Chapter 154 Jade Pendant
That night, Yueli didn't know whether Xiao Mingcheng had returned. She was tired from the journey, so she fell asleep as soon as she got out of the shower. It was the maid who woke her up the next morning.
Yueli didn't get enough sleep, so she turned over irritably and wrapped herself in the quilt.
The maid Daimao was sent from the main courtyard. She didn't pamper Yueli at all. She directly lifted her quilt and said loudly, "Miss Yue, it's almost noon now. Madam is still waiting for you to serve tea. It's your first time to pay your respects to Madam. It won't be good to be late."
Yueli shivered from the cold and suddenly woke up.
She was so angry when she was woken up that she couldn't help but pick up a pillow and hit her when she saw Daimao. "Is this the rule in your mansion to wake people up like this?"
During the year in Jiangning, there were only her and Xiao Mingcheng in the mansion, and Xiao Mingcheng went out early and came back late, so most of the time she was alone in the mansion. She could sleep as late as she wanted, and no one had ever called her so early.
Feilan, the maidservant who had followed her from Jiangning, hurried over to help her up. Glancing at Daimao's sullen face, she hesitantly said, "Sister Daimao, I'll help the young lady wash up first. Please wait a moment."
As she said that, she quickly helped Yueli into the bathroom.
Yueli sat in front of the diamond-shaped mirror, letting Feilan comb her hair, and asked, "Where is the general?"
"The general left early this morning, saying he was busy today and wouldn't be back until the evening."
Yue Li felt aggrieved and uncomfortable. He ignored her on the first day she arrived in the capital, leaving her alone in this mansion to be bullied.
Fei Lan quickly tied her hair into a bun and urged, "Miss, let's go quickly. I heard that the Marquis's wife has a strict temper. If we are late, it will be bad."
Yueli stood up depressedly and took Feilan to the front yard.
When Daimao saw her coming out, he rolled his eyes and led the way impatiently.
Yueli stared at her back and really wanted to kick her.
Front yard, Cixin Hall.
The marquis's wife was wearing a lake blue brocade skirt and a headband. She was sitting on a carved rosewood chair and was being served tea by a maid. When she heard her footsteps coming in, she didn't even raise her head.
At this time, Madam Li, who was beside the Marquis' wife, brought over a cup of tea and said, "Although the young lady entered the mansion in Jiangning, this is her first time meeting the Madam, so she should show all proper etiquette."
Yueli knew that they were going to serve tea, but there wasn't even a futon on the ground, and her face suddenly turned ugly.
But she also understood that if she wanted to stay in the Xiao Mansion, these difficulties were inevitable.
Nanny Li urged again, and Yueli's fingers that were pinching the hem of her skirt slowly loosened, leaving a shallow wrinkle on her skirt.
She reached out to take the teacup and knelt in front of the Marquis's wife: "Madam, please have some tea."
Yue Li was wearing a simple and elegant indigo-colored brocade dress with pear blossom patterns today. Her figure was graceful, and the jade ribbon hanging from her waist swayed slightly with her movements. Even when she knelt there with her head bowed, she was as beautiful as a painting.
The Marquis's wife frowned slightly. Such a charming woman, who came from those places, would be fine if she kept her by her side as a concubine, but what she feared most was that such a person would have thoughts that should not be there.
I talked to Xiao Mingcheng last night, and he agreed to get married, but he said that he wanted to choose someone with a good character and who is tolerant. Once the bride comes home, he will make Yueli his concubine.
The Marquis's wife was not very happy about this, but it was not good to reject her son's kindness just after he came back. She just wanted to give Yue Li a good beating to make her realize her identity.
The Marquis's wife didn't take the tea. Instead, she started talking to Nanny Li: "Have you got all the portraits that were sent yesterday?"
Nanny Li understood and said, "They are all in the study. In my opinion, the most outstanding one is Duke Jiang's daughter. She and our Crown Prince are truly a perfect match."
Yueli clasped the edge of the teacup with her fingers. She hadn't done this kind of serving work for many years, and her knees and arms ached.
But the Marquis's wife kept saying those irritating words to her, which made her bite her lips tightly, feeling both aggrieved and bitter in her heart.
It’s not that I like Xiao Mingcheng very much, but compared to those playboys I met in Chunfeng Pavilion before, Xiao Mingcheng is a breath of fresh air.
He is a man of integrity and very tolerant of her. She often loses her temper with him but he never gets angry.
Yueli felt uncomfortable as she thought about it. If she lost this support, where would she go?
The Marquis's wife caught a glimpse of her pale face and red eyes, then she slowly took the tea.
"Get up."
Yueli pursed her lips tightly, and her body swayed a little when she stood up. She subconsciously held on to the table beside her.
The Guanyin statue on the table almost fell down because of her movements. The Marquis's wife frowned and scolded, "It's not polite."
Yueli lowered her head and said nothing, letting her words go in one ear and out the other, so as not to feel uncomfortable if she heard them.
The Marquis's wife said a few words to her, then closed her eyes in annoyance. "Forget it. I know your background, and I don't expect you to learn these rules in a short time."
"Starting tomorrow, come to me every day and learn the rules for two hours."
Yueli almost blurted out curse words.
I've only been here for less than half an hour today and I'm already exhausted. How can I wait two hours?
She was so angry that she couldn't eat for the whole day.
In the evening, Xiao Mingcheng returned home. After listening to Xiao Lu's account of what happened today, he went to Cixin Hall first.
After dining with the Marquis's wife, he said, "Mother, Yueli is not feeling well, so she doesn't need to learn these rules."
"You're not feeling well?" The Marquis's wife frowned. Seeing how thin she was today, if she wasn't feeling well, how could she give her son more children?
Her face turned even worse.
"You're on her side, but don't you see how unruly she is?" The Marquis's wife pointed at the statue of Guanyin on the table. "She almost dropped my things while serving tea."
Xiao Mingcheng had no choice but to agree, "It's her fault today. I'll deduct one month's allowance from her as a warning. Don't be angry, mother."
After comforting the Marquis's wife, Xiao Mingcheng couldn't help but hold his forehead on the way back to his own courtyard.
I don’t know how Yueli will make trouble later.
Sure enough, as soon as he entered the room, he saw a soft pillow thrown at him.
Xiao Mingcheng took a deep breath, picked up the pillow and walked over: "I have already told my mother, you don't need to learn the rules."
Yueli was about to cry, but was stunned when she heard this. The tears were stuck in her eyes and seemed to be unable to fall. It was quite cute.
Xiao Mingcheng smiled softly: "Mother has a strict temper, so you have to be more patient."
"I'll be very busy these days and won't be able to take care of you. If you're willing, I'll send you to a villa outside the city for a few days. It's quiet there, and I'll pick you up when I'm done."
Yueli's eyes widened: "Are you going to kick me out?"
"No, I just want you to go and relax. If you have a conflict with your mother in the mansion, she is the elder, so you have to be patient. Besides, I'm not home recently, so there's no one to protect you."
Yueli was depressed for a while after hearing this before she nodded in agreement.
But she still couldn't be happy. She had done nothing wrong. It was clearly the Marquis's wife who was deliberately finding fault.
She wanted Xiao Mingcheng to stand on her side, but it was obvious that this filial son would not favor her. Letting her move out temporarily was his compromise.
*
The next day, Yueli boarded a carriage to the villa.
Xiao Mingcheng was too busy to send her off, so Yueli only found out in the morning that her money had been withheld. She was very unhappy. If she had known that Xiao Mingcheng was so stingy, she would not have asked him to redeem her.
It’s better to stay in Jiangning.
At least in Chunfeng Pavilion, people had to pay her for sleeping with them. But now, in the Xiao family, Xiao Mingcheng not only didn't pay her but also withheld her monthly salary.
The opposite of Tiangang!
Yueli angrily pulled at the deer hair on the carpet, almost pulling that small piece out.
Suddenly, the carriage jolted and Yueli's head hit the door frame.
She suddenly became angry and pulled back the curtain and was about to curse when she saw that the curtain of the carriage that had collided with her was also pulled back.
The sunlight shining through the door curtain illuminated the man's handsome and sharp face. The fingers he used to brush open the curtain were long and slender, with distinct joints. Through his slightly slipped sleeves, one could faintly see a strong and powerful arm.
Yue Li held her breath for a moment.
But in a flash, her gaze moved down along the man's figure.
It fell on the gleaming Hetian jade cloud-patterned jade pendant around his waist.
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