Chapter 22 Let the servants steal for a few more days
After leaving the warehouse keeper, Lu Zhaoruo went to the shop and carefully explained the accounting matters to the manager, instructing them to falsify losses and fabricate debts...
Manager Chen and Yunniang are both trustworthy people. In their past lives, they both stood up for each other.
By the time she returned to the Shen residence, dusk had fallen, and she was clutching several packets of medicine in her hand…
As I walked through the corridor, I bumped into Xing'er carrying a lantern.
The girl gave a perfunctory bow, but her eyes were filled with venom, her gaze like a knife piercing her.
Lu Zhaoruo returned to her residence, pushed open the door, and was immediately hit by a choking fumes...
As Dongrou was brushing the ashes off the tent, she saw her return and quickly brought over a foot warmer that had been prepared in advance: "Madam, please warm your feet."
The foot warmer contained some silver bone charcoal shavings, but the stove next to it produced thick, bluish-gray smoke that crackled and splashed fire when burning.
Lu Zhaoruo covered her nose and examined the charcoal fire. Dongrou's eyes immediately reddened: "This servant was going to get silver bone charcoal today, but I saw the kitchen maid sneaking around stealing charcoal. When I confronted her, she shouted that I was blind... Then she gave me some silver bone charcoal shavings, only enough to warm one foot warmer, and then gave me a pile of miscellaneous charcoal."
His voice was already choked with emotion as he spoke.
She added angrily, "That's silver bone charcoal! She's really bold."
Lu Zhaoruo stretched her frozen feet toward the stove and covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief: "Of course I'm bold, because the old lady told me to steal it."
Dong Rou's eyes widened in shock. After a moment of stunned silence, she asked, "Then what should we do? Just let them steal so openly?"
"No rush..."
Lu Zhaoruo gently poked at the charcoal, and sparks shot up. "Let them steal for a few more days. Then, we'll sell off all of these worms."
Dongrou looked at her with eyes full of admiration.
Lu Zhaoruo lifted the dressing case, only to find it empty.
She stepped onto the table and gestured for Dongrou to bring over a low stool, then took a brocade box from the roof beam.
Inside the box lay a copper-plated silver hairpin, a hollow silver earring, and a pair of silver bracelets, all inexpensive items worth only two taels of silver.
She said calmly, "Dongrou put these in her dressing case."
Dongrou said anxiously, "My lady, if we put these jewelry pieces in the dressing case, isn't it obvious that Xing'er will steal them? Xing'er is a thief; she's stolen your jewelry before."
Lu Zhaoruo's lips curled up slightly as her fingertips traced the faded silver hairpin: "It's easier to catch the person if you steal it."
Dongrou hesitated and said, "But these were all given to you by the Lord back then, and you have always kept them very carefully."
She closed the brocade box: "Back then, I mistook fish eyes for pearls, and now..."
He sneered, "Just a few pieces of scrap metal."
She felt sorry for Shen Rongzhi's poverty, and even though the jewelry he sent her was just some crude pieces, she treasured it as a precious gem. After he went to sea, to prevent Xing'er from stealing it, she carefully wrapped up the jewelry and hid it in a dark corner of the roof beam, and would take it down to wipe it from time to time.
now--
It's disgusting to look at.
Dongrou placed the jewelry in her dressing case.
Lu Zhaoruo told her to put out the stove and then told her to go back to the side room to rest.
She washed and dressed, then looked at Abao in its little nest by the bed. It was curled up, its thin body still trembling slightly...
She gently stroked it: "Abao, get well soon."
late at night.
Lu Zhaoruo entered her old dream again, where the general whose face she couldn't see was kneeling on the snow, crawling towards her step by step.
She asked him who he was, but he remained silent.
She could only retreat step by step in fear.
"Mother..."
She woke up with a start.
She heard children calling her "Mother" again.
But looking around, where were the children? Finally, his gaze fell on the curled-up Abao, and he reached out to tuck the blanket around it.
When my fingertips touched the soft downy fur, I unconsciously stroked my flat stomach...
She thought that it must be because of the guilt she felt after the miscarriage that year that she kept hearing this baby-like cry.
Unable to sleep, I simply worked through the night to make leather wristbands.
The next day.
She got up early to change Abao's dressing, ate some chestnut flour cake that her brother had given her, picked up the leather wristband, and hurried to the county government office.
Today is my elder brother's first day as inspector, and I must personally tie this congratulatory gift on his head.
In addition, I need to ask my older brother for help.
In front of the county government office.
Lu Bohong, dressed in brand-new official uniform, was clumsily adjusting the belt around his waist.
When he saw his sister arrive, he rushed to greet her, rubbing his hands awkwardly, "It's so cold, why are you here..."
Lu Zhaoruo smiled without saying a word, and simply lowered her head to tie the wristband on his wrist.
Lu Bohong looked annoyed: "How much money will this cost..."
Just then, a colleague passed by, and he immediately straightened his back, examined the wrist from side to side, and raised his voice: "Excellent! Excellent finely forged cowhide!"
The inspector glanced at me sideways, his expression sour.
Lu Bohong, oblivious to what was happening, chuckled and stepped forward, saying, "Brother Sun, look, this is something my little sister specially prepared..."
He suddenly paused, scratched his head and thought for a moment, then added, "Made of...made of the finest cowhide!"
After saying that, he even twirled his wrist as if showing off.
Deputy Inspector Sun said coldly, "I don't have a sister."
His eyes kept glancing at the wristband; the fine stitches on the glossy cowhide were indeed much better than the crudely made ones issued by the government.
Moreover, they haven't been allocated yet.
Upon hearing this, Lu Bohong rubbed his hands together in a simple and honest manner: "Brother Sun, if you don't mind..."
As he spoke, he was about to remove the wrist guard from his right wrist. "When we patrol and chase thieves, our wrists are the most vulnerable to injury. You can use this for now."
She quickly added, "After three months, once the government issues the wristbands, you can return them to me. After all, they are my little sister's token of affection..."
A flicker of hesitation crossed Deputy Inspector Sun's eyes: "This... how can this be allowed?"
Lu Zhaoruo stepped forward and curtsied, saying, "If Deputy Inspector Sun is pleased, I will go back and make a new one as a gift from my brother. I only hope that you will take good care of my brother in the future."
"Little sister!"
Lu Bohong waved his hands anxiously, "This is too much of a waste..."
Lu Zhaoruo remembered this Deputy Inspector Sun. Back then, because his elder brother married the county magistrate's daughter, he distanced himself from him, believing that his elder brother was currying favor with the powerful. However, the honesty in his eyes was exactly the same as his elder brother's.
As the younger sister, she naturally wanted her older brother to make more friends.
Upon hearing this, Deputy Inspector Sun's bronze face flushed slightly, and his fingers rubbed the hilt of his waist knife: "This... how can this be done..."
He glanced at Lu Bohong's wristband again, his Adam's apple bobbing.
Lu Zhaoruo took in his expression, a perfectly timed smile playing on her lips: "Lord Li works day and night to rid the people of evil; this mere wristband is but a token of my appreciation."
She lightly touched the black iron lining on the inside of the wrist guard with her fingertip: "There's an added layer of soft steel inside, which is the best defense against sneak attacks from villains."
"really?"
Deputy Inspector Sun's eyes lit up, but he quickly put on a stern face and coughed twice: "This official... cough, I am not a greedy person."
"It will be ready in two days."
Lu Zhaoruo interrupted subtly.
After saying that, he added, "If you have any special requirements, such as wrist circumference..."
Deputy Inspector Sun finally couldn't hold back and said, "Then... I'll have to trouble Madam Lu."
Then, stammering, he added, "Actually, my right wrist is half an inch thicker than the average person's..."
Lu Zhaoruo smiled slightly: "I will remember."
Deputy Inspector Sun lowered his head, his ears turning bright red: "I will remember Madam Lu's kindness."
Lu Zhaoruo was unaware that her deliberate act of goodwill today was merely to cultivate a positive relationship for her brother, which would one day earn her the life of Deputy Inspector Sun in return…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
