The autumn rain outside is cool, and the lamplight inside is bright.
Wang Suning is thirteen years old.
Putting aside other things about Qin Lou, they certainly raised people well.
She was wearing a red gauze skirt, which looked a bit disheveled after tossing around for a while.
But this person is somewhat interesting. Just because she dared to run away a few times, or perhaps because she hadn't suffered any particular hardship or received any severe beatings.
Her disposition is simple and clean, her face isn't perfectly clean, but it lacks that air of the brothel.
Some people remain naive until death, but for a child this age, it's too early to say.
Wang Suning is quite clever; this time she has made up her mind and knelt before Ye Man.
Ye Man smiled, "Have you made up your mind?"
Wang Suning saw that she was unusual, even after just changing clothes—she was already different from when she was on the street. She gritted her teeth, "This servant girl can serve the Master."
Ye Man laughed, "Many people want to serve me. It's fate that I met you, so I can give you this chance."
Regarding a young girl, regarding not resisting being sold, Ye Man had nothing to say; reality is just like this.
Intercepting Tan Xianglin was even less of an issue.
Ye Man asked, "Aren't you afraid of encountering a Master who is worse off than being a concubine?"
Wang Suning had thought it through, "I don't have many other choices."
Ye Man nodded, "Once you choose a path in life, you must commit to it."
Wang Suning nodded; she truly didn't know what to do if she ran away. Following this Master might not be bad.
Ye Man thought to herself, this is called a sense of security.
For a young girl, or many women, to remain where a man beats them is also a strange kind of security.
Heaven and earth are vast, but they haven't taught women how to establish themselves; those who dare to resist are the minority.
Wang Suning grew more settled and decisive, "When I was at home, although they planned to sell me, I started working from the age of four or five. At Zhichun Pavilion, I had a maidservant to attend to me. Whatever the Master needs done, just give the order."
Ye Man nodded, "If you suffer hardship or exhaustion in the future, just grit your teeth; this is the path you chose yourself. Other things aside, remember one thing: never betray me."
When Wang Suning met her gaze, it was more terrifying than the autumn wind outside or the cold winter wind, scaring her into collapsing onto the floor.
Ye Man went into the room, found a set of clothes, and called to her, "Change into these."
Wang Suning was thrilled!
She also knew that the clothes she was wearing were too conspicuous; the clothes the Master brought out were dark, like the weather, but safe.
Wang Suning changed clothes in the room, wondering if the Master was like her.
However, she didn't need to think too much about it; it was just that the clothes were a bit small, barely wearable.
Wang Suning let down her black hair and styled it like the Master's—pretending to be a man was quite good.
Suddenly, she felt the shackles lift, experiencing rebirth and finding direction!
As she came out of the room, a gust of wind blew the door open!
It was Ding Yuan returning.
He was carrying cloth, with a large bundle of clothes on his back, another bundle of needles and thread, and carefully protecting the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
The rain outside wasn't too heavy; he wore a bamboo hat but no straw raincoat. The bundles were a bit damp, but didn't look soaked through.
Ding Yuan set down the items, took off his bamboo hat, and it was unclear if his forehead was sweaty or wet from the rain.
Wang Suning instinctively came over, wanting to help carry things.
Ding Yuan looked up suddenly—there was an extra person?
This rosy-lipped, white-toothed, sharp-looking servant boy was taking over; was he about to be unemployed after working less than half a day?
Ye Man sat there, unwilling to move, and managed to speak, "This is my servant boy, Ningzi. From now on, the chores inside this room belong to her. Feeding the donkey and running errands outside will still be Ding Yuan's job."
Ding Yuan understood; it was only right.
Wang Suning also understood; she roughly knew what needed to be done inside—nothing more than cleaning up and serving the Master.
As for the maidservant becoming a servant boy, that was safer this way.
Ding Yuan was settling accounts with the esteemed guest on the side.
Ye Man told him to sit down and have a bowl of hot tea, then instructed the maidservant, "Bring out that paper and brush; I need to write a prescription." She also said to Ding Yuan, "If this isn't enough, tell me. Later, go procure the medicine, bring a clay pot, and prepare more firewood."
Ding Yuan took note. As for the esteemed guest being able to write a prescription, that wasn't his business.
Wang Suning could tell that the Master's health wasn't very good.
She took out the paper and brush, and also the inkstone and ink ingot.
As for the ink slab, ink dropper, brush washer, paperweight, etc., they weren't needed for now.
Wang Suning arranged them on the table and began grinding the ink.
This set wasn't made of famous inkstones or ink, but it was usable.
The main gate was closed, shutting the wind and rain outside, creating a special atmosphere inside the room.
Ye Man asked, "Does either of you know the price of ginseng? The kind that is thirty years old or more?"
Wang Suning paused, looking at the Master, then at the waiter. As for the Master being able to write a prescription but not knowing the price of ginseng, she thought little of it.
Ding Yuan replied, "This servant heard once that fifty-year-old ginseng costs three hundred taels of silver, and it's hard to buy."
Wang Suning nodded, "This servant heard Mama Feng mention once that twenty taels of silver is almost like picking it up for free."
Ye Man said, "She really likes picking things up for free."
As for Wang Suning having eaten and lived there for a while, she didn't owe Qin Lou anything.
There was no need to kowtow three times to the owner for the pig that was going to be slaughtered for the New Year.
Ye Man took out two hundred taels of silver and gave it to Ding Yuan, "Be careful. If you can buy ginseng that is thirty to fifty years old, buy it."
Ding Yuan was startled!
Such an important task was entrusted to him?
Ye Man didn't mind, "You are employed to run errands. If you are cheated, it would be best if you can get the money back. Being slightly more expensive is fine."
Ding Yuan roughly understood.
Wang Suning ground the ink with more vigor; this Master was truly generous!
A matter involving two hundred taels of silver, even Mama Feng would have to be cautious.
It might be good fortune for Wang Suning to be able to serve by her side.
The ink was almost ground, and Ye Man prepared to start writing.
Wang Suning quickly set everything up. Although this wasn't a study room, it was simple; having a table was enough to write on.
The table was ordinary, but flat enough; writing on it was completely fine.
Ye Man picked up the brush and wrote a total of four copies.
Wang Suning's eyes widened!
The Master's handwriting was too good! This truly looked like someone who could write prescriptions; perhaps even the handwriting of an old doctor wasn't this good.
After finishing writing, Ye Man instructed the waiter, "Buy the four prescriptions separately; it's best if other shops don't find out. You need a lot of medicine, so you can ask the pharmacy to wrap each item separately and not mix them together."
Ding Yuan listened obediently.
It wasn't strange for some people to have peculiar requests.
In any case, he didn't know, and this esteemed guest didn't look like a bad person.
As for anything the Master didn't want known, he didn't want to know either.
Wang Suning watched the waiter's demeanor and pondered how she should act as a servant boy.
The more convincing the disguise, the better she could pass unnoticed.
She had heard about Qin Lou capturing people; thinking about it made her scared. If she were caught and sent back, it would be terrible.
She couldn't go back voluntarily, so she needed to hide somewhere safe.
Wang Suning looked at the Master, but for a moment, she couldn't tell the gender.
The biggest difference between a man and a woman is that this and that, which can be understood implicitly.
Ye Man dismissed the waiter and then arranged things for the maidservant, "Did you see that cloth? Make two sets of clothes for yourself and two sets for me. Wash the other clothes clean."
Wang Suning opened the bundle and saw that the cloth was quite good.
Ye Man said, "You live in that room. You know needlework, right?"