Chapter 113: A Meeting
“What is there about us that she would try to hook?”
Li Xiaonan spun around and broke free from Wan Jing’s hand, pulling Wan Jing along, “Don’t go, look, she was engaged to your Young Lord!”
Wan Jing tried to pull Li Xiaonan back again, but figures appeared at the door, and it was too late.
Fourth Mistress Wei, Wei Shulin, walked ahead. Upon seeing Wan Jing, she let out a soft “Oh?” and immediately turned to look at Miss Shi.
Miss Shi was carefully observing Li Xiaonan.
Li Xiaonan hid half her body behind Wan Jing, looking timid. She glanced from Miss Shi to Fourth Mistress Wei.
Fourth Mistress Wei followed Miss Shi’s gaze and finally saw Li Xiaonan. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, her question rushing to her lips before she quickly suppressed it.
“This little girl’s attire is truly interesting. Have you seen her before?” Miss Shi asked with a smile, looking at Fourth Mistress Wei.
Fourth Mistress Wei merely shook her head and remained silent.
“Why did you two come here? Where does she work?” Miss Shi asked with a smile, looking at Wan Jing.
“She is not from our estate,” Wan Jing replied respectfully, her hands clasped at her sides.
“Not from your estate?” Miss Shi looked at Fourth Mistress Wei with surprise.
Fourth Mistress Wei also looked surprised but still said nothing.
“This library is a restricted area. How did you bring an outsider in?” Miss Shi frowned slightly, looking at Wan Jing, her voice lowering a bit, appearing very concerned.
“I came in on a task,” Wan Jing replied, her eyes and hands lowered.
“On a task?” Miss Shi’s voice rose in surprise. She looked at Fourth Mistress Wei again.
Fourth Mistress Wei’s eyes were also full of curiosity, but she kept her lips tightly shut, saying nothing.
“This girl Wan Jing is very tight-lipped. It must have been your Young Lord’s task, right? No one else could have assigned you,” Miss Shi smiled and looked at Li Xiaonan, “What is your surname and given name? Where are you from? What are you doing here?”
“I am Li Xiaonan, I am from around here, I came to play.” Li Xiaonan answered timidly.
Miss Shi blinked repeatedly, then turned to Fourth Mistress Wei, “What did she say?”
Fourth Mistress Wei spread her hands; she didn’t understand the local dialect either.
Wan Jing strained her face, keeping a neutral expression, her gaze fixed on her nose.
“Can you speak the official language?” Miss Shi asked very slowly.
Li Xiaonan nodded, “I can a little bit.”
“Then speak the official language. What are you doing here?” Miss Shi asked again.
“Playing,” Li Xiaonan answered. Seeing Miss Shi staring at her, she suddenly realized and tugged at Wan Jing, asking, “Is ‘playing’ the official language?”
Fourth Mistress Wei let out a chuckle.
“No,” Wan Jing said, her face still tense, spitting out two words.
“Then how do you say ‘playing’ in the official language?” Li Xiaonan asked again.
Fourth Mistress Wei couldn’t stop laughing. While laughing, she waved at Li Xiaonan, “I understand this one, it means to have fun, right?”
Li Xiaonan looked at Wan Jing.
Wan Jing kept her eyes on her nose, trying with all her might to maintain her professional demeanor.
“If you come to this library to play, then you must be literate?” Fourth Mistress Wei asked.
Li Xiaonan nodded.
“Then I’ll tell you, what’s written in books is the official language. Anything different from what’s in the books is not the official language,” Fourth Mistress Wei said with a smile.
“I understand, thank you.” Li Xiaonan said, then quickly corrected herself, “I understand, thank you.”
Fourth Mistress Wei wanted to ask more, but swallowed her words. She smiled with her lips pursed.
“Do you know the Young Lord?” Miss Shi asked, her expression gentle, neither smiling nor angry.
Li Xiaonan looked at Wan Jing again. Wan Jing’s eyes were fixed on her own nose. Not only could she not see Li Xiaonan’s gaze, but even if she could, she would pretend not to.
Li Xiaonan looked at Miss Shi and timidly hummed in affirmation.
“How do you know him? Did the Young Lord send you here? What are you here to play?” Miss Shi walked to the window and picked up the book Li Xiaonan had been half-reading.
“Who is she?” Li Xiaonan tugged at Wan Jing and asked in a low voice.
“Miss Shi,” Wan Jing replied with four words.
“Is she the stewardess you said was very capable and very formidable?” Li Xiaonan continued to ask.
“No!”
Fourth Mistress Wei chuckled again and gently nudged Miss Shi, “This little girl is quite sharp. Let’s go.”
Miss Shi put down the book, hummed in agreement, and turned to leave.
Wan Jing stood still, leaning to the side, stretching her neck. She watched Miss Shi and Fourth Mistress Wei turn into another library, then let out a long sigh and patted her chest.
“Are you afraid of her?” Li Xiaonan carefully observed Wan Jing’s expression.
“It’s not fear. Why would I be afraid of her? She’s not from our estate.
“Our Young Lord has strict rules, and I’m a straightforward person with a blunt mind. Every time I speak with her, she manages to pick out a few words from me, and I’ve had my monthly allowance deducted several times.”
Wan Jing frowned and raised her hand to block Li Xiaonan, “Stop talking for a moment. Let me think carefully if I’ve let anything slip just now.”
“I said you’re not from our estate, and that I came in on a task. I still let something slip!” Wan Jing said with annoyance.
“That doesn’t count as letting something slip, does it? When they ask questions, you have to answer,” Li Xiaonan comforted uncertainly.
“If it were anyone else, it wouldn’t count as letting something slip, but Miss Shi is too clever. If even a little bit slips, she won’t miss it. Sigh!” Wan Jing was vexed, “This is so annoying.”
“She came to your estate, is she trying to win back your Young Lord?” Li Xiaonan leaned closer to Wan Jing, tiptoeing to look at another library nearby.
Miss Shi had just entered that library.
“I think she’s just wishful thinking,” Wan Jing whispered in Li Xiaonan’s ear, “None of us like her.”
“Who is ‘us’? Shi Gun?”
“He doesn’t count. ‘Us’ refers to us little maids. Miss Shi is too shrewd and too annoying. Last year, when she was at the villa, many people had their monthly allowances deducted every month.
“She’s back again this year! She’s only been here a few days, and our Young Lord just returned yesterday. This morning, two people have already had their monthly allowances deducted! I probably won’t have any monthly allowance this month either!”
Wan Jing’s shoulders drooped with annoyance.
“Even if those two sentences you just said slipped out, how would your Young Lord know? Would she hear it and then tell your Young Lord?” Li Xiaonan pondered.
There must be a link between Wan Jing letting something slip and the deduction of her monthly allowance. How did their Young Lord find out?
“Last year, one time, Second Madam Pan sent someone to deliver a pack of stomach-warming medicinal tea to our Young Lord. Our Young Lord immediately sent Shi Gun to investigate the people in the tea storehouse and the tea room. Within an hour, it was discovered that it was Sister Liu, who managed the tea storehouse, who had let something slip. She had half a year’s monthly allowance deducted, half a year!”
Wan Jing and Li Xiaonan whispered to each other.
“Ew! That’s terrifying! Your Young Lord is just as shrewd as that Miss Shi, they’re exactly alike!”
“Exactly! Fortunately, the engagement was broken off. Otherwise, if that woman really married in, two shrewd people together, what would that be like!” Wan Jing pouted.
“Right. If those two got together, you’d deduct once, I’d deduct once, and all your monthly allowances would be deducted, and you’d be working for free all year round,” Li Xiaonan expressed understanding.
………………………………
I am Li Xiaonan, I am from around here, I came to play.
