He quickly took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the restlessness in his heart, then put on a smiling face and stepped forward to greet her, saying:
“Mother-in-law, why are you at my doorstep so early in the morning?”
When Cui Shi saw Liu Yuanwai walking toward her, she suddenly seemed to have found someone to rely on. She tightly grabbed his clothes and began to cry while covering her face:
“Wuwu… Liu Yuanwai, my life is so bitter! Wuwu…”
Seeing this, Liu Yuanwai became even more confused. He hurriedly asked, “Mother-in-law, what happened? Did something occur at home?”
Cui Shi cried even more sorrowfully. While sobbing, she pressed her soft, boneless body against Liu Yuanwai and said, “My Shiyi… Shiyi is gone, wuwu…”
“What?” Liu Yuanwai felt as if struck by lightning upon hearing this. “Mother-in-law, what did you say? What do you mean Shiyi is gone?”
Cui Shi had already leaned entirely into Liu Yuanwai’s embrace as she cried, “Liu Yuanwai, my Shiyi went into the mountains yesterday to gather herbs, but she was taken by wolves, wuwu… Why is my life so miserable? My poor daughter!”
Liu Yuanwai looked at Cui Shi with suspicion and questioned, “Cui Shi, is what you’re saying true? Or is it that you are unwilling to marry your daughter to me, and thus fabricated such a lie to deceive me?”
Upon hearing this, Cui Shi cried even more heartbreakingly. While sobbing, she said, “Liu Yuanwai, how could I possibly use something like this to deceive you! This is absolutely true. Last night, the entire village went into the mountains to search, but they could not find my poor daughter at all! If you don’t believe me, you can send someone to ask in the village.”
Seeing Cui Shi cry so convincingly, without seeming false, Liu Yuanwai’s doubts eased slightly.
He quickly comforted her, saying, “Mother-in-law, do not grieve too much. Please come inside the residence and rest for a while, and we can talk slowly.”
With that, Liu Yuanwai half-supported and half-held the distraught Cui Shi into the residence.
He brought her to a side courtyard and said, “Rest here for a moment. I will instruct the maids to prepare some pastries for you.”
Cui Shi nodded in agreement, and Liu Yuanwai turned and left.
After he left, Cui Shi sat alone in the room of the side courtyard and immediately suppressed her sorrowful expression, beginning to look around the small courtyard.
As expected of an official residence, even this side courtyard was so well arranged.
Liu Yuanwai indeed did as he said—he went to instruct the maidservants to bring pastries and tea for Cui Shi.
However, after leaving the courtyard, he did not return immediately. Instead, he first went to his study.
Entering the study, Liu Yuanwai walked straight to a cabinet, opened it, and took out an exquisite box from inside.
He opened the box, revealing several small porcelain bottles.
Without hesitation, Liu Yuanwai picked up one of the small bottles, poured out a pill, swallowed it, then quickly closed the box and returned it to its place.
After completing this, Liu Yuanwai finally returned to the room where Cui Shi was staying in the side courtyard.
He gently pushed open the door and entered, then closed it behind him.
When Cui Shi heard Liu Yuanwai’s footsteps, her heart tightened. She quickly took a deep breath to steady herself, then hurriedly sat back down on the chair, covering her face with her hands and pretending to cry sorrowfully.
Liu Yuanwai pushed the door open and immediately saw Cui Shi sitting there, covering her face and sobbing.
He quickly walked up to her, pulled her into his arms, and urgently said, “Cui Shi, since you and Shiyi were not fated to become husband and wife, then perhaps we…?”
As he spoke, his hands began to roam restlessly over her body.
Hearing Liu Yuanwai’s words, Cui Shi felt secretly pleased, but on the surface she pretended to panic and struggle, calling out in a flustered voice, “Liu Yuanwai, w-what are you doing? Quick… let go of me!”
Liu Yuanwai was not fooled by her appearance. He knew very well that Cui Shi was merely pretending to be reserved.
Thus, he held her even tighter, and whispered in her ear, “Cui Shi, if you agree to me today, you won’t have to repay the twenty taels of silver.”
Although Cui Shi felt somewhat flustered, she knew she could not easily submit now, or she would lose the initiative.
So she continued to half-resist and half-beg for mercy, saying, “Liu Yuanwai, please let me go… wuwu…”
During their struggle, Cui Shi’s hand suddenly touched something hard.
She was startled—what is this? Bigger than the one from that dead man of the Gu family?
Liu Yuanwai’s stature was like a short, squat melon, so how could that thing be so large?
She couldn’t help but think to herself: if she were truly to become intimate with Liu Yuanwai, then wouldn’t that mean…
With that thought, combined with Liu Yuanwai’s wandering hands, Cui Shi’s body suddenly went weak. She allowed herself to be carried onto the bed by him, followed by a series of scenes and sounds inappropriate for children.
Whether due to the effects of the medicine or Cui Shi’s “skills,” Liu Yuanwai continued for the entire morning before finally stopping in satisfaction.
“Master, twenty taels for a morning is not enough,” Cui Shi panted while lying on Liu Yuanwai’s chest.
She had done all this for money. Seeing that Liu Yuanwai was very satisfied with her, how could she not take the opportunity to ask for more?
“Since you served well, I’ll give you another ten taels. In addition, until I find a new primary wife, you are to come to my residence once every five days. However, each time will only be paid ten taels.”
Liu Yuanwai had already made his calculations. A single visit to the Red Fragrance Brothel cost him over twenty taels each time, and those women were not as satisfying as Cui Shi. It would be better to use Cui Shi for now. In the future, after he married a new wife, if Cui Shi could continue to satisfy him, he could still secretly meet her outside.
“Alright, I will listen to you, Master,” Cui Shi replied happily, then kissed Liu Yuanwai on the cheek.
Unexpectedly, this Liu Yuanwai was even more capable than that dead man of the Gu family. She had not felt this satisfied in a long time.
She also knew that Liu Yuanwai would not marry her anyway. Since she was only in it for the money, so be it!
As long as it solved her problem and earned her money, it truly killed two birds with one stone.
The morning sunlight poured directly onto Gu Shiyi’s face. She slowly opened her eyes and stretched, feeling her body relaxed and comfortable.
This sleep had been incredibly refreshing—she had not woken up so naturally in a long time.
Gu Shiyi sat up, feeling especially cheerful.
She took the mat and quilt out of her space and placed them on the bed.
Huh? Her foot didn’t hurt anymore. That’s amazing!
Gu Shiyi, full of delight, tried walking a few more steps and found that her foot had completely recovered. Excited, she walked around the room a few times, her mood growing even better.
Now that her foot had healed, Gu Shiyi eagerly wanted to go out and take a look at the situation inside the sinkhole.
She walked into the courtyard, waved at the three dogs, and called out, “Ah Hui, Ah Hua, Xiao Hua, let’s go take a walk!”