Chapter 4
Shen Jiao was enjoying her free time and didn't care what Xue Shun was doing. Anyway, it wasn't her turn to be on duty today, so she could go back to her room and rest after a while.
As long as he doesn't mess around.
While Shen Jiao was cleaning the medicine jars, she listened attentively to the movements in the bedroom.
After a faint cry of pain, he fell silent, perhaps falling asleep again.
The maids in the yard were sweeping and cleaning, each doing their own job. The afterglow of the setting sun filled the courtyard, and it was a rare moment of peace and quiet.
She smelled the bitter scent of herbs and felt a little drowsy.
"Sister, let me help you."
A little girl with an unfamiliar face walked towards her briskly, rolled up her sleeves and came closer, with an obvious warm smile on her face and her voice as sweet as honey.
If someone shows kindness without any reason, he is either a traitor or a thief. Shen Jiao flatly refused and said:
"No need, I can do it myself. Are you new here?"
"Yes, my name is Qiongzhi," she nodded. Perhaps because she was rejected, her smile was a little stiff, but she still tried to be close to her. "Sister, your name is Shen Jiao, right? I have seen you before. Just two months ago, on the ship, a few girls and I were bought by the steward, and I had the honor of meeting you."
When she said that, Shen Jiao suddenly remembered: "Are you... a refugee from Zhuolu County?"
"No, no, no, my sister and I are both from Lingwai Dao. Our family is from Tonglu County, Pei Commandery. We encountered a severe drought and fled to Zhuolu Commandery, Hezhong Dao. We didn't have the money to settle down, so our parents sold us. Fortunately, we met the manager of Tongcai Villa, otherwise, we don't know where we would have been sold to..."
This was a sad thing. Qiongzhi looked lonely for a moment, but she couldn't hide her relief.
Don't hit a smiling person. More friends mean more paths.
Shen Jiao saw that she was trying to get close to him, so he comforted her: "It's all in the past. After all, you and I are both from Lingwai Dao, so we are from the same hometown."
"That's right!" Qiongzhi raised her face, her smile much more genuine. "I've wanted to talk to you for a long time, but you weren't allowed to wander around on the boat or in the village, so I had to give up. Now we meet again, and we're working together. It's obviously fate. But... you seem like a quiet and peaceful person. Will I annoy you by doing this?"
"No, I like listening to people talk."
Dabadaba helps you sleep better.
Shen Jiao swallowed her inner thoughts and said with a smile, "It's great that you're here."
"Then I will keep my sister company from now on."
"good."
Shen Jiao didn't say it with much care.
Qiongzhi took it quite seriously. Whenever she had nothing to do, she would stick by her side and ask her about her master's temperament and the rules of the courtyard.
Shen Jiao avoided the main point and said that he had only been there for a short time, and his words were all impeccable.
Qiongzhi didn't ask any further questions.
At 20:00, Shen Jiao went to rest.
The older maids had their own room and were not with the younger maids, so it was not convenient for Qiongzhi to follow them.
Nothing happened that night. The next day, when it was Shen Jiao's turn to be on duty, Xue Shun was already better. He sat quietly reading and practicing calligraphy. Occasionally, he put down his pen and rubbed his stomach. He didn't make a fuss, but he was reluctant to go to sleep, so Shen Jiao had to stand there.
At 11:30 PM, she heard a few loud noises outside. Just as she was wondering, she heard him ask, "What day is it today?"
"April 27th isn't a big day."
"That's testing fireworks."
His voice was so soft that Shen Jiao almost didn't hear it.
Turning my head, I saw that young face with clear outlines suddenly lost its arrogance. It was neither irritable nor painful, as if the heart suddenly became empty, so all the spirit was gone.
It’s easy to be dazed if you don’t sleep in the middle of the night…
Shen Jiao thought to himself: Don’t die suddenly, or you’ll hit me again.
"Young Master..." Shen Jiao called out tentatively, having already figured out how to find a doctor as quickly as possible.
Xue Shun, however, came back to his senses as if nothing had happened, threw down his pen and said unhappily, "What are you doing?"
Shen Jiao: I’ll punch you…
"It's late, are you ready for bed?"
"How am I supposed to sleep when it's so noisy outside?"
"Would you like me to fetch a bowl of tranquilizing soup?"
Xue Shun: ...
"You have a fool in your head, don't you? You keep going straight and don't even turn a corner. Go get my cloak, I want to go out for a walk."
"……yes."
Shen Jiao took out the thinnest cloak and gave it to him.
Xue Shun is also weird. He is the kind of person who always finds trouble to get angry about, but is particularly easy to fool in some areas. Maybe it's because of his background... So he doesn't even know that others are fooling him, right?
The hand tying the belt paused for a moment, but only for a moment, and then Shen Jiao tied a beautiful knot with anger and resentment in his heart.
The weather in April was not actually cold, but Xue Shun was sick, and the slight night wind made him frown. He rubbed his eyebrows and walked outside.
Shen Jiao held a lamp to illuminate the way and did not ask anyone to follow him.
He did not walk aimlessly, but walked up the steps along a corridor, and paced towards the direction of the fireworks, until he stopped at a high platform and a wide pavilion.
This place is quite remote and desolate, not far from Liao'e Courtyard, but he still sweated a lot, breathing uncomfortably, holding on to the railing and looking into the distance.
The fireworks that connected together were like stars that could not be seen...
"Did the old man say anything to you?"
"I have never met the owner of the manor."
“…”
"I know." Xue Shun pursed his lips and lowered his head, giving a forced smile. He raised his hand to rub his eyes and hold back the worthless tears. "The wind is too strong, it hurts my eyes. Let's go back."
"yes."
Shen Jiao was lighting the way ahead. He walked slowly, holding onto the railing. After only six or seven steps, he took a breath, stopped, and stood there, covering his hands.
"Young Master?" Shen Jiao raised the lamp to shine.
Xue Shun was unexpectedly good-tempered: "It's okay, let's go."
When Shen Jiao returned, he saw that his hand was scratched and a long thorn was stuck in it, causing it to be red and swollen.
"Sir, do you want to pick this one?"
Shen Jiao held his hand and squinted at the weird thing.
Xue Shun was silent for a long time.
"No, that's all."
"It might fester."
"It will be fine."
He hated needles. Before the woman left him and walked away, she was occasionally gentle to him. Although she was unable to protect him, she would sometimes treat his wounds. She would look distressed when she got a splinter. While picking at the needles, she would think of something and become impatient, so the needle would pierce his flesh and go deep into his body... She must have thought of killing him. Once, when he was sick and confused, the woman slapped him a few times, and he felt a tingling sensation on his body. Later, he fumbled to pull out several rusty needles from his body.
So it's understandable that he's a little afraid of this kind of thing, right?
Even if he didn't say it explicitly, some people wouldn't sneak up on his bedside at night and touch his hand with a needle after he refused, right?
"What are you doing?"
Xue Shun gritted his teeth and looked at Shen Jiao and asked in a deep voice.
"I...I think that you should treat the wound, or it might fester."
There's a thorn in my flesh. It's so awkward, so awkward, so awkward, so awkward, so awkward...
Xue Shun: "Get out."
"Oh, yes..."
It was the first time she walked away so dejectedly, looking back every few steps, she seemed so reluctant to leave.
"Get out!" A pillow flew towards her feet.
"yes!"
The pace quickens...
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