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

"No, it's just that my throat is too dry, so I can't sing well."

"So much trouble."

Pei Yaojun muttered something and sat up in bed.

The crimson brocade robe was slightly open, revealing the collar of the snow-white inner garment. Strands of hair fell to her temples, concealing her usual flamboyance and adding a touch of casualness.

He snatched the kettle and empty cup from the table, filled them, and carelessly handed them to Liu Wenying.

"drink!"

Liu Wenying paused for a moment, then accepted the gift: "Thank you, Third Master."

I picked up the cup; the water temperature was just right, not too hot to drink.

The refreshing water flowed over my dry throat, and it really made me feel much better.

"There's more if that's not enough." Pei Yaojun shook the full kettle in his hand.

Liu Wenying shook her head. "That's enough."

Pei Yaojun then put down the kettle, lay back down on her lap, and closed his eyes to let her continue.

Liu Wenying also closed her eyes, cleared her mind of all distractions, and immersed herself in the song.

"The moon is bright, the wind is still, the leaves are shading the window, the crickets are chirping, like the sound of a zither, the sound is soft and the melody is beautiful..."

This time, the tension was gone, and the melody was gentle and melodious, like a clear mountain stream flowing quietly in the still night.

As she hummed softly, his breathing gradually evened out, his brows relaxed, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Only after confirming that he was fast asleep did Liu Wenying dare to slightly open her eyes and quietly peek at the little Yama King who was so close to her.

He had striking features, thick eyelashes, and a sharp lip line characteristic of youth, while his jawline already showed strong angles.

It is precisely the coexistence of naivety and sharpness between adolescence and manhood.

She had met all three masters in the manor. Unlike the eldest master's cold and stern demeanor and the second master's jade-like and snow-like appearance, he was flamboyant and bright, like the blazing sun.

Outside the window, a light snow began to fall again, silently.

Liu Wenying sat there motionless, with the sleeping Third Master Pei resting on her lap.

Luo Luo smacked her lips and slept soundly.

The firelight illuminated the snow, and I slept soundly through the night.

Before dawn, the servant woke the sleeping Third Master.

"It's almost time, Third Master, you should get up!"

On the bed, Pei Yaojun was deep in a dreamless sleep, sleeping more soundly and deeply than ever before.

The servants' calls seemed distant and indistinct, as if seen through a thick layer of cotton wool.

Her lips moved a few times, and she uttered a few words indistinctly: "Liu...Wenying...Don't stop..."

The servant strained his ears, but could only catch fragmented syllables: "Mosquitoes? Where are the mosquitoes from in the dead of winter?"

Ignoring the mosquitoes, the servant cried out anxiously, "Third Master, wake up! If we miss the morning lessons, the Old Madam will be furious, and we'll all be in deep trouble!"

Disturbed by the constant noise, Pei Yaojun gradually lost his sleepiness and finally woke up.

I instinctively reached for the pillow, but it was empty, and the brocade was cold.

Looking back at the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed), the little guy was nowhere to be seen either.

Pei Yaojun suddenly sat up and looked around. Apart from him and his servants, there was only a very faint, almost fading milky smell.

Did you see anyone leave my room this morning?

The servant was taken aback by his question and shook his head blankly: "No, I came before dawn and didn't see anyone."

He suddenly turned pale and his voice trembled as he thought of something.

"Third Master, you...you didn't see something unclean, did you? This...this is a sacred Buddhist sanctuary!"

"Shut up, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Pei Yaojun already understood that the woman must have taken advantage of his deep sleep and quietly slipped away with the child before dawn.

Very alert, knows how to avoid being noticed.

They scurried away as fast as mice.

In the afternoon, Liu Wenying returned from the First Madam's meditation room and silently sat down on her own bed.

In the large communal room, several off-duty female servants sat together, doing some simple needlework with their hands, while their mouths were also busy, complaining in low voices about the austerity of the fasting in the temple these past few days.

"It's so bland! Every meal is just cabbage and tofu, not a drop of oil in sight!"

"That's right! There are so many rules in the temple. We have to get up earlier than the chickens and go to bed later than the dogs. We're always kneeling and bowing. My old back is about to break."

"It's still more comfortable in the manor. There's a lot of work to do, but at least we can have a hot meal with some meat."

"Just bear with it. We'll be going down the mountain and back to the manor tomorrow, right? I heard they've already prepared the New Year's feast. Then..."

The mention of returning home brought a hint of anticipation to everyone's faces.

Returning to the mansion? Even Liu Wenying, sitting in the corner, was moved.

Once back at the manor, with the guards tight, even if the Third Master is still outrageous, he probably wouldn't dare to drag a wet nurse into his bedroom as easily as he did last night.

Thinking of this, Liu Wenying felt somewhat relieved.

However, the scene from last night unexpectedly resurfaced in my mind.

The brazier was warm, the weight on their legs, a lone man and a lonely woman...

Fortunately, she slipped away quickly and was not seen by anyone.

Otherwise, even if she was forced, the crime of climbing into someone's bed would be enough to ruin her forever.

The fate of that maid who climbed into the bedchamber was still vivid in her mind, utterly tragic. She saw it clearly and remembered it well.

While she was lost in thought, an old woman noticed her.

"Speaking of which, Nurse Liu, you are a very well-behaved child. Apart from being a little fussy the first night, you were very quiet last night."

There was a widowed wet nurse in the manor who brought her child into the household, and almost everyone in the household knew about her.

"Yes, the little guy is so easy to take care of."

"As expected of a wet nurse, you really know how to take care of children."

Liu Wenying smiled gently, "You flatter me. The child is young and wasn't used to it the first night. But he's gotten used to the environment over the past few days and naturally sleeps more soundly."

The servants and women agreed that it made sense, and after exchanging a few more pleasantries, they changed the subject.

The three-day prayer and fasting ceremony at Daxiangguo Temple has successfully concluded.

As dawn broke, Liu Wenying, carrying Luo Luo, boarded the repaired carriage.

The carriage was still crowded, but my mood was completely different from when I was going up the mountain; I was eager to get home.

Inside the carriage, the accompanying matrons and stewards relaxed considerably, chatting in hushed tones about what preparations were still needed for the New Year celebrations in the mansion.

Granny Tian sat beside Liu Wenying, then suddenly remembered something and asked in a low voice, "That day on the way up the mountain, the carriage broke down halfway. Did Third Master let you get into his carriage?"

She wanted to know more about whether Liu Wenying and Third Master had gotten involved in any inappropriate relationship.

Liu Wenying didn't know whether she should say it or not, so she just said, "That day the wind and snow were heavy, and Luoluo was so cold that she kept sneezing. When Third Master saw this, he told me and the child to get in the carriage to avoid the cold."

Upon hearing this, Granny Tian sighed and said, "Third Master, although he is a bit unruly and mischievous, and his actions are not methodical, his heart is still like that of the Duke and his wife, which is good."

Kind-hearted? Liu Wenying disagreed.

"If someone is kind-hearted, why would they beat someone to death?"

Seeing her expression, Granny Tian instantly understood. She moved closer to Liu Wenying and whispered, "Do you think Third Master has a violent temper?"

Liu Wenying remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"Silly child, the intricacies of the manor are never that simple."

Even if the household holds the servants' indentures, they cannot arbitrarily beat or kill their servants.

According to current laws, if someone dies, it must be reported to the government and the reasons must be explained.

"You entered the manor late and don't know the inside story. That girl was originally a maid in the Second Madam's room. She looked clever and was assigned to serve tea in the Third Master's courtyard."

She was ambitious and, seeing that the Third Master was young, handsome, and unmarried, she harbored inappropriate thoughts. If she had only wanted to curry favor with him and seduce her master, at worst she would have been sold off.

But she was completely bewitched and somehow obtained some filthy drugs, which she secretly slipped into Third Master's tea.

…………