Chapter 352: Chapter 124: Suspicion_2
Yueyao couldn’t afford to give a cold face to someone who came to work; she smiled and asked, “What is your last name?”
The old nanny quickly replied, “My family name is Xu, ma’am.”
Yueyao nodded to indicate that she understood, “You will have a hard time in the coming months.” Fetching water and chopping wood were physically demanding tasks, and during this time, Nanny Hao and the two maids were genuinely exhausted.
Granny Xu cheerfully said, “It’s my fortune to work for the young lady. Whether I work in the mansion or here, it’s all the same work, but here I can earn some extra rewards.”
Yueyao waved her hand, dismissing her to find Nanny Hao. As soon as the Lian family’s people left, the Ma family’s people came over. They didn’t bring much this time, just a brand-new quilt, especially bright.
The quilt was dark blue and very thick. Nanny Hao looked at it and smiled, saying, “Miss, this quilt must weigh at least ten pounds and the cotton is new; it will be warm at night.” The previous quilt was not bad, but it wasn’t as good as this one.
Yueyao’s quilt was then replaced with this dark blue one. Besides these, they also brought a snow-white large cloak.
Yueyao knew quality, recognizing that this was a garment made of top-quality snow fox fur. She silently thought that her cousin-in-law was spending too much; such a large fur coat must be worth at least a thousand taels of silver.
The steward conveyed Ruo Lan’s message further, “Cousin Miss, the young lady said that the Duke Mansion has already been notified, and you can move to the main house now.”
Yueyao was not a stubborn person; previously, she only refrained from living in the main house because the master hadn’t said anything, and she felt it inappropriate. Now that the Duke Mansion’s people had given the clearance, not moving would be foolish. Especially upon hearing that the main house had a heated floor, making it warm even in winter, she decided to move right away.
After sending the people off, Yueyao discussed the move with Nanny Hao and the others. For all this time, the three living in the small courtyard had never been into the main house.
The main house was a world apart from the house they were living in. It featured a Yellow Pearwood carving of lotus and Arhat beds, a black-lacquered, gold-trimmed cabinet, a Yellow Pearwood dressing table, and a Yellow Pearwood five-panel bronze mirror stand. By the window, there was a Yellow Pearwood round table, on which were placed items like a Han jade pen stand, a celadon jade bas-relief, and a pine stone pen holder.
Yueyao took the two maids to see the room on the right. The furnishings in the right room were similar to the left, but the wood of the furniture was much inferior, all being of sour branch wood, and the table was bare without anything placed on it.
Yueyao smiled and said, “Let’s live here.”
When Yueyao moved to the main house, Hua Lei and Qiao Lan shared one room, Nanny Hao had one room, and the Coarse Maid had another room. The vacated room was just right for storing things; they could also stock up on more firewood.
Yueyao had not expected that on the next day, Tingzheng would come over.
Inside the house, Yueyao heard Hua Lei’s cheerful voice: “Miss, Fourth Young Master has come to see you. Miss, Fourth Young Master is here.”
Yueyao was delighted and came out of the house to see Tingzheng standing in the courtyard. When Tingzheng saw Yueyao, he ran over and hugged her, saying, “Sister, you went up the mountain without taking me with you.” His words were full of grievance.
Yueyao touched Tingzheng’s forehead and said, “Sister also left in a hurry, I will inform you in advance next time.” The child had no sense of security and was always worried about being abandoned.
Tingzheng was indeed feeling aggrieved, “Sister, I wanted to come over as soon as I heard the news, but Mr. Zhu wouldn’t allow it. Mr. Zhu said I’ve fallen behind too much in my studies and can’t ask for leave anymore. It’s only because of the holidays that I could come this time.” Mr. Zhu had said that unless there was a major family issue, like last time when an elder was seriously ill and needed care, he couldn’t ask for leave at other times.
Yueyao smiled and patted Tingzheng on the back, “It’s right of the teacher to say that. You shouldn’t neglect your studies to come see your sister. Tingzheng, have you caught up with your coursework?”
Tingzheng shook his head and said, “Not yet, the teacher said I need to work hard and not slack off, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to visit my sister next time.” This opportunity had also been hard to come by.
Yueyao laughed, “When the New Year comes, your sister will be back home, and you’ll be on holiday too.” It’s just two months away and will come soon.
Tingzheng clearly wasn’t happy.
Pointing at Tingzheng’s forehead, Yueyao said, “It’s rare to come see your sister, and making such a sour face looks so unattractive. Smile for your sister, my Tingzheng is the cutest when he smiles.” Yueyao squeezed Tingzheng’s fair and tender cheeks firmly, making Tingzheng pout his lips in protest.
The siblings chatted for a long time; actually, it was mostly Tingzheng speaking while Yueyao listened. Tingzheng talked about various interesting things at the Li family.