Chapter 811: 811, are you worthy of Qingyue?
“I should still call you second young Master,” she said. “I fear being disrespectful to you, and I wouldn’t want you to be troubled, nor do I want the young Mistress to misunderstand.”
In her heart, she thought of Su Qingyue as what kind of young Mistress—a mere guest, after all. But since the Xiao Family’s three sons cared about her, a clever woman naturally had to follow the men’s lead, showing understanding. Otherwise, with her unstable footing in the Xiao Family, wouldn’t she just be thrown out at any time?
Xiao Yishan, hearing her say so, felt all the more that she was sensible, “That’s fine, I don’t want my wife to misunderstand either.”
Li Rong’er smiled bitterly, noticing the water in the big tank was almost depleted. She picked up the carrying pole and hung two empty buckets on it, intending to go fetch water.
Looking at the two large buckets, one really felt that the Xiao Family’s buckets were much larger than ordinary families’, and the tub was also big. Carrying this load was truly a bit tough.
Although she was a maid, it had been a long time since she had carried water, and she felt a bit resentful in her heart. Still, she prepared to leave with the carrying pole, “Second young Master, do you know where I can fetch the well water?”
Xiao Yishan took the carrying pole off her shoulders, “I’ll go fetch the water.”
“But you are a young Master…”
“What young Master, it’s only you who calls me that. I’m nothing more than a hunter.” He walked off with the empty buckets.
Xiao Yuchuan stood at the doorway and saw his second brother’s retreating figure. A mocking smile played on his lips, still claiming he felt nothing for Li Rong’er.
Fetching water wasn’t such hard work; back when all the Xiao Family’s men had fallen, the wife shouldered the whole burden of the Xiao Family, getting up early and staying up late—it was untold how exhausting it was.
The wife had the hardest time.
Xiao Yishan, carrying the empty buckets, reached the village well where, due to the morning crowd fetching water, a queue had formed.
“Oh, isn’t that Dashan back from doing part-time work in town?” multiple villagers greeted him as they too were there to fetch water.
Li Wangcai, also carrying water buckets, lined up behind him and laughed, “Dashan, how come you’re up so early today?”
He responded, “When am I not up early?”
Li Wangcai laughed, “But yesterday, I saw you hire a carriage from town back to the village, with a woman on it too. I heard you got cozy with a cook from one of the town’s wealthy families and even brought her back to the village, huh?”
“Talking nonsense,” Xiao Yishan’s face stiffened, “I have nothing to do with that cook, and it’s impossible I’d bring her to the village.”
“Then who’s the woman you brought back?” Li Wangcai grew curious.
“She was previously the head maid in the Fang Mansion in town, serving the Fang Family’s young Lady, named Li Rong’er.”
“Oh, a head maid, huh?” Li Wangcai’s eyes held a hint of envy, “I’ve seen the woman you brought back—much prettier than your wife. I thought you spent last night on her bed and couldn’t bear to climb out of a beautiful woman’s nest this morning!”
“Hahaha…” Several villagers carrying water laughed aloud.
Aunt Zhang, also carrying a water bucket, overheard and frowned in disapproval, “Dashan, you really are an ungrateful person! Qingyue has worked herself to the bone for the Xiao Family, and you go off and bring another woman back, how can you do this to Qingyue?”
“Indeed, who would have thought Dashan would be this kind of man…” Zhang Shun’s wife also felt indignant for Su Qingyue, “Men get tired of the old and fond of the new far too quickly!”
Around the corner of a house by the village path, Liu Haitang who came to fetch water had actually arrived before Xiao Yishan but, seeing him, she didn’t dare come out, hiding beside the house instead. Hearing that Xiao Yishan had brought another woman back, she felt all sorts of discomfort in her heart.