Yan Xia sat in the chair, looking down at him.
Upon hearing this, Feng Shi abruptly stopped.
He didn't want to lie to Manager Yan anymore, but if the secret were revealed...
Will Manager Yan help him keep it a secret?
"I do have a secret, and I can tell you about it, but will you keep it a secret for me?"
Feng Shi's gaze was very complex.
"If you tell me, I will. It depends on whether you believe me or not. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine too. Just leave after dinner. Remember, if you tell me, I will keep you here, no matter who you were before."
Although Yan Xia's voice was gentle, it was firm and resolute, each word striking Feng Shi's heart.
His eyes gradually became lifeless.
"I was once the son of a third-rank official. My father was framed by a villain and beheaded. My mother hanged herself, my elder brother was beaten to death with clubs, my grandparents died vomiting blood, and my maternal grandparents' family was destroyed. I was rescued by my page..."
They talked for almost half an hour.
He stopped talking only when the time was right.
He looked at Yan Xia with tears in his eyes.
"Wang Dagen's name can be changed; it's too awful, and unlucky for the times. Jingyu can't use it either, lest it attract unwanted attention. From today onwards, I'll give you the surname Yan and change your name to Jinyu. You'll come back to Jiashu County with me; that's my base of operations. You have a grudge against the magistrate of Jiangnan County, and I don't trust you to stay here. This matter needs careful consideration. Trading one life for another is the stupidest thing to do. Good and evil will ultimately be rewarded; it's just not the right time yet. Go take a bath later, change into new clothes, leave that filthy place, and start anew. I'll tell the servants to boil water for you. We'll change your name again when we get back to Shuangqiao Town. I have some business to attend to; I'll be back in a bit..."
With connections, changing one's surname and given name is as easy as taking a dump.
As for his hatred, Yan Xia could understand it. This kind of corrupt official, who disregarded human life, must be a greedy official. In addition, what happened in the alley that day, Meng Yu seemed to say that the leader of those playboys was the county magistrate's only son.
Heh, just look at that spoiled brat, and you'll know what kind of person the county magistrate is. If he were a good person, how could he have raised such a scoundrel?
Ultimately, fathers and sons are just the same kind of people.
She wouldn't mind helping Jinyu out in the future.
Remembering that today was a delivery to Yuanshan, and he still didn't know the address of the house, Yan Xia finished speaking and prepared to go to Deng Qiuzhi's shop to say hello.
"Yes, Master."
"No need to call me master. You are not my servant. From now on, just call me Sister Xia, or Auntie. Anyway, I'm more than twelve years older than you. Oh, here's the ointment. Remember to apply it after you take a bath."
Of course, Jin Yu wouldn't call her Aunt Xia.
At least they'd slept in the same bed once...
His thoughts drifted away, and by the time he came to his senses, Yan Xia was already gone.
A box of plasters was placed on the table in front of him, still warm to the touch.
Not long after, a maid with a birthmark on half of her face knocked on the door.
"Young Master Jinyu, the water is ready. Would you like to wash in the washroom, or would you like the bucket to be carried into the room?"
"Let's go to the washroom."
"Yes, young master, I will go and fetch you water right away. Please wait for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before bringing down your change of clothes."
"Um."
Bao Dong was very tactful; he kept his head down the whole time he spoke.
He didn't look at Jin Yu's face, not even for a second.
Yan Xia went to Deng Qiuzhi's shop and wrote down the address of the new house for him.
So that I wouldn't have to go to the inn again when delivering goods to the distant mountains at night.
When I got home, dinner was already prepared, and two maids carried the food to the pavilion in the backyard.
There was a candle in the pavilion, and a gauze curtain was drawn around it. When not in use, it could be drawn up like a curtain, so that it could be seen without a candle on a May evening. But Yan Xia still asked Bao Qiu to light a candle.
"Master, let's put down the gauze curtains too. Summer is almost here, and there are already mosquitoes in the courtyard."
"Okay, you all go and eat too. Remember to leave a portion of food for the delivery driver. Is Jinyu's room ready?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, everything has been prepared. The bedding has been laid out, so please rest assured. The food is also warm in the pot."
"Okay, then you should go eat now."
"Yes, Master."
The gauze curtains of the pavilion were lowered.
Only Yan Xia and Jin Yu remained.
There are three dishes and a soup on the table.
One dish of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, one dish of cucumber stir-fried with eggs, and one dish of eggplant stewed with meat.
And a bowl of loofah and meatball soup.
The two maids returned to the kitchen and saw Qian Shan and Qian Lin sitting at the low table, holding bowls of rice and waiting for them.
The table was set with the same three dishes and one soup.
"Sister Baodong, Sister Baoqiu, you two are finally back. Come and eat! I've served you a full bowl of rice. Our master is so kind, letting us eat such good food. I'm so lucky to have met such a wonderful master."
Little cripple Qian Lin looked happy. He sat obediently on a small stool in the kitchen, holding a large bowl of rice in his left hand and chopsticks in his right. He waited for Bao Qiu and Bao Dong to come back before taking his first bite.
"Why are you waiting for us? You guys eat first. We're all family, no need to be so polite. Baoqiu, let's eat quickly, we still need to clean up for our master later."
"Yes, I understand, Sister Baodong."
The two sat down, picked up their rice bowls, and began to eat.
A mouthful of soft, sticky rice, a mouthful of fragrant vegetables.
Their mouths were dripping with oil from the food.
Happiness radiated from all four faces.
They would never have dared to dream of such a life before.
Yan Xia and Jin Yu on the other side had already started.
Before long, the two of them had finished all the three dishes and soup.
After the meal, Baoqiu and Baodong came over and cleaned the table, then brought a pot of tea and placed it on the table.
After chatting with Jin Yu for half an hour, Yan Xia went for a walk by the river to digest her food.
I arrived home just in time to see the distant mountains.
"Aunt Yan, I'm late today. I was delayed on the way. Have you eaten yet?"
"I've already eaten. Go ahead and eat. The food's warming up for you in the kitchen. You can stay here when you're delivering goods from now on. By the way, take me with you when you leave tomorrow morning. When are you leaving?"
"Auntie, I'm leaving early, at the end of Yin hour, but it's okay if I leave a little later tomorrow, around Mao hour."
"Alright, Qian Shan, take Yuan Shan to the kitchen and tell Qian Lin to take good care of the horses. Make sure they're well-fed, understand?"
"Yes, Master."
After giving his instructions, Qian Shan left with Yuan Shan, while Yan Xia and Jin Yu went upstairs together.
The two rooms were separated by only one wall.
They're all on the second floor.
"Go back to your room and get some sleep. We'll set off early tomorrow morning. When you get to Shuangqiao Town, remember to tell them you're a distant cousin of mine."
You must never let others know your previous identity.
Even if he only performs his art and doesn't sell his body, it will still become a point of attack for others. Yan Xia plans to make him her assistant and entrust him with tasks in the future.
After chatting for so long, Yan Xia discovered that Jin Yu's views were completely different from those of people in ancient times; he could even come up with ideas similar to advertising hype.
If he could help.
My own branches will definitely open more and more.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
