Chapter 36: Don't make a sound.
Although there was no ice or heavy snow, it was still chilly at night.
Especially for Li Yue'er, who has experienced today's events, the coldness on her body may not be as cold as the chill in her heart.
The mistress waited in the carriage for a long time. She clearly did not expect to be delayed for so long when she went out. There was no charcoal brazier in the carriage and no hand warmer in her hands. After sitting for a long time, her hands and feet got cold.
Teng Huang and his maids bustled around, not only turning on the underfloor heating in the room, but also handing hand warmers to the mistress and Li Yue'er, while instructing the maids to brew hot tea.
The mistress of the house must take a bath and change clothes before eating, so hot water must be prepared in the washroom.
When the moon goddess is menstruating, she shouldn't take a bath. Even if it's just a simple wash, she should prepare plenty of hot water to avoid catching a cold.
There's one more thing.
In the mistress's room, Garcinia opened a box filled with various bottles and jars of ointments, took out an ointment for treating bruises and sprains, and gestured to Li Yue'er, "Rub your knees a few times before bed to reduce swelling and bruising."
If Teng Huang hadn't reminded her, Li Yue'er would have almost forgotten that her knee was still throbbing.
It wasn't that she was kneeling to the mistress; she was distracted and bumped into the corner of the square stool.
Li Yue'er looked at Teng Huang gratefully. She had originally planned to buy Teng Huang some of her favorite dried meat to satisfy her craving, but today she had given her entire purse to her mother and was now not only penniless, but also owed Xiao Xiao an ounce.
The nine taels of silver were all with their mother. Although it wasn't a long-term solution, it was enough for their mother and sister to have some peace of mind until she came up with a good way to get rid of that beast.
The mistress came in from outside.
Garcinia handed the ointment to Li Yue'er, put down her medicine box, and left. Before leaving, her gaze swept across the mistress's face, paused, and then casually looked away.
Qu Rong frowned and walked towards the bronze mirror.
Her face was clearly reflected in the mirror-like surface of the water.
Her face was clean, except for a touch of bloodiness at the red beauty mark at the corner of her eye.
The bloodstain was right on her beauty mark, like a tattered red rose petal stuck there.
Qu Rong looked at Li Yue'er, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, with a flat gaze.
Li Yue'er stood up reflexively, and only after realizing that her mistress wasn't looking at her because she hadn't changed her clothes before sitting on the bed did she blink twice and understand why her mistress was looking at her with displeasure.
The bloodstains on her lips had long since dried, and she wouldn't feel anything unless she ate hot soup or salty food, but the bloodstains still remained on her lower lip and the corner of the mistress's eye.
Li Yue'er smiled guiltily and obsequiously at her mistress, "This servant will wipe it for you."
Qu Rong said, "I'm going to take a shower. Wait for me to finish before you come in."
She was taking a bath, and when she finished, the bathroom was filled with humid heat, so Li Yue'er wasn't cold at all while washing herself.
The two had a simple dinner.
Before taking off her outer garment and preparing to go to sleep, Li Yue'er remembered the ointment that Teng Huang had given her.
She sat on the edge of the bed with her legs dangling down, her trousers rolled up above her knees. Looking down at the candlelight on the bedside lamp, she noticed a large red patch on the bottom of her knee, faintly tinged with purplish-blue.
It must be because he kowtowed and then knelt down.
Li Yue'er opened the ointment. The ointment in the small white porcelain jar was a clear emerald green, which looked refreshing and soothing. However, the smell was extremely spicy and pungent, with a strong medicinal aroma, which had nothing to do with its light and refreshing color.
Li Yue'er held the ointment to her nose, sniffing it repeatedly to confirm its presence.
It really smells bad.
If she rubbed that smell on her body and then onto the bed, wouldn't the mistress wrap her up in the blankets and throw her out into the yard?
Li Yue'er wasn't quite sure, so after hesitating for a moment, she put the ointment back on and placed it back on the low stool by the bed.
Minor bumps and bruises without bleeding are nothing to worry about. There's no need to make a fuss and apply ointment. Just leave it on and the bruise will fade in a few days.
As for the lingering pain, she's not afraid of it. She doesn't do any manual labor now; she just sits and listens to lectures every day, which doesn't interfere with her work.
Li Yue'er lifted the covers and lay down. At the other end of the covers was a hand warmer wrapped in a velvet cloth. The warmth spread out continuously through the velvet fabric, and her bare feet felt warm and comfortable just by being near it.
She had just settled down when the mistress returned from the outer room, wearing a cloak.
Li Yue'er didn't know what she had gone to do, but seeing the cold aura surrounding the mistress, she guessed that she had at least gone out.
Qu Rong untied her cloak and draped it back on the mahogany clothes rack. She sat on the edge of the bed, lifted the quilt, and was about to lie down when she caught a glimpse of the jar of ointment out of the corner of her eye.
Qu Rong reached her hand under the covers, but somehow ended up touching something. Li Yue'er blushed and clamped her wrist between her legs, looking at her with watery eyes.
Qu Rong, "..."
My hands react faster than my brain... I'm used to it.
Li Yue'er's face flushed slightly, and she bent her knees to hold her mistress's hand, "It's only the second day."
Although her menstrual flow wasn't heavy, it still lasted for about four days. The mistress was being a bit too hasty.
Qu Rong pinched the soft flesh inside her thigh and said, "Sit up."
Li Yue'er understood; she was to be served.
Li Yue'er sat up with her knees bent, wrapped in the quilt. Before she could turn around and kneel down, the mistress reached out and grabbed her ankle, pulled one of her legs out from under the quilt, and then rolled up her trouser leg.
Li Yue'er first looked at her own legs, then followed the mistress's hand to look at the mistress's face.
In the candlelight, the mistress's eyes were calm and her expression was normal. She turned around, reached for the small white porcelain jar, opened the lid, scooped out a large piece of clear blue ointment, warmed it in her palm, and then looked up at her.
Li Yue'er tilted her head to look at her.
The mistress smiled, a smile that seemed somewhat malicious, and warned her meaningfully, "Don't make a sound."
Li Yue'er, "?"
The next moment, the mistress cupped her knees with both hands and began to rub them.
Li Yue'er's vision blurred and turned black and white from the pain. If her mistress hadn't been holding her knees tightly, she was afraid she would have kicked her mistress off the bed!
As Li Yue'er bit down on the blanket, she finally understood the mistress's smile from earlier.
"It hurts," Li Yue'er twisted her body, her voice trembling, "No, let's not rub it anymore."
It's better if you don't knead it!
The ointment looked cool, but when you actually rubbed it on your skin, it truly lived up to its pungent and spicy smell. It made her bruises burn, just like applying crushed chili peppers.
If Li Yue'er hadn't known that the medicine was given by Gamboge, she would have truly believed that her mistress was trying to harm her.
Li Yue'er began to hum.
Qu Rong glared at her with a blank expression, "Don't shout nonsense."
There was a maid keeping watch outside the door. Hearing Li Yue'er moaning like that in bed, she thought the maid had done something to Li Yue'er while she was menstruating.
Li Yue'er bit her lip as she looked at her.
Qu Rong said, "You're not allowed to bite either."
Her eyes were wet again.
Qu Rong, "Lower your head and shut your mouth."
Li Yue'er, "..."
Li Yue'er, filled with malice, leaned forward, her forehead hitting the mistress's shoulder, and bit the clothes the mistress had just changed out of after her bath.
The mistress glanced at her sideways, but finally didn't say anything more.
The mistress massaged her for about fifteen minutes, and Li Yue'er felt as if she was being soaked in the ointment, just like when she was making cured meat and rubbing it with salt.
Fortunately, the stinging and burning sensation on her skin was only at the beginning of the rubbing. After the rubbing was done, Li Yue'er felt that her previously stiff knees became flexible again, and the bruises felt cool and refreshing.
The mistress went to wash her hands.
Li Yue'er hugged her knees and peeked out. The mistress stood in front of the washbasin and washed her hands five times before finally sighing and giving in. She dried her hands and came back.
This smell probably won't come off anytime soon.
Li Yue'er looked up at her, her eyes bright, and praised, "Thank you, Mistress. My knees don't hurt at all anymore. They feel warm and cool, which is very comfortable."
The mistress's contributions must be acknowledged.
The mistress gave a soft snort, not even glancing at her out of the corner of her eye.
After the mistress lay down, Li Yue'er immediately hugged her and asked softly, "Can this ointment only be applied to the body?"
Qu Rong glanced at her sideways.
Li Yue'er looked at her quietly.
Qu Rong felt she understood, "..."
Li Yue'er felt that the ointment was a bit irritating and wondered if it could be applied to her lower body.
Qu Rong was indeed led by her to think in that direction.
It's a bit stimulating...
After realizing what she was thinking, Qu Rong frowned, closed her eyes, and turned her back to Li Yue'er.
However, the smell of the ointment on her hand lingered, constantly reminding her of what Li Yue'er had just whispered in her ear.
Qu Rong turned around, opened her eyes and looked at the bed curtains, somewhat tempted. "Let me ask someone."
Such things should exist.
Li Yue'er rolled over and lay face down on the pillow, staring intently at her mistress, who blushed and closed her eyes.
Her eyelashes were very long, and when they fell, they barely covered the edge of her beauty mark.
Li Yue'er gazed at the small red nipple, her heart itching with desire. Her fingers twitched slightly, but she didn't kiss it again.
Noticing that Li Yue'er wasn't sleepy, Qu Rong lazily spoke, getting down to business to prevent Li Yue'er from focusing on teasing her, "You want him dead, but have you ever thought about how his status would make his death seem normal?"
Li Juren was a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination). How many Juren could there be in a county? It's only because the court is in chaos now. If it were a peaceful era, Li Juren would be a candidate for county magistrate.
Killing him is no different from killing a minor official.
If his death was suspicious and unusual, the magistrate, given his position, would certainly have to investigate it thoroughly.
Not only will the murderer be brought to justice and executed, but over time people may think "respect for the dead" and forget Li Juren's past evil deeds, only remembering that the murderer's family members are "the murderer's mother" and "the murderer's sister".
If one wants to escape these rumors and gossips, one has no choice but to leave one's hometown and live in anonymity.
Can she be content with living a life of hiding and bowing her head for decades, having been the one she risked her life to protect?
Qu Rong opened her eyes, turned her head to look at Li Yue'er, and reminded her, "I've worked so hard to raise you, not so you could go to jail and hide from me."
Li Yue'er immediately straightened her back and glared at the mistress, her pink lips pressed tightly together, like a snake about to bite.
When has she ever avoided her? She's always chasing after her!
Qu Rong looked away, a faint smile curving her lips. In a good mood, she lazily hummed in agreement, "At least you have a conscience and didn't intend to go and die."
Li Yue'er had thought about it and even tried, but unfortunately, she failed.
The mistress seemed to see through her thoughts, and said in a soft, unhurried tone, "You owe me so much. In the years to come, I will wait for you to repay me slowly."
Li Yue'er blinked. The mistress had actually thought about their future?
The mistress even thought, "If you die before you've paid off your debts, I'll have your grave dug up."
Given Li Yue'er's condition tonight, she might actually go and fight Li Juren to the death.
Qu Rong was warning her and reminding her that she owed him.
At the same time, tell Li Yue'er that she is not useless or worthless, at least she is still useful to her.
She wanted to maintain her pride and live a good life with her back straight.
Qu Rong had considered humiliating her pride as a scholar, but at this moment she wouldn't allow her to bow her head.
Qu Rong had just finished speaking when she felt Li Yue'er leaning close to her face.
Almost as soon as she opened her eyes, Li Yue'er's lips were pressed against hers, giving her no chance to object, and she gently explored the gap between her lips with the tip of her tongue.
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Mistress: Ah, she's been eyeing me for a long time. [Heart emoji]
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