The other one also coughed dryly twice, and said in a strangely comforting tone, "That's right. She's much better than those bland bastards and wives of ours! As long as there are tangible benefits, it's fine! Reputation can't be eaten! From now on, when we live behind closed doors, how you want to 'train' her is up to you."
"That's right! As long as we bring the person back, that's all that matters! The rest is unimportant!"
The comfort from his brothers was like a thorny vine, entwining Yao Zhenyun.
He let out a whimper in his throat, flicked his sleeves, turned around and rushed out of the main hall.
Outside the hall, rare fine snowflakes began to fall.
Cold white spots fell quietly, trying to cover the red debris, firecracker paper scraps, and dirty traces left by horse hooves in the courtyard.
…
In a small, dilapidated courtyard in a corner of the northern part of the capital, there was a faint smell of mold and the lingering bitter aroma of wild vegetables.
The yard was small and cramped, with some broken items piled up in the corners, and the paper coverings on the doors and windows of the main house had several holes in them.
Liao Lingxi sat at a creaky old wooden table, holding a rough porcelain bowl with a chip on its edge.
The bowl contained a green, sticky substance, which was the source of the bitter taste - wild vegetable soup.
He gulped down two large gulps without frowning, as if he were eating some delicacies from the mountains and the sea.
"vomit…"
A suppressed retching sound came from across the table.
Sang Wenyin's face was pale, she covered her chest with her hands, and stirred the wild vegetable soup in the bowl with the tip of her chopsticks, which she had only moved twice. She could no longer bear it and slammed the chopsticks on the table with a "bang".
"Eating this again! Liao Lingxi, how long are we going to keep eating this? My throat tastes like rotten grass leaves!"
The once pampered eldest daughter of the Sang family, now, after only ten days, her cheeks have become slightly sunken. The material she wears is the lowest quality cotton, the color is dull.
The only ones serving by her side were the two trusted maids she had brought with her. They both had hunched shoulders and their faces lacked the lively look of the past.
Liao Lingxi finished the last mouthful of soup, licked the rim of the bowl, and then looked at her, forcing a helpless yet earnest smile on his face: "Wenyin, bear with it, bear with it a little longer. We just settled down, and the expenses are high. The rent for this yard, three meals a day, which one is free?"
He sighed and scratched his gray gown in distress. "The tuition fee has been completely filled, but as for the teacher... well, how can I even think about it now? The spring exams are almost here..."
He stopped talking halfway, leaving behind infinite regret. The eyes looking at Sang Wenyin were wet and full of the pain of "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do."
Sang Wenyin was filled with anger, and when she complained to Liao Lingxi, she felt like a balloon that had been punctured by a needle.
She was most susceptible to his gaze. Her heart softened, and she couldn't help but feel a little guilty when she thought about how he had a bright future and was dragged down to this point by her.
"Forget it," she waved her hand dejectedly, picked up her chopsticks again, and forced herself to stuff the sticky vegetable leaves into her mouth, complaining incoherently, "But you have to eat some meat, right? Even cows and horses can't stand eating grass leaves every day. Even if I go to that little restaurant on the corner and have a bowl of shredded pork noodles..."
Her requirements have been reduced to an extremely low level, with a hint of cautious temptation.
Liao Lingxi's face froze for a moment, then he let out a deeper bitter smile. "Restaurant? Wenyin, we don't have much money. Please be understanding. Actually, if you hadn't insisted on coming out with me, and if you could have taken your lavish dowry with you, with all that gold and silver, why would we have ended up like this? I'm afraid we would have been eating delicacies every day..."
As he spoke, he looked at Sang Wenyin, his eyes clear in meaning: Look, it's all your fault for being impulsive, and you've lost the wealth that should have belonged to us.
Sang Wenyin swallowed the bitter wild vegetables, but a light suddenly flashed in her eyes: "Yes! Dowry!"
She seemed to have grasped a lifeline, her whole spirit lifted. "Those things went with the sedan chair! But the sedan chair was carrying Cui Yan! She's just a servant pretending to be the mistress. The shrewd people in the Yao family must have discovered it long ago! If they found out she's not the real mistress, how could the Yao family have the nerve to swallow all that dowry? They must return it! To the Sang family!"
She became more and more excited as she spoke, dancing with joy: "My mother! The dowry list was all arranged by my mother! She knows which ones are my favorites! After the things are returned to the Sang Mansion, I will find a chance to meet my mother secretly, and she will definitely secretly get the valuables out for me! As long as we can get a little bit, we will be well off! We can get through this, and wait for you to recover and take the exam!"
Liao Lingxi's cloudy eyes were instantly lit up by this huge hope: "Yes! Yes! Wenyin, you are right! The Yao family is a family of scholars and respects reputation the most! We will never take a maid's dowry for nothing! We will return it! We will definitely return it!"
He rubbed his hands excitedly, "It's almost time! Once the things are returned to the Sang Mansion, it will be our turn!"
…
The next morning, it was still light and a little chilly.
Sang Wenyin and Liao Lingxi appeared stealthily at the entrance of a relatively quiet alley outside the Sang Mansion.
They didn't dare to get too close, let alone appear on the bustling street in front of the main gate of the Sang Mansion. They could only hide in this inconspicuous corner.
The corners were dirty, and there were traces of feces and urine left by the thieves last night.
The two men completely disregarded their image, endured the stench, and stared at the noble vermilion lacquer gate of the Sang Mansion in the distance, as well as the side door commonly used to transport goods.
The sun climbs from the east to the zenith, and then passes west from overhead.
After guarding for a long time, the main gate of the Sang Mansion was closed. Occasionally, a servant would come in and out of the side door, carrying some rice, flour, vegetables, fruits, and charcoal and firewood. All that was brought in and out were ordinary miscellaneous items.
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