On the way, He Jiuniang briefly told him about Yao Shi and Susu, and then instructed, "I've let them stay at home for the time being. Don't be surprised if you see them. Also, Susu is really cute. Get to know her when you have time. Remember to be nice to her and don't scare her."
Lu Baichuan hadn't expected that Susu would suffer so much at such a young age, and a pang of pity rose in his heart. He said, "Don't worry, I know."
He escorted He Jiuniang to her doorstep, but before even entering, he turned his horse around and went to run errands.
He Jiuniang entered the room by herself, and Yao Shi came out to greet her when she heard the noise. She said with a smile, "Sister Jiuniang, you must be tired after working all night. I cooked some food for you. Eat and then get a good night's sleep."
After settling into the mansion, Madam Yao did not want to take advantage of others for nothing. She got up early in the morning to sweep the courtyard and then prepared breakfast for the children, leaving a separate portion for He Jiu Niang.
Gou'er and the young master were going to school, so Su Su had nothing to do. She learned to embroider in the courtyard. Whenever she encountered something she didn't understand, she would call out, and Su Su would come to guide her after she finished what she was doing.
This kind of wonderful life was something she had dreamed of for countless days and nights, and now she had achieved it so easily.
This was all given to her by He Jiuniang, and she will certainly repay her properly.
“There are people at home who specialize in doing these things, so Man’er, you don’t need to worry about it.”
He Jiuniang smiled and agreed, but still didn't want her to keep doing this kind of rough work.
She was treating the person who offered her a place to stay with courtesy, not making them her servant.
"Hehe, it's not heavy work. I can't stay idle, so I'll just do what I can."
Madam Yao smiled somewhat embarrassedly, but Hui'er, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but tease her, "Madam, you don't know, Madam hasn't had a moment's rest this morning. She's done all our work, and we don't know what to do next!"
Yao's current status is awkward, and people don't know how to address her. So, since she and He Jiuniang are godparents, they call her "godmother," which is quite reasonable.
He Jiuniang then looked at her and deliberately said in a stern voice, "Look, even Hui'er can't stand it anymore!"
"Hehe, I didn't do anything..."
Madam Yao knew that He Jiuniang was just joking with her, and she chuckled with her head down.
But He Jiuniang became serious and said, "Man'er, I'm telling you the truth, you're my adopted sister, not a servant in this house. You don't need to do these things. Most importantly, your hands are precious and have a greater purpose. You can't waste them like this!"
As she spoke, He Jiuniang touched her calloused hands and said, "Look at your hands, they're so rough. How will you embroider on expensive silk in the future? Our products will be sold to high-ranking officials and nobles, so they can't have any flaws. Your hands must remain smooth and delicate, understand?"
Silk fabrics are the easiest to snag, and they can be ruined in the blink of an eye, so the skill required of an embroiderer is very high.
Yao's previous embroidery works were all done on relatively rough fabrics, and the conditions were not so demanding, so it didn't matter if her hands were a little rough. But if she were to go for a high-end route, her hands would have to be well taken care of.
"But...but in my current state, can I still become more delicate?"
Yao stared blankly, never having considered these factors before.
Over the years, I've been doing rough and tiring work, and my hands have long been worn out and rough, with calluses on my palms. It seems difficult to keep them smooth and delicate.
He Jiuniang said confidently, "Others may not be able to, but you have me, right? I'll give you some hand cream later and teach you a few ways to take care of your hands. You'll see improvement in a month or two. But the premise is that you absolutely cannot do any more rough work, otherwise all the good things I give you will be wasted. You must always remember that your hands are very precious and can make a lot of money, so you must take good care of them!"
This wasn't just to flatter her. The most important thing for a craftsman is his hands. The rough and tiring work he does now is nothing compared to the future profits.
Yao was stunned by her words and became overly confident in herself. Could the clothes she made really be sold to high-ranking officials and wealthy people and make a lot of money?
"Don't just stand there, remember everything I just told you?"
He Jiuniang waved her hand in front of her eyes, and Yao Shi finally came to her senses, saying hesitantly, "But...can I really do it?"
"Of course! I've already instructed Steward Huang to acquire the shop. Once the shop is acquired, renovated, and opened, you'll be our shop's living advertisement. So you must take good care of yourself during this time. If your hands aren't up to par by the time we open, how can I entrust you with expensive silks?"
"Okay, Sister Jiu Niang, I'll listen to you. I'll take good care of myself and won't let you down!"
He Jiuniang nodded, then ate her food with peace of mind and went to sleep.
Back in her room, she took out several jars of very nourishing hand cream and handed them to Hui'er, instructing her, "Go and teach her how to use them, as well as some massage techniques. Make sure she does them three times a day, morning, noon, and night, and doesn't slack off."
"yes."
Hui'er smiled and left happily. He Jiuniang lay down on the bed and fell asleep in no time.
Inside the Duke Mu's mansion, Zhuo Jiayu had already been sent back to her own courtyard. Surprisingly, no one in the mansion came to see her, including her younger brother whom she had always protected since childhood.
Her father was flogged, and her mother kept nagging about it the whole way. Her worry seemed genuine. On the contrary, she couldn't say a word, but her mother didn't ask her any questions. She just kept telling her to go home.
As soon as she returned with Zhuo Jiayu, Madam Yan rushed to check on Zhuo Wei's injuries. After confirming that no bones were broken, she went to Zhuo Jiayu's courtyard.
With no jailers or anyone else around, Madam Yan was finally able to say a few words to her daughter.
"Xiaoyu, you're so foolish!"
Yan sat at the table, unwilling to even get close to her, showing none of the previous intimacy and affection.
"What were you doing going to the prison for no reason? Do you know how many scornful looks and ridicule our household has suffered since you were imprisoned?"
Yan continued to complain, refusing to admit that she was the one who had instigated Zhuo Jiayu to go to the prison in the first place.
Zhuo Jiayu clenched her fists tightly, holding the small porcelain bottle containing the antidote pills given to her by He Jiuniang, reminding her to take them once every hour.
She couldn't bear to put it away; she held it tightly in her hand. She had to live, she absolutely had to.
She was able to cry her heart out last night, but now she seems numb. Listening to her mother say these things, she seems to feel nothing at all.
When disappointment accumulates, it seems like you don't care as much anymore.
"Mother...I...feel unwell...please...doctor..."
She spoke with difficulty, interrupting Yan's rambling.
Madam Yan remained seated, unmoved: "It's alright, Mother has already sent someone to brew your medicine, just bear with it a little longer."
There's one more chapter, but it still needs to be reviewed. It should be available by tomorrow morning. Sisters, you can go to sleep now, no need to wait. Let me face this long night alone, hahaha.
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