Just a few minutes of waiting felt like years had passed.
Once it lasts more than a quarter of an hour, her nanny might discover her sneaking away, and she will definitely be whipped when she returns. She also thought about turning around and leaving many times, but she couldn't move away no matter what.
Therefore, when the little girl reappeared in Liu Ruyan's field of vision, not only did she not feel relaxed, but her body became even tighter.
All her attention was focused on the other person's lips.
"I asked and he said yes."
sure.
Can.
"Okay?" Liu Ruyan repeated subconsciously.
"Yeah, sure." The girl's affirmative expression confirmed that this was not an auditory hallucination. "You can sign up now. The fee is one tael. After the review, there will be special training. If you pass the review, you will have to pay another five taels of silver. But don't worry, the remaining five taels that have not passed the training will be returned. If you pass the review, you will be refunded. If so, it will be deducted from the salary after taking office."
"I... brought money." Liu Ruyan quickly took out her wallet, fearing that she would change her story again.
Although six taels of silver was a lot, it was still far behind the ransom fee. The money she had saved over the years could afford the expense.
After registering her information, the little girl handed her something.
It was a sign made from a piece of wood. It was only two or three inches in size and could be held in one hand. There is neither a mark nor any words on the brand, it is just an ordinary piece of fragrant wood.
"This is… "
"Master Xia asked me to give it to you." The other party said, "Change is not an easy thing, especially when facing many difficulties. If you think so now, you may not think so then. So before the review, You can regret it at any time."
"What if I insist on doing this?"
"Then put the sign on the windowsill and it will help you."
Liu Ruyan bit her lip, "I saw the banner you hung next to the stage said... Becoming a reserve official of the Secretariat is an opportunity for ordinary people to change their own destiny."
"That's the advertising slogan Mr. Xia thought of." The little girl covered her mouth and chuckled. Before she had time to think about the meaning of the advertisement, the other party continued, "But no matter how exaggerated it is, as long as it is written in the announcement of the Secretariat, it will definitely become a reality."
…
Liu Ruyan started running again.
She found her way through the crowd, crossed the street, ran around the corner, and then rushed into the fabric shop.
"What's wrong with you?" Yan'er looked at her in surprise, "Why are you sweating after walking around for a while?"
Only then did Liu Ruyan realize that her back was already wet, and her forehead was definitely not much better. "Ah... haha," she wanted to cover it up with a smile, but found that she couldn't stand it, "ha, hahaha... haha..."
"I know, you already have Mr. Zhou." Yan'er rolled her eyes angrily, "I see how happy you are."
Liu Ruyan did not explain.
What kept popping up in her mind now was the rapidly retreating street scene and the little girl's "Okay".
Only less than a quarter of an hour.
But the feeling of walking against the wind has been imprinted deep in her heart.
Mammy didn't notice that Liu Ruyan left without saying goodbye.
Back at Zui Qinglou, everything returned to normal, as if the episode at the Secretariat was just a dream.
But Liu Ruyan knew that that scene really happened.
The wooden sign brought back is proof.
She carefully threaded it with a rope and hung it around her neck. The silver chains and jade pendants kept in the brothel have lost their former luster in front of this bare wooden sign.
five days.
The first round of registration only lasts for five days.
The Secretariat will then announce the review results.
She probably couldn't go to the scene, but she could ask someone else to do it - there were servants in the Qingguan Building who ran errands for them. After all, no one could guarantee that the demand would be met in one purchase without missing a beat. She also knew someone who was around her and called Sister Liu all day long. She looked very lovable.
Although the boy can't read, he can still draw the gourd and draw the scoop with no problem.
After finally waiting for the announcement day, Liu Ruyan closed her eyes and asked her thoughts again.
—"What you think now may not necessarily be what you think then. So during the period before the review, you can regret it at any time."
The little girl's voice especially resonated in my ears.
Liu Ruyan opened her eyes and replied calmly, "My mind has not changed."
Everything that follows is a matter of course.
Calling the servant into the room, Liu Ruyan wrote her name one stroke at a time in front of him.
"Take this piece of paper and go to the East City for me. The street where the Privy Council House is located is now called the General Affairs Bureau."
"Okay Sister Liu, but what are you going to do there?"
"secret."
"It can't be that... besides Mr. Zhou, do you have other lovers?" the boy put away the note and asked.
"Whatever you guess." Liu Ruyan smiled nonchalantly, "Listen, you have to do me a favor. There should be a list at the door. Just face this piece of paper and put it on the list. Look for my name on the list. Whether you find it or not, tell me the truth."
"that's all?"
"Yes, that's it." Liu Ruyan took out another one tael of silver and placed it in his palm, "This is your reward for helping me."
"Sister Liu, this is too much!"
"It's worth it. Even if it's... my respect for fate."
"Destiny?" The boy looked puzzled, but seeing that she refused to take it back, he also took the money into his arms, "Sister Liu, don't worry, I will definitely take care of this for you."
Liu Ruyan nodded, "Go and come back quickly."
…
In this way, most of the morning flew by.
She felt the anxiety and suffering of waiting again.
It wasn't until noon that the sound of footsteps could be heard outside the door.
"What's the result?" Liu Ruyan couldn't help but opened the door, only to find that the people standing outside the door were not the servant, but the boss's wife, grandma, and Zhou Sheng.
She froze on the spot, "Why do you..."
Before she finished speaking, Zhou Dacai had already thrown a note in her face.
It was the one she wrote in her own hand to the boy.
"What do you mean?" Zhou Sheng's voice was extremely cold, completely losing his usual humble and jade-like feeling. "Am I right? A person from a prostitute's family also wants to go to the Secretariat to get a job. Official? Just because we happened to have a discussion a few days ago - what do you take yourself to be, ah?"
The moment she saw the note, she already understood many things.
But Liu Ruyan's first thought was no longer to give in.
"I... don't want..." She clenched her palms and wanted to express her wishes when she suddenly felt a crisp sound in her ears!
In an instant the world was spinning.
When she regained consciousness, she found that she had fallen to the floor. One cheek felt like it had been burned by fire, it stung extremely, and there was a salty taste coming from the corner of his mouth.
Liu Ruyan stretched out her hand and wiped it, her fingertips turned bright red.
"Oh, Mr. Zhou, please don't slap me in the face. She has to come out to meet customers these days." The landlady said, "If you want to be angry, I have many ways to make her miserable without hurting her." It would leave too many traces.”
"Shut up!" Zhou Sheng yelled behind him, then walked to Liu Ruyan, squatted down, grabbed her collar, and lifted her up, "Why do you do this? Didn't I express my position clearly enough? Don’t I like the ridiculous behavior that Mr.