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

On the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, light snow began to fall in Zhiyun Village.

The charcoal fire burned brightly in the orphanage. Xiao Yiheng slowly stood up, supporting himself on the edge of the bed. He dared not put weight on his injured left leg and could only lightly touch the ground.

When Liu Wenying came in with the medicine bowl, she saw him trying to take a step, and she was so startled that she quickly stepped forward to support his arm.

"It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone, and it hasn't been that long..."

Her tone was reproachful.

Xiao Yiheng smiled as she helped him back, feigning ease as he said, "Time waits for no one, Wenying."

Liu Wenying's expression faltered slightly.

Yes, he carried a heavy burden on his shoulders and could not afford to linger.

Xiao Yiheng noticed the change in her mood and changed the subject, saying, "Besides, it's the New Year, I don't want to be lying in bed getting moldy."

He tried to stand up, sweat beading on his forehead, but he still forced a smile. "Look, I can still walk a few steps."

Liu Wenying's heart softened, and she smiled again, the smile spreading from the corners of her eyes, the fine lines curving into a beautiful arc.

"The blindfold can be removed today, would you like to try it?"

Xiao Yiheng nodded.

He sat up straight on the edge of the bed, his hands resting on his knees.

Liu Wenying stood in front of him, bent down slightly, and reached out to untie the knot of the gauze behind his head.

The two were so close that the tip of his nose could brush against the orchid embroidery on the front of her dress.

The gauze loosened layer by layer, and the white gauze slipped from her hands like a slowly blooming flower, revealing a pair of eyes that had been closed for a long time.

"Open your eyes slowly, don't rush," Liu Wenying said softly.

Xiao Yiheng's eyelashes fluttered, and he finally opened his eyes.

Those were extremely beautiful eyes, with the corners drooping slightly, giving them a harmless, smiling appearance.

However, due to the lack of focus, it was covered with a layer of misty, watery light.

Liu Wenying tentatively waved her hand in front of him.

"Can you see it?"

My wrist was suddenly and precisely gripped.

Liu Wenying was overjoyed, "You can see now?"

The village doctor had previously said that his chances of regaining his sight were slim, but now it seems that's not the case.

Xiao Yiheng grabbed her wrist and shook his head: "I can't see clearly, but there's a sense of light compared to the previous darkness."

Liu Wenying's initial joy subsided again.

"It will get better, take it slow."

……

In the courtyard of the almshouse, five large round tables were set up to the brim.

Two tables were set up for villagers who often came to help out; one table was for the elderly, and the other for the children. The middle table was for the villagers' own people.

Luo Luo and Xiao Ya sat side by side, both girls wearing newly tailored cotton-padded jackets and red ribbons tied in their hair.

Xue Bi and Lu Ye sat on either side, while Xiao Yiheng sat next to Grandma Lu on his left and Granny Wang on his right. The old lady was serving him food.

When Liu Wenying brought over the last dish of braised fish, everyone in the courtyard stood up.

"Lady Liu, please come and take the seat of honor!"

"They're all round tables, so there's no such thing as a seat of honor."

Liu Wenying smiled and placed the fish in the middle, then sat down between Xue Bi and Lu Ye.

As soon as she sat down, everyone started to pick up their chopsticks.

The New Year's Eve dinner was very lavish, with braised pork hock until tender, fried meatballs until golden brown, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and cured meats made in the village.

The children ate until their mouths were glistening with oil, while the elderly slowly sipped their warm rice wine.

During the meal, people occasionally stole glances at Xiao Yiheng.

Although he was dressed in coarse cloth, he sat upright and exuded an indescribable air of nobility in his every move.

People whispered and speculated about his identity, but no one dared to ask any further questions.

Liu Wenying held a very high position in the village, and the people she brought with her were naturally treated with respect by others.

During the meal, Xue Bi ladled a bowl of chicken soup for Liu Wenying, while Lu Ye silently placed the tenderest piece of fish from the belly into her bowl.

If Xiao Yiheng could see clearly, he would have liked to pick up some food to offer his help, but he was afraid that he would accidentally stick his chopsticks directly into someone else's bowl.

It was ultimately a poor choice, alas.

After a few rounds of drinks, a farmer came over, swaying slightly, with a flushed face, wanting to toast Liu Wenying.

"Lady Liu, thanks to you for leading us to make so much money, you absolutely have to drink this bowl of wine!"

Xue Bi, who was standing beside him, immediately stood up, took the wine bowl, and said with a smile, "Wen Ying is not feeling well, I will drink this bowl of wine for her."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank it all down. As his Adam's apple bobbed, the spilled wine slid down his chin and into the collar of his blue robe.

The farmer said he had a good capacity for alcohol and offered him a few more bowls.

Xue Bi accepted all the drinks offered and drank three bowls without changing his expression.

Cheers erupted from the table. He turned to Liu Wenying and whispered, "Although the rice wine is weak, you shouldn't touch it now that you're in such a state."

Liu Wenying nodded gently.

Lu Ye tightened his grip on the wine glass, inwardly sighing that he had been a step too slow again.

He was straightforward and could never learn to be cunning, so he could only silently take a big gulp.

Xiao Yiheng, with his keen hearing, overheard their conversation and nearly snapped the bamboo chopsticks in his hand.

That day, when he revealed Xue Bi's identity as a descendant of a disgraced official, he originally wanted to make Liu Wenying wary.

Surprisingly, instead of alienating her, the two became even closer.

This Xue Bi is indeed not someone to be trifled with.

When the wine had flowed freely and everyone was in high spirits, Liu Wenying raised her water glass and stood up.

Her voice was clear and bright. "This year, the village was able to survive, and the almshouse was able to be established, all thanks to everyone's concerted efforts. I'd like to offer you all a toast with water instead of wine."

May the coming year bring favorable weather, peace, and good health.

Everyone in the courtyard raised their glasses, clinking bowls and cups together to celebrate the New Year.

After the New Year's Eve dinner, it was time to stay up all night. Just after midnight, Luo Luo had already fallen asleep in Liu Wenying's arms.

The little girl still had candy in her mouth, with candy stains on the corners of her lips, and her breathing was even.

"I'll carry her back to the house."

Xue Bi said softly, and bent down to pick up Luo Luo steadily.

The movements were practiced and natural, as if they had done them a thousand times.

Liu Wenying followed behind him, took the candy out of Luoluo's mouth, and then placed her on the small bed, covered her with a blanket, and told Xue Bi to rest early and leave without disturbing her.

Liu Wenying sat quietly on the edge of the bed for a while. Midnight arrived, New Year's Eve had passed, and the new year had begun.

She got up, walked to the window, and pushed it open a crack.

A cold wind blew in, carrying the crisp scent of snow.

In the distance, towards the capital, scattered lights can be faintly seen, like scattered stars.

She delivered the letter to the First Madam, asking her to take it to the palace.

Afterwards, the First Madam also sent a message to inform her that it had been delivered.

But several days passed, and he did not come.

With dramatic changes in the court and the ascension of a new emperor, the Duke's mansion was too busy to extricate itself from the situation.

She was aware of all this, but the faint hope in her heart was completely extinguished at this moment.

Gently place your hand on your lower abdomen, and soon you will see a noticeable curve.

It's time to make plans for myself.

The next morning, Liu Wenying was stunned when she opened the door.

Xue Bi and Lu Ye stood on either side of the door, like two door gods.

Across the hall, Xiao Yiheng was also pushing open his door and coming out, his unfocused eyes looking at him, a smile playing on his lips.

Lu Ye spoke first, his voice somewhat urgent:

"Wenying, don't be nervous, we're not here to force you to make a decision..."

He scratched his head and awkwardly explained, "Well, I was thinking that since you're further along in your pregnancy, we needed to have some kind of plan..."

Xue Bi took over, her tone much gentler: "Wenying, we're just worried. Take your time thinking about it, there's no rush."

Xiao Yiheng didn't say anything, but he straightened his back.

A light mist hangs in the air on a winter morning, the north wind subsides, and sunlight gradually falls.

Liu Wenying smiled gently, her lips curving into a smile, like the first ray of morning light of the new year, soft and bright.

"I've already decided who to choose."

…………

Tomorrow's the wedding snatching~ (fly rubbing hands)