on the ground, took a deep breath with a blank face, turned her head to look at the mistress sitting in front of the dressing table, and said with a firm tone, "You did this on purpose."

The mistress had somehow changed her position to sit sideways facing her, one hand loosely clenched into a fist, propping up her cheek, and she took in the changes in her expression with great interest. "This is called the Empty City Stratagem."

Qu Rong asked slowly, "What do you think is inside?"

Li Yue'er: "...You're asking a question you already know the answer to."

She crumpled the piece of paper into a ball and, with a malicious intent, threw it at the mistress.

The light crumpled paper fell into the mistress's arms and landed on her blue skirt, where she picked it up and tucked it between her fingers.

Qu Rong smiled slightly, "All's fair in war, why don't you ever learn your lesson?"

She flicked the paper ball back, and it hit Li Yue'er right on the head.

It didn't hurt, but it was infuriating, especially since she had just been tricked by her. Even though the mistress hadn't said anything sarcastic, she still felt that the mistress's actions were meant to criticize her.

'Blockhead.'

Qu Rong, "You want a contract of indenture?"

Li Yue'er turned her head and glared at her.

The mistress's smile was quite pronounced, making even the beauty mark at the corner of her eye seem exceptionally vivid. Looking at her, she parted her thin lips slightly and said slowly and softly, "You'd better not even think about it."

She mimicked the tone she had used in bed.

Li Yue'er, "..."

Li Yue'er then crumpled up the small clothes into a ball and threw them at her, covering her face.

She had just thought that her mistress cared for her, which was why she was willing to set her free. She had been overthinking it.

The mistress would definitely want to hold her indenture tightly, like shackles wrapped in soft cloth on her feet, wishing she could keep her by her side and watch her all the time, and would never allow her to leave freely.

The mistress refused to return the indenture to her, which inexplicably relieved Li Yue'er. As she took the undergarment back from the mistress, she bent down to look at her.

Li Yue'er gently blew on the mistress's face, her soft voice almost seductive, "Then where is my indenture?"

The mistress remained in the same position, looked up at her, and said cooperatively, "Guess."

She didn't mention what the reward would be for guessing correctly.

Li Yue'er held the baby clothes, her gaze shifting back and forth between the mistress and her mother, finally settling on the closed collar of the mistress's clothes.

The mistress remained unmoved, letting the woman scrutinize her. She rested one hand on her cheek, while the other hand rested on her leg, her fingertips lightly tapping, her posture leisurely, as if she wanted to see where the woman would guess.

Just as Li Yue'er was about to reach out and pull off the mistress's clothes, Meng Xiaoxiao's voice rang out in the courtyard, "Sister Yue'er."

Li Yue'er straightened up and looked back.

Behind her, out of the corner of her eye, Qu Rong lowered her eyes and let out a soft sigh of relief.

Li Yue'er put down the clothes, stepped out the door, and said, "I'm here."

As she left, Dansha, clutching her sleeve and looking down, came in and met her face to face, giving her a slight curtsy.

Seeing Li Yue'er walk to the center of the courtyard and talk to Meng Xiaoxiao, Dansha took out the nameless envelope from her sleeve and handed it to the mistress, saying, "It's done."

Qu Rong took it with one hand and gestured for Dan Sha to leave.

Once she was alone in the room, Qu Rong opened the envelope and took out a land deed.

Unfortunately, it was the Ming family's ancestral home.

When Li Juren sold it to the public, he sold it for three or two hundred taels. Now, he bought it back, but it cost him almost five hundred taels.

This is still in an unstable era; if it were a peaceful time, the price would probably double.

Qu Rong held the land deed in one hand and took out Li Yue'er's indenture from her bosom with the other. When she looked up, she smiled silently.

When she guessed that she was going to snuggle into her arms, she probably meant something inappropriate, but she was right.

Qu Rong stacked the two pieces of paper together, got up and took out the copy of "The Art of War" that she carried with her. She flattened the paper and stuffed it into the gap between the cover and the pages. If you didn't take the book apart and look carefully, you really wouldn't be able to tell that something was hidden inside.

Qu Rong simply placed the book on the table, intending to take it with her when she left.

She stood by the round table, looking out. She didn't know what Meng Xiaoxiao wanted to see Li Yue'er for, but she left before she had finished packing her things.

In the center of the courtyard, Meng Xiaoxiao stood with her hands mysteriously behind her back, her clear and bright eyes looking at Li Yue'er. "Sister Yue'er, today is the Little New Year."

Li Yue'er knew this, so she reached out and touched Meng Xiaoxiao's head, "Then I wish Xiaoxiao a happy Little New Year."

Meng Xiaoxiao cheered and took her hands out from behind her back, showing her what she held in her palms. "Aunt Zhou gave this to me. I specially saved it for you!"

Two bright red persimmons, each the size of a palm, were translucent and glistening like lanterns, held carefully in Meng Xiaoxiao's fair palm. At first glance, they were even more beautiful than red agate.

Li Yue'er was deeply moved and only took one, saying, "Let's each take one."

Aunt Zhou is the head of the kitchen. When the two of them were still living in the courtyard, Aunt Zhou took good care of them. Now that there are persimmons at home, she thought of Meng Xiaoxiao who has a sweet tooth.

Meng Xiaoxiao reached out and took Li Yue'er's arm, chattering happily like a little bird, "Aunt Qiu gave me the day off today, let's go play!"

Li Yue'er bit her lip and looked back, just in time to see the mistress standing by the window looking at them. She gestured for Meng Xiaoxiao to wait for her, then ran to the window in small steps and whispered, "Mistress, could you take Xiaoxiao with you?"

She had never been to a hot spring, and neither had Meng Xiaoxiao.

The mistress glanced at her and said, "Hurry up and pack your things."

The fact that she didn't explicitly refuse means she agreed!

Li Yue'er was delighted and gave a perfunctory curtsy, saying, "Thank you, Mistress."

She ran over and told Meng Xiaoxiao to pack her things, "I'm taking you out to play!"

By the time they finished packing their clothes, had eaten, and were ready to get into the carriage, it was already around 9:00 AM.

Besides the carriage used for carrying things, there was also a carriage for passengers.

Li Yue'er, holding Meng Xiaoxiao's hand, sat down in the spacious carriage belonging to the mistress with a smile.

The mistress kept her eyes closed, avoiding looking at the two of them. When she met Li Yue'er's smile, she simply chuckled softly, "It doesn't make a difference if she's one more."

Li Yue'er initially thought that the mistress meant that she was going to a hot spring for the New Year and that Meng Xiaoxiao wouldn't be left out, since the estate was big enough and there would definitely be a place for Meng Xiaoxiao to stay.

until--

She saw Su Rou carrying a bundle and walking slowly towards them. With Teng Huang's help, she bent down and got into their carriage.

Li Yue'er finally understood what her mistress meant: the people sitting in the carriage didn't need Meng Xiaoxiao.

Since neither of them was alone in the carriage, it didn't make much difference whether Meng Xiaoxiao was there or not.

Li Yue'er looked up at Su Rou with delight, "I thought I wouldn't be able to see you until after the New Year."

Su Rou glanced at Qu Rong out of the corner of her eye and replied gently, "That's what I originally thought too."

Li Yue'er blinked and looked at the mistress.

Qu Rong slowly opened her eyes. "If you're not taking her, do you want to learn accounting from me?"

While having fun is fine, you can't neglect what you need to learn.

Her teaching style was far stricter than Su Rou's.

Just looking at the mistress's mouth made Li Yue'er shake her head.

This mouth of hers is good for everything, except for chatting with her.

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Mistress: If we don't use our mouths to speak, what else can we use them for?

Moon: Do i~ [yellow heart]