The yellow light came on, the motorcycle started up again, and when the green light came on, the two sped off.
Just as Tang Qi said, the Tang family's gate was wide open, and the two entered smoothly. However, they did not go straight to the residence, but instead went around to the servants' quarters.
"You suddenly said you were coming to the Tang family late at night, which startled me."
"I thought you knew because you just replied 'ten minutes'."
Lan Xing rubbed his nose and chuckled. "It's all about speed, isn't it? Pretty loyal, huh?"
Lan Xing nudged Meng Wan with her elbow, and the latter nudged him back, their tacit understanding was self-evident.
"But why aren't you going to the villa? What are you doing here?"
The two walked around and arrived at the main entrance, where Butler Chen was already waiting.
Meng Wan nodded to Lan Xing, who understood and made a zipper-like motion.
“Miss Meng…” Butler Chen bowed his head slightly.
"Butler Chen, lead the way."
Meng Wan didn't say any pleasantries and went straight to the point.
Butler Chen nodded, turned around, and led the two into the servants' quarters. Although Lan Xing was curious, she didn't ask any questions and silently followed Meng Wan.
The two followed Butler Chen and stopped at the end of the corridor.
"Liu Mei is inside."
"Thank you for your help." As soon as Meng Wan finished speaking, Butler Chen left.
"I won't go in. I'll wait for you at the entrance." Lan Xing shrugged and pointed to the corner.
After watching Lan Xing leave, Meng Wan knocked on the door. There was a slight noise from inside, and the door opened after a short while.
"Young Miss?" Aunt Liu was taken aback, thinking she had mistaken the person for someone else.
"Aunt Liu, it's been a long time."
"Why are you here so late at night?" Aunt Liu opened the door, and Meng Wan then saw her hand with a cast on.
"I heard you were injured, so I came to see you. May I come in?"
"It's convenient, of course it's convenient, but the room is a bit small. I haven't had time to clean up since my hand is injured, please don't mind."
As he spoke, he made way for Meng Wan to come in.
Aunt Liu has worked here for over ten years, joining around the same time as Butler Chen, so naturally she doesn't have to share a room with the other servants. Although it's just a small single room, it's fully furnished and well-arranged, exuding a simple and unpretentious feel, just like her personality.
"Miss, I'm sorry, I only have water here. The cup is clean, please don't worry." Aunt Liu's skin was a bit dark, as if she had been looked down upon by others, so she was always afraid that others would think she wasn't clean. Fortunately, she was skilled and capable, which was why she had stayed in the Tang family for so long.
Meng Wan is a picky eater, so Aunt Liu tries her best to cook easy-to-eat home-style dishes for her, which is why the Tang family's chefs have changed batch after batch.
If a proper chef is no better than a maid, then what's the point of keeping him around?
“Aunt Liu, I’m no longer the eldest daughter of the Tang family. If you don’t mind, you can just call me Wanwan.” Meng Wan finished speaking and took a sip of water. A faint smile was on her face, which looked soft and beautiful under the light.
"This...how can this be?" Aunt Liu rubbed her hands, looking somewhat at a loss.
"Why not? From the time you came to the Tang family until I left, your concern for me far exceeded what an ordinary servant should do. Now I am no longer the eldest daughter of the Tang family, and there is no longer any superior-subordinate relationship. So why can't I call you 'Wanwan'?"
"This...this..." Aunt Liu's face showed unease, but also some relief.
“You have been well-behaved and sensible since you were a child. If it were someone else, they would definitely like you very much too. I just did what I was supposed to do.”
Aunt Liu came from the mountains. When she was a teenager, her parents forced her to marry a man she had never met. She gave birth to two girls, but they were both abandoned. No matter how much she begged, it was no use. Later, the man died in a mudslide while going up the mountain, and she became a widow and was pointed at and gossiped about.
The village's homeless men kept staring at her. She accidentally killed one of them, served a few years in prison, and after her release, she could only do odd jobs.
Perhaps Meng Wan was too young to remember, but when the eldest son of the Tang family took her to a restaurant, they happened to see her begging the restaurant owner for some work. Little Meng Wan casually pointed, and from that day on, she stayed at the Tang family's house.
"I'm not a young lady anymore. If you still call me young lady, then isn't that..."
"I didn't mean that, I didn't mean that!" Aunt Liu waved her hands repeatedly.
Seeing this, Meng Wan stopped pressuring her.
"Aunt Liu, my biological parents run a small restaurant, and they're a bit overwhelmed right now. They'd like to find an experienced helper, and you're the first person I thought of. But it will definitely be harder than when I was at the Tang family's. Would you be willing to help?"
Meng Wan doesn't like to force others; if the other party is willing, then everyone is happy. If the other party is someone who is willing to be forced, then she will no longer interfere.
She only gets one chance, and she's never been one to argue with people.
"Of course, if you wish to stay in the Tang family, I, Meng Wan, will never bother you again."
The two were silent for a while. Just when Meng Wan thought Aunt Liu would not agree and was about to leave, Aunt Liu suddenly called out to her.
"Young Miss! No... Wanwan!"
Meng Wan raised an eyebrow, a slight smile appearing on her lips.
“I’m all alone. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to come to the Tang family to work. Now that you’re not here, there’s no point in me being here. Rather than being looked down upon here, I might as well follow you. I can do all the dirty and hard work. It’s all service work, so why should I suffer here?”
"Okay, I'll arrange your accommodation. You should rest and recuperate for the next month. I'll have someone come to pick you up in three days."
"Thank you for your trouble, Miss... Wanwan." Upon receiving Meng Wan's gaze, Aunt Liu hurriedly slapped her mouth twice, a smile on her face.
"Then you should get some rest. I'll be going now."
Aunt Liu wanted to see Meng Wan out, but she refused. Helpless, Aunt Liu could only stand at the door and watch Meng Wan leave.
Back in her room, she looked around. To her, it didn't matter where she stayed. Her feelings for the Tang family stemmed from Meng Wan, and now that Meng Wan was gone, there were no other feelings left. All she had to do was fulfill the duties of a servant.
When Meng Wan left, she was reluctant to see her go, but she was also happy for her. After all, she had seen how the Tang family treated Meng Wan over the years. She was such an outstanding child, yet she was neglected and unloved simply because she was a girl.
She knew Meng Wan; if the other party had treated her badly, she wouldn't have mentioned it at all. The fact that she brought it up now and even asked her for help meant she must have met a very good family. Heaven had finally opened its eyes; her young lady was a good child who deserved to be loved.
She often wondered if her two children were still alive, would they be like the young lady, intelligent, beautiful, and kind? Even if they weren't intelligent or beautiful, it wouldn't matter, as long as they could grow up with kind hearts and be safe and sound.
Thinking of this, Aunt Liu wiped away a tear.
Meanwhile, Meng Wan and Lan Xing rushed into the villa and kicked open Tang Zhiyi's door.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
