Xiao Yunying comforted her for a moment, telling her to rest well, and then led Luo Xin back to her own room.
She felt sorry for the girl's plight. If she hadn't really been desperate, why would she brave the cold and wind and rain to ask for help from a stranger she had only met once?
Luo Xin put the building blocks she was holding on the table and said, "Mom, that sister was so pitiful."
Xiao Yunying sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed): "You little girl, do you even know what it means to be pitiful?"
Luo Xin nodded: "I know, that sister is covered in injuries, has no food to eat, and has been sold by her parents several times. She's really pitiful."
Even when the family was struggling to get enough to eat, her mother never considered selling her and her brothers.
Although they often used this to scare people, it was just a scare tactic; they never actually betrayed their siblings.
This older sister's parents don't care about her at all.
Xiao Yunying ruffled Luo Xin's hair: "Do you want her to stay?"
Luo Xin was young and innocent, kind-hearted, and didn't understand the concerns of adults. She said whatever came to mind:
“That older sister said she can do a lot of work. Mom, we have so much land, can’t we keep her here to work? At least she can have enough to eat if she stays with us.”
Xiao Yunying did not directly refuse: "Little girl, you're thinking too simply."
The girl looked pitiful, but they had only met twice, and she didn't know what kind of person he was.
She felt that the girl's mind was not as innocent and harmless as she appeared.
She immediately took advantage of being the weaker party, trying to gain his sympathy while attempting to seduce him with her beauty.
Unfortunately, he miscalculated; he wasn't a man.
Although it involves a bit of scheming, it doesn't seem to be a big deal at the moment.
This kind of person is more clever and quick-witted, making them easier to use than those who are dull and slow to understand.
The downside is that they are too quick-witted. Such people have too many uncontrollable factors and are prone to having inappropriate thoughts.
We do not yet know what kind of person the other party is.
While it's not an absolute secret to grow our own vegetables, and to do other things in the future, we need to be more vigilant and not let outsiders know everything easily.
This girl is now a free person, and I don't have any means to control her, so I'm really not comfortable using her.
After much deliberation, I finally decided that I couldn't keep her.
At noon, Xiao Yunying prepared two light dishes and served some to the girl.
After having dinner with Luo Xin and clearing the table, she made a packet of cold medicine and brought it over to that Miss Zheng.
"This is medicine for treating typhoid fever, drink it."
The girl thanked him, picked up the bowl, and drank it all in one gulp. Xiao Yunying pushed the pine nut candy towards her, saying, "Have a piece of dried apricot to get rid of the bitterness in your mouth."
"No need, this medicine isn't bitter."
Compared to traditional Chinese medicine decoction, cold medicine granules are naturally not bitter. Xiao Yunying had developed the habit of taking medicine herself, and she would prepare candied fruit and candy whenever she saw someone taking medicine.
The girl's eyes kept glancing at the dried apricots. Xiao Yunying could tell she wanted some, so she took one and handed it to her, saying, "Eat it. It's nothing expensive, don't refuse."
The girl blushed again, whispered her thanks, and took the food, putting it in her mouth.
She sent Luo Xin out to feed the two dogs, intending to have a serious talk with the girl.
Perhaps sensing that Xiao Yunying's reply was not to her liking, she swallowed the apricot and lowered her head, waiting for the other party to speak.
Xiao Yunying carefully chose her words: "Miss Zheng, I deeply sympathize with your situation."
But as you can see, I'm just an ordinary farm girl with limited skills. If you're good at embroidery, I can introduce you to a place where you can sell your embroidery.
This is the only way I can help you; there's nothing else I can do.
As soon as Xiao Yunying finished speaking, the girl's tears fell onto the table.
“My benefactor, I know I was too frivolous and impolite, but I really had no other choice.”
I've heard that the old rich man has some unspeakable fetish; he enjoys torturing young women in various ways. Most of his concubines die within a year. If I were to marry him, I certainly wouldn't live long.”
Xiao Yunying was truly powerless to help. According to this Miss Zheng's description, her family members were all the kind of people who were greedy for money, unreasonable and argumentative. She really didn't want to get involved with such a family.
“I want to help you, but I have no choice. If I keep you here, what if your family goes to the government office and accuses me of human trafficking?”
The girl seemed to have made up her mind long ago. She got up and knelt on the ground: "Benefactor, I am willing to sign a contract of servitude, a contract of death. I can go to the yamen with you to sign the contract to show that I am doing this voluntarily and not being coerced."
I want nothing but to stay by my benefactor's side, to serve him tea and water, and to repay his life-saving kindness. I beg you, my benefactor, please accept me.
After saying that, he kept kowtowing, this time with great force. After only three or four kowtows, his forehead was red.
"Hey, why are you kneeling down again? Get up quickly."
Xiao Yunying, feeling a headache coming on, tried to help her up, but couldn't budge her after a couple of pulls. Her tone became stern: "Get up right now. I don't like people who kneel all the time. If you like kneeling, then leave now."
Seeing that Xiao Yunying seemed a little angry, the girl immediately got up from the ground, stood aside, and carefully observed her expression, saying, "My benefactor, please don't be angry. I will not disobey you in the future."
Xiao Yunying sighed helplessly. This Miss Zheng's eyes were really beautiful, large and bright, with clear eyes that made it hard to refuse her.
"Have you thought this through? Once you sign the death contract, you'll go from being a free person to a slave. Although you'll be cut off from your family, as you said, your life will be mine, and you won't even have a say in it."
“I am willing. My life was saved by my benefactor, and I am willing to repay him with my life. I am not afraid of hardship. I only ask that my benefactor give me a meal.”
Looking into those big, tearful eyes, Xiao Yunying simply couldn't bring herself to refuse.
She had another plan.
During this time, that bastard Liu Ge has been hanging around her house all the time, I don't know what kind of bad scheme he's plotting.
When she's not home, she sends Luo Xin and Gouzi to her parents' house, leaving the house empty and vulnerable to being taken advantage of.
Another reason is that her own home is large, with many blind spots, so if she wants to do something, she can't keep an eye on Luo Xin all the time.
If this Miss Zheng stays, there will be one more person to help take care of Xin'er, and I won't have to be distracted from my own work.
Or it would be good to watch the house for someone when you're not home.
It's just one more mouth to feed; I can support myself.
After all, she wasn't living alone. Xiao Yunying thought for a moment and said, "I'm not living alone at home. I need to discuss it with the children."
The girl clutched the hem of her dress with both hands and said nervously, "I...I'm not in a hurry. My benefactor and family can discuss it slowly."
Xiao Yunying said, "You don't need to be so nervous. Even if we can't keep you here, we won't send you away right away. You can recover before you leave."
The girl murmured, "Thank you, young lady."
Xiao Yunying glanced at the wound on her forehead; this girl was quite ruthless towards herself.
"Look at your head, why did you hit it so hard? It's all swollen. Sit here, I'll go get you some medicine."
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