“What nonsense are you talking! Now that she’s moved in, can you just charge in and drag her out? I’ll go out first to scout the way, then come back to fetch you.”
Niu Shi muttered reluctantly, “That girl must be worth at least two or three taels, right? What a shame!”
Two or three taels?
Thinking of that obscure tile-house, Lu Laogou had spent silver like water. With Yuan Jie’er’s delicate looks, some brothel would surely pay a high price for her.
The thought of possibly losing twenty taels of silver made Hu Sicai’s heart ache instantly. He immediately shouted, “You fool! Two… two taels of silver aren’t worth risking your life for!”
Niu Shi nodded repeatedly, then suddenly paused, “Why are you going alone first? Husband, you will come back, won’t you?”
“—Of course.” Hu Sicai had genuinely considered earlier that if things got really bad, he’d just run away by himself. Maybe Shen Mansion wouldn’t go so far as to kill women and children?
“Really? Then swear it! If you abandon us mother and son, may your line die out!”
“Fine, fine, I swear. If I abandon you, may my line die out, alright?” Hu Sicai said impatiently.
Niu Shi eyed him suspiciously: “Then swear again! If you even think of abandoning us mother and son, may you lose every time you gamble!”
Hu Sicai flew into a rage: “How can you be so vicious, woman!”
The next day, while the sky was still dimly dark, Hu Sicai, sporting two dark circles under his eyes, squatted by the courtyard gate, peering toward the side gate for any movement.
Only when a faint fish-belly white appeared on the horizon did he see Lu Laogou, clutching a broom and yawning, heading over to open the gate.
Hu Sicai excitedly scurried over, startling Lu Laogou.
“Master Hu? What are you…?”
“Ahem, just out for a morning stroll. So, where exactly is your elder brother’s tile-house in Fu Cheng? I’m planning to go take a look.”
Lu Laogou was taken aback. He had spent half the night thinking about how to lure Hu Sicai into taking the bait, and here the fish was jumping out of the water before he’d even cast the line!
Was this job really this easy? Wouldn’t that make the silver Lao Mo gave him seem undeserved? Whatever, he wasn’t giving it back anyway, hehe!
Seeing the other man hadn’t replied, Hu Sicai blustered, “What! Going back on your word now?”
“Of course not! We’re counting on you, how could I go back on it!” Lu Laogou gave the address, then added, “Then I’ll head off first in a bit. We’ll meet in Fu Cheng!”
“You’re going too?”
“Look at you! With such a good job opportunity, who’d stay here sweeping and guarding gates! I quit yesterday. Once I collect my wages, I’m leaving today.”
Hu Sicai could barely contain his excitement: “How are you getting there? Let’s go together, we can look out for each other on the road!”
“Huh? Aren’t your affairs here not finished yet?” Lu Laogou asked deliberately.
“The child has been delivered, I should be going too. Ah, I’m a proud man, unwilling to cling to wealth and status! If I make a name for myself in Fu Cheng, won’t my niece have more face here in the mansion?”
Lu Laogou indicated he believed it.
So they agreed to meet at the dock outside the city at Xu hour.
During breakfast, someone came to report that the Hu Family from the rear annex courtyard was gone. Upon asking the gatekeepers, they said the child was sick, and they had hurriedly left the mansion early in the morning.
Wu Shi grew angry just hearing about this family: “They have the nerve to leave first! Sneaking around like thieves!” Seeing the maidservant hesitate to speak, she frowned and asked, “Could there be something else?”
The maidservant stammered, “It’s just… just that some things are missing from the room.”
“Weren’t all the furnishings from the rear annex courtyard already taken back? What else could be missing?”
“The washbasin, teacups, curtain hooks are gone, and one quilt is missing as well.”
Good heavens! Everyone was stunned by the Hu Family’s efficiency.
Wu Shi stared in disbelief, murmuring, “So they really are thieves.”
Shen Rusong was almost amused by the absurdity. He finally understood why Hu Erniang had hastily married far away.
But taking advantage of him wouldn’t be so easy.
So, her own crisis was resolved?!
With a sympathetic expression, Wu Shi told Shen Yiyi, who had come to express her gratitude, about the Hu Family absconding with the belongings.
This happiness came too suddenly!
Just moments ago, Shen Yiyi had been worrying about her own life. Now, she swayed in disbelief, nearly moved to tears.
Seeing Shen Yiyi’s reddened eyes, Wu Shi felt even more pity for her.
The ill-fitting clothes made the girl appear even thinner and smaller, with a bruise still visible on her forehead. This child was so pitiful—what kind of people had she encountered? She looked so distraught she could barely stand.
Wu Shi quickly urged Shen Yiyi to return and rest properly. She reassured her that, no matter what, the Shen family would not abandon her. Before leaving, she even slipped her two plates of pastries.
Having received Wu Shi’s reassurance, Shen Yiyi didn’t hesitate to offer a deep bow of gratitude!
This woman was not only her savior but also her future superior and provider of food and clothing!
The look she gave Wu Shi was so affectionate it could almost be described as “sticky.”
Wu Shi felt uneasy under her gaze, goosebumps rising all over. “Nanny, look at this child!”
Nanny Tong was deeply moved by Shen Yiyi’s genuine display of emotion. Her own mistress had no children—could this be where her maternal fate lay? Watching Shen Yiyi’s retreating figure, she declared firmly, “This is the affection of a child for a mother figure!”
Is that so? Could this be what it feels like to be a mother? Why does it feel a bit eerie? Wu Shi was bewildered.
Lying in bed, Shen Yiyi let out a soft laugh, then, thinking it inappropriate, pulled the quilt over her head and giggled quietly under the covers for a long while.
Rolling over happily, she finally relaxed completely.
At last, she could sleep peacefully!
Hong’er closed the door and stepped out. Nanny Tong gestured toward the inner room. “How is she?”
“She seems to have fallen asleep now. Earlier, I could hear her crying under the covers.”
Nanny Tong sighed. “Faced with such an embarrassing situation, she must feel awful inside and out. Let her be alone for a while. Children don’t hold onto things for long—after a good sleep, she might feel better.”
At lunchtime, Shen Yiyi was awakened and changed into a light lilac-colored fine cloth ru skirt. The hastily tailored garment naturally lacked trimmings or embroidery, but it fit well and was comfortable.
Excitedly, Hong’er helped her style her hair into a guanfa, first parting it down the middle, then tying and coiling each side into a bun.
Shen Yiyi thought it resembled the modern-day double-bun hairstyle, except for the final step: a strand of hair was pulled from each bun and left to hang naturally.
Satisfied with her handiwork, Hong’er finally selected a pair of pale yellow satin ribbons to tie them up, making Shen Yiyi look like a young girl engrossed in a dress-up game.
In the afternoon, while actively learning to split embroidery threads for her future work, Shen Yiyi received her final interview notice: Shen Rusong wanted to see her.
Returning from the Guo family’s luncheon, Shen Rusong reclined on the luohan bed. Drinking was unavoidable at such gatherings, and though not drunk, he was slightly tipsy. Now, half-closing his eyes, he allowed Wu Shi to wipe his face with a warm cloth.
After Wu Shi finished her tasks and sat down on the other side, Shen Rusong said leisurely, “Tell me, are twins really that beloved by everyone?”
“Of course!” Wu Shi handed him a cup of hot tea. “Such an auspicious sign—who wouldn’t love it?”
“The Guo family has many sons. Guo Pangzi is neither good at studying nor pleasing in appearance, so Old Master Guo has always disliked him. In the past, whenever he drank too much, he would often complain about this.”
“Now, he has moved into a large courtyard and even has a few shops under his name, all because of those two illegitimate children—”
“Twins are so rare! If I had such luck, I wouldn’t just give up mere wealth—I’d willingly shorten my life by ten years…”
Seeing Wu Shi suddenly grow sorrowful, Shen Rusong quickly set down his teacup and patted her hand to comfort her. “Why bring this up again? Does my wife perhaps dislike her husband?”
Wu Shi was taken aback.
“If you were perfect in every way, you could even be chosen as a princess consort—how could you have ended up in my family?” Shen Rusong sighed deliberately. “Your father already looks down on me for my lack of progress in the imperial examinations. If you were also flawless in every aspect, no wonder he dislikes me even more!”
Wu Shi grew embarrassed and finally smiled. “What princess consort? I’m not that good! But as for you, my husband, you are handsome and talented. Father often praises you behind your back—how could he possibly dislike you!”
After the couple joked for a while, Shen Rusong’s tipsiness faded, and he decided to attend to the matter at hand.
Shen Yiyi felt a bit nervous. As soon as she entered, she saw a young man sitting there drinking tea. He wore a futou on his head and was dressed in a blue yuanling changpao, with a white jade pendant hanging from the sitao at his waist.
The main house was quiet, likely cleared in advance, with no one else around.
After bowing and greeting him, Shen Yiyi slightly raised her head and met a pair of peach blossom eyes that seemed to hold a hint of a smile.
Wow, Shen Rusong is way too handsome—he looks a lot like Jia Lian from the 1987 adaptation of Dream of the Red Chamber!
But he’s more like a scholarly, less flirtatious version of Second Master Lian.
No wonder he managed to charm a bunch of women, including Hu Erniang.
Shen Rusong was also sizing up Shen Yiyi.
Purple is a color that can easily make one look dark if worn poorly, but this child’s skin was snow-white, and the dress suited her like a delicate little lilac.
Seeing her bow with confidence and without timidity, he felt three parts satisfied from the start.
“You’re Yuan Jie’er, right? Do you have a formal name?”
“My name is Shen Yiyi.” Shen Yiyi seized the opportunity to reclaim her naming rights.
Don’t ask—just know that Hu Erniang called her that in private! If you dare, go confront her about it!
Shen Rusong was momentarily stunned. She took the surname Shen directly…
“Which character is ‘Yi’?”
Shen Yiyi traced the character in the air with her finger. Worried that Shen Rusong might find her name insufficiently classical, she added, “My mother said this name means ‘wholehearted devotion’ and ‘sharing the same heart and virtue.'”
That’s right. Er Niang had indeed said back then that all she sought was a lifetime with one person. Shen Rusong’s expression softened.
He examined Shen Yiyi again, trying to find traces of that woman in her face.
But only then did he realize that perhaps too much time had passed since they parted. Though he felt he hadn’t forgotten, when he tried to recall the details, her image grew hazy.
Instead, the child’s eyes looked quite like his own.
“How has your mother been all these years?”
Drawing from fragmented memories, Shen Yiyi began describing his ex-girlfriend’s daily life to Shen Rusong.
At first, Shen Rusong listened with great interest, occasionally nodding with a smile.
But the more he listened, the more he felt something wasn’t quite right.
“Your mother… did she ever mention me?”
Uh—mentioned, just the three words “you have no father.”
Shen Yiyi pondered, if she told the truth, would she be directly kicked out by Shen Rusong in a fit of rage?