After he left, Shu Yao looked at the thick stack of silver notes on the table and smiled bitterly. Was he giving her so much money as compensation? But she didn't care. No amount of money could buy her little treasure!
Having barely slept a wink all night, Shu Yao arrived at the main gate of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Command at the crack of dawn the next day. The two guards at the gate looked somewhat embarrassed when they saw her, perhaps unsure of how to greet her. Shu Yao had been here more than once before, and they recognized her, but given her current status, it was normal for them to feel awkward.
She didn't go inside; she simply took out the stack of silver notes, gave them to one of the men, told them to give them to Lord Huo, and then turned and left.
Next, she went to the pawnshop and pawned the gold hairpin in her hair. This was the first piece of jewelry she ever owned. It was given to her by the leader when she left the organization, who told her to decorate her appearance so that she wouldn't look too shabby when she entered the Huo family mansion.
I remember she once told Chunlu and the others that if they ever left the Huo family, any one of the jewelry she gave them for their birthdays each year would be enough to start a small business. I never expected that she would be the one to pawn the jewelry now. It's ironic, really. However, this hairpin is far less valuable than the ones she gave Chunlu and the others. It was only pawned for eleven taels of silver.
With the money, she bought a wooden bed, several baskets of charcoal, some daily necessities, as well as bedding, pots and pans, and finally settled down in that dilapidated courtyard.
Then I spent another day clearing weeds from the garden and organizing the things I bought. To be honest, after decorating it properly, this place is really nice. The houses chosen by the branch offices of the organization are usually not too bad.
That evening, she cooked herself a bowl of noodles. When she was halfway through eating, she suddenly heard the door knocker click twice. She was startled and wondered who it could be. Could it be her neighbor?
She put down her chopsticks and went to the door, only to find no one outside. How strange! But just as she bent down to close the door, she suddenly saw a huge pile of bags and packages on the floor, completely blocking the doorway. She stared wide-eyed in disbelief and squatted down to examine them closely...
Each small bag contained rice, flour, oil, meat, and all sorts of food, as well as her favorite cakes, candied fruits, and even the brown sugar she drank when she had her period. Opening another bundle revealed that it was full of her favorite books. The next bundle contained her usual clothes, shoes, and socks, and a box was full of her jewelry.
Without even guessing, she knew who brought these things! Were they worried she couldn't afford to live? And then they gave them to her as charity, or perhaps it was Yuefang's doing, and he was just following orders?
Shu Yao stood there glaring at the things on the ground, her face full of anger. She didn't even want the silver notes, so why would she care about these rubbish? They had agreed not to associate with each other, meaning they would pretend not to know each other if they met. The only reason she would look for him in the future would be because of Xiao Bao. Who wanted him to pretend to be so attentive and offer help for no reason?
She grew angrier the more she thought about it, and threw the things on the ground into the wasteland in several batches, leaving nothing behind. Anyway, the farmers would pick them up tomorrow morning, so it wouldn't be a complete waste. Whoever found them would be lucky.
After all that fuss, she returned to her room, but the noodles had gone cold, and she had no appetite left. She was truly exhausted after a long day. She quickly washed up, climbed into bed, and forced herself not to think about anything related to that man, lest she suffer another sleepless night.
This method worked, and in no time she fell into a deep sleep. It seemed to be the best and sweetest sleep she had had since she woke up that morning.
For the next few days, Shu Yao barely left the house. This was part of her strategy—to gradually lower Huo Jingsha's guard. Although she had never succeeded in fighting him, she knew that if she didn't try, she wouldn't have a chance at all. For Xiao Bao's sake, she wasn't afraid of failure. Moreover, she didn't want to be delusional and take Xiao Bao back all at once; it was something that couldn't be rushed, as haste makes waste.
What she needs to do now is to calm down and reflect. As long as she knows that Xiao Bao is still living peacefully in the Huo family, she can rest assured that she has achieved an initial victory. As for what happens in the future... she can only wait for the right opportunity.
It would be virtually impossible to snatch the child from Huo Jingsha's hands.
She spends most of her time turning over soil and planting vegetables in the yard. Her skin has become tanned and she has become thinner, but her spirits are surprisingly good. Her slender hands have developed thin calluses, just like when she was practicing martial arts many years ago.
In the past two years, Huo Jingsha had spoiled her rotten, turning her into a hothouse flower. From the moment she opened her eyes, several maids would fawn over her, attending to every detail, from combing her hair and applying makeup to choosing her clothes. She never had to worry about anything. After meals, she would play with her baby or stroll around the courtyard, occasionally having tea parties with the daughters of wealthy families. Her life couldn't be more carefree. This pampered existence made her forget the hardships of life and the importance of planning ahead.
Only today did she understand a truth... No one has an obligation to support anyone else for life, not even a married couple. What Huo Jingsha has will always belong to Huo Jingsha, and what he gives her will always only be given; what can be given, can also be received.
From now on, she will return to being alone as You Shuyao and learn to face life strongly on her own again. In fact, this is not that difficult for her. As long as she overcomes the obstacles in her heart and forgets that she was once the young mistress of the Huo family, she can find her former self. After all, she was born a helpless orphan and has experienced the poorest days.
Winter has passed and spring has arrived. It is now early summer. Looking around, the garden she has carefully tended is full of greenery. Even the sunlight has become exceptionally warm. She often works for a while and then sweats profusely.
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