Chapter 45
Mr. Li said that Jin Shuisheng was the child in the story.
The maid who was beaten to death by the Liu family was his sister. The girl's name was Tuhong. The owner disliked the name and changed it to Shaohong.
The Jin family was originally an outsider family. They were not rich and had no connections. They could not buy cultivated land and could only buy wasteland. Before the wasteland was fully cultivated, the family could not survive. The mother was also in poor health and often had to take medicine.
My elder sister sold herself for the money, and my parents became tenants and sold the house to someone else. Finally, her illness was cured.
Life is hard, but at least I'm still alive.
Shuisheng was also smart. He often went to the village school to eavesdrop. He studied better than the regular students, so the teacher accepted him as a student. He only asked for a little money for food from his family. He would go to study in the morning and go back to help his parents with work in the afternoon.
He often said that once he had mastered his calligraphy, he would go to Liuwen Hall to copy books, and when he earned money, he would redeem his sister.
When the villagers asked him if he wanted to take the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official, he said seriously that of course he wanted to. After I redeem my sister and save enough money, our family will go to Yanggu to take the examination and become a high-ranking official.
Old Man Li took a puff of his cigarette and said, "The little brat hasn't even grown out yet, and he's still talking big. He's talking about passing the exam to become a high-ranking official and having enough food to eat. That's good enough."
Shen Jiao asked him, "What about Amu, those kids who followed him?"
"He picked them all up," Li Li'niang said, waving a handful of smoking mugwort around to ward off mosquitoes. "You didn't see there was a nursing child there. He saw them and brought them home. It's a good thing that Mr. Bai is so kind. If it were someone else, he wouldn't have let them in."
She sighed deeply.
Shen Jiao sighed, "It's pitiful."
“Who says it’s not…”
She looked at Shen Jiao as if she wanted to say something but hesitated, but she said nothing and left.
Take the mugwort and fumigate the house next door.
Shen Jiao slept alone at night. Li Li'niang gave her the room and squeezed in somewhere else.
The next day, she was treated to delicious food again, but the family would look at her from time to time and then walk away.
Even if Shen Jiao was blind, she could feel that something was going on here, but she didn't want to ask and left after dinner.
They still took Uncle Li's car and went with the people delivering vegetables, fruits and melons. On the road, people delivering water and firewood kept joining the convoy. The sky was misty and a little cold. Shen Jiao huddled in the car with Li Niang's clothes on, thinking that Uncle Li would not say anything.
But when they were almost there, he still hesitated and asked, "Young lady, are you the master's maid? I've seen you a few times. You dress differently from other people, and you can go in and out freely. No one will stop you and question you. Just wave the small card and you're good to go."
Shen Jiao didn't deny it: "I serve the Seventeenth Young Master."
"...Seventeenth Young Master," Mr. Li seemed a little disappointed, but still asked unwillingly, "Miss, what is your Seventeenth Young Master like?"
"I speak my mind and say whatever I think." Shen Jiao said it very tactfully.
Mr. Li obviously didn't understand and continued, "He should be a kind and straightforward person, right? Can you... can you talk to him and ask him to take care of those children? I don't mean to be too kind, just let them be like us, herding cattle, farming, etc. They are small and don't need much food. Oh, I know this is a bit embarrassing for the girl, but those children are really pitiful..."
There are so many poor children.
"Miss, just help me out for a bit. If it doesn't work out, forget it. Is that okay with you?"
It's strange that Xue Shun can't even take care of himself, how can he take care of others?
"I'll try to figure it out."
Shen Jiao agreed without any sincerity. Mr. Li thanked her repeatedly, but she forgot about the matter as soon as she entered the door.
Liao'e Courtyard was so quiet that there was not even a sound of people. Shen Jiao thought that maybe no one was awake yet, so she went to the kitchen to prepare. Unexpectedly, Jinyu, Qiongzhi and Lingnu were all there, but two of them were standing at one end and one at the other. The kitchen was not very big, but it looked like there was a long river between them, and everyone had a tense face.
"It's so quiet, Master, is he still awake?"
Shen Jiao's light sound passed by, like a drop of cold water rolling into a frying pan, frying up a few oil droplets.
Jin Yu was the first to say sarcastically, "How could she not wake up? Young Master must have been pissed off by someone and didn't get much sleep all night. And yet, she's short, but her skin is thicker than a city wall. She's as firm as an iron tripod, refusing to move. Isn't that strange?"
"A spiritual slave is devoted to his master. Once he enters Liao'e Courtyard, he is a member of Liao'e Courtyard. Unless he dies and is carried out, he will not go anywhere else. You probably don't understand this principle. Over time, you will understand who is loyal and who is treacherous."
Lingnu is also very eloquent.
The two of them snorted and ignored each other again.
Shen Jiao was completely confused and could only see that they cooked two portions of rice and boiled two portions of medicine.
"What happened?" Shen Jiao asked again.
Qiongzhi wiped her hands and pulled her out: "Shh, sister, keep your voice down. Stop asking, or we'll start arguing again. The young master doesn't want Lingnu anymore. He tried to drive her away, but she refused to leave. Sister Jinyu tried to smooth things over, but she ended up scolding him. The two of them started arguing, and the young master didn't eat or take his medicine yesterday. He locked himself in the room and ignored everyone. Sister Jinyu said she would make some medicine and food to send over early. Lingnu thought the same thing, and when they met this morning, they started arguing again."
Shen Jiao didn't care whether they quarreled or not. She just looked at the main house and said, "Are you sure that the young master is ignoring us or has fainted?"
"Definitely not," Qiongzhi said. "I was afraid he was starving, so I brought a ladder and climbed up to the roof last night to peek in and ask him. He told me to get out. It sounds like he can hold out for a night without any problem."
Shen Jiao: ...
"Why did you stick your head in and ask?"
"Lift up the tiles." Qiongzhi answered as a matter of course.
"That means, when the young master is starving and sick at his most sorrowful night, a head hanging upside down suddenly appears from the roof and asks him if he's hungry. Do you think he would think he's you, or a ghost?"
Shen Jiao tried to understand.
Qiongzhi recalled: "He must have mistaken me for myself. The room was dark at the time, and I was afraid I couldn't see clearly and scared him, so I carried a lantern and went in..."
As Qiongzhi spoke, she shook her head.
Shen Jiao: "Even if you go in through the window."
Qiongzhi: "I pushed it, but the window was closed."
Shen Jiao: "Then why don't you knock on the door?"
Qiongzhi: "I was afraid he wouldn't let me in. I thought I had to take a look before I could feel at ease."
This time, it was just because I didn't pay much attention that this happened.
She had indeed thought it over carefully.
Qiongzhi: "Sister, I won't scare the young master to death, will I?"
Shen Jiao: "I don't think so. I think he's pretty strong. Did you get scolded this morning?"
"Not yet." She shook her head. "I'll go right away."
"I'd better go," Shen Jiao stopped her and said, "Maybe he'll remember something when he sees you."
The ghost face on the roof wasn't a good memory, so why bother him so early in the morning...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
