Pei Yan tossed aside the official documents, glanced at her, and extended his hand: “Come here.”
Su He quickly walked over, placed the teacup in front of him, and said softly, “Today, I made some herbal tea. I don’t know if it will suit your taste. If you don’t mind, please try it.”
The teacup was made of white porcelain. When the lid was lifted, a few exquisitely cut bamboo leaves floated inside—one shaped like a small boat, and a few others like little green fish. As the tea swayed, the bamboo leaf fish seemed to swim along.
It had a rustic charm.
Pei Yan sniffed the bamboo fragrance and casually set the tea aside.
Due to the Sinking Poison in his blood, his tea was specially prepared, and he rarely touched other kinds.
Su He watched his actions, not at all surprised. Someone like him, raised in luxury and privilege, would hardly take a liking to such inexpensive tea.
“Then I won’t disturb you any further,” Su He said, picking up the teacup and bowing respectfully to him.
“Stop,” Pei Yan frowned as he saw her about to leave with the tea.
Su He turned around, blinking her rabbit-like red eyes, looking at him in confusion. “Do you have any other instructions, Master?”
“No more herbal tea,” Pei Yan pointed at the teacup she was holding and said coldly, “The bamboo clusters in the courtyard are about to be stripped bare by you.”
“That’s not true, they’re growing just fine,” Su He immediately protested anxiously. She didn’t know how to do anything else now—if she wasn’t allowed to make herbal tea, how could she earn money? At yesterday’s banquet, Princess Chang had looked at her with disdain, and she could be driven out at any moment. So, she needed to earn some silver quickly to rely on!
“Then can I gather bamboo leaves outside? You go to court during the day, and I’ll go out and return before you come back,” she said, seeing that Pei Yan showed no sign of relenting, and her little head drooped dejectedly.
“No manners,” Pei Yan scolded softly.
This wasn’t allowed, that wasn’t allowed, and he wouldn’t give her any silver either—was he going to let her starve to death here? Back in the Su residence, no one had ever stopped her from earning money.
Su He bit her lip, her face falling as she clutched the teacup and walked away.
Pei Yan couldn’t help but laugh. Was this little thing just giving him attitude?
With a snap, he tossed the official documents to the corner of the table and stood up to leave. Su He had just stepped down from the stairs when she stopped, lifted the lid of the teacup, and drank the herbal tea in one gulp.
“Miss, you still have a stomachache. You shouldn’t drink cold tea,” Qiu Yun hurried over to stop her.
“It’s fine, it’s just a bowl of plain water with a couple of bamboo leaves,” Su He said. She had known all along that Pei Yan wouldn’t drink her cheap herbal tea. Bringing it over for him to try was merely for show—after all, she now relied on Pei Yan for her livelihood, and she would diligently perform all the duties expected of a concubine.
“Master,” Qiu Yun caught sight of Pei Yan emerging from the study and quickly curtsied in greeting.
Su He stiffened, shoved the empty teacup into Qiu Yun’s hands, and clutching her stomach, ran toward the lavatory. “My stomach hurts…”
“The young lady is quite pitiful. She just wants to save some money to rely on,” Qiu Yun said, holding the teacup and explaining on Su He’s behalf.
“Do you want to change masters?” Pei Yan said coldly.
Qiu Yun’s face paled, and she quickly curtsied in greeting. Only after Pei Yan entered the room did she finally breathe a sigh of relief, turning to go to the privy to find Su He. Having grown up in the Princess’s Mansion since childhood, she understood Pei Yan’s temperament well. He already restrained himself considerably in front of Su He. If it were any other woman, they would never dare act presumptuously before Pei Yan. Only Su He could pluck bamboo leaves in the Bamboo Garden and serve him plain water.
Su He hid in the privy for a while, only peeking out after Qiu Yun came looking for her.
“Has the master returned to his own room?” she whispered.
“He has,” Qiu Yun chided gently. “Miss, you mustn’t do this again in the future. What if you anger the master?”
“I know,” Su He replied listlessly. Leaning against the window, she gazed at the moon for a moment before asking, “I wonder if there are any other ways to earn money?”
“If you please the master, even a casual reward from him would be better than you making these things,” Qiu Yun advised.
Su He pressed her face against the carved wooden window, saying dejectedly, “Sister, you don’t understand…”
She had had enough of days spent asking for money. What if she directly asked him for silver and he flew into a rage, throwing her out on the spot?
“Let’s go to sleep. We’ll think about it tomorrow,” she wrinkled her small nose and trudged back to her room, crestfallen.
“Don’t think about it tomorrow either. Focus on recovering your health and bearing the master a child…” Qiu Yun stopped mid-sentence, quickly covering her mouth. Wasn’t this like deliberately stabbing the young lady in the heart? If her health had been better when she was favored, she might already be pregnant! She wouldn’t have to work so hard scheming for ways to earn money like this.
…
For several days in a row, Pei Yan left early and returned late. Su He rose early each day, seeing him off before busying herself with her own affairs. It was still the same three routines: studying, reading, and scheming for ways to earn money. Pei Yan returned very late at night, so she would sit in the courtyard waiting for him. She no longer touched his rocking chair, instead bringing another chair to sit at the table.
“Miss, the master might not return tonight. You should rest,” Qiu Yun urged once again after checking at the courtyard gate.
“I’ll wait a little longer,” Su He yawned, continuing to weave the grass blades in her hands.
Several grasshoppers and dragonflies made of grass already lay on the table.
When she was young, her legitimate elder sisters had snacks and trinkets, but she had nothing. Whenever she saw her legitimate elder sisters with new playthings, her envy grew so intense that she learned to make them herself. If she couldn’t find the same materials, she would look for substitutes. Discarded tattered clothes, scrap copper and iron, or picked-up wood and stones—she could use them all.
Once, she even traded a small cart she made with Aunt Zhang across the street for a few griddle cakes! That year, she was eight years old, clutching the sesame-sprinkled griddle cakes and devouring them in a corner of the alley.
Remembering the past, she couldn’t help but smile, suddenly feeling quite remarkable—she had raised herself well!
“Why doesn’t the young lady embroider a pouch? The master would like it,” Qiu Yun hesitated before asking softly.
“I don’t know how,” Su He replied frankly. “Learning embroidery requires buying thread, fabric, and needles. I have no money to learn.”
Qiu Yun immediately felt guilty again, wishing she could slap her own mouth. Just as she didn’t know what to say, a tall figure appeared at the doorway.
“Master,” Qiu Yun quickly curtsied in greeting.
Su He looked up to see Pei Yan walking slowly toward her, clad in a dark robe and draped in the cool moonlight. A breeze blew, carrying the crisp scent of wine from him.
“My lord,” Su He quickly stood up, smiling as she walked toward him.
“Hmm.” Pei Yan glanced at her and continued toward the room.
“My lord,” Su He hurriedly grabbed his hand, her voice clear and bright. “I made a few little trinkets for you, my lord. Please see if you like them.”
Pei Yan followed her gaze to the table, where several vibrant green crickets lay.