Li Yuan nodded hurriedly, saying she would do anything as long as she wasn't hit.
Madam Li sighed, wondering if Madam Lu would forgive them easily. She decided to invite Madam Qian to go with her tomorrow, letting Madam Qian lead the way while she followed behind to see if she could glean any benefits.
On the other side, He Jiuniang finally finished her meal, went back to her room to take a shower, and even took out a face mask from her spatial storage to apply for a while. She felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her and was about to go to sleep when she remembered the girl still waiting outside the door.
"Go and invite the person outside in."
She gave an order to the maid beside her, who responded and ran out, returning shortly with the girl she had met on the road.
"This servant, Yu Fen, greets Madam."
Yu Fen was very perceptive; she came in and immediately referred to herself as a maid, which meant she wanted to sell herself into slavery.
He Jiuniang found it amusing; this girl was quite straightforward, saving her a lot of trouble.
"Your name is Yufen?"
"Yes, this servant Yufen. Thank you so much for saving me today, Master and Madam. I am willing to do anything for you from now on."
He Jiuniang chuckled twice and said, "But I didn't say I wanted you to stay."
Yu Fen looked up at her in surprise, seemingly puzzled by He Jiu Niang's actions.
He Jiuniang had already asked Xiao Yatong to tell him to come to her door, which was to test her. She had already passed the test, so why couldn't she stay?
He Jiuniang continued, "We never said we wanted to keep you here. It was you who kept stubbornly trying to stay. I hope you can understand the situation."
"This servant is terrified. This servant has nowhere else to go. Please, madam, take me in and give me a way to survive."
As she spoke, she kowtowed repeatedly, her expression sincere yet pitiful. Even He Jiuniang couldn't help but feel sorry for her, let alone the men.
"Didn't you say you were from a respectable family? Why are you calling yourself a slave as soon as you arrive? I don't have your indenture here, how can I dare to use you? What if you turn around and accuse us of forcing you?"
He Jiuniang looked at her earnestly, as if she was really considering keeping her.
"No, no, Madam is my savior. I am grateful to her. How could I possibly do such a thing?"
Yu Fen shook her head repeatedly. Her only goal now was to stay. No matter what He Jiu Niang said, she had to agree with her.
"Words are no proof. Your indenture is not here, so I will not use you under any circumstances unless you go to the yamen to get a new indenture. Then I will consider whether or not to keep you."
After He Jiuniang finished speaking, she got up and left, and the maid next to her immediately stepped forward to let Yufen leave.
Yu Fen was completely taken aback. She had thought that she could get what she wanted after waiting for one night, but she didn't expect that there would be so much trouble waiting for her.
If she really went to the government office to complete her indenture, she would truly just be a servant of the Lu family.
More importantly, her indenture is currently in the hands of the group of people who previously pursued her. If she wants to go to the government office to reissue her indenture, she must first redeem it from those people.
In that case, all her efforts today would be wasted, because she would likely be exposed.
Wasn't Madam Lu supposed to be a countrywoman from the countryside? Wasn't she supposed to know nothing? How come she knows so much about things like indentures?
She scrambled after He Jiuniang, crying and pleading, "Madam, please save me! I have no way to renew my indenture, I have no money, and those people won't let me go. Madam, please have mercy and help me!"
"If I am merciful enough to save you, then who will be merciful enough to save me? Your indenture is not clean, and I am not at ease using you. You cannot stay in the manor as a servant, so what status can you have?"
He Jiuniang looked at her with interest, and before she could speak, she asked again, "A concubine in your household? Or a relative from my hometown in the countryside?"
Yu Fen was tempted upon hearing this, but reason told her she couldn't do it that way, so she hurriedly said, "This servant dares not covet such things. I just want a place to stay. Once you help me find my parents and get my indenture back, I will swear to be loyal to you and your wife until death!"
He Jiuniang nodded. The girl was quite clever, not revealing herself easily. However, she just didn't want to let her stay so easily.
"In that case, you can't stay at the manor for the time being. You know my master works in the government office. If you really have nowhere to go, you can stay in the prison for a few days and help the officials manage the prisoners. Once you successfully find your parents and get your indenture back, I can consider keeping you by my side to serve you."
Originally, He Jiuniang thought of keeping her by her side so that she could detect any movement in time, but then she felt uncomfortable, especially after knowing that she was after Lu Baichuan, which made her even more unhappy.
Didn't she want to stay by Lu Baichuan's side? Then let her stay in the prison cell, since Lu Baichuan goes there often anyway.
Yu Fen looked up at her, completely baffled by her thought process. This mansion was so big, what would happen if she stayed?
Moreover, her current role is that of a weak woman who has been bullied. How come Madam Lu has no sympathy at all?
She wanted to plead for her, but He Jiuniang ignored her and called out. A middle-aged man came in and ordered, "Send her to the prison. Tell them it was my order and ask them to take good care of her. After all, it's not easy for a young woman like her."
Hearing her say that, Yu Fen felt like vomiting. She knew how hard it was for young women, yet she still wanted to send her to prison. Was she crazy? Was that a place where a normal person could live?
But He Jiuniang didn't give her any more chances. After giving the middle-aged man her instructions, she left, leaving him with a dashing back view.
She wiped away her tears, feeling wronged, but she had no choice but to follow along.
The only thing she was certain of was that the prison cell was also a place Lu Baichuan frequented. If she helped serve tea and water inside, she might have a better chance of getting there first than if she stayed there.
After comforting herself like this, she felt much better and followed along timidly.
On the way, she kept trying to ask the middle-aged man about Lu Baichuan, but he ignored her and acted as if she didn't exist. When they arrived at the prison cell, he coldly replied, "Go ask Third Master yourself. He's inside right now."
Fang Da originally intended to take the woman in as He Jiu Niang had instructed, and tell the jailers to take good care of her. However, the woman kept asking questions he shouldn't have along the way. He felt that she had ulterior motives and felt disgusted by her, so he didn't bother to send her in. He figured he could just go to the madam to apologize later.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com