Wufu, along with Liu Jin, went up the mountain to hunt, which was primarily for the sake of training his own skills, because in the mountains, one may encounter many sudden situations, and being well-prepared for these was all part of the experience.
After circling the dense forest for half the day, Wufu and Liu Jin descended the mountain. On the way down, Wufu said, "In a few days, I’ll go buy a bow and arrow. Autumn is approaching, and with it, the game will be fatter."
"As the young lady wishes," Liu Jin grinned.
Seeing him smile, Wufu pinched his cheek, "Kid, you really do look good when you smile like that. Smile for your sister again."
Instantly, Liu Jin’s face darkened.
The young lady was perfect in every way, except her love for beauty was not exactly praiseworthy, especially with such a teasing tone, like a little ruffian, yet it was impossible to get angry at her.
"Young lady, it’s Sister Hongyu," Liu Jin called out, spotting someone not far ahead.
Wufu looked over and indeed saw Hongyu with a stick, listlessly thwacking the bushes, seemingly devoid of energy.
"Sister Hongyu!" Liu Jin yelled loudly.
Hearing the call, Hongyu immediately ran towards them.
"What are you doing here instead of staying home?" Wufu asked in surprise.
Hongyu had been holding back a bellyful of anger, specifically waiting here to lodge a complaint.
Upon Wufu’s inquiry, she rattled off in detail how Zhou Xiuer had wheedled a pair of Chicken Blood Stone earrings from Madam Zhou.
Wufu’s brow furrowed.
Zhou Xiuer certainly had a silver tongue, to have coaxed away a pair of earrings just like that.
"I see," Wufu said indifferently.
Hongyu had expected Wufu to fly into a rage, but seeing her calm demeanor, she felt something was amiss and probed, "Young lady, aren’t you angry?"
Previously, when Madam Lu had snatched Mother’s hairpin, the young lady had been so furious she nearly smashed the Old Zhou family’s house to pieces, yet now she was so composed.
"The things belong to my mother, and she is free to give them to whoever she wishes," Wufu said with a smile.
Angry? Hardly. A pair of earrings wasn’t worth her attention; it was just a bit unsettling to her, that’s all.
If it were anything of value, it would have been one thing, but everyone from the Old Zhou family, especially her eldest uncle’s family, was full of schemes, and she had suffered enough humiliations before. Despite this, could she say anything if her mother still chose to believe Zhou Xiuer’s sweet words?
"But those were what you had honored Mother with, as a filial gift," Hongyu felt it was unfair, "That Zhou Xiuer is no good."
"What I gave to my mother is now her own private possession. It’s just a pair of earrings, not worth fussing over," Wufu walked ahead.
Hongyu wanted to say more, but Liu Jin pulled her aside and whispered, "Sister Hongyu, do you not know who the young lady is? She certainly has a clear understanding."
"What do you know? That Zhou Xiuer has all sorts of crafty plans up her sleeve, and Mother is too gullible, easily deceived by her," Hongyu said indignantly, "If you ask me, even if those beads were thrown in water, they’d still make a splash. Those pearls were painstakingly crafted by the young lady."
"Even so, the young lady knows what she’s doing. Are you trying to overstep your position?" Liu Jin said, "Sister Hongyu, we’re just servants; we have to know our place."
In other words, they could remind the young lady, but they couldn’t decide for her or speak ill of Mother, as that would be inciting discord between them. According to his own mother, in a wealthy household, such behavior in a servant was absolutely intolerable.
Hongyu hadn’t considered all this; the key was that she had never been conscious of it before. Now that Liu Jin had mentioned it, she was stunned.