Chapter 54 World Three (Five)

When Wang learned that Xiao Yujing would stay in the mansion for a few days, she offered to arrange a maid to take care of him, but was rejected by Xiao Yujing.

"Just resting, no need to worry."

Seeing that it was getting late, the maidservant beside Wang asked in a roundabout way whether Xiao Yujing would stay and have dinner with Wang.

Xiao Yujing's face was calm, and before he could answer, the servant came hurriedly. He bent very low under the gazes of his two masters and said, "Madam Luo has something important to discuss with you, my dear."

Xiao Yujing's eyebrows moved slightly, and he looked at Wang with a calm expression: "I hope everything in the mansion remains the same as before."

After saying that, he stood up and left.

The maidservant complained on Wang's behalf: "Just now, the young master clearly agreed to stay for dinner.

That woman, Luo, who monopolizes the man all day and still isn't satisfied, even stirs up trouble when he visits the main courtyard for a moment. How could she possibly have any serious problems? As the daughter of a criminal, she was bought by the man, freed from slavery, and provided with all the good food and drink..."

Wang's brows furrowed, but she didn't say anything to stop the maid. She said meaningfully, "Who can blame this person for being so lucky? She showed a little warmth to my husband when he was down and out, and made him remember her till now."

The maid's mouth twitched, and thinking of the so-called "favor," her face became more indignant: "A drop of water should be repaid with a spring. I'm afraid that little favor, my husband, has already repaid it all."

The kitchen had already prepared a table of food according to Xiao Yujing's taste. When they learned that Xiao Yujing had left the house, they didn't know whether they should serve the food, so they asked Liu Fang to come and question him.

Wang Shi naturally wouldn't let a table of food go to waste, so she asked the kitchen to serve it as planned. She said to Liu Fang standing by, "Call Bao Shan over."

Liu Fang's eyebrows moved slightly, and he went to look for the treasure fan.

When Baoshan learned that Wang wanted to invite her to have dinner together, her clear eyes were filled with anxiety. Her light eyelashes trembled nervously, her pink cheeks were tightly tensed, and her soft lips opened and closed. She wanted to ask something, but was afraid of breaking taboos, so she said nothing in the end.

On the way, Liu Fang saw her panic and softened his tone to comfort her: "Madam, I wanted to have dinner with you, but when the meal was ready, you left the house, so I asked you to come over."

Upon hearing this, Baoshan's panic subsided a little, and she smiled gratefully towards Liu Fang.

When Wang saw Baoshan coming, she pointed to the round table and the two sat down facing each other.

The maid lifted the quail, lily and yuzu soup in the middle of the round table and served a bowl to both of them.

The jade bowl was warm, and when Baoshan took it, he felt warmth on his fingertips.

The tea-brown soup is clear and the excess oil has been skimmed off.

Baoshan picked up the soup spoon and took a sip. It was not greasy at all and was very refreshing.

Wang held the jade bowl but did not taste it. She said softly, "My dear, this soup is the best."

Baoshan's fingertips tightened and he remained silent.

Wang raised her head and faced the treasured fan with a dignified expression: "This soup was originally prepared for my lord, but now it has ended up in our mouths. Do you know why?"

Bao Shan lowered her head, revealing only her hair, which was as black as ink and as thick as clouds. She said softly, "I don't know."

Wang's eyes were dark and filled with disgust: "She was called away by that concubine's daughter."

Wang did not hide her disgust for the concubine's daughter. What happened today made her even more ruthless, and she was determined to keep Xiao Yujing in the mansion.

Otherwise, the concubine's daughter would have humiliated her several times before she even entered the mansion. If she really gained power, wouldn't she be able to act tyrannically and force her to act according to her will?

Wang placed her hopes on the treasured fan, so she told the story in detail about the involvement between Lady Luo and Xiao Yujing.

As a child from a poor family, Xiao Yujing was born in the countryside. He had many brothers and sisters, and he had a cold and hard temper when he was young.

Therefore, he is not favored among his brothers who are good at acting like spoiled braggarts.

When the family ran out of money to send their most promising brother to private school, their parents considered selling their son for money. After careful selection, they finally chose Xiao Yujing. Although Xiao Yujing had a difficult personality, she was fair-skinned and sold for a good price.

The parents took the money and left in a hurry, busy sending their most promising son to a private school. They had no idea where Xiao Yujing had gone.

Xiao Yujing was dressed up as a little beggar by the person who bought him and was pressed to the ground to beg.

During the coldest days of winter, a thin layer of ice formed on the ground. Xiao Yujing, wearing a single garment with several cracks on it, revealed his red and swollen skin from the cold. He knelt on the thin ice, waiting for someone to take pity on him and give him some alms.

The money they got in return was not enough to satisfy them. They made Xiao Yujing even more miserable, not allowing him to eat or drink water. Looking at Xiao Yujing curled up in the corner, they even began to think about breaking his hands and feet.

Madam Luo appeared when Xiao Yujing was starving and cold. At that time, her family had not yet fallen on hard times and she lived in a wealthy family.

In winter, the Luo family distributed porridge to do charity. Mrs. Luo had never seen such a lively atmosphere, so she asked the elders in her family for help and wrapped herself tightly before leaving the house.

She stood next to the soup kitchen, and every time someone came to get porridge, she would praise them as "a kind-hearted young lady like a bodhisattva."

Xiao Yujing, curled up in the corner, was covered in dirt. When people passed by him, his dark eyes didn't even blink.

People passing by saw him lying there motionless and said that the little beggar had frozen to death under the city gate due to the cold winter.

Mrs. Luo was holding a steamed bun from the soup kitchen and tore off a piece of it and put it into her mouth.

As soon as she tasted the steamed bun, her brows furrowed. She looked at the people coming and going, wondering why people were queuing up to buy such a bitter and rough food.

Madam Luo heard the people in the team discussing something about a little beggar at the city gate, so she moved and walked towards the city gate.

Madam Luo had never seen anyone dressed so raggedly in the Luo Mansion.

Even the lowest servants were neatly dressed and well groomed.

The old nanny of the Luo Mansion saw Madam Luo approaching the little beggar. She was panicked and hugged Madam Luo in her arms: "Little Ancestor, you have seen enough of this excitement. Come back with me."

Madam Luo pointed at Xiao Yujing and asked, "What is that?"

The old woman spitted inwardly, "He's just a beggar who froze to death. Madam, stay away from him. Be careful not to get infected by his bad luck."

The steamed bun was wrinkled by Mrs. Luo. She broke free from the old nanny's hand, ran to Xiao Yujing, and stuffed the steamed bun into his hand.

The pair of dark eyes suddenly moved, and Madam Luo ran back to the old nanny's arms.

"Oh, the young lady is really kind-hearted. She's even willing to give alms to the little beggars on the street..."

The voices of the master and servant gradually faded away. Xiao Yujing moved his hands, grabbed the dusty bun in front of him, and stuffed it into his mouth.

That winter was exceptionally cold. It was said that many crops in the fields were frozen to death, and many displaced people were also frozen to death.

But Xiao Yujing survived and ran away from the beggars' den.

Time flies, and Xiao Yujing, wearing a blue shirt covered with pudding, won the first place in the provincial examination.

The person who brought the good news found Xiao Yujing's parents based on the household registration left by him.

Xiao Yujing's father had passed away, leaving behind only his mother. Upon hearing the good news, he instantly became the center of everyone's attention and flattery.

She claimed to be Xiao Yujing's biological mother, and under the instigation of others, she came up with the idea of arranging a marriage for Xiao Yujing.

After all, she sold the child early, so she must be resentful. It would be better for her to choose a good daughter-in-law herself, and the two of them can rely on each other in the mansion. Even if Xiao Yujing is depressed, he will probably consider the importance of his mother.

Wang was the daughter-in-law carefully selected by Xiao's mother. She was dignified in appearance and had excellent character.

Before meeting Xiao Yujing, Wang was very respectful to Xiao's mother. However, when she learned that Xiao's mother had arranged the marriage without telling Xiao Yujing, this respect disappeared.

Xiao Yujing left his registered residence because he had no choice but to do so in accordance with the imperial examination regulations of the time.

Beggars and refugees without household registration were not allowed to take the imperial examinations.

However, after Xiao's mother learned about the imperial examination, she secretly arranged the marriage, and everyone around them tried to comfort Xiao and Jing.

After all, she is the biological mother. The grace of giving birth to and raising a child is hard to repay. As for marriage, which man does not obey the orders of his parents and the words of the matchmaker?

Everyone was advising Xiao Yujing, and the words between the lines were nothing more than one sentence: You have to be patient, filial piety is more important than heaven, your biological mother, your marriage...all kinds of dissatisfaction, just endure it.

But Xiao Yujing's brows were cold, and his voice was like winter ice and snow: "No."

He ignored Xiao's mother's soft and hard tactics, and his former brothers' earnest words and pleadings, and gave up his relationship with his biological mother, becoming a lonely man.

However, the marriage contract with Wang was already in place and could not be severed.

Wang held the soup spoon in her hand and stirred it again and again in the jade bowl, but nothing got into it. Her voice was calm, as if she was telling someone else's story.

"I called you here today to explain these things because I hope you can understand how much Madam Luo means to you, my dear. You must never underestimate her."

In Wang's mind, the so-called "favor" of Mrs. Luo was nothing more than a steamed bun. In her opinion, Xiao Yujing would have reached the point where he is today with or without that steamed bun.

However, Xiao Yujing was cold-hearted and heartless, yet he remembered this small favor so clearly. After the Luo family was in trouble, he rescued Mrs. Luo and supported her with fine clothes and delicious food.

The crow feathers of the treasured fan trembled slightly: "I will keep this in mind."

Leaving the main courtyard, Bao Shan slowed down his pace and thought carefully: Wang Shi did not take that favor as a favor. But Xiao Yujing still remembered it vividly. After all, it was the only warmth he had in his childhood.

If someone denies it, Xiao Yujing will probably be displeased. It would be better to go along with Xiao Yujing...

Outside Lin'an City.

The old nanny had a smile on her face as she walked towards Xiao Yujing and into the inner room, muttering about how much Madam Luo missed Xiao Yujing since he left.

"My dear, you need to persuade her. How can she endure this situation when she loses her appetite?"

Xiao Yujing's eyes were gloomy, and it was unclear whether he had heard it or not.

In the inner room, Madam Luo heard the noise and turned around, with a look of reluctance on her pretty face.

At the old nanny's signal, the maids serving in the room retreated one after another.

Mrs. Luo was wearing a thin shirt and her words were full of sweetness and innocence: "Will you save my father and brother or not?"

The old nanny's face froze, and she hurried to Madam Luo's side: "My husband heard that Madam had an urgent matter, so he hurried here."

Madam Luo was completely unaware of the look the old nanny gave her. She had been raised in luxury, spoiled by her father and brother, and had developed a spoiled personality.

Since Xiao Yujing was able to cancel her slavery, he would certainly be able to rescue her father and brother and save them from suffering in prison.

Xiao Yujing's dark eyes were as calm as water, and his voice was gentle, as if he was stating a fact.

"Your father and brother committed a capital crime."

There is no framing, the evidence is solid, and there is no room for maneuver.

Madam Luo ignored all that. She only knew that they were her father and brother who doted on her the most. She grabbed the porcelain cup on the table and threw it at Xiao Yujing's feet.

Xiao Yujing did not dodge. He watched the porcelain cup shatter into pieces at his feet. He looked at Madam Luo and walked away.

The old nanny watched Xiao Yujing leave in fear. She couldn't find any words to blame Madam Luo, whom she had seen grow up with. She could only sigh repeatedly, "Madam, why don't you be more gentle?"

Mrs. Luo pursed her lips.

"Mr. Xiao has never touched my wife, why don't you take the initiative..."

Xiao Yujing was so heartless, and the old nanny always felt uneasy just relying on the meal he had given her when they were young, according to Xiao Yujing's personality.

Unless he touches someone's body, he can only take care of that person for the rest of his life.

The old nanny wanted to persuade Madam Luo more and let Xiao Yujing touch her, so that she would have more layers of protection in the future.

Mrs. Luo was angry: "Mammy!"

Seeing this, the old nanny said no more, picked up the fragments on the ground and took them out of the house.

Mrs. Luo looked at the quiet room and felt more and more annoyed.

She had taken the initiative before, but Xiao Yujing was so stubborn that he refused to touch her at all even when she wet her clothes on purpose.