Chapter 4 I want her to stay
Liu Min was born in April of that year. In February, his father was awarded the title of Tan Hua (third-ranked scholar) in the imperial examinations. The good news was quickly sent back to Pingcheng by horse. The long streets were bustling with activity, drums and gongs resounded, and people flowed like a river, shoulder to shoulder. It was a moment of unparalleled glory, and even ten years later, it was still a vivid memory, something everyone talked about with great interest. A child was the icing on the cake, something everyone longed for. He did not disappoint; he was a boy. However, his mother suffered a difficult childbirth.
Two days and one night drained the mother's life force, and she passed away, leaving behind a frail infant.
The old lady of the Liu family, the mother-in-law of the poor woman who died, and the grandmother of the poor child who survived, felt that she bore a great responsibility for the tragedy that had occurred. Therefore, as if to atone for her sins, she treated this child who was born without a mother even better, including the child's mother's share. She had a son who was a top scholar in the imperial examinations, and she certainly knew how to raise an outstanding child, but she chose to spoil him because of guilt and because she couldn't bear to do it. She tried her best to satisfy all his demands, and always felt that she was not doing enough.
Liu Min was nothing like his father. His appearance was mostly inherited from his mother, gentle and beautiful, but his temperament was unique, unlike either his father or mother. Not to mention his parents, among all the Liu family members who had lived for a hundred years, he was the only one like him.
He was a true young master. Almost everyone in the Liu household revolved around him, yet he still often felt angry. He would always lose his temper over trivial matters, believing that there were too many unsatisfactory things in the world, which made him feel wronged. Even when others did exactly as he said, he was still dissatisfied, and he was not one to compromise himself, so it was always the people around him who had to compromise to accommodate him.
This is certainly a sign of squandering wealth.
However, Madam Qin did not care, or rather, she did not notice.
In her eyes, her precious grandson is perfect in every way.
She was born beautiful, clear-eyed and intelligent, and quick to learn anything. Everyone who met her praised her. Although she was indeed a bit mischievous, she never liked to go out much and only stayed at home. Even if she caused a bit of trouble, it didn't bother others. Besides, she was always well-mannered in public. Although she often felt better than others and was too lazy to pay attention, she never lost her manners. Moreover, she was willing to cause trouble at home because she was close to her. She only caused trouble at home and was only close to her. Wasn't this a sign of her filial piety? Therefore, she was happy to accompany her in her troubles.
To say that Liu Min was a good person is not entirely due to Madam Qin's bias.
Liu Min does sometimes show kindness, thus becoming a reasonable person.
For example, right now.
"How much money did the old lady give her? No matter how much she gave, tell her to go back. Her father is sick, how can you separate them? If it were me, separating from the old lady would be like taking my life. I wouldn't even be able to survive, let alone have the energy to do anything else."
Madam Qin had always been responsive to Liu Min's requests and readily agreed to them, but this time she remained silent.
Shanlai's heart was lifted up, raised very high.
She needed money to save her father's life. She was willing to do anything for the money; she had long since convinced herself otherwise. However, if possible, she still wanted to obtain the money while preserving her dignity. She didn't covet the luxurious life of the Liu family, nor did she want to remain a slave without freedom. As for being a concubine, that was worse than being a maid… She would rather go back to the mountains to chop vegetables and herd ducks. Of course, she knew that taking other people's money was wrong, something she shouldn't do. Therefore, she was borrowing it, even if she had to repay double or ten times it later! She wasn't an ungrateful person.
She's about to cry again.
She longed to pour out her heart through her tears, promising to repay the debt tenfold in the future. Upon returning home, she would pray daily before the Bodhisattva, asking for blessings upon the kind-hearted, for the old lady's eternal happiness, and for the Liu family's prosperity...
But no, he didn't cry, and he didn't say anything.
Because she had always been a very proud person. She never asked anyone for anything, feeling it was undignified. Even when others offered her things, she always refused. She was always quiet and silent, never asking or speaking, and sometimes even when asked, she wouldn't answer. When she first returned to her hometown, the villagers liked her very much because she was beautiful and well-behaved. Children, both boys and girls, loved to play with her, and her peers would compare who was closest to her. But as time went on, everyone noticed that she wasn't warm or friendly at all, like a stone that couldn't be warmed. So, slowly, no one sought her out anymore. Although no one saw her anymore, the gossip about her didn't diminish at all. The nicer ones said she was dull and had suffered a disaster, that she was frightened. The unpleasant ones said she was pretentious and aloof, looking down on country folk, forgetting her place after a few good days, not understanding that a fallen phoenix is no better than a chicken, let alone a phoenix, yet she dared to put on airs in front of her elders and fellow villagers. She knew all these things, but never refuted them, because she felt it was unnecessary. She didn't care; it was good that no one was bothering her, it was peaceful. But sometimes, seeing them chasing and playing from afar, she would feel a sense of loneliness, yet she couldn't bring herself to join them. When no one was around, she would sit down and seriously consider whether she was indeed being hypocritical.
She was ruined by the word "aloofness." How could she possibly ask someone for help, especially something so presumptuous?
Just because someone is a good person, should we lend her money? It's easy to say, just a few words from two lips, and the words sound nice too. But does she really have that much money?
She herself was hesitant, let alone others.
She was afraid of hearing a rejection.
Rejection is a form of denial.
She seemed unable to accept it.
So they didn't say anything, just left it to fate.
Liu Min was sincere; he genuinely wanted to return in good faith. Firstly, he admired her deep affection and righteousness and was willing to do his part. Secondly, he truly didn't want to hear any more talk about "Little Grandma."
He thought his grandmother would listen to him.
But Madam Qin said very firmly, "No, she can't leave. I want her to stay."
This is the final result.
Upon hearing this, Shanlai didn't experience much emotion. Surprisingly, there was no disappointment or sadness; only a sense of relief, a feeling that things had finally settled and there was no longer any need for worry. Being a maid was fine, being a concubine wasn't unacceptable, and she had even considered worse scenarios. She had simply held onto a sliver of hope, wanting a better outcome. A better outcome would be best, of course; if not, it wasn't a big deal. She had already accepted her fate.
Liu Min was filled with surprise and doubt. He was surprised that his grandmother had rejected his request, and he was puzzled as to what was so special about this little girl that made his grandmother so fond of her.
He's good-looking, his handwriting is nice, and he has a certain air of refinement. That's about it. If I look for anything else, I can't find anything good. There are no good ones, but plenty of bad ones. First of all, his personality is dull and uninteresting...
Liu Min was a young master, a filial grandson. Of course, he wouldn't get entangled with his grandmother over a maid. Whatever his grandmother said went. Once it was decided, he wouldn't care about the rest. So he immediately put Shanlai out of his mind and buried himself in his grandmother's arms, acting all cute.
"Why did the old lady only send someone to pick me up today? Did she not miss me? I was thinking of the old lady and wanted to come back for a long time, but she didn't come to pick me up. I was afraid that the old lady didn't want to see me and didn't dare to come back herself. I was wrong a few days ago. I was so angry that I did anything. I even talked back to the old lady. I deserve to die! I really know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time, and I will never dare to do it again."
A few words were enough to make Old Madam Qin very happy. She hugged him and stroked the back of his neck, saying with a smile, "Don't say such things. I didn't do a good job for you, so it's understandable that you're angry. I only ask that you don't upset yourself. Nothing else matters."
The grandfather and grandson shared a very affectionate moment.
After the kiss, Madam Qin saw that Ru Hui and Shan Lai were still standing to the side, so she first said to Shan Lai, "You must remember what I said earlier." After saying this, she said to Ru Hui, "Just as I said before, take her to settle down, and bring her to see me later."
Ru Hui acknowledged, bowed, and withdrew.
Shanlai was about to leave when Ruhui gently tugged at him. Shanlai was puzzled and simply looked up at her.
Ru Hui wanted to give a hint, but she didn't want to say it outright. She glanced at Old Madam Qin and Liu Min, and seeing that the grandmother and grandson were still talking and not paying attention to this side, she didn't say anything and quickly left with her people.
Shanlai knew that Ruhui was trying to give her some pointers, but she couldn't figure out what they were. Fortunately, although she didn't know, she was a patient person and wouldn't ask directly. It wasn't until they were alone outside and had no more reservations that she asked.
"Sister, did I do something wrong just now?"
Ru Hui was also a shrewd and perceptive person who knew what to say to whom. So after thinking for a while, she said directly to Shan Lai, "Good sister, as servants, no matter how much our masters give us face, we cannot forget our duty. The Liu family is a family of scholars and musicians. How can we allow servants to be frivolous? We must always follow the rules and regulations when we meet people. When we left just now, you should have bowed to me as well."
Shanlai then realized that it was because she had not fulfilled her duties as a servant.
Ru Hui added, "You're new here, so you don't know the rules. I can't blame you, but you'd better be careful in the future so that no one catches you doing something wrong."
She was right. Shanlai was silent for a moment, then nodded and said to Ruhui, "I'll remember that. Thank you for reminding me, sister."
Ru Hui nodded as well.
The two continued walking forward.
The purpose of this trip was to take Shanlai to fetch the tents and bedding. When they arrived at the steward's place, several people saw that it was Ruhui and all came up to fawn over her.
"Young lady, why did you come in person? If there was anything you needed, you could have just sent someone to tell you. Couldn't you have handled it properly? You must be exhausted from such a long journey. Please sit down and rest for a while!" As she spoke, she brought over a stool, and the person next to her held up a soft cushion.
"Young lady, have some tea to soothe your throat."
Ru Hui neither sat down nor drank tea, but smiled and declined them all: "Thank you for your kindness, ladies. I shouldn't have declined, but the old lady assigned me some work and I'm short on time. I dare not rest, otherwise I would definitely sit down and chat with you ladies." As she spoke, she pulled Shan Lai in front of her and said, "Look, it's her. She just came in today. The old lady asked me to settle her in, so I brought her here to get her things."
Upon hearing this, several old women turned to look at Shanlai, praising her in unison, "She's truly beautiful, a real beauty." One of the old women pointed to a pile of things on the table inside and said to Shanlai, "It's all prepared! It's all fine silk, but we didn't know where you lived, otherwise we would have delivered it long ago. Why would we have troubled you two to make this trip? Please wait here, ladies, I'll wash my hands and carry it to you myself."
Ru Hui said, "How could we trouble you mothers? It would be terrible if we delayed your business. Since we are here, we will take our own things. You mothers are busy with so many things every day and rarely have a moment of leisure. Letting you rest more is also our way of showing our filial piety." As she spoke, she glanced at Shan Lai.
Shanlai understood immediately and opened her mouth to speak, but it was her first day as a servant girl, and she had such a personality that it was really difficult for her to be as eloquent as Ru Hui. Her face turned red, and she could only say a dry "thank you".
The old women didn't feel slighted at all. They quickly surrounded her, took her hands, and said with smiles, "Miss, please don't be so formal. We are in charge of things in the mansion. If you need anything, just send someone to tell us."
After all, she's the youngest grandmother, so of course we wouldn't neglect her.
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