Chapter 43 What's the point of not wanting

His voice was hoarse and he looked uncomfortable.

"How did you become someone else's maid? Did you accompany your young lady to marry into the master's family?"

Chen Shiyi shook his head.

"I was sold by my stepmother and entered the Marquis's mansion as a fire-making maid. Unexpectedly, the Marquis's mansion confiscated my property and exiled me. I was forced to follow them in exile due to some unknown circumstances. My master said that I would be promoted to a maid in the imperial chamber to reassure me and asked me to take good care of the people in the Marquis's mansion."

Pei Luoshu couldn't help but ask.

"Are you exiled from Kyoto?"

"Um."

"So, you spend three taels of silver a month to support their family?"

"They are all masters, it is impossible for them to go out to work."

"You serve them, and they want you to accompany them..."

Pei Luoshu couldn't go on.

"I don't want to be a maid, nor do I want to be a concubine, but I don't want to be of any use, and I have no say in that!"

Pei Luoshu was filled with emotions before, but now he was left with only pity and heartache.

She became someone else's maid not out of her own will, but because of the coercion and oppression of others.

Her experience was much more miserable than my own.

While he was stunned, something was stuffed into his palm.

He lowered his head and opened the layers of red cloth, and what appeared clearly before his eyes was the lotus hairpin.

Instantly, surprise surged in his eyes.

"I went to look for you, but you refused to open the door for me. Later, I followed you and found that you often went to the jewelry store and looked at this lotus hairpin. I think you liked it very much. The store owner told me that you came to see this hairpin countless times. I thought you were short of money, so I bought it for you. Is it because your aunt's birthday is coming soon? Does your aunt like lotus flowers?"

Pei Luoshu felt very soft in his heart.

"Why are you so nice to me?"

Chen Shiyi sighed.

"I like being with you, talking to you, and you telling me interesting stories. I don't want to go back to that home. There are too many rules at home."

Pei Luoshu picked up the hairpin and rubbed the carved depressions with his fingertips.

Chen Shiyi, consider this hairpin a token of love you give me. You are not allowed to regret it in the future.

After returning home, he told his mother about Chen Shiyi's situation.

"Exile is a crime, and one cannot own private property. All deeds to his body, house, and land must be handed in. How did Eleven follow them into exile? Did those people in the Marquis' Mansion deceive Eleven? In fact, they don't have Eleven's deeds in their hands?"

"I'm afraid Eleven himself doesn't know."

"There is another possibility, that is, someone else obtained Eleven's indenture and then gave it to the Marquis' Mansion."

Pei Luoshu was stunned for a moment, then spoke with a firm look in his eyes.

"Mom, I want to redeem myself for Eleven."

Pei's mother smiled.

"Okay, but there are a few things you need to think about."

A smile flashed across Pei Luoshu's face.

"Mom, I'll listen to you."

"If you want to redeem Eleven, first of all, the other party must be willing to release him. Also, you must find where Eleven's indenture is. Also, you must prepare a large sum of money. Think about how to get it. Finally, you have to ask Eleven if he agrees or not."

Pei Luoshu's ears turned red and he whispered softly.

"Eleven said she likes being with me."

Mother Pei smiled gently.

"Okay, let me see how you coax Eleven into your home to be your wife."

Pei Luoshu had another sleepless night.

Early the next morning, he talked to Chen Shiyi again.

"Have you ever thought about redeeming yourself?"

Chen Shiyi blinked.

"You mean I can still redeem myself? I don't have to be a maid in the mansion?"

"Do you know where your bond is?"

Chen Shiyi thought, how could she know?

She was exiled to the Fengming Mine Cave for no apparent reason.

Pei Luoshu thought about it for a moment.

"Your indenture may still be in the capital."

"How do we do that?"

Pei Luoshu comforted her.

"I will work with you to redeem your bond and give you freedom, but you must remember that you want to redeem yourself. You must not let the master know your thoughts. Otherwise, even if you have a lot of money, the master will not let you go, and you will never be able to get rid of your status as a maid. Do you understand?"

Chen Shiyi was delighted and nodded solemnly.

Pei Luoshu saw Chen Shiyi looking at him with starry eyes and a dazed look.

"What are you looking at me for?"

"I like to see you speak so clearly and logically."

Pei Luoshu's mouth curled up slightly.

"What's so good about it?"

Chen Shiyi had never thought that she could redeem herself. In the future, she would not have to serve the whole family. She could find an honest and reliable man to marry, save the money she earned, rent a shop when she had enough, and live a simple and prosperous life. How wonderful it would be!

She returned to the courtyard and found that Wen Zhiheng, who had not been seen for a long time, had returned early.

She stared at Wen Zhiheng for a long time. He did seem to have lost a little weight. What was the word "so much" that Mrs. Wen was talking about?

"What are you looking at?"

Chen Shiyi put down the backpack on his back and placed it in the corner of the courtyard.

"My wife said you've lost weight and asked me to take good care of you."

Wen Zhiheng said with a smile.

"She's too concerned. You work hard enough to make money. Don't worry about it."

We are having pickled fish tonight. This dish is Rui'er and Wen Zhiheng's favorite.

They both said that the fish meat was very tender, melted in the mouth, fresh and refreshing, and very appetizing to eat in summer.

Wen Zhiheng smelled the fragrance and couldn't help but praise it.

"Your cooking skills are the best. When I was in the Marquis' Mansion, I always thought the food tasted greasy. But now that I'm here, I find the food delicious. I guess your cooking skills have improved."

Chen Shiyi's eyes curved, and he was very happy to receive the compliment.

She thought of something and asked tentatively.

"Master, can I only be a maidservant?"

Wen Zhiheng was stunned for a moment, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Why do you suddenly ask this question?"

"I just wanted to ask."

"No, when we return to the capital, I will not let you be a maid again."

"What if I can't go back to the capital?"

Wen Zhiheng sighed.

"I will definitely go back. I've been busy with this matter recently. The money you lent me was spent on this."

Chen Shiyi spoke while cutting vegetables.

"Master, I don't want to be a maid."

Wen Zhiheng sat by the stove, lighting a fire, not understanding why she kept talking about this topic today.

"Okay, when we return to the capital, I'll let you be my concubine, okay?"

Chen Shishi paused while cutting vegetables and his voice became hoarse.

"I had a playmate since I was a child. She was very pretty. When she was thirteen, she was favored by a landlord and was given to him as his sixteenth concubine. The landlord was very rich and the gift he gave her was something that poor people like us could never get in our lifetimes. People in the village were very jealous of her, and I was jealous too. But one day, I heard that she stole and bumped into the landlord. She was beaten to death with clubs and thrown on a mass grave. Her family heard the news and felt that their daughter had let them down, so they didn't send anyone to look for her. I thought she was my best playmate, and I wanted to collect her body. Besides, she was timid by nature and would definitely not do something like stealing."

"Later, I found her. She was buried carelessly in the ground. I dug her out with my hands, and then I found that she was..."

Chen Shiyi wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"There was not a single piece of good flesh on her body. She was burned and bruised all over. Moreover, when I dug her out, she was still breathing. She was buried alive... Master, tell me, how could there be such a vicious person in this world who would abuse her and accuse her of theft after her death."

Chen Shiyi continued.

"After she woke up, she recognized me, but she beat me like crazy and asked me why I didn't let her die like this, and why she had to live again and suffer in this world. Later, she broke away from me and jumped into the river. No trace of her body was left."