Chapter 14: She was easy to raise and finally saw the light of day.
Located in the most bustling central area, the group arrived at the entrance of Longxianglou shortly after walking for a while. As soon as they entered, a sharp-eyed waiter noticed their distinguished attire, immediately put on a smile, and abandoned his busy work to lead them to the second floor.
The waiter was about to lead them to a quieter private room at the back when Meng Yu passed by a room and saw a beautiful flower and bird screen inside. He pointed to that room.
Lu Xiuyi understood, and led her inside, saying to the waiter, "This private room is quite nice, let's eat here."
Upon hearing this, the waiter had no choice but to respond.
Lu Xiuyi instructed someone to guard the door. As soon as he sat down, he ordered dozens of signature dishes. The waiter served tea with a smile and then bowed and left.
Two ink paintings hung on the walls of the private room, and dappled light streamed in through the wide-open windows. A screen depicting flowers and birds stood opposite, revealing a celadon openwork incense burner in the corner. Wisps of smoke rose from the openwork, their fragrance soothing the senses as they entered the nostrils.
The clamor of the marketplace seeped in through the open windows, penetrating deep into her ears, and Meng Yu's hands, which were tightly crossed on her lap, gradually relaxed.
"Does Yan Yan want to eat roasted mutton?"
Lu Xiuyi followed her gaze and saw that a small stall across the street was grilling mutton. The aroma of sizzling mutton filled the air, and the sizzling sound of the mutton, along with the shouts of the vendors, attracted several passersby to stop and buy four or five skewers.
Hearing this, Meng Yu turned her head, but didn't know how to explain her momentary lapse in concentration. She could only lick her lips casually and nod.
Seeing her looking like a glutton, Lu Xiuyi smiled helplessly, his dark eyes softening with tenderness. He beckoned to Chu Ze, who was waiting beside him, and said in a low voice, "Go to the stall across the street and buy twenty skewers of roasted mutton."
Meng Yu looked up abruptly, shaking her head in shock. She quickly took out her notebook and wrote, "Too much, this servant can't finish it."
Lu Xiuyi smiled indulgently: "It's alright. If Yanyan really can't finish it, just share some with them."
As he spoke, he gestured with his chin toward the guards.
Meng Yu understood, and finally felt at ease.
In less than half an hour, dozens of signature dishes were served, filling the table. Meng Yu glanced at them and saw the kiln-roasted chicken and crab meat pastry that she had been craving for a long time, as well as eight-treasure gourd duck, five-spice mutton stew, pine flower crucian carp, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, braised pork, stir-fried gluten with asparagus, sesame dumplings, and plum soup.
If it weren't for the important matter at hand, Meng Yu would definitely have eaten until her stomach was as big as a small ball. She tried a few bites of each dish, ate four or five skewers of roasted mutton, and drank half a bowl of plum soup. Then, pretending to be full, she leaned back in her chair and squinted her eyes with a satisfied look on her face.
Lu Xiuyi's gaze was tender and alluring as he couldn't help but tease her, "Yanyan eats so little, she's easy to feed."
Meng Yu was pondering what excuse to use to go to the cloth shop when she suddenly heard him say this. She straightened up, moved the notebook next to her, frowned, and wrote with some annoyance: "Master is mocking his servant."
The person opposite glanced at her, their eyes slightly raised: "Yan Yan, what are you saying? How did I laugh at you?"
Meng Yu's fair fingers curled slightly as she gripped the pen tightly. The ink immediately spread across the snow-white paper. Lu Xiuyi, curious, couldn't wait for her to finish writing and peeked over. He saw that the delicate handwriting was tinged with anger: "Master said that I am easy to raise. Isn't that just mocking my rural background, which is inferior to those gentle and dignified noble ladies in the capital?"
Seeing her brows furrow slightly, Lu Xiuyi couldn't help but chuckle and leaned over to poke her forehead.
He suddenly reached out and poked at her. Meng Yu couldn't dodge in time, and clutched her forehead in pain. She pouted, lifted her eyelids, and glared at him.
Lu Xiuyi ignored it, only raising his lips helplessly and saying, "Yanyan's thought process is quite unique."
Her face flushed with anger, and she wrote with her head down: "I don't care, Master said the wrong thing, which caused me mental damage. Master has to compensate me."
Although she was so angry that she even changed how she addressed herself, she never asked him for anything. Lu Xiuyi was not angry at all; on the contrary, he was quite pleased. He gently coaxed her with a smile, "Alright, alright, Yan Yan, tell me how you want me to compensate you. As long as I can do it, even if Yan Yan wants the stars in the sky, I will find a way to pluck them down for you."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yu smiled broadly: "There's no need to go to such lengths. We just passed a cloth shop, and I peeked inside from afar. The silks inside were shimmering and the workmanship was exquisite. I'd like to go in and pick out a few bolts to make clothes, so that when I accompany you to the manor in the future, I won't embarrass you."
Her words were reasonable and showed her consideration for him. Moreover, since she was willing to dress up, Lu Xiuyi was naturally happy to see it happen, so why would he refuse?
He immediately agreed to the bento box.
From Longxianglou to the cloth shop, it was only two short streets away. Lu Xiuyi, holding Meng Yu's hand, walked for a short while before arriving at the entrance of the cloth shop. But before the two could enter, a guard rushed over. He spoke to Chu Ze, and his expression immediately turned serious. He then whispered a few words in Lu Xiuyi's ear.
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiuyi frowned slightly and turned to Meng Yu, saying, "Yanyan, there's been some progress in the bandit case. I need to deal with it now. You can choose one yourself, okay?"
Meng Yu pouted, reluctantly grabbed Lu Xiuyi's hand, and wrote: "Then you must come back soon, sir."
Lu Xiuyi smiled and couldn't help but reach out through the gauze curtain to pinch her cheek: "Hmm, pick whatever you like, no need to save money for me. If you've bought everything, go back to Longxiang Tower and wait for me, I will come to find you."
After saying this, Chu Ze took out a bag of silver from his pocket and handed it to the guards behind him. Lu Xiuyi then instructed them to stay by Meng Yu's side to protect her safety.
Meng Yu stood there, watching Lu Xiuyi and Chu Ze disappear around the corner. Her hands, which were placed in front of her, were tightly crossed to prevent her from showing too much joy.
This is truly a stroke of luck for her.
***
The three guards accompanying Meng Yu were all around thirty years old. She had met them a few times before, and they were all people who loved wine.
Pedestrians hurried along the road, and the small tavern across the street exuded the rich fragrance of osmanthus. Meng Yu lifted her skirt and entered the cloth shop, where the shopkeeper greeted her with a beaming smile.
The head guard remained expressionless, but said solemnly to the shopkeeper, "Our young lady wants to select several bolts of fine fabric to make clothes. Please bring out all the best quality ones."
The three guards, each with a sword at their waist and an imposing presence, were clearly not ordinary guards from a wealthy family. The shopkeeper, with his sharp eyes, dared not delay any longer and immediately ordered the waiter to bring out all the finest fabrics for Meng Yu to choose from.
Four or five rows of silk were laid out before him. Meng Yu casually picked up a piece and glanced at it. Its surface was bright and delicate, its texture was rich, and its patterns were exceptionally beautiful, yet elegant and dignified.
The guard, with his keen eye, noticed Meng Yu examining the silk repeatedly and asked the shopkeeper, "How much is this silk?"
The shopkeeper smiled humbly and said, "Sir, this is brocade. One bolt costs fifteen taels. Its texture is smooth and its feel is excellent."
Meng Yu put down the silk at the right moment, and the guard immediately ordered, "Wrap this up, our young lady wants it."
The shopkeeper grinned from ear to ear and quickly agreed.
Meng Yu was absent-minded, but continued selecting without revealing her true feelings.
As she was choosing, she seemed to suddenly remember something, so she asked the shopkeeper for paper and pen and wrote down two sentences.
After finishing writing, Meng Yu took out a few taels of silver and handed them to the head guard, along with the ink-stained paper: "Young Master Marquis likes to drink osmanthus wine. Could you help me get a jar from across the street? Consider the remaining silver as a reward for your trouble."
Her tone was gentle and soft, without a trace of the arrogance one might expect from someone who had curried favor with the powerful. Those who followed Lu Xiuyi were all used to the contempt and disdain of the world of fame and fortune, and seeing Meng Yu's polite manner, they couldn't help but feel more favorably disposed towards her.
The head guard hurriedly bowed and declined, saying, "No, no, please take the money back, young lady. Besides our monthly salary, the young marquis also rewards his subordinates with a lot of money on a regular basis. It's just a jar of wine; it won't cost much."
Meng Yu smiled slightly, lowered her head, gripped her pen, and the tip moved quickly across the paper. After a moment, she forcefully stuffed the silver into his hand: "Young Marquis, you are rewarding the gentleman because he has done a good job. You deserve it. It was my idea to buy the wine, and you deserve a tip for your trouble."
The cloth shop and the tavern across the street are only a few steps apart, so how could it be considered hard work?
After she said that, the guards could no longer refuse, so they thanked her, told the other two to take good care of Meng Yu, and then hurried off to the tavern.
***
Meng Yu planned her time carefully, taking her time to select a few bolts of light-colored silk before having the shopkeeper pack them up.
Just as the group was about to leave, the leading guard returned after fetching the wine.
Meng Yu looked up and saw that in addition to a jar of osmanthus wine, he also had two jars of daughter's red wine in his hands.
Just as she expected.
Upon arriving at Longxianglou, Meng Yu returned to her original private room and ordered several snacks.
After sitting for a while, she shook the wind chimes beside the table. Soon a waiter came in and asked what she needed. Meng Yu showed him what she had written in her notebook beforehand: "Please bring a table of dishes to the next table for my three attendants. My attendants are shy, so there's no need to tell them. I'll let them enjoy the dishes when they're served."
Meng Yu raised his chin towards the three guards outside the door.
The waiter followed her gaze and secretly glanced outside the door. Seeing that they looked serious and not frivolous at all, he immediately understood. Besides, he would get a share of the profits from each private room he booked, so why wouldn't he do it?
The door to the next room was wide open, and the waiter brought in nearly ten dishes, all of which were excellent accompaniments to drinks.
The waiter, carrying dishes, always passed by Meng Yu's door. The aroma of the dishes wafted in, and although the guards at the door remained calm, Meng Yu, with her sharp eyes, had already noticed two of them licking their lips.
It was lunchtime, and their stomachs were probably growling loudly with hunger.
As the waiter finished serving the last dish, Meng Yu stood up and handed the three guards a message she had written in advance.
Upon seeing this, the leading guard instinctively clasped his hands in a gesture of polite refusal: "Thank you for your kindness, young lady, but we are on duty and it is really inappropriate for us to leave our posts."
Having anticipated his response, Meng Yu returned to the table, picked up his pen, and wrote: "It's lunchtime, so going next door for a meal is hardly considered dereliction of duty. Besides, the dishes are already served. If you gentlemen don't eat any, wouldn't that be a waste? And when the young marquis returns and sees that I've ordered a table full of dishes but haven't eaten any, he will surely reprimand me for such waste."
The guards nearby swallowed hard, nudged his arm with their elbows, and chimed in, "Young master is known for his clear-cut rewards and punishments. If he saw us wasting food like this, he would surely punish us according to military law. Besides, what the young lady said makes sense. It's just a meal next door, nothing serious."
The lead guard shifted his gaze almost imperceptibly, hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and agreed. The three were about to leave when the guard hesitated again: "But...but young lady, there's no one here..."
Meng Yu smiled and said, "It's just a wall away. If I knock on the table, you can hear me clearly. What's there to be afraid of?"
The other two were already so hungry their legs were practically spinning, their eyes gleaming as they stared at the Daughter's Red wine they had brought back. Now that Meng Yu said this, they smiled and echoed her sentiments.
The three of them then went to the next room.
***
Meng Yu sat for a while, then rang the wind chimes again and ordered a bowl of lily and pear syrup.
The waiter was quick and efficient, and soon brought it over. Meng Yu handed him the notebook to look at: "It's a bit noisy outside, could you please go out and close the door for me?"
However, since it was just a side trip, the waiter naturally had no suspicions whatsoever.
The moment the door closed, Meng Yu immediately went around behind the screen and took out a set of coarse linen clothes from under the incense burner.
This is where Huaiyin got off the ship before them and came here to hide.
Meng Yu quickly changed her makeup, her hands trembling, and then took out the rouge she carried with her and applied several thick layers of it to her face until it was difficult to recognize her original appearance. Only then did she cautiously open a crack in the door and peek out.
There was no one walking under the eaves, except for the waiter who waited at the door to prevent customers from ringing the bell.
Meng Yu gently closed the door, squatted down against it, and heard the pounding of her heart. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, sliding down her temples and dripping onto the floor, leaving a damp patch.
She was struggling with how to slip away unnoticed by the waiter when, just then, a bell rang outside, followed by the waiter's cheerful voice: "Coming!"
The waiter jogged inside, his footsteps trembling as he passed her door.
The opportunity has arrived.
It was at this moment.
She quietly pushed the door open and closed it again, then walked sideways towards the stairwell.
It was only a few steps from the entrance of the private room to the stairs, but Meng Yu felt as if she had walked for half a day.
The stairwell was at the corner. Meng Yu, her legs feeling weak, was about to step down when a sharp shout suddenly rang out behind her: "Stop!"
She was so frightened that she froze on the spot, and even her breathing slowed down.
"Why are you running? Do you think I'm going to eat you?" A sticky, lewd laugh sounded from the side.
Another voice trembled slightly: "No, he didn't run away."
Out of the corner of her eye, Meng Yu saw a strange man emerge from a private room on the left, his arm around a young man's shoulder, his eyes narrowed in a lewd smile.
Meng Yu then realized that the voice wasn't calling her.
Her heart, which had been in her throat, calmed down a little. Without thinking about anything else, she rushed downstairs and headed straight for the city gate.
Because he had a boat ticket, Meng Yu left the city smoothly.
After leaving the city, she ran several miles along back paths, relying on her memory. After emerging from a grove of reeds, she saw Aunt Shen and Huaiyin waiting by a carriage, looking around anxiously.
For a moment, a sour feeling filled my eyes.
Tears blurred my vision.
After enduring so much humiliation and obsequiousness by Lu Xiuyi's side for so long, she finally saw the light of day.
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