Full House Spring

Chapter 44: Find a new master
Lu Zhiyao raised her long and dense eyebrows in a graceful arc, and smiled as if mocking herself. She said slowly:

"I'm afraid the old ancestor doesn't know much about the second house. The people who serve me, except Lai Xi, only recognize my mother... No, now I should call them aunt. If I marry them off, I'm afraid they will die faster."

There was unconcealable sadness in her eyes, and the old lady frowned slightly as she listened.

"I will discuss this with your mother. You can reselect your concubine from among the children born at home. You can personally review it. The indenture will be handed over to you and you can decide whether to live or die. Is this feasible?"

The second girl asked Xia Li to be her companion, but she didn't hold out much hope. The more the old lady was reluctant, the more she wanted to get her. Lu Zhiyao smiled and said half seriously and half jokingly:
"Thank you for your understanding, Grandmother. I'm afraid the rules I picked up from below are not very good. You also know my granddaughter's situation. I really need a smart girl like Xia Li to help me. I hope you will give me up..."

Although the old lady looks kind and gentle now, her strong nature has not changed at all. If the younger generation is willing to give something, they can just accept it. If she is not willing to give something, no one can cross the line and ask for it.

The old lady sneered and said nonchalantly, "Xia Li is not only my maid, but also Alan's granddaughter. She will take care of Alan in his old age. You might as well ask her what she thinks."

The old lady could clearly see the reluctance on Xia Li's face, but she did not refuse directly. She only did so because of her special status. If it had been in the past, she would have been asked to leave long ago.

How could Lu Zhiyao not see that her grandmother was unhappy, but no one could help her. She had to increase her chances of survival and fight for something no matter what.

She looked at Xia Li with a warm and sincere smile and said in a gentle voice:

"Miss Xia Li, you know Lai Xi's personality. If you are willing to be my roommate, I will leave everything to you. It will be difficult at first, but I will protect you."

Xia Li's eyes were full of helplessness. She sighed deeply, shook her head reluctantly, and said with a hint of guilt:
"Thank you very much, young lady, for your appreciation. Since I entered the mansion, I have never planned to work elsewhere. I only want to serve the old lady and look after my grandma in this life. Even if you don't have me by your side, you will definitely have a bright future. Please forgive me!"

Xia Li finished speaking and leaned forward. Lu Zhiyao's eyes were full of disappointment. She stepped forward to help Xia Li up and said with a wry smile:

"What's wrong with you being loyal to the old lady? It's a pity that there is no master-servant relationship between you and me. Since you don't want to come, I won't force you."

Xia Li showed a relieved smile on her face, and she said in a brisk voice:

"Thank you for your help, young lady. There are many capable maids in our house, but you don't come out often so you don't know them. When the eldest wife is free, I will invite some to you to choose from. I'm afraid you will be overwhelmed by the choices."

Lu Zhiyao covered her handkerchief with a chuckle, turned to look at the old lady, and said in a gentle voice: "Grandma, it's okay that you don't want to part with Xia Li, but can you give me one of the other maids? All the maids here are not simple, so give me one so that I can take care of the little maids."

The old lady pondered and said, "Except for Xia Li, the first-class maids are all too old and can't stay for many years. If you don't mind, you can choose from the second-class maids."

Lu Zhiyao's eyes sparkled, and she smiled and said, "How could my granddaughter dislike it if it's what she wants? Can I choose it today?"

The old lady didn't expect her to be so anxious, and said to Xia Li, "Go and call them over, and explain this matter to them privately."

This was to allow Xia Li to do some ideological work in advance. Xia Li readily agreed and went out to call people. He asked the little girl to run errands to call those who were not on duty, and those who were on duty were in the tea room at the back, so Xia Li went there directly.

Manqing was sorting out the sundries with Chanyi. When she saw Xiali coming in, she said, "Do you want tea? I'll come right after I wash my hands."

Xia Li said calmly, "Don't worry, I have something to tell you. The second young lady came to pay her respects to the old lady. She asked the old lady for a maid to accompany her. She originally chose me, but I refused. The old lady agreed to let her choose one of the second-class maids..."

Chan Yi and Man Qing looked at each other. Chan Yi was the first to react. She said in a cold voice, "The second young lady wants to bring a helper to Prince Hui's mansion. Once you enter there, it will be a blessing or a curse."

A strong impulse surged in Manqing's heart. She said with a twinkling look in her eyes, "At worst, the Second Miss is the Princess of Hui appointed by His Majesty personally. As long as she can win the heart of the prince, I'm sure she won't have a bad life."

Chan Yi curled her red lips into a cold smile and said, "What King Hui needs is not just a woman who can win his heart, but a princess whose family can be of use. You and I don't know the Second Miss's temperament, so it's better to be cautious."

There was a struggle on Manqing's face. She pursed her lips and said, "My father has done something bad. I will never be valued in the palace in my life. Maybe if I marry into the palace of Prince Hui as the second daughter, I will have a chance to move up..."

Xia Li looked at her with a complicated look and reminded her tactfully:
"King Hui is in a precarious situation, and if you leave, your mother and your brothers and sisters will have no one to take care of them."

Man Qing smiled generously, her eyes firm as she said:

"A lean camel is bigger than a horse. The second young lady dared to marry King Hui, so why should I worry about my worthless life? Besides, although my mother and her family's life is not as good as before, they have enough food and clothing. Zi Fu is much more sensible now..."

The more she spoke, the more resolute her attitude became. Xia Li knew that she had made up her mind. Chan Yi crossed her arms and said calmly:
"It's not something you can do as you wish. It depends on who the second young lady likes. However, no one should compete with you for it."

Man Qing smiled and said, "Who knows? We should go out now, lest our masters get impatient waiting for us."

When Xia Li and the other two arrived at the main room, Xiangru and Maidong also arrived. The errand girl secretly told them the inside story, so the two of them already had an idea of what was going on.

Looking at the maids standing in a row, Lu Zhiyao showed no disappointment on her face. Even if they were not as good as Xia Li, they were still much better than those insignificant maids in front of her.

The old lady said calmly: "Everyone is here, just choose."

Lu Zhiyao looked at them one by one. People pay attention to first impressions when they interact with each other, and without knowing their temperament and character, one can only choose based on feeling. When the maids looked at Lu Zhiyao, they all avoided his gaze, and it was obvious that they were not willing to leave the house.

Only Man Qing dared to meet her eyes, and they felt a sense of mutual appreciation. Lu Zhiyao had a faint smile on her plump and beautiful lips. She said calmly, "Grandma, it seems that only this girl is willing to be my dowry, so choose her."

The old lady narrowed her eyes and looked over. Seeing that it was Manqing, she did not react much. She said in a deep voice: "You have a good eye. Manqing is smart and can manage accounts. It's just that her father made a mistake. It's not a big deal. If you like her, take her away."

Manqing listened to the old lady's words with mixed feelings. She stepped forward with heavy steps, knelt down and kowtowed to her respectfully, and said with gratitude: "Thank you very much, old lady, for your magnanimity. I will do my best in the future and will never bring disgrace to the reputation of Leshou Hall."

The old lady raised her hand slightly, and was quite satisfied with her performance. She said kindly:
"You are also a girl who knows how to repay gratitude. You should follow your new master well in the future. Pack your luggage and go find the second young lady. You should get to know each other better." Man Qing bowed and agreed. Lu Zhiyao achieved her goal, so she didn't stay here to cause trouble. After saying goodbye to the old lady, Xia Li personally sent her out.

The two of them stepped out of the door and stood under the eaves. The second girl was unwilling to give up and asked, "You really don't want to be my roommate?"

Xia Li pursed her lips and smiled, and said softly: "My little cleverness is nothing. Young lady is a wise person, and the road she will take in the future is destined to be extraordinary. But I just want to live a peaceful and comfortable life. After all, I am different from you..."

Lu Zhiyao looked at her with deep eyes and whispered:
"Do you think you can live a comfortable life by staying with the old ancestor? She will leave sooner or later, and then you will have to find another wise master. Life in this world is difficult, and you, a smart girl, should find a way out for yourself as soon as possible."

Xia Li smiled brightly. She gestured to the second girl to go forward and said in a brisk voice:
"Young lady, you have great ambitions and want to be a dragon among men. For someone like me, all I want is freedom. To be honest, I just want to be a commoner."

Lu Zhiyao paused slightly and looked at her with some surprise.

"I didn't know you had such thoughts. This choice is really courageous. Whether you stay with the old lady or marry with me, you are just a servant and will always be inferior to others. Based on my understanding of the old lady, I am afraid it will be difficult for you to escape from slavery and leave the house."

Xia Li was not discouraged. She smiled and said, "You just said that the old lady will pass away one day. I can wait."

Lu Zhiyao frowned and said, "If you wait until the flower blooms, what will happen to you in the future? Women always have to get married and have children."

Xia Li does not have any anxiety about marriage. For her, this is not something that must be done. She said frankly:
"My grandma didn't get married in her life, but she lived a good life. No matter what choices you make in life, you will always have regrets. Just do your best to please yourself. Nothing else matters."

Lu Zhiyao seemed to be thinking about something, and after a while he spoke:

"You know everything about what happened between King Hui and me. If you were me, what would you do after we got married?"

Xia Li said calmly, "I think the more I do, the more mistakes I make. It would be better if you did nothing. King Hui was unwilling to accept this marriage, so aren't you also a victim?"

Lu Zhiyao looked embarrassed, "If I do nothing, won't I be accused of being unvirtuous?"

Xia Li said with a smile: "Is it the opinions of outsiders that are important, or the views of King Hui? You have to show that you are not a stumbling block to King Hui, nor are you here to harm him. You have to make him believe that you and he are in the same boat, and you will prosper and suffer together."

Lu Zhiyao reacted and whispered, "As long as I behave myself in the palace, the prince will see my goodness sooner or later. Is that what you mean?"

Xia Li shook his head and said calmly, "It doesn't matter whether you are good to the prince or not. What matters most is that you can walk side by side with him. In other words, you have to be useful."

There are some things that Xia Li doesn't want to say too bluntly. The so-called husband and wife are just a cooperative business. It is too narrow-minded to only focus on emotional matters. The identity of King Hui means that Lu Zhiyao must have a sense of the overall situation.

Lu Zhiyao had not experienced much, and there was confusion in her eyes. Xia Li sent her to the gate of the courtyard and said with a faint smile:
"What I said may not be entirely correct. Please consider it yourself. No matter what, the most important thing is to find ways to make yourself happy."

Lu Zhiyao nodded slightly. She would think about it more when she had time. Sooner or later, she would figure out the twists and turns between husband and wife.

At the same time, in the study outside the front yard, Lu Lingchuan was rarely off duty. He was handling official business. Shi Hu stood beside him grinding, and the room was silent.

Just as he was frowning in deep thought, someone knocked on the study door. Lu Lingchuan asked with a hint of displeasure, "Who's outside?"

Through the door, Lu Qinghe said in a charming voice, "Brother, it's me."

Lu Lingchuan frowned even more tightly and motioned Shihu to open the door. As soon as Lu Qinghe stepped into the house, he asked unhappily:

"Brother, I heard that Lu Zhiyao's marriage was granted by you and dad, is that true or not?"

Lu Lingchuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he said in a calm voice: "If my father and I don't make plans for her, will we let her be locked up in the ancestral temple for the rest of her life? Don't forget, it was she who saved you this time."

Lu Qinghe's face became more gloomy. She did not make a scene in agitated manner, but said with reason and evidence:
"The drink I drank was drugged by Yao Dizhu. How did the second sister get drugged? Since she was able to rescue me, it means she was sober at the time. She knew it was a trap set for me, but she still fell for it. She could only have taken the initiative to go in."

Lu Lingchuan smiled faintly at her and said teasingly, "You are smart for once. Second sister is just playing along. She likes the King Hui, whom you dislike."

Lu Qinghe said indignantly, "She is so cunning. Isn't she afraid that King Hui will expose her tricks?"

Lu Lingchuan said calmly, "Second sister killed herself to save you from joining the game, and she drank the wine by mistake. Who can say anything? Are you going to expose her in front of King Hui?"

Lu Qinghe said angrily, "She has lost her reputation now. If she doesn't marry King Hui, she will have no chance of survival. If I report her, it will be like exposing our family's shame to the public. How can you and father let me go?"

Lu Lingchuan nodded slightly. This girl finally understood things. He raised his eyebrows and said in a gentle tone, "You understand the truth, so why do you come to question me?"

Lu Qinghe walked over to the armchair opposite him and sat down, saying calmly:
"Since you and dad can make plans for my second sister, why can't you make plans for me? Dad has always been optimistic about the third prince, so wouldn't it be a better marriage for me to marry him?"

Lu Lingchuan's face gradually darkened, and he said unhappily:
"Is that something a girl like you should say? Marriage is no joke. The Third Prince is a royal family member. Your father and brother don't have the ability to cover up everything. If you continue to talk nonsense, don't even think about leaving the house."

Lu Qinghe's eyes were red, and he said unconvincedly: "How can you be a brother like you? You just can't stand seeing me do well. My second sister, a concubine's daughter, can become a princess, so why can't I?"

Lu Lingchuan slammed the table heavily and scolded: "Are sisters of the same blood to be compared? You only see the glamorous side of this marriage, why don't you think about how difficult her situation will be if she enters the palace."

Lu Qinghe blinked her moist eyes, obviously not thinking so much. Lu Lingchuan sighed and said:
"Your parents will take care of your marriage, so don't jump around anymore. You won't be so lucky every time. It's better for a daughter to live a safe and happy life than anything else."

(End of this chapter)