Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

The next morning, while the sky was still overcast, the area in front of the Duke of Yu's mansion was already bustling with carriages and horses.

Several carriages lined up in a long procession, escorted by guards and servants, and headed in a grand procession towards the Xiangguo Temple on the outskirts of the capital.

At this time, Cuihua was taking care of the young master beside the madam.

She kindly agreed to switch shifts with Liu Wenying so that Liu Wenying could take care of Luo Luo. After a long journey, the child would feel more at ease with her mother by her side.

As a wet nurse, Liu Wenying benefited from the arrangement, sharing a relatively spacious covered carriage with Zhao, the wet nurse, and other head maids with official duties.

Compared to the usual practice of walking behind one's master's carriage, this was already much more respectable.

The carriage was fairly warm, with thick felt mats laid out and a heater in the corner.

Among the several matrons in the same carriage, some were chatting quietly about household matters, while others were resting with their eyes closed.

Liu Wenying held Luo Luo, who was wrapped up tightly, and sat by the window, slightly lifting a section of the carriage curtain.

The rapidly receding street scene was gradually replaced by barren trees and wasteland in the suburbs.

Luo Luo was very well-behaved; she fell into a deep sleep in her mother's arms as the carriage swayed gently.

Once the convoy left the city, its speed slowed down.

The road gradually became rugged, and we began to drive towards Yuming Mountain on the outskirts of Beijing, where Daxiangguo Temple is located on the mountaintop.

When they reached the halfway point of the mountain, the carriage suddenly jolted and swayed a few times before slowly coming to a stop.

"What's going on?" Granny Tian asked, peeking out from behind her window.

The driver jumped off the carriage to inspect it: "I'm really sorry, the tenon on the axle seems to be a bit loose. I dare not drive any further, for fear of danger."

"What should we do then?"

"We need to find a way to fix it quickly, or get a new car."

On a mountain road with no village or shop in sight, where could one find a replacement carriage?

Repairing a car requires tools and time, and the convoy ahead of them wouldn't wait for them.

"Alright, alright, everyone get down and walk around. If we can't catch up with the masters' convoy, we'll be the ones who suffer the consequences and get punished."

Helpless, Liu Wenying had no choice but to carry Luoluo and get off the bus with the others.

The temperature in the mountains is already much lower than in the city. At this moment, the sky is overcast, the leaden-gray clouds hang low, and fine snowflakes have begun to fall again.

The road was lined with bare trees, their branches covered in a layer of glistening frost. It was beautiful, but very cold.

Fortunately, it wasn't far from Daxiangguo Temple; I just had to grit my teeth and walk a bit to get there.

The accompanying matrons and stewards were mostly dressed in thick cotton-padded coats and fur jackets, which provided some protection.

Although Liu Wenying herself was dressed warmly, Luoluo in her arms was still young, and even wrapped in a small blanket, she gradually couldn't stand the biting mountain wind.

The mountain wind whipped up snowflakes, stinging my face.

Luo Luo in her arms started sneezing, and Liu Wenying became extremely anxious.

If Luo Luo stays in this freezing weather any longer, she'll definitely fall ill.

She wanted to find the First Madam's carriage, even if it was just to plead for Luo Luo to temporarily go up there to avoid the cold.

But the convoy was so indistinct that she couldn't tell which one belonged to Tinglan Courtyard.

Just as they were feeling lost and helpless, a richly decorated carriage slowly came to a stop.

The carriage curtain was lifted from the inside by a hand wearing a jade thumb ring, revealing a cynical, smiling face—Pei Yaojun.

His gaze swept over the group of people walking in the snow, finally landing on Liu Wenying. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Hey, you carrying the child, come here."

It wasn't that he did it intentionally; it was just that Liu Wenying, who was holding a child, was too easy to recognize.

Liu Wenying didn't want to have anything to do with Little Yama. Who knew if he had good intentions? She simply pretended not to hear.

Seeing that she didn't move, Pei Yaojun's smile faded slightly, and he said impatiently, "I don't want to say it a second time."

Just then, Luo Luo sneezed loudly, her little body trembling in her arms.

Looking at her daughter's flushed face, and thinking about the long road ahead and the endless wind and snow, Liu Wenying thought about how difficult it was to get through.

Well, whether it's a blessing or a curse, it's better than letting the child catch a cold.

He lowered his head and quickly boarded the carriage.

The carriage was indeed warm and cozy, with a radiant stove burning brightly in the corner, filling the air with the fragrance of agarwood, a stark contrast to the bitter cold outside.

She didn't dare to look too much, and as soon as she went in, she shrank to the corner furthest away from Pei Yaojun.

Pei Yaojun leaned against the soft brocade cushion, playing with a jade pendant in his hand.

Seeing her looking like she wanted to shrink into the carriage wall, he chuckled and said lazily, "Why are you so far away from me? Afraid I'll eat you?"

Liu Wenying lowered her head even further: "This servant dares not."

"Why don't you move over a bit? Aren't you worried about the little one in your arms getting cold?"

Unable to disobey, Liu Wenying carried Luo Luo and slowly moved towards the middle of the carriage, choosing a compromise spot to sit down again.

She was timid and hesitant, as if facing a formidable enemy. Pei Yaojun found it boring and turned his attention to Luo Luo in her arms.

Once the little guy was in a warm place and had recovered, he opened his big eyes and looked at him curiously.

They probably found Pei Yaojun's bright robes and jade pendant at his waist quite unusual.

"Is this your daughter?" Pei Yaojun asked casually.

"Yes, Third Master," Liu Wenying replied softly, her arms tightening subtly.

Who wouldn't like Luo Luo's quiet and adorable appearance? Even Pei Yaojun became somewhat interested.

He stretched out his long, slender fingers, bent them, and touched Luo Luo's soft cheeks with his knuckles.

It's made like tofu, incredibly soft and smooth.

He also picked up the jade pendant, which was worth a fortune, and dangled it with the tassels attached to it.

Luo Luo was attracted by the swaying tassels, reached out her little hand to try to grab them, and grinned and laughed.

The child's smile was pure and innocent, full of charm.

Pei Yaojun hadn't expected that the little one would not only be unafraid of him, but would also be laughing so happily.

A genuine, unvarnished smile flickered in his eyes.

His smile softened the usual arrogance between his brows, making him look like a warm and friendly older brother next door.

"Hmph, your daughter is much more lovable than you."

Little Yama was cunning and unpredictable. Liu Wenying was determined not to say anything more, for fear of making a mistake if she said too much, and silently prayed that the journey would end soon.

"I've saved you and your daughter from your immediate predicament today, haven't I? In this freezing weather, if it weren't for my kindness, you would have frozen half to death even if you made it to the temple."

Sure enough, he was going to settle accounts again.

Liu Wenying lowered her eyes and said, "Yes, thank you for your help, Third Master."

"Words of thanks aren't enough. Adding to that previous debt, how do you plan to repay it?"

Liu Wenying naturally remembered the previous incident, when she helped him pretend to be a flower thief and was hit twice with a stick.

Although it was unintentional, it still offended him.

Liu Wenying really couldn't figure out what Pei Yaojun wanted.

Silver? He doesn't even care about the little money she has.

She didn't dare think about anything else.

After a moment's thought, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Reporting to Third Master, I was offended before. If you have any instructions, I will do my best to fulfill them. As for the carriage favor today, I can pay for it; I won't ride for free."

"Pay me? Your meager monthly salary, isn't it paid by the manor? You're using money from my manor to pay my fare?"

…………