Chapter 663: Chapter 663: Let’s not say anything yet, scare them to death Chapter 663: Chapter 663: Let’s not say anything yet, scare them to death Fang Xiyue immediately stepped back, and Ma Lu, with an unchanging expression, moved closer to her and said with a smile, “Miss Fang is virtuous, she gave all her rewards to her parents.”
The crowd had peculiar expressions. Could this girl be a fool? She herself had been put through suffering in Master Lan’s hunting team. After such struggles, she even managed to catch a tiger thanks to the efforts of the third team, yet she didn’t seek benefits for herself?
“What about the other girl? Oh right, why didn’t she come out? Where is she?”
Someone in the crowd asked aloud.
Ma Lu looked up and saw that the person was from the fifth team.
The fifth team had returned empty-handed today, not even a wild chicken to their name. They wouldn’t receive their due rations and would even be punished; their hearts were filled with discontent.
Seeing that Shu Yu hadn’t appeared, they were filled with malice, wondering if something had happened, otherwise why was she the only one absent?
Ma Lu glanced at the speaker, noticing that after he had raised his voice, he quickly shrank back. Ma Lu snorted lightly and then said airily, “Oh, that girl has some other matters to attend to. As for her reward, it’s about the same as ours.”
Indeed, about the same. Don’t all of us get two days of vacation, five pounds of grain, two rabbits, and one tael of silver?
However, as soon as Ma Lu finished speaking, the others from the third team all looked at him, with even Fang Xiyue casting a puzzled gaze at his back.
But nobody said anything more to expose him; facing the others’ questions, they simply laughed along in agreement.
People still wanted to ask more details, especially about how they had managed to kill the tiger. Their hearts were moved.
However, members of the third team merely spoke vaguely for a moment before complaining of exhaustion and squeezed through the crowd to leave the manor.
Only having walked far enough that no one was following them anymore did several members of the third team curiously ask, “Boss, why didn’t you mention that Lady Lu became the manor’s steward?”
“Yeah, seeing those people’s jaws drop would have been great.”
Ma Lu laughed softly and lowered his voice, “What’s the point of mentioning it now? It’s better to let them be happy for a few days. In a couple of days, when they see Lady Lu distributing grain in front of them, now that will have an impact. Especially the people from the fifth team, who initially despised the two ladies, now they have nothing while the ladies received rewards. Wait until they see Lady Lu standing before them, that will be spectacular.”
Their eyes lit up, “Hey, that’s a great idea, I can’t wait to see that scene.”
“Let’s all keep it quiet, just let them assume Lady Lu received the same rewards as us.”
After seeing Fang Xiyue home, Ma Lu and the others returned to their own dwellings.
While the atmosphere was jubilant on one side, the topic of conversation, Shu Yu, was still at the manor.
Wang Changdong had her sit down on a stone bench nearby, and very considerately poured her a cup of water, an attitude… worlds different from before.
Although Wang Changdong had taken care of her kindly in the past, back then it was for the sake of money, and as an officer, he was always superior in front of her, a convict.
Now it was different, the attitude was almost solicitous.
“Lady Lu, I wanted to ask, what is your relationship with Mister Qi, the governor’s teacher?”
Shu Yu knew he was inquiring about this. She pondered for a moment and replied with a smile, “Actually, there’s not much of a relationship. We just met by chance on the road to exile and I accidentally helped him once. Mister Qi is a man who repays gratitude; having reunited, he wanted to take care of me.”
As for what favor she had done, Shu Yu did not elaborate.