Zhou Tao instantly regained her senses and stood up with Qin'er's help.
Lu Qian snapped back to his senses and quickly stood up.
However, as he took two steps back, he let out a low hiss.
Oh no, he was going too fast and still bumped his knee.
However, he could bear the pain. So, after a soft hiss, he quickly took a few steps back as usual and asked softly, "Xiao Tao, are you alright?"
"It's nothing, thank you, Brother Lu. What brings you here?" Zhou Tao took a few steps back with Qin'er's hand, keeping a safe distance between them. However, her eyes couldn't help but glance at his knees, revealing a hint of heartache.
Judging from the two light-colored frayed marks on the hem of his robe, his knees must be scraped and bleeding by now!
I'm so stupid.
Zhou Tao lowered her eyes in annoyance.
"I came to deliver New Year's gifts and happened to see them putting up couplets, so I helped them. My sister-in-law invited me to stay for lunch at her house," Lu Qian hurriedly explained to him.
"Oh, then you guys can stick the dust on. Qin'er and I have basically finished wiping the dust off the doors and windows." After saying that, she had Qin'er help her into the house.
She was startled by the fall, and her heart was racing. Her body felt numb and weak, and she needed to calm down.
She even felt a bittersweet feeling. At that moment, she thought she would fall, scrape her skin, or sprain her ankle, but she never expected that Brother Lu would save her.
She could even feel that his hands were trembling as he held her, and she had never seen that look in his eyes before.
Is he afraid too?
Qin'er looked at Zhou Tao's dazed expression, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she closed her mouth.
She was just the second young lady's maid, and it was none of her business who the second young lady liked. She probably had her own thoughts. But she had observed carefully just now that the young master Lu must have injured his knee while saving the second young lady. When he stepped back, he flinched twice, so he must have been in a lot of pain.
This young master Lu has come to see the second young lady three times since she started following her, but each time he only brought her some food, or said he was going to talk to Madam Qi about something and just wanted to see her.
But she was a few years older than Zhou Tao, and she could clearly see that this man had feelings for the second young lady.
She also noticed that every time the Second Miss met Young Master Lu, she would be in a daze for most of the day.
Sigh, the feelings between men and women are really troublesome. She couldn't say much, so she could only do her best to protect the second young lady and her reputation.
Outside the door, Lu Qian stood there for a moment to adjust. After the pain subsided, he looked at Zhou Lei and said, "Come on, let's put up the stickers in Xiao Tao's yard."
Zhou Lei glanced at his leg with concern. "Brother Lu, is your knee alright? Should I put the patch on myself?"
Lu Qian chuckled and shook his head. "It's alright, it doesn't hurt. Let's hurry up and apply it; there are plenty of rooms in the manor!"
His family's couplets were pasted up by the steward and servants; he had never lifted a finger. But when he came to the Lu family and saw everyone working together, he realized that this was how the New Year should be celebrated.
Hearing the conversation in the courtyard, Zhou Tao, who was inside the house, silently stood up. But thinking that they would have to climb high to put up the couplets, she didn't go out, afraid of causing them more trouble.
After hearing Zhou Lei say that the posting was finished, Zhou Tao walked out and met Lu Qian and Zhou Lei's gaze as they turned to leave.
When Lu Qian saw her come out, his eyes were naturally full of smiles.
"Qin'er and I have finished tidying up our yard and house. Why don't we go and help you put up the couplets?" Zhou Tao had already put on her cotton cloak and was ready to go out and help.
Qin'er also put on a cotton cloak and stood next to Zhou Tao, nodding to Zhou Lei, "Third Young Master, since we're both free now, why don't we go and help you?"
Zhou Lei glanced at Lu Qian and nodded. "Okay, let's go then."
As the group walked out, Zhou Tao lagged a few steps behind. She carefully observed Lu Qian's gait and, after confirming that he wasn't limping, she felt relieved. It seemed that the injury wasn't too serious, but it was definitely a cut.
She thought to herself that she could ask Zhuzhu for some ointment to apply to her skin later.
Once, she scraped her arm and cut it. Zhuzhu applied a kind of ointment to it, which worked very well. It healed in a few days without leaving a scar.
After Li Mai and Zhou Quan finished working in their yard, they came out again and saw Zhou Tao and Qin'er helping Zhou Lin and the others put up couplets.
Zhou Quan also went to help, leaving Zhuzhu to stay with her mother.
Thanks to everyone's efforts, the Spring Festival couplets in the entire mansion were finally put up before dinner.
Lu Qian examined the characters on the couplet, then turned to Zhou Quan and asked, "Brother Quan, did you write this couplet?"
Zhou Quan shook his head. "Xiao Lei wrote it. Let's give him a chance to practice. This is his first time writing Spring Festival couplets. Does it seem a little awkward?"
Standing behind several people, Zhou Lei heard his older brothers discussing the couplets he had written. His face flushed slightly. He finally understood why his eldest brother had looked like he was about to laugh when he asked him to write the couplets. It turned out to be a public execution, letting people watch and discuss his handwriting.
He secretly vowed to himself that he would practice his calligraphy diligently in the future, strive to write his characters better, and hope that next year's couplets would be even more beautiful than this year's.
Lu Qian smiled and said, "It's pretty good. It's much better than my handwriting. I've never been good at it. My dad always says my handwriting has no style. If I had more courage, my handwriting would take off."
When Zhou Lei heard Lu Qian praise his calligraphy, he was secretly delighted.
Zhou Lin glanced back at him, smiled, and said nothing.
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