Mu YingRui nodded and inquired, “Who is she? Why is she bought together with the slaves by you?”
At this moment, Shui YouLian’s asthma symptoms eased and calmed. Hearing Mu YingRui asking after her, her tearful and frail appearance softened Mu YingRui’s heart some more.
Zi You feigned sorrow and rubbed her eyes. She sighed, “YouLian is really pitiful! She was originally an official family’s xiaojie. Her father was Shaanxi Province’s official but her whole family was treated as guilty because he was convicted of corruption. She was demoted to slave status. That day I went to the market, I encountered a brothel keeper who was trying to buy her. She refused and was scolded and beaten by slave traffickers. I couldn’t bear it and bought her. I asked and that’s how I found out about her past. She’s knowledgeable in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting and she’s pretty. So my intention after educating her was to send her to father to be a maidservant in your study. I didn’t expect her to be sick after her dance. It’s my fault. I should have rejected her at the time.”
s
“If Xiaojie talks like that, just kill YouLian then!”
Shui YouLian was mournful and knelt enchantingly on the ground, “If Xiaojie did not save YouLian, YouLian would have already become a pile of dust. Seeing that Xiaojie is in difficulties because she wants to show filial piety, how could I reasonably stand by and do nothing? Although YouLian is a little girl, but YouLian knows that a nobleman is not ungrateful.”
Zi You quickly helped her up. She lightly said, “You’re not well. Why are you kneeling on the cold ground?”
Mu YingRui also quickly reached a hand out to help her.
Shui YouLian nimbly dodged. She fearfully said, “YouLian is the daughter of a criminal. YouLian is not worthy to be treated by you like this.”
Mu YingRui withdrew his hand. His peach blossom eyes stared vigorously at Shui YouLian. He feigned rebuke, “Shui guniang [girl, miss] had at least been an official’s xiaojie. How can we let her be a maidservant?”
Zi You deliberately frowned and said embarrassedly, “But daughter couldn’t let her be a doctor even more. The front line is so dangerous. If she has an asthma attack again, wouldn’t that be taking her life? Did daughter save her life to take it back then?”
She looked at Mu YingRui’s anxious and uncomfortable face. Then she tentatively and cautiously said, “Daddy, daughter begs to you take YouLian as…”
“Laoye, YouLian is willing to be Laoye’s maidservant. As long as Laoye keeps YouLian by his side as a slave or a servant, YouLian is willing.”
“This…” Mu YingRui looked at YouLian. His heart was exceedingly happy. He feigned compassion for YouLian and made a disturbed expression. “Fine. You be a maidservant first. I will tell furen when I get an opportunity to and raise you to yinaing status. You will be wronged for a while. Don’t be too upset, okay? Laoye will treat you very well.”
“Congratulations, Fifth Yiniang!” Zi You quickly rejoiced. Then she looked worriedly at Mu YingRui, “Father, mother won’t be mad at daughter right? What if she thinks that you taking YouLian as Fifth Yiniang was daughter’s idea and gets angry at daughter? Daddy, mother cares about you very much. She doesn’t want you to have too many yiniangs.”
Mu YingRui seemed reluctant to let YouLian know that someone like Wang Yiping existed. He started to speak, but saw YouLian kneel again. Like pear blossoms in the rain, she said, “Laoye and Xiaojie carry a life-saving grace for YouLian. How can YouLian make things difficult for Xiaojie and Laoye for her own selfish desires?”
Comments