The servants, who had initially thought it was just a quarrel between their masters, were filled with anxiety, but to their surprise, the whole incident vanished in the blink of an eye.
Everyone even witnessed the male master carrying the female master back to the study, and they didn't come out until two hours later. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and felt gratified by the affection between their masters.
There weren't many servants in this house. Hailan, Zhizhu, Li Shun'er, and Granny Wan came from the capital with Heyue and his wife. Li Shun'er was now in charge of the front yard and was the housekeeper of the front yard. Hailan and Zhizhu were in charge of the back yard and also served Heyue and his wife. Granny Wan was in charge of the new maids.
The two young maids were newly purchased after the house was moved in. They were both fourteen or fifteen years old and were responsible for serving writing brushes, ink, and tea in the front yard.
They also hired two chefs who were skilled in Northern and Southern cuisines respectively, as well as several maids for cleaning and servants for delivering messages.
For a two-courtyard house, there were more than enough people.
With Zhizhu and Granny Wan around, there was no need to hire anyone else for needlework and thread. At the very least, there was Cui Tianshi, who often helped Heyue and his wife with small tasks.
Adding Cui Yan to the mix, He Yue doesn't expect her to be as good as Zhi Zhu and the others; she just wants her to behave herself and not cause any trouble.
It has been half a year since we left the capital. The little clothes and shoes that Heyue made for the child are finished. Although they are not as good as those made by Zhizhu and the others, they are still passable. There was no time to make any alterations, so we asked the messenger who came to deliver the message to take the things back to the Yongqin Prince's Mansion in the capital.
Thirteen also wrote a letter back to Fourth Prince, asking him to deliver it to Prince Yong.
Although it was Thirteen who was in direct contact with Prince Yong, and the messenger was a very reliable person close to the Fourth Prince, it was still not safe enough. The contents of the letter were kept as simple as possible, only mentioning some trivial matters and inquiring about the other party's situation. Since the matter of the Crown Prince's reinstatement was already common knowledge, the Fourth Prince informed Thirteen in the letter, but did not provide any details.
After seeing the messenger off, both men breathed a sigh of relief.
The next morning, Cui Yan came to He Yue's place to pay her respects. He Yue had just finished breakfast when she let her in.
Cui Yan also had mixed feelings. Yesterday, she thought that Master Jin and the young mistress had quarreled, and she was secretly happy, thinking that she had an opportunity. But in the blink of an eye, she heard that Master Jin and the young mistress had made up.
No matter how disappointed she felt inside, she still wore a cheerful expression: "Cui Yan greets Master Jin and the young mistress."
She hadn't noticed it at first, but now, as He Yue stared at Cui Yan, she felt more and more that Cui Yan was too quick-witted, which was not a good thing.
He smiled gently, raised his hand to indicate that there was no need for formalities, and said in a mild tone: "I suppose Sister Cui already told you when you came that the people serving me and Master Jin are all strictly selected. Their loyalty goes without saying, and following the rules is also the most important thing. No matter who serves us, they must follow the rules. If anyone breaks the rules, I will not take sides. You must understand this."
Cui Yan lowered her head and replied meekly, "Yes, young mistress, Cui Yan will definitely serve you and Master Jin well."
Ha, she's already putting on such a weak act so quickly. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Heyue had done something to her.
Thirteen wasn't buying it. Sure enough, when Heyue looked over, Thirteen wasn't even looking at her. She was intently studying the plum blossom pattern around the teacup.
He Yue almost burst out laughing; this was quite an act.
"Usually, Hailan and Zhizhu take care of Jinye and me. You just need to serve tea and water. There's nothing else to do. If you don't understand anything, just ask Hailan and Zhizhu." Heyue finished speaking simply and then dismissed her.
Cui Yan glanced at Thirteen discreetly, replied "Yes," and reluctantly retreated.
"I overestimated Cui Yan. Her thoughts are obvious at a glance. She doesn't know how to hide them at all. She even dares to act weak in front of me." He Yue snorted, clearly dissatisfied.
I wonder how Steward Cui's honest family could have produced such a clever and quick-witted daughter.
Thirteen took her hand and pulled her into his lap to sit down. He didn't care at all about being seen. He rested his chin on her shoulder and laughed non-stop: "You promised to come. What are you complaining about now? Anyway, you can handle this yourself. I can resist the temptation. The rest is up to you, my wife."
Heyue poked his chest and pouted, "You're so quick to deny it, but wasn't she doing it all for you? You're such a troublemaker!"
Thirteen chuckled: "I'm the source of all trouble, and what are you? I'm the one who's been ruined by you."
Heyue pretended not to understand and tried to get up, but Thirteen wouldn't allow it. He held her tightly and whispered in her ear, "Don't move, let me hold you for a while."
"It's broad daylight, people will laugh at us." Just then, Cui Yan walked in carrying a mahogany tray with her head down.
"Master Jin, Madam, the tea has gone cold. This servant will change it." As if she hadn't noticed their situation, Cui Yan silently stepped forward to change the tea and then respectfully withdrew.
He Yue rubbed her forehead and smiled helplessly: "This Cui Yan, didn't anyone teach her to be discreet? Or is she doing it on purpose?"
"Who cares? Letting her see is just fine." Thirteen completely ignored her.
He Yue pinched the back of his hand and gritted her teeth: "Did you expect this all along?"
Thirteen's actions seemed rather deliberate, showing no embarrassment at being caught.
Thirteen chuckled, not denying it: "I've seen quite a few, after all. In the capital, there are maids and women in the mansion who fawn over you, but their methods are nothing more than the same two. This Cui Yan's methods are still not up to par."
Hearing this, Heyue felt a pang of sadness. It would be strange if she were happy when so many people coveted her husband.
"By the way, when should we go see my uncle and aunt, and also Fu Sengge? It's been so long since we've seen him. I wonder what he looks like now."
He Yue stopped thinking about those messy things and changed the subject. This was her own nephew. Before, he was in the capital, which was far away and she couldn't see him. Now that he had finally come to Yangzhou, she had to go to Suzhou to see him.
Thirteen nodded: "Okay, when?"
"Let's do it tomorrow. Pack up today and set off tomorrow," Heyue suggested, since there was nothing else to do anyway.
Thirteen didn't care: "Then it's up to you."
Without hesitation, He Yue immediately ordered people to prepare luggage and carriages, while Thirteen continued to teach Cui He to read.
The people to be brought were Zhizhu and Li Shun'er, and the others stayed behind. Unexpectedly, Cui Yan asked Heyue to come along as well.
“My lady, there are times when Sister Zhizhu is too busy to handle everything on her own. This servant can help her out.”
He Yue knew exactly what she was thinking. But it was good that she came along; some things needed to be seen with one's own eyes to be accepted, so she agreed.
Hailan was angry but helpless, so she secretly pulled Zhizhu aside and earnestly instructed her: "Remember to keep an eye on that Cui Yan and don't let her get close to Master."
Zhizhu nodded repeatedly and smiled: "Don't worry, Sister Hailan, I'll keep an eye on things and won't let her have any chance to take advantage."
Hailan nodded in relief, but inwardly she felt utterly disgusted with Cui Yan.
She's just the daughter of a servant, yet she really thinks she's someone important?
The master dotes on his wife, and doesn't even care about the other women in the mansion, let alone her!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
