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

"Granny, don't overthink it. I won't let you pick up Luo Luo tomorrow."

Luo Luo was picked up by her and Granny Wang in turns.

Liu Wenying pressed a handkerchief to her lips and said irritably.

"Very well, this old servant will not think or speak carelessly."

Granny Wang stopped talking, and Liu Wenying also calmed down.

After finishing a bowl of wontons, Liu Wenying couldn't help but think of Xue Bi.

He taught at a private school during the day and had to do accounting at night. His living quarters were simple and austere, and he lived a solitary life. What about his family?

With the idea of ​​knowing her inside and out, Liu Wenying asked Granny Wang.

"Granny, you've stayed at Zhiyun Manor for a long time, do you know anything about Xue Bi's family situation?"

Granny Wang didn't hide anything and sighed, "Speaking of which, Master Xue was also a man with a tragic fate."

"His family must have come to Tanxi Village more than ten years ago. When they first arrived, they were no different from beggars. The village chief was kind-hearted and gave them a place to live in that abandoned courtyard at the end of the village."

"But the house was small and there were many people. A family of six or seven people were crammed into two dilapidated rooms, and some even had to sleep on the floor."

"And then what happened?" Liu Wenying asked.

"A few years later, some of his brothers and sisters, whether they couldn't bear the hardship or went to make a living elsewhere, left and never came back."

"Later, his parents fell ill and died one after another, leaving him the only one in the family. He was only about ten years old at that time."

Liu Wenying sighed inwardly, "Master Xue's calligraphy is excellent; his family must have been quite well-off in the past."

"That's for sure. They come from a scholarly family, but I don't know the specifics of their background."

Tanxi Village and Zhiyun Manor were not far from the capital, and every year officials were demoted, and families often fell into decline.

If it's an insignificant little family, who will remember it after it falls on hard times?

Besides, Granny Wang was just a country woman; she didn't have the ability to find out too much inside information.

Liu Wenying nodded, her doubts not completely resolved, but she did not press the matter further.

Everyone has their own past, and since Xue Bi is unwilling to bring it up, there's no need for her to force her.

It's enough that he can work diligently and conscientiously.

Since Xue Bi came to Zhiyun Manor to sort out the accounts at night, Liu Wenying has indeed felt much more relaxed.

The accounts that had piled up in the past are now being meticulously managed by Xue Bi, with perfect accuracy.

She no longer needed to stay up all night checking accounts, and after overseeing the silk weaving and mulberry field care, she actually had some free time.

The weather was perfect, so Liu Wenying had rice and noodles loaded onto a donkey cart, along with some salt and sugar, and then rode to the thatched hut by the mulberry fields.

Those were a few low thatched huts, inhabited by elderly people from the neighborhood, who had no children and huddled together for warmth.

A donkey cart was parked in front of the house, and several elderly people were sitting at the doorway basking in the sun.

Upon seeing Liu Wenying, they shakily rose to their feet and called out into the house, "Manager Liu is here!"

Liu Wenying helped the old woman at the front and said gently, "Grandma, you can sit down."

She had the accompanying farmers carry rice, flour, salt, and sugar into the house before asking, "Is the cloth that was delivered last time still suitable?"

The old woman held her hand tightly, refusing to let go. "It's perfect! It's perfect! I've never worn such soft clothes in my entire life."

She lifted her outer garment, revealing her undergarments, and praised them so much that the wrinkles around her eyes widened.

Old Li, who was standing nearby, also came over and said, "The village head is so kind. We old folks don't know how to thank him enough."

"It's just some coarse cloth, nothing worth mentioning."

Liu Wenying helped them into the house and sat them down.

"I brought some rice and noodles today. Don't drink thin porridge every day anymore. Make some steamed buns and noodles. You should eat your fill."

The old woman waved her hand, her wrinkles smoothing out with a smile.

"Don't worry, Master Zhuang, we don't live on thin porridge all the time anymore. Sometimes that boy from the Lu family will send over some wild game, which we can cook into soup to help us recover."

"The Lu family?"

"Yes, it's Lu Ye. He lives far from the village, but he's a very nice guy. He always leaves his things and goes right away. We invite him to stay for a meal, but he refuses."

No sooner had the old man finished speaking than a deep, hoarse male voice came from outside the door.

"I hunted some pheasants today, and since we can't finish them all, I'll give them to you."

Liu Wenying turned around and saw a tall figure blocking the doorway, blocking out most of the sunlight.

He walked in, and the already low thatched hut suddenly seemed even more cramped.

He was at least nine feet tall, with a short brown coat covering his strong body, and his dark tan skin stained with grass clippings and mud.

His eyes were deep and sharp, his features were strong, and he looked somewhat fierce.

The most striking feature was his eyes.

At first, Liu Wenying thought it was an illusion, but when he got closer, she was surprised to find that his pupils were black with gold in them, like gold dust scattered into a deep pool.

Lu Ye was stunned.

He stood frozen in place, carrying two plump pheasants on his shoulders, staring straight at Liu Wenying.

The face that was blurry under the moonlight that night is now gradually becoming clear.

With willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and lips naturally red, wasn't she the fairy who saved him that night?

At that time, he went into the mountains to chase an injured wild boar. Although he got the prey, his left shoulder was ripped open by the tusks.

He took the wild boar to town to exchange for money, and also cut off a hind leg to nourish the elderly.

On the way back, he collapsed by the mulberry field outside Zhiyun Village due to excessive blood loss.

When he was in a daze, he only remembered soft hands pressing on his wound, someone helping him up, and a clear voice telling him to wake up.

Now she suddenly appeared, dressed in a willow-green shirt, with a simple wooden hairpin in her hair, and her whole demeanor was as elegant as an orchid.

Lu Ye looked down at his blood-stained short brown coat and the two pheasants on his shoulder, and suddenly felt ashamed of himself.

He looked disheveled that night, his face covered in blood; she certainly wouldn't remember.

Seeing him standing there dumbfounded, the old woman quickly smiled and smoothed things over: "Don't be afraid, Liu Zhuangtou. Young Master Lu may look fierce, but he has a good heart."

Liu Wenying smiled slightly and nodded to Lu Ye, saying, "I am Liu Wenying from Zhiyun Manor. Thank you for always taking care of the elderly folks."

Lu Ye hurriedly put the pheasant on the ground, wiped his hands on his trouser legs, wanted to return the gift but didn't know how to reply, and after a long time he finally squeezed out a few words.

"My name is Lu, Lu Ye."

Liu Wenying waited patiently, and after hearing his name clearly, she smiled and said, "Lu Ye? I've got it."

She turned and instructed the villagers to move the rice and noodles into the inner room, and then gave the old people a few more instructions.

Just as she was about to say goodbye, Lu Ye caught up with her, his tall figure casting her into the shadows.

He opened his mouth, a struggle flashing in his heterochromatic eyes, and whispered, "I...I'll see Liu Zhuangtou off."

Liu Wenying nodded, and the two walked out of the thatched hut one after the other.

The autumn sun shines brightly, and the green waves of the mountains and forests ripple in the wind.

She stopped in front of the donkey cart, turned to look at Lu Ye: "Do you have something to say?"

Lu Ye stood five steps away, his hands clenched into fists, even more nervous than when he was drawing a bow to shoot prey.

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing violently, and mustered his courage to say, "That night, I..."

A sharp cracking sound suddenly came from above.

Liu Wenying looked up and saw that the withered branch of the old tree in the yard had broken off without warning. The branch, as thick as a bowl, fell straight down and was heading straight for her head!

She stood frozen in place, enveloped in shadow, wanting to escape but it was too late.

…………