"Can't it be during the day?" Hu Mingmei asked casually. It seemed strange to be wandering around the pond at night, especially since he claimed to be doing work.
“I don’t have time during the day!” Bai Nuo shrugged. “I have to go out to work during the day, so I don’t have time to do these things. You know, my aunt has to take care of my grandmother, and my younger brother has to go to school, so no one has time during the day. That’s why I can only do it at night.”
Hu Mingmei lowered her eyes and remained silent.
"You're from the capital?" Bai Nuo asked. "I heard you say that during dinner, and you also have the surname Hu, right?"
Hu Mingmei nodded, looking at Bai Nuo with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong?"
“There’s a merchant in our town who always says that the biggest imperial merchants in the world are the Hu family. Is the Hu you’re talking about the same Hu family?” Bai Nuo asked casually.
She meant to ask if Hu Mingmei was related to the Hu family, the imperial merchants.
Hu Mingmei looked at her, his heart trembling, but he said aloud, "No! It's just that we have some connection."
Little did he know that when Bai Nuo heard these words, she secretly decided to keep the secret of the pearl from him.
A white streak appeared in the sky, and a star streaked across the sky with a long tail. Bai Nuo stood up and clapped her hands. "Let's go, it's getting late, let's go back."
Hu Mingmei stood up along with Bai Nuo, looking at the things on the ground with suspicion, and asked, "Don't you want any of these?"
Bai Nuo scoffed, "Second Master is truly a noble figure, never having suffered a single hardship. These things are harmful. If you catch them and don't let them harm the fish, are you going to take them home and harm yourself? Second Master, it's getting late. If you don't go back soon, it will be dawn. If you don't sleep all night, Lu Ying will be worried when she sees you tomorrow."
Then he kept staring at Hu Mingmei, who had no choice but to step forward and follow Bai Nuo back to the Bai family.
*
"I don't want you to take me today, I want Brother Lu Ying to take me!" Bai Nuo got up early in the morning. She had been busy for an hour or two last night, but she didn't look tired at all. She looked radiant and full of energy.
After taking the lunch that Aunt Liu had prepared for Bai Yu and stuffing Bai Yu, along with the lunchbox, into the carriage, Bai Nuo sat on the carriage shaft. Just as she was about to tell Hei Ma to leave, Bai Yu popped out and shouted loudly.
Bai Nuo looked at Bai Yu speechlessly, "Young Master, even if I don't see you off, I'm still going to town. If you don't let me come with you, do you expect me to walk?"
Bai Yu pouted, "Anyway, I want Brother Lu Ying to give it to me!"
Bai Nuo looked at Bai Yu with annoyance, "Where did you get a brother? Your mother didn't give you a brother, she only gave birth to a sister, which is me. Bai Yu, you only met Lu Ying yesterday, can you not be so affectionate with people?"
Didn't you see she was wary of Lu Ying and the others? If Lu Ying and the others hadn't been following her the whole time, do you think Hu Mingmei would have been able to get into their house?
"snort!"
"You have to leave whether you want to or not!" The two siblings inexplicably started arguing. Bai Nuo didn't care how Bai Yu pouted or how aggrieved he felt. He flicked his whip, and the black horse galloped away. When Bai Yu saw that he hadn't succeeded, he burst into tears!
"I want Brother Lu Ying! I want him to take me!" Bai Yu clung tightly to the car wall to prevent himself from falling off, wailing loudly.
The carriage didn't leave the courtyard. Aunt Liu and Lu Ying both heard it and came out of the house. When Lu Ying saw Bai Yu calling for him, she quickly ran up and said to Bai Nuo, "Miss, let me see the young master off?"
Bai Nuo looked at him, then at the person throwing a tantrum, and said helplessly, "Come on up!"
So Lu Ying leaped onto the carriage. Bai Nuo abruptly stopped the carriage and looked at Lu Ying speechlessly. Because of his action, the entire carriage swayed. Lu Ying chuckled and stood beside the carriage.
Bai Yu clapped his hands and cheered, "Brother Lu Ying is so handsome, can you teach me?"
Bai Nuo turned and entered the carriage. As she passed Bai Yu, she grabbed Bai Yu by the collar and pulled him inside, saying irritably, "Focus on your class, what are you learning to show off for?"
When Bai Yu was being pulled inside, he accidentally bumped into a crossbeam in the carriage and cried out in pain.
Lu Ying drove the car out steadily.
*
"Young Master Hu, you're up? The young lady and you just went to school, and your brother went with you too. There's still breakfast in the kitchen, would you like some?" When Hu Mingmei got up, there were only Aunt Liu and Grandma in the courtyard. Grandma was sitting in the sun, while Aunt Liu was sweeping the floor.
Seeing that Hu Mingming had gotten up, Aunt Liu put down her broom and walked over to him, saying solicitously, "It's all thanks to you for washing the dishes for me last night, so I could go to bed a little earlier."
"I need some breakfast, thank you so much, Auntie!" Hu Mingmei smiled at Aunt Liu, who immediately replied, "Okay, wait for me in the main room, I'll get it for you now."
Hu Mingmei nodded in satisfaction and said gently, "Thank you for your trouble. Is there any hot water? I'd like to wash my face."
"Yes, yes!" When Aunt Liu saw Hu Mingmei smile at her, she was so happy that her eyes narrowed into slits. She said repeatedly, "No trouble at all." Then she left happily, muttering to herself, "This child is so polite."
Hu Mingmei greeted the old woman and asked if it would be too sunny to sit there. After receiving a negative answer, Hu Mingmei sat down comfortably in the main room.
"Come on, Mr. Hu, wash your face first, and I'll get you breakfast!" Soon, Aunt Liu brought up the hot water for washing your face. The basin looked new, and there was a towel he had used last night inside.
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