Chapter 110 Wei Lai: I am white-haired, but not a white rabbit (Part 2)
Ouyang Rong finished his bath.
Behind the screen in the inner room.
There was still a bit of stuffy steam in the water. Wei Lai silently took Ouyang Rong's clothes from the clothes rack next to the bathtub.
As usual, the white-haired maid buried her nose in her clothes and quietly sniffed.
The owner must be very tired from being outside lately...
She murmured something, then pushed open the window next to her to let out some fresh air.
Wei Lai deduced this from the smell of sweat on Ouyang Rong's clothes after he changed out of bed, as well as from his rather heavy snoring every night recently.
Unfortunately, she can't help her master with the important things he needs to do right now.
The only thing I could do was to not cause him any trouble when he came home each night, and to take good care of him so that he could fall asleep early and be full of energy to go out with Miss Xie next door the next morning.
Wei Lai carried a bamboo basket containing her master's dirty clothes, walked through the long corridor under the night, and headed to the laundry room in the back courtyard.
Perhaps it was because her skirt had been splashed with tea not long ago that she appeared so weak and vulnerable.
At the entrance to the laundry room, the white-haired maid was stopped again by one of the head maids beside Sister Banxi.
They even snatched away their owner's dirty clothes that were waiting to be washed, as if they were precious treasures.
This should logically be her job as a personal maid.
Wei Lai returned to the plum grove courtyard empty-handed.
It still didn't disturb the reading lamp that its owner had lit.
The master is not just her master, but the master of the whole family.
This is something Wei Lai has recently come to realize.
Those sisters who bullied and suppressed her might have seemed like well-behaved and polite girls in their master's eyes.
Their wickedness might only be revealed when they confront this new maid who blocks their way.
Even the most hateful person has a pitiable side.
The master was a county official.
His eyes were fixed on the interests and well-being of all the people in the county, and he was dealing with powerful local gentry who had been rooted in the area for centuries. He was also dealing with enormous interests that a lowly maid like her could not even imagine.
Not to mention the treacherous and treacherous officialdom of the Great Zhou Dynasty above.
I heard that when the master was in Luoyang, the capital city, he was the youngest Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and even a powerful royal princess dared to remonstrate with him in court.
Therefore, the master is a great man who is capable of great things.
Naturally, one would prefer a harmonious and orderly home and backyard.
Wei Lai knew that perhaps her master favored her more and treated her more specially.
However, if a woman takes advantage of a man's affection and becomes spoiled, complaining and fussing over every little thing, the man will eventually grow tired of her.
Furthermore, this time you might be dealing with the bullying of ordinary maids like Banxi, but what about the next time Madam Zhen bullies you? If you're upset, do you want to complain too? Won't that create more conflict between aunt and nephew?
Perhaps her master was different from other men; he had a better temperament and was gentle and tolerant towards her.
But Wei Lai dared not gamble.
This one dazzling light was all that remained in her world.
One bad bet can wipe out everything.
The white-haired maid recently became vaguely aware of something that made her uneasy.
The kindness her master showed her was perhaps not as special as she had hoped.
The owner is very kind to everyone in the deer park.
But Wei Lai felt that only such a good master would give her, a white-haired maid, such precious affection as if it were a gift.
Ke Weilai longed to delve into her master's heart, but he seemed to keep his heart tightly closed.
Occasionally, when she woke up in the middle of the night, the white-haired maid would hear the young man beside her sigh with a strange sense of loneliness.
She tried to offer some comfort, but in the end, it was always her gentle master who comforted her.
But regardless.
Wei Lai is already content to be able to stay by Ouyang Rong's side like this.
Moreover, he gave her what was most important to a maid or servant...
In the following days, Banxi and other maids continued to occasionally "encroach" on the duties of Meilin Courtyard and Weilai's personal maid.
Sometimes they would deliver pastries at night and make tea along the way.
Sometimes, she would report Tanlang's recent life situation to Zhenshi before Weilai could even do so.
Sometimes she would rush to wash Ouyang Rong's clothes, and the next morning she would take Wei Lai's place and obediently drape the clean new clothes over Ouyang Rong as he hurried out the door.
The white-haired maid remained silent.
One night, Ouyang Rong returned quite late, and together with Xie Lingjiang, who was also weary from a long day of travel, they had dinner with Zhen Shi in the living room of Meilu Garden.
After the meal, Ouyang Rong, with his hands behind his back, strolled back to the plum grove courtyard with Wei Lai, who was carrying a lantern.
As soon as she entered the house, before she had even put away the lantern, Wei Lai saw Ouyang Rong take off his clothes and walk straight to the bath tub in the inner room.
"I'm a little tired today, I'll take a shower and rest first."
"Did you drink today, Master?"
"You have a good nose."
Ouyang Rong unbuckled his belt and removed his clothes, then smiled:
"I had a drink with someone at noon. It was Magistrate Tian from Xingzi County next door. He was quite concerned about the Di Gong Sluice Gate. Xingzi and Longcheng are both downstream of the sluice gate, so it concerns the well-being of both counties. He brought his subordinates to show their concern. Today I took them on a tour."
"However, this colleague is a heavy drinker. I had a few drinks with him at noon... I'll see them off tomorrow."
"Oh, right."
Ouyang Rong paused, pointed to the official robes on the hanger that were somewhat dusty and stained with mud, and casually said:
"Don't wash this coat; you'll need it to see off guests at the dock tomorrow."
Ouyang Rong had only four sets of everyday clothes, but two sets of light green official robes to rotate. One of the official robes had been worn by the government for a long time and was only washed yesterday and had not yet dried.
The outfit I took off was also dirty, but I have a formal occasion tomorrow, so I'll just have to make do with it.
The main reason is the recent plum rain season, which is hot and humid and makes people sweat easily.
Ouyang Rong took a bath in the tub.
Wei Lai turned her head and silently glanced at the official robes hanging on the clothes rack.
Not long after, the owner finished his bath and left.
Wei Lai walked over, packed the official robes and other clothes into a bamboo basket, and then silently placed the basket on the ground next to the screen.
The white-haired maid waited quietly for a while, and soon enough, there was a knock on the door outside the courtyard.
Wei Lai, looking as if it were nothing out of the ordinary, went to open the door.
"Why is Wei Lai taking so long? Is she not welcoming us?"
Wei Lai shook her head.
Banxi carried the cake box and led four maids into the plum grove courtyard, looking left and right as if she were looking for her lover.
"Madam asked us to deliver some mung bean cakes... Where's Tanlang?"
Wei Lai pointed towards the bedroom, "Tan Lang is resting."
Banxi looked somewhat disappointed.
Wei Lai turned around, intending to return to the bathhouse, but was pulled aside by a maid to chat familiarly.
Banxi, accompanied by several other maids, made her way to the bathhouse with practiced ease.
A moment later, out of the corner of her eye, Wei Lai saw Ban Xi and the others carrying the bamboo basket and a set of their master's clean, moon-white casual clothes as they walked out of the house.
This set of casual clothes was a gift from Miss Aqing on her birthday. All the women in Meilu Garden could tell that Ouyang Rong had been wearing this set quite a bit lately.
Banxi and her maids, without even glancing at the white-haired maid who seemed to want to say something but couldn't, left the plum grove courtyard with calm expressions, returning home with their spoils.
Not far from the courtyard, a faint voice drifted over:
"Since Tanlang is resting, we won't disturb him. The mung bean cakes are on the table. We'll feed them to Tanlang later. The maids are not allowed to be greedy."
In the deserted courtyard, Wei Lai nodded gently.
It seems that he was obeying orders.
The next morning.
The main hall of the Sika Deer Park.
Breakfast.
Beside the octagonal table sat Ouyang Rong, dressed in a white undershirt, and Zhen Shi, who was dignified and graceful.
Beside the two, Wei Lai, Ban Xi, and a group of maids stood and served them, just as usual.
Madam Zhen didn't rush to drink the porridge; she smiled and rested her chin on her hand, gazing at her nephew.
Under his aunt's loving gaze, Ouyang Rong finished the hot glutinous rice porridge in one gulp and glanced at the time.
"I'm leaving now, you guys enjoy your meal."
The young magistrate got up to leave, his steps hurried.
The quick-witted and agile Banxi had already squeezed past the white-haired maid and was waiting not far from the door, holding out her moon-white robe and greeting them with a smile:
"May you have a safe journey, my lord."
Ouyang Rong glanced at the Silla maid, nodded slightly, opened his arms to let his half-draped robe hang loosely, then suddenly looked down, withdrew his arm that had just slipped into his sleeve, and turned to ask:
"Where are the official robes?"
The half-slender smiling face paused, then asked, "What official robes?"
"The one I changed out of yesterday."
Banxi replied subconsciously, "I washed it..."
The young magistrate, who was walking rather hastily, frowned slightly, and his voice unconsciously rose a little:
"Didn't I tell you not to wash yet?"
He paused for a moment, then added, "Also, who's going to do the laundry? It's all a bit confusing."
Banxi trembled in fright. Her husband always spoke calmly and gently, and rarely did he use such a harsh tone.
Not far away, Madam Zhen, who was drinking porridge at a table, slowly put down the porcelain spoon in her hand, glanced at the doorway, and did not take the handkerchief that the maid next to her offered to wipe her mouth.
In the early morning, in a house filled with the warm aroma of porridge and the scent of the rising sun, all the women's eyes were quickly drawn to the man's rather serious tone.
Banxi felt a sudden prickling sensation on his back, and panicked for a moment, hurriedly saying:
"This servant deserves to die, sir, please don't be angry. This servant will go check if the official robes on the drying line are dry yet..."
I hurriedly ran out the door.
"never mind."
Ouyang Rong let out a breath and said slowly, waving his hand to stop Banxi.
Just as the young magistrate lowered his head, about to put on his pale white robes and reluctantly go to the dock to see off the guests.
"My love, it's all my fault. I didn't explain things clearly to my sister."
The white-haired maid who had just disappeared suddenly reappeared on the outer porch, holding a light green seventh-rank official robe. In front of everyone, she stepped forward and helped Ouyang Rong put it on.
Ouyang Rong was taken aback, glanced down at his official robes, and then at Wei Lai, whose face was filled with apology:
"Didn't you take a shower last night?"
Wei Lai said crisply, "This is a different set. I touched it this morning and it's already dry."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work."
Ouyang Rong breathed a sigh of relief. With Wei Lai's help, he dressed neatly and hurriedly went out. Before leaving, he turned back and said to Ban Xi, who was biting her lip with her head down, "It's alright now."
Ouyang Rong's figure walked away, meeting the graceful figure of the Xie family noblewoman at the door in the distance, and then disappeared.
After he left.
For a time, both inside and outside the hall remained silent.
My husband says he's alright, but is he really alright?
At the round table, the dignified and elegant woman in her silk dress glanced around at the women in the hall.
The maids had different expressions; some lowered their heads, others lowered their eyes, and none dared to utter a sound.
Anything involving the young master, no matter how small, is of utmost importance in the Plum Deer Garden.
Even the slightest mistake, in the eyes of the doting wife, would be weighed and judged, and would not be easily forgiven.
The once proud and arrogant Banxi stood at the door as if being punished, clutching her moon-white dress and bowing her head deeply, her face pale.
Wei Lai lowered her eyes and stood still.
"Come here, everyone."
Suddenly, Madam Zhen spoke.
Wei Lai, Ban Xi, and the other maids quickly gathered in front of the woman in the silk skirt and stood obediently.
"What happened? Tell me."
Several of the maids who had previously followed Banxi quickly recounted everything that had happened the previous night, like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.
I dare not embellish it.
Wei Lai honestly added some more details, and then took the initiative to blame herself:
"Madam, it's all my fault. Sister Banxi and the others left in a hurry, and I forgot to mention Tanlang's instructions. It's all my fault."
Hearing the white-haired maid's sincere tone.
The maids, including Banxi, couldn't help but glance at her.
Zhen shook her head and said softly:
"It's alright, as long as you manage to get a clean official robe in the end and it doesn't interfere with your husband's business."
After speaking, the woman in the silk skirt gave a meaningful look to the pretty white-haired maid in front of her.
Wei Lai's eyebrows and eyes became increasingly gentle and lowered.
Suddenly, Zhen asked, "Didn't you call me 'Master' before? Why are you calling me by my nickname now?"
The affectionate nickname "Tanlang" was something that the other maids, including Banxi, only dared to use in private, but no one dared to overstep it in front of Madam Zhen.
Wei Lai, her face calm and composed, spoke fluently:
“Replying to Madam, it was Master who told me to call him that. One night, Master held me close and whispered to me, telling me to call him ‘Tanlang’ in public, and ‘Master’ when we’re alone.”
"oh?"
Madam Zhen raised an eyebrow, and all the maids around her showed surprise and admiration.
In public, he calls his lover "Tanlang" (a term of endearment for a man); in private, he calls him "
Wow, what kind of fun is this?
Madam Zhen was far more knowledgeable than the group of young maids, and in an instant, she thought much deeper. She wasn't just focused on the fact that her husband had secretly whispered secrets to this seemingly unpleasant white-haired maid in the middle of the night, as revealed in those words.
And there's also the peculiar fetish of Tanlang that I discovered by chance last time...
Zhen couldn't help but glance at Wei Lai's slender figure.
I didn't expect that they could withstand it.
That makes sense. The little girl has already experienced the harsh environment of being locked in a cage, so being bound and tied up with ropes should be no problem for her. She might even be quite obedient and cooperative... No wonder Tanlang likes her.
Wei Lai, unaware of Zhen's sudden realization, carefully observed the seemingly normal expression on the woman in the silk skirt and whispered:
"If Madam doesn't like me calling you that, I can change it."
"No."
When Zhen came to her senses, she couldn't help but take another look at the white-haired maid, and for a moment she found her somewhat more pleasing to the eye.
So it seems that my trip to Jinxiaokou Horse Ranch last time wasn't entirely a waste of time.
She thought for a moment, then lowered her voice and instructed:
"Since Tanlang likes you calling him that, you should just obediently listen to him."
"Yes, Madam."
Zhen slowly reached out and took the clean, moon-white dress from Banxi's hand, then handed it to Weilai.
She turned to the group of maids and said calmly:
"From now on, you are not allowed to go to Tanlang's courtyard at will. He has a personal maid to take care of him. Don't go there and cause trouble."
"yes!"
The woman in the skirt gave her final verdict, and the maids, including Banxi, hurriedly responded. Then, realizing something, they turned to look at Weilai, and for a moment, the women's expressions were somewhat complicated.
The white-haired maid tightly hugged her master's moon-white robes as he returned, a look of surprise and delight appearing in her dreamy, misty blue eyes.
Madam Zhen chuckled lightly, tilted her head, and glanced at the bowl of porridge on the table out of the corner of her eye.
Wei Lai immediately put the moon-white dress aside, stepped forward, picked up the bowl of porridge and the porcelain spoon, and carefully fed the porridge to the aunt of the master in front of her, spoonful by spoonful.
The little girl's face was full of flattery, and her eyes were filled with joy.
Mrs. Zhen chewed slowly and said with a smile, "Tell me how well my husband has been sleeping lately. Has he been having trouble sleeping at night?"
Wei Lai, the personal maid of Meilin Courtyard, immediately began to recount the story.
With her small, white-toothed, red-lipped mouth, she spoke softly and slowly.
It seems they had been preparing for this moment for a long time.
This time, no maid dared to interrupt her.
I'm here, still awake! This chapter is 4,000 words, took a while to write, hugs to you guys... Next chapter is at midnight tonight!
(End of this chapter)
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