Chapter 10 I was so happy to see you...
Yunping's surname is Leng, and she is the most favored maid in the Liu family, without exception. Even Ru Hui cannot compare to her, because Ru Hui was bought from outside, while Yunping is a household slave.
In Yunping's household, her mother was in charge. This was because Yunping's maternal grandmother was a maid who accompanied Old Madam Qin in her dowry. She was loyal and devoted to her mistress throughout her life. Yunping's mother had only visited Old Madam Qin once and cried once before Yunping became Liu Min's personal maid.
She has the name of a maid, but the reality of a young lady.
Yunping was originally a young lady, and her family always had two maids. When Yunping was at home, she was waited on hand and foot. She didn't have to lift a finger to do anything except play. So when her mother asked her to serve others, she was extremely unwilling. She kept arguing with her mother, crying and rolling around on the ground, which angered her mother so much that she pointed at her and scolded her for being an ungrateful brat.
They've never seen the world, and they really think they're living a good life.
Everything in the family was decided by her mother, so no matter how unwilling Yunping was, she eventually packed her bags and went to serve her.
In just one day, she understood her mother's good intentions.
What constitutes a good day?
She was dressed in fine silks and satins, and ate delicacies from land and sea. Pearls and jade were all kinds of things. Although she was said to be serving people, in reality, others were serving her. She could get anything she wanted just by opening her mouth, and she even got paid for it.
It was because she was the personal maid of the only son of the Liu family.
Yunping was very happy being a maid, and if she were to live another life, she would still want to be a maid.
Of course, she had to be a first-class maid, the kind that no one could surpass.
What a happy day!
But it seems that these happy days are coming to an end.
She is so beautiful.
Yunping had seen many beautiful girls, and those who served the master were certainly beautiful, but she had never seen anyone as beautiful as this. What was that phrase again? Snow-white skin and flower-like face? That was about it.
And judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem like someone who's easy to manipulate.
Yunping tried hard to appear nonchalant, but failed, and her face turned grim.
He was clearly trying to laugh, but he couldn't. His eyes held a hint of resentment, like needles pricking at people.
Shanlai saw it all clearly.
Then he stopped walking.
"Hurry up!" Liu Min urged her, "Mom wants to see you."
Just as Shanlai was about to lift his foot, upon hearing the second half of the sentence, he couldn't help but wonder, "Mom? Who is that?"
It didn't move.
Liu Min grew impatient and took two steps forward, grabbed the person, and dragged them out, scolding them as they went: "You're so dull and stupid, you don't have a shred of intelligence! I really want to know who your teacher is. How could someone like you be taught to be successful! I think if he were to have a kind heart, idiots would surely disappear from the world!"
He walked so fast that Shan Lai was completely carried along by him, her feet were unsteady, and she stumbled along the way. If she were to leave him, she would surely fall. She didn't want to fall, so she didn't speak and just kept looking at the ground.
The two of them, pulling and tugging at each other, walked away in a short while.
Luo's mother's name was Luo Qingyu, and she was Liu Min's wet nurse.
Luo Qingyu was already thirty years old when she entered the Liu family. She had fled to Pingcheng and was lucky enough to become Liu Min's wet nurse.
Old Madam Qin had long ago prepared a wet nurse for her grandson. That year was particularly auspicious; her son had barely left home when her daughter-in-law was diagnosed with pregnancy. Several of the young wives who served the family were pregnant. Old Madam Qin then declared that she would pay for good food to nourish these wives, so that they would have plenty of milk. After her grandson was born, she would choose whose milk he preferred to drink and promote that woman to be his wet nurse.
But Liu Min refused to drink anyone's milk.
Holding the swaddled baby, Old Madam Qin cried and urged someone to quickly go outside and find a wet nurse again.
Luo Qingyu and several other women, led by a matchmaker, entered the Liu residence through a side gate.
The matchmaker had a kind heart, so she asked Wu Qingyu to be the first to go up and feed them.
The clothes were undone, and something was stuffed into the child's mouth. The child immediately started sucking away and stopped crying.
And so, Madam Qin kept Luo Qingyu.
Madam Qin was very satisfied because the wet nurse was very good at raising children. The child never cried in her hands. She was completely devoted to the child, holding him all the time and never letting him go for a moment.
But Old Madam Qin still wanted to kick her out.
Because she had just lost her child, Old Madam Qin felt it was very unlucky.
Luo Qingyu's life was filled with blood and tears. She lost her father at the age of five, and when she was six, her mother remarried, taking only her younger brother with her. She and her two older sisters depended on each other for survival. Her eldest sister, unable to endure the hardship, eloped at fourteen with the family's last remaining money to a traveling medicine seller. Wu Qingyu continued to rely on her second sister, but her sister died of illness at thirteen, leaving her alone. At eleven, unable to support herself, she was forced to become a child bride. Life as a child bride was difficult; she had to rise early and sleep late every day, doing all sorts of chores. Her mother-in-law scolded her, and her husband scolded and beat her. She gave birth to her first child at fourteen, but couldn't raise it. She had several more children, but still couldn't raise them. By the time she was thirty, she only had two children. That year, her mother-in-law passed away. Although her husband still beat her, life improved somewhat, but then he killed someone, was imprisoned, and sentenced to beheading. Even the worst man is still a pillar of the family. Without that pillar, the home ceases to be a home, and the widow and her children were driven out. Desperate, she considered seeking refuge with her mother, who had long since remarried. It wasn't her only option, but she had endured so much suffering. Recalling her pain, she thought of her mother and vowed to see her again, no matter what… Her eldest son died on the road, her youngest daughter died the night before they reached Pingcheng, and she never saw her mother again. Her mother was long dead, as was her brother. With nothing left to hold her back, she decided to die, but was rescued. Her benefactor then led her to the Liu family mansion.
The matchmaker was Wu Qingyu's benefactor. She didn't mention Wu Qingyu to Old Madam Qin, nor did she tell anyone else.
It was when Wu Qingyu was holding the child that she absentmindedly called out a name, which was overheard by someone with ulterior motives.
It's not like the matchmaker in Pingcheng is the only one who knows Wu Qingyu; as long as you're willing to put in the effort to inquire, you can find out some things about her.
So the matter was brought to the attention of Old Madam Qin.
Madam Qin was not a bad person, but the word "evil star" provoked her. Disregarding her manners, she pointed at Wu Qingyu's nose and cursed, telling Wu Qingyu to get out.
They later invited the person back.
Because Liu Min refused to nurse again.
Wu Qingyu returned, and the first thing she did upon her return was to feed the child, and the second thing was to kowtow to Old Madam Qin.
Old Madam Qin personally helped Wu Qingyu up, crying as she said, "I didn't mean to make things difficult for you, I...I...I feel so guilty! My grandson, his mother died because of him...What would I do if something happened to him? I dare not take any risks! Not even a little bit..."
Wu Qingyu also cried, saying, "Even if the old lady hadn't come looking for me, I would have come back... I had already prepared the rope, but thinking of my son, I... I couldn't bear it..."
The two reconciled and went back to normal.
After that, Wu Qingyu took meticulous care of Liu Min's daily life until two years ago when she began to fall ill frequently.
She insisted on moving out and wouldn't stay no matter what.
After much debate, they came up with a compromise: Wu Qingyu would still live in the Liu residence, but in a separate small courtyard. If she was sick, she could rest and recuperate; if she was healthy, she would still go to Fuze Hall, because Liu Min was close to her and wanted her by his side.
But she was often sick and rarely well. Liu Min missed his wet nurse and would always try to visit her, but each time he was locked out. After a few times, he stopped going and instead waited patiently for her to come to him. Seeing her would make him happy for a long time.
Liu Min hadn't seen Wu Qingyu for two months. When she saw her, she rushed over and exclaimed, "Mom has finally come to see me! I've missed you so much!"
Wu Qingyu suppressed a cough and said with a smile, "Liansi, have you grown taller again?"
“You’ve grown taller, haven’t you? Mom hasn’t come over in so long!” Liu Min gestured with her hands. “You must be this tall now!”
"So tall!" Wu Qingyu deliberately raised her voice, and to amuse the child, she added, "That's great, Liansi is about to grow up."
Madam Qin smiled and said, "That's right, in the blink of an eye, you've grown so much..." As she spoke, she wiped away her tears.
Liu Min immediately rushed to Madam Qin's side and wiped away her tears, saying, "Grandmother, why are you crying? I've grown up, isn't that a good thing?"
Madam Qin stopped crying and smiled, hugging her grandson in her arms, saying, "You're right, it's a good thing, I shouldn't have cried."
While the grandfather and grandson were talking, Wu Qingyu kept looking at Shanlai.
Shanlai certainly noticed this.
That fervent and sincere gaze seemed almost tangible.
There's no way to hide from it; pretending not to see it is just like trying to hide something obvious.
I had no choice but to walk over.
Knowing that she was a mother or similar figure, I said, "May Mother be blessed."
Before the words were even out of her mouth, Luo Qingyu was overjoyed and quickly grabbed Shanlai's hand, about to speak. But as soon as she opened her mouth, she started coughing, her face turning red in just a few coughs. Even so, she didn't let go of Shanlai.
"Good boy, let me see you..."
As spring transitioned into summer, Wu Qingyu's cough and asthma flared up again, lasting for more than two months and she still hadn't fully recovered. She hadn't planned to go out, but someone told her that the old lady had spent a lot of money to buy a maid for the young master to be his concubine. Upon hearing this, she couldn't wait to see her.
Wu Qingyu's relatives were either dead or missing, all people she would never see again. She had suffered greatly; her health was already failing. She knew in her heart that enduring the pain was only suffering, and dying sooner would lessen her torment. She knew all this… But she endured it, one day at a time, until the person she cared for most, her nursing son, was grown up and settled. She couldn't leave in peace until that day came… She understood that she was destined to leave with resentment. Yet now he had someone by his side, even if it was for the future, she was happy, because she had no future; she only had the present. Therefore, she had to see him one last time. She was truly afraid that she wouldn't be there tomorrow.
Now that she saw it, she couldn't help but shed tears.
“Good child, such a good child… I am so happy to see you…”
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