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

Liu Wenying hurriedly put down what she was holding and stood up to bow.

Pei Dingxuan raised his hand to support her, his fingertips touching her elbow briefly before pulling away.

"The child is asleep, no need for formalities."

Liu Wenying nodded and stepped back to make room so that the old man could take good care of the child.

Pei Dingxuan didn't say anything, but walked to the crib and looked down at his son for a moment.

Then her gaze swept over the handmade items she had just put down.

Colorful threads, mugwort, fragrant beads, and several small, exquisitely braided bracelets.

A questioning glint flashed in his eyes.

Liu Wenying explained softly, "There are many mosquitoes in summer, so I made a few mosquito-repelling bracelets for you, young master. They contain mugwort and fragrant beads, so wearing them can repel mosquitoes."

Upon seeing this, the lady instructed her servants to weave more so that everyone in the courtyard could use it.

"You have very skillful hands."

Liu Wenying curled her fingers, which were folded in front of her lower abdomen, and lowered her head even further.

"I don't deserve such praise; it's just some rudimentary skill."

Pei Dingxuan picked up a pre-woven mosquito-repellent bracelet and examined it closely.

The design is simple, with colorful threads interwoven into flowing cloud patterns. Mugwort and incense beads are evenly distributed, creating a fresh and elegant look.

She made it herself; it's very ingenious.

He had servants in the courtyard, and he really wanted one too.

Pei Dingxuan stroked the patterns on the bracelet, reluctant to put it down.

Liu Wenying, observing his expression, understood that he had his own desires.

She lowered her eyelashes. "I apologize for the cheap trinkets, sir. I will finish the remaining ones and give them to the madam. I'm sure the madam will give one to you."

The refusal was tactful, the balance was impeccable, and it left no room for error.

The old man can have the bracelet, but he absolutely cannot get it directly from her.

Pei Dingxuan was extremely intelligent and quickly understood her concerns.

He knew what she was afraid of.

She was afraid of gossip, afraid of getting into trouble, and afraid of getting involved with him inappropriately.

If it weren't for the excuse of visiting Ye'er at night, he probably wouldn't even have had the chance to say a few words to her.

He was afraid that if he said anything more, he would frighten her.

Pei Dingxuan put the bracelet back, his tone still gentle.

"Alright, there's no rush."

The candlelight flickered, revealing the slightly taut veins on the back of his fingers, but he ultimately said nothing more.

He left, his silhouette stretched long and restrained by the floor lamp.

As the door closed, Liu Wenying secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She didn't immediately touch the lowered bracelet, as if the warmth still lingered on it.

Liu Wenying lowered her head and continued weaving the rope, the colorful silk threads tightening, her heartstrings trembling.

……

At dawn, as the sky began to lighten, a carriage with a green canopy was already parked in front of the Duke's mansion.

Liu Wenying arrived early, dressed in a neat light blue dress, her hair combed neatly, and adorned with only a silver hairpin.

Yesterday evening, the First Madam suddenly called her, saying that she was taking the young master out of the manor today and asked her to come along.

Liu Wenying didn't ask any further questions, and simply agreed.

Zhao, the wet nurse, is the one who takes care of the young master during the day. Why was she specifically called along?

As he pondered, footsteps echoed from inside the mansion gate.

Wen Jingshu came out with several maids, followed closely by Zhao, the wet nurse, who was carrying Pei Yexuan.

The little guy was wearing a light blue shirt and a matching tiger-head hat today. He had just woken up and was still dozing off.

When Wen Jingshu saw that she had arrived on time, she nodded and got into the carriage first.

The wet nurse, holding the child, deliberately lagged behind by a step and glared at Liu Wenying: "Why are you here?"

"The First Madam instructed me yesterday to accompany her today."

A hint of resentment flashed in Zhao's eyes.

She had long known that Liu Wenying was more favored by the Madam than she was. Both of them were wet nurses, so why was she trusted more? How could this not make Zhao, the wet nurse, wary?

Despite their fear, they couldn't show it on their faces.

She forced a smile and said, "So it was the First Madam who ordered this. Then let's get in the carriage quickly."

Wen Jingshu had already boarded the carriage, and the maids followed her up.

The carriage was not very spacious. Madam Wen sat in the center, Zhao, the wet nurse, sat on the right with the child in her arms, and Liu Wenying and two maids squeezed on the left.

Pei Yexuan seemed to dislike the smell of Zhao's nanny. He frowned, twisted and turned, and whimpered as he looked for Liu Wenying.

Zhao, the wet nurse, looked displeased but dared not show it. She forced a smile and coaxed, "My little master, be good, we'll be there soon..."

Wen Jingshu glanced at it, said nothing, and closed her eyes to rest.

The carriage rolled forward for about half an incense stick's time before slowly coming to a stop.

Liu Wenying lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and saw a black lacquered and gold-painted signboard hanging on the street, which looked very impressive.

The maids jumped down from the carriage first, lifted the curtain, and Wen Jingshu got out of the carriage first.

Zhao the wet nurse and Liu Wenying followed, and the group walked into the shop in a grand procession.

Upon entering the shop, Wen Jingshu beckoned Liu Wenying to come forward.

Liu Wenying obeyed and stood beside her with her head bowed.

"I noticed before that you were meticulous. You can not only do accounting, but you can also read. With such abilities, it would be a waste to only be a wet nurse."

Liu Wenying was startled. "Madam, you flatter me. I only know a little bit about this. I'm content as long as I can serve the young master well."

"You don't need to be modest."

Wen Jingshu had thought this through carefully; she wanted to groom Liu Wenying to be her deputy.

In the future, when managing the government's properties, we will need a trustworthy and capable person to help us.

Liu Wenying comes from a respectable background and has no one to rely on. If we could take her in, it would be a good choice.

"Try it out first, and we'll see if it suits you." Wen Jingshu didn't give her much time to hesitate and turned to walk into the shop.

As she walked, she said, "This shop is one of the manor's properties, mainly dealing in silk and fabrics. Take a close look at the account books and receipts..."

Liu Wenying never expected to be so highly regarded by the First Madam. She wanted to seize the opportunity to climb the ranks and at least provide a safety net for herself and Luo Luo. So she studied diligently and dared not slack off in the slightest.

Pei Yexuan had no interest in the commotion inside the shop.

He was held in Zhao's arms, his bright black eyes already drawn to the rattles and bamboo dragonflies on the stalls across the street.

The little arms and legs kept kicking, struggling to break free.

Wen Jingshu heard the child's voice, turned her head to look, and smiled helplessly.

"Nanny Zhao, take him to the stall across the street and buy him something he likes. Let him play with it and stop him from making a fuss here."

Zhao, the wet nurse, didn't understand the intricacies of managing a business and was feeling rather bored, but upon hearing this, she immediately agreed, "Yes, this servant will go right away!"

Liu Wenying followed Wen Jingshu around the shop, checking the accounts, and before she knew it, half an hour had passed.

After finishing her business, Wen Jingshu asked the shopkeeper to stay and talk, while Liu Wenying left.

As soon as she stepped out of the shop, the sun was blazing. She raised her hand to shield her forehead and glanced around. She saw Zhao, the wet nurse, standing in front of a small stall selling pearl flowers, haggling with the stall owner.

But where was the young master in her arms?

Liu Wenying's heart tightened, and she quickly stepped forward. "Nanny Zhao, where is the young master?"

…………