Chapter 2

Chapter 2

With Old Madam back, Young Master’s illness finally began to improve. If Madam wanted to harm Young Master again, it would not be so easy. Still, Young Master had always been frail and could not withstand the wind, so we still had to be careful.

The good news was that Old Madam sent two more manservants over. They stayed in the outer courtyard, and some of the heavier work no longer fell to me. At long last, my days became a little easier.

To be honest, it was not as if I had never thought of finding another master.

Although Young Master was kind and tolerant in his daily dealings and never punished us, he was frail and held little standing in the household. There truly was no future in following him.

People strive upward, just as water flows downward. That has been the way of the world since ancient times.

But I could not do it. For a servant to betray her master was a grave crime. Even if one wanted to be grass on top of the wall, swaying whichever way the wind blew, one first had to climb up onto the wall. Grass like us, growing in the corner, could only be trapped on one side. If we forced ourselves to bend the other way, we would only snap ourselves in two.

As long as I remained in the Marquis’s Mansion, I could only rely on Young Master.

If I could win his trust and make him remember my loyalty, perhaps one day Young Master might plead for a chance to let me leave the household.

Besides… though Young Master was in poor health, he was no useless man. In my eyes, he was far shrewder than his younger brothers.

Young Master was reading at the side. Seeing me sweep the floor and then wipe down the table, he could not help saying, “Stop bustling about. If you do all the work by yourself, the others will just get lazy again.”

I knew he meant Ming Yue. I answered honestly, “These are all things this servant ought to do.”

“Come here.”

Young Master’s voice was gentle as he beckoned to me.

I walked over to him. Ming Yue was right. Young Master truly was a refined gentleman, with picturesque features and skin pale from years of lingering illness.

“What are your orders, Young Master?”

In front of my master, I would always appear simple and dutiful.

What servants needed to do was perform their work well. Being too clever or too conspicuous was never a good thing.

He smiled faintly. “If I remember correctly, you should be coming of age this year, shouldn’t you?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“These past few years, you have always served me with great care. The fact that I survived this time is also thanks in large part to your presence. I have made you suffer by following me.”

“Young Master has always treated others generously. How could this servant feel wronged?”

He chuckled softly. “What was your name before?”

“This servant… has always been called Xiacao.”

He nodded. “Do you have any family left?”

My expression froze for a moment. I shook my head. “This servant only remembers… being sold by my father to Ping County when I was young. Later, something happened to that household, and this servant was bought into the Marquis’s Mansion.”

After I was sold, I never had any contact with my family again. Or perhaps no one had ever come looking for me.

I was alone in this world, with no parents and no kin.

“Something happened? Whose household did you serve before?”

Hesitation showed on my face. As a servant, I should not have brought up matters of a previous master’s household.

He saw my misgivings and said, “It doesn’t matter. I have never cared for so many rules here. I simply want to know more about you.”

“This servant used to… serve the young miss in the household of the former Assistant Magistrate Li of Ping County. Later, Assistant Magistrate Li committed an offense, and his entire family was executed. We servants were all sold off as well.”

“What was your former mistress’s name?”

I was stunned when I heard that. That familiar name lodged in my throat, yet I could not say it.

I took a deep breath and said with difficulty, “Miss… was called Li Yunhe.”

“Was she good to you before?”

“She…” I thought back to the past, and my whole body began to tremble. Cold sweat instantly broke out across my palms, and I could not help closing my eyes.

Young Master suddenly took my hand. “All right. Don’t think about it anymore. It seems your former mistress did not treat you well.”

I forced out a smile. “How could everyone be as gentle as Young Master?”

That was right. My former young miss had not treated me well. She was arrogant and domineering, with a violent temper. She often vented her anger on me, beating and cursing me at every turn. She was the most vicious person in the world.

I ought to hate her.

Young Master comforted me. “Since you are loyal to me, I naturally will not treat you unfairly. Rest assured, it will not be long before my uncle’s family enters the capital. When that time comes, neither you nor I will need to live by others’ expressions anymore.”

“This servant will remain utterly loyal and serve Young Master well.”

I had met that Great-Uncle Lu before. Every year, he would come visit Young Master several times.

Back when the two families arranged the marriage, they had been considered well matched in status. It was only that later, the Marquis’s official career flourished, while the Lu Family never made much progress. Otherwise, Young Master would not have been bullied to this extent.

Once the Lu Family entered the capital, although their official rank could not compare to the Marquis’s Mansion, they would at least be close enough to look after Young Master. Besides, Marquis Ye still cared about his reputation. Surely he could not allow matters to become too ugly.