Yu Changhe cooked plain porridge and salted duck eggs. Seeing Zhao Erya showed no sign of waking up, they started eating by themselves.
After finishing the meal, Yu Changhe boiled a large pot of hot water for them to bathe.
Yu Xiaolian bathed herself and then helped Zhao Erya with a simple wipe down.
As she wiped, she joked with Mrs. Sun, "Mother, I feel like I haven’t brought back a maid, but a lady of high status. I even have to serve her."
Mrs. Sun watched as Yu Xiaolian wiped Zhao Erya’s little cat-like face clean and then started wiping Zhao Erya’s hands.
Suddenly, Yu Xiaolian’s joking expression froze for a moment, and she called out, "Mother..."
Mrs. Sun touched Zhao Erya’s blood-stained pants, sighed deeply, and thought it was impossible to come out intact from such a place as a brothel?
Mrs. Sun spoke seriously, "Lian’er, are you sure keeping Erya is the right thing to do? After all, the less people know about your superstore space, the better."
"Mother, our family will eventually need to buy maids. Right now, we can manage, but once the two children in your belly come out, I’m afraid you’ll be overwhelmed.
Taking care of them all day will already tire you out, not to mention helping me.
Even if Erya isn’t great, at least we know her well.
Plus, I have her contract here, what are you afraid of?"
Someone like Zhao Erya, who was sold by her parents with a death contract, is at the mercy of her owners.
Besides, I rescued Zhao Erya from a place like Baihua House; I trust she won’t repay kindness with betrayal.
Until after nine at night, Zhao Erya still showed no sign of waking, frightening Mrs. Sun, who checked Zhao Erya’s breathing from time to time, afraid she might quietly die.
Mrs. Sun worried all day for Yu Xiaolian, and Yu Xiaolian suggested Mrs. Sun rest early and not keep watch over Zhao Erya.
So as not to disturb Mrs. Sun’s rest, Yu Xiaolian dressed Zhao Erya in her pajamas and asked Yu Changhe to carry Zhao Erya to the west room.
Let Zhao Erya sleep in the same room with her tonight. Tomorrow, they could see if one of the storage rooms can be tidied up for Zhao Erya to live in.
Yu Xiaolian, finally free from Mrs. Sun and Yu Changhe, had her own room and didn’t want to share it with anyone later. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novel·fiɾe·net
Yu Xiaolian covered Zhao Erya with the new cotton quilt Mrs. Sun made a few days ago, took off her black colored contact lenses, and lay beside Zhao Erya, unable to sleep.
Her mind was filled with thoughts of how to deal with Yu Wanying.
Not seeking revenge is not honorable!
To think she once thought that the enemy’s enemy was a friend.
Pfft, she revoked that.
The enemy’s enemy is still an enemy.
Yu Wanying’s mother, Aunt Qin, secretly placed the Cold Cicada Gu on Yu Yanran in infancy, and Yu Yanran was still kept in the dark, assuming it was a congenital cold symptom.
If this news were passed to the Yu Family’s mistress, dealing with Yu Wanying wouldn’t even require her to act.
Using another’s knife to kill was the best.
But... Yu Wanying had recently offended the Yu Family’s mistress over a trivial matter and was sent to the Yu Family branch in Yangcheng to learn rules.
The Yu Family’s mistress was far away in the General Mansion in the Capital; how could she anonymously relay the information?
Yu Xiaolian tossed and turned all night, unable to come up with a good plan.
The next day, Yu Xiaolian was woken by Zhao Erya’s cautious voice.
"Ah, your eyes... how do they change like that?" Zhao Erya exclaimed.
Zhao Erya had known Yu Xiaolian’s eyes had a tint of gray, but yesterday she clearly saw Yu Xiaolian’s eyes were black, and today they turned gray again. She rubbed her eyes hard, wanting to make sure she hadn’t seen wrong.
"Don’t make a big fuss!"
Yu Xiaolian leisurely dressed and then, without hesitation, washed her face with cleanser, brushed her teeth with toothbrush and toothpaste, combed her hair with a peach wood comb, and tied it up with a black leather strap before Zhao Erya.
Zhao Erya stared in wide-eyed disbelief, finding Yu Xiaolian’s items both novel and rare.
Mrs. Sun approached, "Erya, wash up quickly; it’s almost time for breakfast!"
Yu Xiaolian fetched a basin of clean water for Zhao Erya and squeezed a line of facial cleanser into Zhao Erya’s palm.
Zhao Erya mimicked Yu Xiaolian’s actions, first rubbing to create a rich foam before starting to wash her face.
Zhao Erya marveled in her heart, didn’t expect Yu Xiaolian and her family to live really well after being driven out by the Yu grandma.
She believed after leaving her biased-for-sons parents, she too would improve.
Yu Changhe made hot noodle soup and leftover porridge for breakfast.
Zhao Erya sat at the kang table, looking anxious, as Mrs. Sun handed her a bowl of hot noodle soup, and she received it incredulously.
Can Yu Family’s life really be this good now? Breakfast consists of white flour, and it’s prepared so thick.
Seeing Erya dazedly holding the bowl without eating, Mrs. Sun said, "Erya, why aren’t you eating? Why are you in a daze?"
With Mrs. Sun’s loving gaze, Zhao Erya cautiously took a sip of noodle soup and then quickly started eating heartily.
While eating, Zhao Erya praised Yu Changhe’s cooking skills.
Yu Xiaolian scoffed; Yu Changhe boils either porridge or noodles every day, what skill is there to talk about?
Mrs. Sun’s cooking truly is good.
Take this simple hot noodle soup, for instance, it’s prepared by Mrs. Sun; tastes a million times better than Yu Changhe’s.
Zhao Erya finished two large bowls of hot noodle soup and finally set down her chopsticks satisfactorily, "Uncle Yu’s noodles are cut so uniformly in size and length; it’s amazing!"
These are dried noodles, not cut by him, so don’t layer him with false praise.
Yu Changhe, feeling somewhat awkward from Zhao Erya’s compliments, told the chuckling Yu Xiaolian, "Hurry up and eat, Erya’s eaten two bowls but you still have so much left."
Mrs. Sun also said, "Today across the street, the Gao Family is having a wedding, later this evening I’ll take you to join in the festivities."
Yu Xiaolian nodded eagerly, she’s truly never seen what ancient people’s weddings are like.
Their modern weddings all take place during the day; there are no night weddings.
But the customs in Great Liang Country are completely different; marriages here take place at dusk.
Yu Changhe pondered a bit, and still reminded, "I told you not to go, but you insist. When you’re at Gao’s, be careful, don’t get pushed and fall."
Mrs. Sun said coquettishly, "No way, I’m not a porcelain doll, look how anxious you are."
After breakfast, Zhao Erya eagerly picked up the bowls and chopsticks and went to the kitchen to wash them, then began sweeping and dusting busily.
With Zhao Erya wearing thin clothing, Mrs. Sun sent Yu Changhe to buy a few bolts of coarse cloth and cotton in town for making two cotton outfits for Zhao Erya.
Yu Changhe frowned, "It’s too much having to make outfits for the two little ones inside your belly and for Erya."
Yu Xiaolian chimed in, "Erya’s can be store-bought, but the two little ones’ outfits need to be handmade by you."
Yu Changhe nodded in agreement, and Yu Xiaolian immediately offered, "Can I go buy them then? Erya and I are roughly the same size."
"No way!" Sun and Yu Changhe said in unison.
"In the future, you mustn’t go out alone!"