Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Pomegranates have many seeds and are the perfect gift for newlyweds...
"Madam." Xie Zhiyan put down the book in his hand, placed his knuckles on the edge of the table, and tapped it regularly.
Sheng Puzhu's heartbeat suddenly quickened, and he stopped, not daring to move forward.
Xie Zhiyan looked up at her with a hint of a smile in his eyes. He spoke in a low, slow voice, "This cloth tiger is an old item from over ten years ago. My grandmother kept it in a box. It hasn't been exposed to the sun for a long time."
After a pause, he continued, "If Madam likes it, why not have Madam Du take it down, wash it, and then dry it in the sun."
"What do you think, ma'am?"
Just sunbathing?
"Okay." Sheng Puzhu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't help but look at him and ask, "Didn't my husband say he forgot?"
Xie Zhiyan stood up and walked in front of her, his voice lowered: "I forgot before, but when I thought about how Madam likes it, I suddenly remembered it."
He suddenly leaned over, his fingertips brushing against her earlobe. "Madam, you have such a delicate complexion. If you use even a little too much force, it would turn red."
"If it's too serious, I'll cry; if it's too light, I'll be dissatisfied."
"Such a coarse material, rubbing it on Madam's skin."
"I won't be able to bear it."
What bullshit is he talking about!
"Thank you...thank you Zhiyan!"
"It's daytime now." Sheng Puzhu felt his gaze falling, scanning every inch of her skin bit by bit, even through the thick winter clothes, it was still burning.
"Yeah, I know."
"I'm just concerned about Madam. Doesn't Madam want to sleep in my arms?" Xie Zhiyan raised the corners of his lips, his eyes dark and deep.
Sheng Puzhu was inexplicably stung by his matter-of-fact tone, and for a moment she couldn't figure out what he meant.
"Madam Du." Xie Zhiyan called out.
"My dear."
Xie Zhiyan pointed to the cloth tiger on the couch and said, "Take it down, wash it, dry it over charcoal, and put it back on my wife's bed tonight."
"Yes." Nanny Du did not dare to delay. She came in quietly, took the things and left quietly.
The room was so quiet that we could hear each other's breathing.
Sheng Puzhu looked up at him. The afternoon sun shone through the window, casting a soft light on the man's handsome face. Xie Zhiyan lowered his eyes slightly, and his long eyelashes held an ambiguous and affectionate look.
He has thin lips, a high nose bridge, interlaced shadows, and the curve of his lips seems to contain a subtle smile.
A casual glance made her a little dazed, and even her breathing became quiet.
"My wife."
"The housekeeper from the main room has brought the matching cards over." Li Shuang reported from the corridor.
Sheng Puzhu was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and met Xie Zhiyan's half-smile. He felt awkward as if he had been caught being spied on.
She quickly stood up and walked out.
Nanny Wang smiled and stepped forward to greet him. "My lady, be well."
"My surname is Wang, and I am a servant serving the Madam."
Seeing Sheng Puzhu nod with a smile, Nanny Wang continued, "This box contains the match cards of the housekeeper. I am delivering them to you, Madam, according to the Madam's instructions."
"Thank you for your hard work, Madam." Sheng Puzhu did not reach out to take it, but asked Li Shuang to bring the tea to Madam Wang.
Nanny Wang looked at the box in her arms, then at the teacup in Li Shuang's hand, and for a moment she didn't know what to do.
"Is my aunt feeling better?" Sheng Puzhu asked.
Nanny Wang's face was bitter, and she shook her head: "I'm too sad to get out of bed for a while."
She was telling the truth. Otherwise, considering how much Qin valued the power of the housekeeper, she would not have handed over the things so easily, unless her current physical condition really couldn't sustain it.
"So, I'll need to trouble you to take care of my wife's household for a while." Nanny Wang handed the box forward again.
Sheng Puzhu still refused to take it, the smile in her eyes not changing at all: "Since you are in charge, then Nanny Wang will keep this pair of cards for me for the time being."
"This... this... this is not possible." The expression on Nanny Wang's face was visibly panicked. She instantly felt that the box in her hand was a hot potato.
"How can I not do that?"
"Mammy is a person who is highly valued by my aunt."
"Please keep these pairs of cards for me for the time being. Auntie should be most relieved." Sheng Puju smiled.
Qin sent the right cards, firstly because of the pressure from the old lady, and secondly because her body really couldn't handle it.
But she also didn't want Sheng Puzhu to get the housekeeper power so easily, so she came up with this trick. She handed over the cards but not the account books. As for the personal relationships with the servants in the family, as well as all the purchasing requirements, she planned to use illness as an excuse and not say a word.
As long as Sheng Puzhu receives the right card, the power of the housekeeper will be handed over.
If she doesn't care at that time, Sheng Puzhu will have no one to order around and will be left in the dark. After she recovers, she will have a perfect excuse to take back the power of housekeeper.
Unfortunately, no matter how much Qin planned, she never expected that Sheng Puzhu would not accept it at all.
The pit has been dug, but what can you do if the other party doesn't jump into it? You can only watch and worry.
Seeing the embarrassed expression on Nanny Wang's face, Sheng Puzhu sat upright on the chair, holding a cup of Huoshan Huangya tea in her hand, tasting it slowly and carefully.
"My wife."
"What about this pair of cards?" Nanny Wang asked anxiously.
"Of course, please keep it for me, Madam." Sheng Puzhu put down the teacup, stood up, walked over slowly, and looked down at Madam Wang who was bowing and not daring to say a word.
"But I am of low status and this is against the rules." Nanny Wang's hands were shaking.
Sheng Puzhu spoke in a gentle voice, looking dignified and kind. "She's someone close to Madam's great aunt, and she's deeply trusted by her aunt. She's managing the cards for me, and for her aunt as well."
"My aunt is seriously ill and can't manage the household, so I'm taking over. It just so happens that Mammy goes to the meeting room with me every day at 9:00 PM, bringing the matching cards from the box. If I don't understand something, Mammy can probably give me some pointers."
Nanny Wang was speechless. If she refused, it would mean that she was unwilling to assist housekeeper Sheng Puzhu, but if she agreed, how would Qin think of her?
"My servant is stupid."
"I'm afraid it's not really about giving any advice." Nanny Wang's mouth was bitter, her heart was in a mess, and she had no idea how to report back.
"Madam." Sheng Puzhu's voice was soft and gentle, and the smile in her eyes was even more meaningful. "It is important for a person to know himself."
Nanny Wang's knees finally gave way, and she fell to her knees with a thump: "I dare not."
Sheng Puzhu smiled and asked Li Shuang to help the man up: "Madam, there is no need to do this. Madam, just focus on taking care of the cards."
"yes."
"I know."
As soon as Nanny Wang left, Xie Qingshu came over.
The young lady, who had just come of age, had a fresh complexion, but unfortunately her eyes were red and swollen from crying today, and her clothes were no longer as exquisite as before.
"Sister-in-law Puzhu." Xie Qingshu saluted Sheng Puzhu in a hoarse voice, holding a bamboo basket in her hand.
"Qingshu, please sit down." Sheng Puju smiled gently.
Xie Qingshu didn't dare look at her. After a long while, she raised the basket in her hand and said, "I...I came here today to apologize to my sister-in-law."
"Mother is worried because my brother did some stupid things. I shouldn't have come to disturb my sister-in-law's peace, but if you don't ask, I..." Xie Qingshu's face flushed red, and she didn't know what to do.
Sheng Puzhu slowly fiddled with the teacup, her eyes sweeping over the pomegranates in Xie Qingshu's bamboo basket. She looked at her calmly, "These words don't sound like something Sister Qingshu would normally say."
Xie Qingshu was exposed and almost lost her grip on the basket, which fell to the ground.
"Who taught you that?"
"If it were any other day, Qingshu would definitely come to question me angrily. It's not possible that just because she's reached the age of marriage, she has grown up overnight, right?"
Xie Qingshu's face suddenly changed. She was the youngest child of the Qin family. Compared to the expectations she had for the eldest son, she loved the youngest daughter so much that she wanted to pick all the stars in the sky.
So although Xie Qingshu's temper was not bad, she was brought up to be very domineering. Sheng Puju had been married to the Duke of Jingguo's Mansion for two years, and she had spoken to Xie Qingshu no more than ten sentences. Naturally, she did not believe that with Xie Qingshu's temper, she would come to apologize for no reason.
As expected, Xie Qingshu wiped the corner of her eyes fiercely with her sleeve. She pursed her lips stubbornly and said, "I'm not here to apologize."
"My second brother forced me to come."
"Not only did he apologize, but my second brother even personally picked all the reddest and most beautiful pomegranates in his yard, saying he wanted to apologize to my sister-in-law."
"If it weren't for my second brother forcing me, I wouldn't be willing to come."
Xie Qingshu said angrily.
Sheng Puzhu was stunned for a moment.
Qin's second legitimate son, Xie Jiyan?
A strange look flashed in Sheng Puju's eyes. She actually had no impression of Xie Jiyan. She had seen him once on their wedding day, and then every New Year's Eve, when everyone stayed up together, they would see him from afar across the dinner table. On weekdays, when the old lady had dinner on the first and fifteenth day of each month, he never showed up and had always been living in seclusion in a small courtyard at the westernmost end of the Jingguo Mansion.
Although pomegranates are precious in winter, she can't accept them all.
Sheng Puzhu didn't care about Xie Qingshu, a spoiled young lady. She walked up to her and reached out to pick up a pomegranate from the basket: "Then please trouble me to make a trip. There are too many pomegranates and I can't finish them all. One is enough."
"Sister, eat the rest yourself."
Xie Qingshu was a little anxious. Xie Jiyan had instructed her to give all the pomegranates away. "Sister-in-law, please accept them all. Brother said this is a gift to apologize to you."
At this moment, Xie Zhiyan slowly walked around the screen and came out, his lips slightly raised, but there was no smile in his eyes: "Fourth sister."
Xie Qingshu was like a mouse seeing a cat when she saw Xie Zhiyan: "Brother, I, I just came to deliver something and will leave later."
Xie Zhiyan's eyes fell on the pomegranate in Sheng Puzhu's fair little hands: "Go back and tell Ji Yan that I accepted it on behalf of his sister-in-law. You can take the rest back and eat it yourself."
Xie Qingshu didn't dare to refute at all. She hugged the bamboo basket and ran out without looking back.
"My dear." Sheng Puzhu took a half step back, not knowing why.
Xie Zhiyan reached out and carefully took the pomegranate from her hand: "Although pomegranates have the effect of promoting fluid production and moistening dryness, Madam has a hot constitution and should not be consumed in excess."
"I'll keep this for my wife."
Put it away?
Sheng Puzhu's eyes widened. Even if it was not advisable to consume in excess, she hadn't eaten a single bite. How could it be considered not advisable to consume in excess?
She watched Xie Zhiyan take the pomegranates. When he was about to leave, he suddenly turned around and asked, "Madam, do you like pomegranates?"
Sheng Puzhu was puzzled: "Well, because when Puyao was born, my father planted a tree, but it has not borne fruit for many years."
"So every year when the pomegranates are ripe, Aye will specially pick a basket of the reddest and largest ones for me."
"Really?" In Xie Zhiyan's palm, the plump pomegranate suddenly cracked open, revealing the plump and crystal clear grains inside.
Pomegranates have many seeds and are most suitable as gifts for newlyweds.
But why pomegranate?
Xie Zhiyan's eyes darkened. The juice from the crack of the pomegranate was stained on his thumb, and the astringent taste seeped into his fingerprint. He didn't like this feeling.
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