High-class maid

"What do you know!" Madam Miao turned around and yelled at her son. Although their mansion looked glamorous on the outside, it had actually been emptied out of its coffers. Now they relied entirely on the dowries and trousseaus of their two children for their livelihood.

Xiao Erfeng didn't know what he had said wrong again. He scratched his head and shut his mouth.

"Sister-in-law, you should think it over carefully and do the math. Consider whether it's worth spending five thousand taels to buy the weddings of two children, and the reputation you'll have in Jinling in the future." After saying this, Madam Liu stopped looking at her and smiled as she looked at her fingernails.

Miao turned to look at her mother-in-law, and seeing that she still looked indifferent, she hardened her heart and said, "Fine, Rong'er, go home and get the silver notes."

"Mother!" Xiao Huarong looked at her mother in shock. She knew what the Xiao family was like. Now, taking out five thousand taels was tantamount to taking her mother's life.

"Good child, go on. You and your brother are getting married." Madam Miao smiled wryly and reminded her daughter.

Xiao Huarong had no choice but to get up and go to the mansion to get the silver notes. Madam Miao smiled bitterly, thinking to herself that her mother-in-law was clever. She had offered to give them money, and if the mansion ran out of money in the future, her mother-in-law would only blame her.

But she had no choice. She had tacitly approved of her son's involvement in the matter. If it had succeeded, they could have asked Liu for hush money, but now that they had failed, they had no choice but to accept their fate.

By the time Shen Xing'er heard about this from her mother, it was already evening.

"Mother, what about Lümo? I can't believe she's so bold as to do something like this." Shen Xing'er exclaimed, her mouth agape in shock.

"What else can be done? The First Madam is determined to punish her. The Young Master is merciful and has taken her in as a concubine. From now on, she will only be able to stay in her little courtyard all alone," Wang said with a sigh.

"This Sister Lümo seems so cheerful on ordinary days, I never imagined she was so shrewd, and she quietly became the young master's woman." Shantao sighed.

"Let me tell you, being a concubine or mistress isn't as glamorous as it sounds. Don't be like Lümo, or I'll disown you," Wang instructed Shen Xing'er.

“Mother, what are you thinking? Your daughter is not that kind of person. I want to be a landlady.”

"By the way, you two must do your jobs well. The old lady has been in a bad mood these past few days, and she may not take any action until she returns to the capital," Madam Wang added.

Shen Xing'er and Shan Tao nodded in agreement. Thinking about it, it made sense. All the maids in her own courtyard were thinking about her grandson. No wonder the old lady was happy.

After giving her instructions, Wang left with peace of mind, seeing that the two women had taken them to heart.

"My lord, you must be tired from your journey. Please have some tea and rest. It's not too late to see Yi'an again tomorrow." In the main courtyard, the master of the house had come from the capital. After hearing about what had happened during the day, he insisted that someone bring Xiao Yi'an to him.

"Hmph, do they really think they can control Jinling with their own hands? Yi'an is the same, actually falling for their tricks!" The master was so angry that he didn't even drink his tea, he just kept getting angry.

"Calm down. This is the five thousand taels they brought today. I was going to give it to the family, but my mother-in-law said that Yi'an was drugged and that's how we got it. She wants us to keep it for Yi'an's wedding." Liu said cautiously.

"Since Mother doesn't want it, then you can keep it. Go and call Yi'an here," Xiao Jiuchuan instructed Wang Shi, turning his head to do so.

Wang looked at the First Madam and, seeing that she had no other choice, went to the front yard.

"Father, you wanted to see me?" Xiao Yi'an bowed, looking dejected.

"Your Majesty!"

"Master, Yi'an hasn't recovered yet," the First Madam advised.

Xiao Yi'an seemed not to have heard what she said and knelt straight on the ground.

"Do you know your mistake?" the master asked in a deep voice.

“My son knows he was wrong. He shouldn’t have trusted others so easily and fallen into Xiao Erfeng’s trap,” Xiao Yi’an said in a deep voice.

The old man nodded: "Not too stupid. If you hadn't been so busy reading books and not exercising, you wouldn't have fainted so easily."

"Yes, Father is right, I know I was wrong."

"You're supposed to be a government official next year. How can you be a good official if you're not in good health? You've only been schemed against once, and you're already so discouraged?"

Xiao Yi'an remained silent, stubbornly straightening his knees.

The First Madam stood beside her, wiping away tears with heartache.

After scolding his son, the old man waved him up. After all, he was his own son, and he felt sorry for him. He looked up at Xiao Yi'an, who was taller than him, suppressed his pity, and said...

"It's not that your father doesn't care about you, but he just wants you to learn a lesson. Sometimes, the person you think is least likely to harm you is often the one who is the cruelest to you."

"Yes, I understand." As proud as Xiao Yi'an was, it would take him several days to process this matter, as expected.

"Tomorrow I will find you a martial arts master. You can practice with him for an hour every day. I don't expect you to have the ability to protect the country, but it will be good for your health."

"Master's intention is very good, Yi'an, why don't you quickly thank your father?" The First Madam said, afraid that her son might harbor resentment.

“Father, I know your intentions. I still want to study medicine, and I would like to ask you to find me a master,” Xiao Yi’an said.

"Silly child, you've been bitten by a snake once, and now you're afraid of even a rope for ten years. I'll just find you a page who knows medicine," the First Madam said, looking at Xiao Yi'an with affection.

"Father, Mother, as for Xinyu... I plan to return to the capital to see her."

"It's time to meet with her and tell her the whole story. Justice will prevail, and I'm sure Xinyu won't hold it against you," the First Madam nodded and said.

"If she harbors resentment because of this, then let's let go openly and your father will find you someone better!" The old man comforted his son, afraid that he would be upset.

"What can I say? Xinyu is a lady from a respectable family; she knows more about the inner workings of the household than you do. Don't talk nonsense," said Madam Liu, slapping the master of the house.

The family of three was enjoying a happy time inside, but Green Ink lay on the bed, tears streaming down her face. She recalled what Madam Wang had asked the First Madam earlier that day: "Young Miss Green Ink...should we find her a place to live? Or should she be moved to the young master's courtyard?"

To everyone's surprise, the First Madam glanced at her and said, "No need. There are only a few days left. There's no need to waste manpower preparing a room for her. You can go and get busy."

After saying that, they left without paying any attention to Green Ink. Helpless, Green Ink wiped away her tears and headed back to her little house.

"Isn't this Miss Lümo? Why is she crying? Is she unhappy about becoming the young master's concubine?" an old nanny mocked when she saw her.

Green Ink was even more upset. She ran away crying, and behind her came the mocking laughter of a group of people.

"Was I wrong? I just wanted to get ahead, to rise in society, so why do they all look down on me?"