Оn thе road, onlу thе clip-сlop оf hооvеs аnd sоft sobbing сould bе heard. Ziyu remainеd silent.
She trulу didn’t want tо invоlve hеrself in thе affаirs of these two childrеn. This bodу of hеrs was still that of a child who hadn’t grown up yеt, and no mаtter hоw much monеу shе had, it wаsn’t wоrth wоrrying оver such mаttеrs.
Shе hаd really brought trоuble upоn hеrsеlf. From nоw on, she would nеver аgаin саre аbout the livеs of strаngers she еncountеrеd along thе wау.
“Stоp crying. What аrе your names?” Ziyu said shаrрly, annoуеd by thе inсessаnt whimpеring.
“Yоung mastеr, I am Cheng Yuanju, ten years old. My younger sister is Cheng Yuanshu, five years old. Our father’s name is Cheng Bohou.”
The boy looked at Ziyu with hopeful eyes—she was his and his sister’s only hope at the moment.
“Aren’t you from Meijia Village? Why don’t you share the surname Mei?”
“My family moved here from elsewhere. More than half the villagers are surnamed Mei, but I don’t know about the rest,” Cheng Yuanju quickly explained.
“Hah, it’s good you’re not surnamed Mei!
If you follow me, you’ll have to sign a deed of sale. I don’t want anyone coming to cause trouble later.
Once you enter my household, you must abide by my rules. Unless I personally grant you freedom, any disloyalty will lead to a death with no place for burial. Do you understand?”
“I understand. Thank you, young master, for your kindness!”
Cheng Yuanju stood up on the footboard, knelt down, and kowtowed three times to Ziyu with great force.
Having endured scorn and the hardships of drifting for over half a year, he had come to understand the difficulties of life far too early. Survival was what mattered most.
And so, Ziyu’s household gained two more mouths to feed.
…
The mule cart stopped at the city gate, surrounded by silence. Ziyu took off her cotton cloak and gave it to the siblings to use as a blanket.
She rustled around inside the carriage for a while, and the scent of ginger tea wafted out. Lifting the front curtain, she said:
“Boy, drink this bowl of ginger tea. Let your sister have some too. I’ll also roast two buns for you to fill your stomachs.”
The dark bundle wrapped in the cloak immediately poked out two small heads at the mention of food. The loud sound of swallowing saliva was almost comical.
“Thank you, young master, for the reward!”
“Thank you, young master, for the reward!”
The three of them drank the same ginger tea and gnawed on the warm, roasted buns, huddling around the small charcoal stove for warmth on that quiet night.
As dawn broke, townspeople carrying shoulder poles began lining up in a long queue to enter the city. When the gates opened, Ziyu drove the mule cart and was the first to enter.
The cart sped along the empty streets, with houses appearing hazy and ethereal in the mist, giving off an almost otherworldly aura.
Inside the open courtyard gate, a little sprout who had been running near the entrance kept peeking outside. When he suddenly spotted the mule cart, he tumbled and scrambled out of the yard in excitement.
“Brother… brother… waaah…”
“Whoa… are you trying to get yourself killed?!”
Ziyu hurriedly reined in the mule cart, jumped down, and picked up the reckless little thing.
Ziluo clung to Ziyu like an octopus, wailing about how scared he had been when he couldn’t find his brother.
“Brother, don’t leave Xiao Luo behind. I was so scared!”
“You little coward, you crybaby—stop crying!”
Ziyu snapped angrily, startling Ziluo into immediately holding back his tears.
“Brother, don’t be mad. Xiao Luo will be good!”
The little one pressed his face against Ziyu’s neck, leaving her unable to vent her frustration. Ziyu had no choice but to carry the child into the courtyard.
Cheng Yuanju and his sister watched the scene curiously, with Cheng Yuanshu’s eyes filled with envy.
“Young master is back!”
Chen Da and his family of three hurried out upon hearing the commotion.
“Take those two down to wash up. When Chen Wang Shi goes to the market to buy groceries, have her buy them a change of clothes and bring back some fabric to make new outfits for each of you.”
“Chen Xiaoshan, come with me!” Ziyu glanced faintly at the three members of the Chen family, speaking in a tone that brooked no refusal.
“Yes, young master!”
Chen Xiaoshan, whose name had been called, shrank his neck in fright and timidly followed Ziyu inside.
Holding Xiao Luo, who refused to be put down, Ziyu sat on the Eight Immortals chair in the main hall, watching Chen Xiaoshan standing five steps away with his head bowed, staring at the ground.
“What were you doing just now?”
“Young master, I was helping my mother tend the fire,” Chen Xiaoshan replied honestly.
“Do you remember what your duty is?”
“To watch over the young master!”
“Then why was he alone at the courtyard gate? Have you thought about the consequences?” Ziyu’s cold voice carried an imposing authority even without anger.
Chen Da, who had just finished settling the mule cart, felt his heart tighten. They had indeed been careless earlier, thinking nothing would happen at their own courtyard gate.
He glanced worriedly at his son, who stood with his head lowered, wanting to step forward and defend him but afraid of angering the young master.
“Thump!”
Chen Xiaoshan’s legs gave way in fright, and he knelt on the ground, his small frame trembling.
“Young master, I was wrong! I’ll never do it again!”
The main hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Only when cold sweat dripped from Chen Xiaoshan’s forehead did Ziyu speak calmly.
“Stand in a horse stance at the gate for one hour. If you forget your duty again, you’ll be assigned to guard the outhouse in the back.”
“Yes, young master!”
Chen Xiaoshan pouted in grievance. His parents had taught him to obey the young master’s words, but he had momentarily forgotten while trying to help his mother.
…
Chen Da, who had been waiting at the gate, obediently entered the main hall to report on the household affairs of the past two days.
“Young master, I will teach Xiaoshan properly and ensure he doesn’t make this mistake again.”
“Fulfilling your basic duties is the minimum requirement I have for you.
When you go out, take Cheng Yuanju with you to familiarize yourselves with the surrounding area. The task of feeding the mule will be entrusted to him.
Clear out the storage room for him and his sister to live in. If anything is lacking, come to me for money to purchase it.”
With the newly purchased servants in the household, tasks and accommodations needed to be rearranged. Having no one truly capable at hand, Ziyu was indeed feeling a bit of a headache.
Ziyu had no plans to settle here long-term, so the idea of hiring a steward was dismissed. Otherwise, the current house would simply not be spacious enough.
“Yes, I’ll go take care of it right away!”
Chen Da withdrew but soon returned hurriedly, carrying a large bucket of hot water.
“Young master, the hot water is ready!”
“Leave it there. I’ll manage myself!”
Chen Da, who had intended to help carry it into the room, paused in surprise, then obediently set down the large wooden bucket and withdrew. Ziyu pulled Xiao Luo, who was clinging to her, down.
“Xiao Luo, wait here obediently. Brother will be out in a moment.”
“Xiao Luo will wait obediently for brother!”
The obedient Xiao Luo sat upright on the Eight Immortals chair, a small bundle watching Ziyu with a smile that revealed tiny teeth.
…
Ziyu closed the doors and windows, washed up briefly, changed into a new dark-patterned blue brocade robe, and simply tied up her hair, securing it with a white jade hairpin.
When Ziyu carried the water out, Chen Da, who had been waiting outside ready to dispose of it, was taken aback.
[The young master looks so splendid!]
Once again enduring a bland breakfast, Ziyu could only quicken the pace of her plans.
Having an abundance of good ingredients but no skilled cook was truly frustrating, and she herself had no desire to be trapped in the kitchen every day.
After resting at home for a day, Ziyu went to the government office to register the deed of sale for Cheng Yuanju and his sister. As for the siblings’ unseen scholar father, Ziyu paid him no mind.
What kind of storms and bloodshed Yun Capital had weathered, only she knew best. Those scholars rushing to take the imperial exams were always eager to become someone else’s disciples.
Two years without any news—perhaps he had long since become someone else’s live-in son-in-law. Such stories had never been in short supply since ancient times.