Butler Hao woke up the sleepy Qingfeng and asked him to stay here to guard the master. He and Xu Lanyin walked out of the hall quietly.
The moon was already at its zenith.
Housekeeper Hao didn't want Xu Lanyin to return to the Hu family now, fearing that the master might suddenly wake up. So he arranged for Zhao Wu to rest in the side room and asked Banyue to take Xu Lanyin to the side room in the courtyard of Miss Minjia to rest.
It was impossible to let Xu Lanyin live in the front yard. Although there was an empty yard in the backyard, it had not been cleaned up. Now, Xu Lanyin was a distinguished guest in the eyes of Housekeeper Hao. Of course, it was impossible to let her live in the unkempt guest room. She had to live in the young lady's yard.
Housekeeper Hao gently instructed Banyue, "Don't wake up my sister. If the master has been sleeping well, please have Miss Xu have breakfast there and come here tomorrow morning." He then smiled at Xu Lanyin, "My sister is six years old and is relatively quiet. She is asleep now and will not get up until the beginning of the Si hour tomorrow."
Zhao Wu nodded to Xu Lanyin, meaning that you can rest assured about Minhu's mansion.
Xu Lanyin followed Banyue to the backyard.
The early summer night breeze was cool and carried the fragrance of flowers. Moonlight filtered through the gaps between the branches and leaves, casting shimmering silver fragments. Walking in the unfamiliar and quiet courtyard, Xu Lanyin's mind was unusually clear.
They walked along a secluded path and came to the second gate, knocked on it, and went directly to a small courtyard.
After gently pushing open the door to the courtyard, Banyue whispered the whole story to the girl who opened the door.
The maid nodded and let the two of them into the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with clusters of flowers, fragrant and so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard, and the creaking of the door opening was unusually noticeable.
The maid took Xu Lanyin to the north room of the west wing. The room was fully furnished. The maid took out new bedding from a large box and spread it out.
Banyue brought warm water, and Xu Lanyin washed her face and feet before Banyue went to the backyard room to rest.
Xu Lanyin locked the door to the west wing and lay down on the bed. After traveling for more than half a year, this was the first time she slept on a soft bed, a bed with carved flowers and bird frames. It felt great.
Through the thin gauze curtains, she stared at the carved window lattices, bathed in moonlight, for a moment in daze. She thought, now that her family was wealthy, she could go to the county town and buy a courtyard and spruce up her house, making it elegant and comfortable, so she wouldn't be wronged. By the time she closed the Yi Ju Restaurant, perhaps Zhao Wu had already been transferred to the provincial capital, and she could settle down there too, opening a teahouse...
She gradually felt sleepy. She closed her eyes but before she fell asleep, she heard a slight noise from the window frame.
Xu Lanyin opened her eyes suddenly, and the sound disappeared. She thought it might be an illusion, so she closed her eyes again, and the sound came again.
She gently stood up and walked to the window, opened the small window with a crack, and a little girl was standing in front of the window.
Xu Lan was so frightened that her hair almost stood up, and she forced her scream into her throat.
Under the bright moonlight, the little girl was about six years old, wearing a white silk dress and trousers, with her long black hair loose. Her facial features were somewhat similar to those of a Fujian girl, but she was very thin, with a pointed chin and a pale face that seemed to have no blood.
In her left hand, the little girl held a stuffed cat. The cat was wearing a blue and white dress, with small flowers on its ears. It was made by Xu Lanyin, probably a gift from Min Nan. Her eyes were large and black, and she looked at Xu Lanyin quietly.
Xu Lanyin had already noticed that this child was different from other children. She wasn't dull or stupid, but rather excessively quiet, as quiet as a pool of stagnant water. Minhu's inner voice said she was speechless...
Xu Lanyin stuck her head out and chuckled softly, "Is that Sister Jia?"
Min Jia neither nodded nor shook his head, but picked up the big cat doll in his hand and shook it.
Xu Lanyin understood. She must have seen the little cat doll she was wearing. She smiled and said, "I know the big cat in your hand. I have a little cat, which is its baby."
As she spoke, she turned around and took the kitten doll that was placed together with the coat. The kitten was exactly the same as the big cat in Minjia's hand, even the color of the skirt was the same, but it was much smaller.
The little girl's silent eyes shrank slightly.
Xu Lanyin shook the kitten doll in her hand and said with a smile, "How about I give this kitten to you so that mother and daughter can be reunited?"
A hint of joy flashed across Min Jia's silent eyes, and his face suddenly became lively. Xu Lanyin handed the kitten doll out the window, and Min Jia raised his hand to take it, but he didn't mean to leave.
The night wind was still a little chilly. Xu Lan was worried that she would catch a cold, so she smiled and said, "It's getting late, sister, go back and rest."
Min Jia looked at her quietly, his feet as if rooted to the ground and not moving at all.
Xu Lanyin thought for a moment and then said softly, "I also made the big cat in your hand. I used to live happily with this little cat. One day, I went to visit Aunt Nan's house and gave the big cat to her. When I got home, I found that the little cat was crying sadly. I felt very regretful and shouldn't have separated them. Now everything is fine. Mother and baby are reunited, and we will never be separated again."
She wanted to have a good relationship with the girl, so she made up this lie.
Xu Lanyin noticed that when she said "the kitten was crying because it was sad", tears welled up in Min Jia's eyes. At this time, the little girl looked like a child of a few years old.
When she said "We will never be separated again", Min Jia's lips curled up and his eyes curved.
Xu Lanyin felt that she might have accidentally touched the child's softest spot.
She smiled and said, "Sister, you hope that Cat Mommy and Cat Baby will be together forever, right?"
Min Jia nodded.
Xu Lanyin continued, "Then come in, sister, and Aunt Xu will prepare a beautiful home for them."
We can't let the little girl stand in the night wind all the time. Let her go inside first and wait for her nurse or maid to come and pick her up.
After hearing this, Min Jia really walked towards the door of the wing room.
Xu Lanyin lit the candle on the table, opened the door and invited Min Jia in.
Such a sensitive child, Xu Lanyin didn't dare to get too close to her. She always stayed two steps away from her and let the little girl sit on a chair in the bedroom.
Xu Lanyin looked around and saw a plum blossom-shaped lacquered box with eight treasures on the chest of drawers. She went over to remove the lid and took it. She also took a piece of blue silk tablecloth from the high table, folded it and put it inside the lid, and even piled two more layers on the side to use as a pillow.
Then, he smiled at Min Jia and said, "Put the cat mother and the cat baby up there. They are sleepy."
Min Jia was stunned for a moment, feeling quite curious. He carefully put the two cat dolls in his hands into the lid and adjusted their positions to make them sleep more comfortably.
After putting them away, Xu Lanyin looked around and found nothing better to cover the cat dolls with. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and covered the two cat dolls with it. She smiled at Min Jia and said, "Sister, look, do their pillows and quilts look good?"
Min Jia nodded and stared at the cat doll intently.
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