After returning to the Marquis' Mansion, Mingyu took her brother into the Yiqing Courtyard, called Lixiang and Madam Zou, took Madam Zou's hand and said to Xu Mingye, "Brother, take Madam Zou back with you."
Madam Zou was startled and looked at Mingyu in disbelief, "Second Madam, you, you... dislike me, an old woman?"
Li Xiang was also surprised.
"No." Mingyu shook her head. She felt sad when she saw the gray-haired Madam Zou. She held Madam Zou's rough hand tightly and said sincerely, "Madam, how could I dislike you? It has always been you and Lixiang who have always been by my side taking care of me. If it weren't for you, I would have died of illness long ago. I can't thank you enough!"
Madam Zou was relieved and said anxiously, "What is Second Madam going to do? An old woman can still work!"
Mingyu was also reluctant to let Madam Zou go. In her eyes, Lixiang and Madam Zou were her relatives. However, Bixi was a living example. If the eldest young master made the mistress and the eldest grandmother unhappy, they would do their best to humiliate her. If one day Mingyu couldn't bear it anymore and made them unhappy, she would not be able to protect them.
But she couldn't say this directly to the nanny, so Mingyu smiled and said, "Madam is old and has her own children and grandchildren at home. I have adapted to life here and it is not good to keep you here any longer. It is time for you to go home and enjoy your life." The ancients believed in returning to one's roots. If something happened to Madam Zou, she would die in a foreign land and would not even be able to return home.
Lixiang understood Mingyu's meaning and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Ma'am. I can take good care of Second Madam by myself."
Xu Mingye was a little surprised. After Lixiang helped Madam Zou out, wiping her tears, he pulled Mingyu aside and asked, "What happened?"
Mingyu smiled and said, "I've wanted to send Madam home for a long time, and it's just right that you're here." Seeing Xu Mingye's look of "who are you fooling?", Mingyu had no choice but to tell Xu Mingye everything about the tourmaline.
"They probably won't do anything to me. After all, I'm the legitimate master of Sima Hou Mansion, but Madam Zou and the others are servants. If the Madam and the eldest mistress take it out on them, I won't be able to protect them. There's nothing I can do..." Mingyu said sullenly, lowering her head.
Xu Mingye didn't say anything for a long time. When Mingyu couldn't help but look up at him, he reached out and covered Mingyu's eyes. After a while, Mingyu heard her brother's calm voice, saying, "Okay, it's not difficult to bring someone with you on the road."
When Xu Mingye withdrew his hand, Mingyu looked at him in confusion. Xu Mingye's expression was calm and gentle, and there was nothing unusual. Receiving Mingyu's puzzled look, Xu Mingye smiled and said, "What's wrong? Don't you recognize your brother?"
The next morning, Mingyu took Xu Mingye to bid farewell to the old lady, the marquis and the lady respectively. Miao was polite and prepared a carriage and a coachman for Xu Mingye, as well as a box of return gifts. There was a hint of unconscious superiority in her attitude, saying that the in-laws lived too far away and she had never even met them, which was a pity. This was a gift for the in-laws.
Mingyu and Xu Mingye thanked her. It must be said that although Miao was overbearing and unreasonable, and showed no mercy when scolding Mingyu, as the wife of the Marquis, she could not find any fault with her in the etiquette of welcoming and seeing off guests and treating people.
Looking at Luo Lingxiu, who was smiling with disdain beside Miao, Mingyu could almost dub her thoughts. She was just mocking the Xu family for being of low status and being dismissed with just a box of gifts. She was so ignorant...
Luo Lingxiu learned Miao's tyranny but not her tactics. Instead of making people respect and fear her, she made people hate and despise her.
Nanny Zou slept with Mingyu in her arms last night and cried until midnight. When she woke up today, her eyes were swollen like walnuts. She held Mingyu's hand at the gate of the Marquis' Mansion and was reluctant to let her go. Mingyu smiled and pushed her into the carriage.
Xu Mingye took one last look at his sister and whispered in Mingyu's ear, "Be patient, wait two or three years, and I will come to take you home."
Mingyu nodded, but sighed in her heart. In three years, she would be fifteen, old enough to consummate her marriage with Master Bao... She didn't want to serve Dumas...
After Xu Mingye got on the carriage, Dong Yuan also followed forward. He leaned forward and said to Mingyu with a smile: "Second Madam, please take care of yourself! We will come to see you next year!" Before he finished speaking, Xu Mingye in the carriage slapped him on the forehead, and he retracted his head in embarrassment.
Master Bao also climbed onto the horse. He was in a very good mood today. His brother-in-law had finally left. The handsome sixteen-year-old boy was imposing and dressed in fine clothes, riding a fast horse, and wanted to see Xu Mingye off.
The sun had not yet risen when the carriage started slowly. Xu Mingye lifted the curtain and waved goodbye to his sister who was wearing a veiled hat at the door of the marquis' mansion. He did not lower the curtain until the carriage turned a corner and he could no longer see his sister.
After leaving Tianshui City, Xu Mingye stopped Sima Hong who was riding outside, "Second Young Master." Xu Mingye politely bowed and said, "After sending you a thousand miles, there will always be a farewell. Let's end it here. Second Young Master, you should also return home quickly, so that Madam and Old Madam won't miss you."
Sima Hong was actually not used to Xu Mingye's polite attitude, and said with a smile: "Mingye, you don't have to be so polite, we are all family."
Who are you and your dandy son? Xu Mingye was full of disdain, but considering that his sister was still in the mansion and couldn't leave for the time being, Xu Mingye smiled and didn't answer.
Sima Hong waved to Xu Mingye. After Xu Mingye got out of the carriage, the two walked to the side. Sima Hong hesitated for a while before saying, "I know you look down on me in your heart."
Xu Mingye was startled, but he remained calm and said with a smile: "Second Young Master, what are you talking about..."
Sima Hong interrupted him and said with a smile: "I can see that... people like you who are well-educated and have passed the imperial examinations on your own will definitely look down on people like me." The young man was carefree and didn't take it to heart.
"But don't worry." Sima Hong said again, looking at Xu Mingye's surprised eyes, and carefully assured: "I will treat Mingyu well, she is my Sima Hong's wife."
Xu Mingye sneered. Since this young man knew everything, he would not play it safe. "Master Sima, what do you mean by treating her well? Do you mean that you take in a third concubine as soon as Mingyu gets married to serve her, or that your maidservant insists on being a concubine to serve Mingyu? Or does your mother scold you like she's having three meals a day?"
Sima Hong's face turned red as if on fire, and he defended himself by saying, "Those concubines... won't happen again... I will talk to my wife about it." He scratched his head again, and said a little embarrassedly, "Mingyu is fine."
Xu Mingye turned his head away, closed his eyes facing the rising sun, and suppressed his anger. What was the point of getting angry at Sima Hong? If he angered this dog boy, wouldn't Mingyu be the one who suffered
"I spoke too quickly just now. If I have offended you, please forgive me." Xu Mingye still had a friendly smile on his face. "Mingyu has been our family's treasure since she was a child. She is spoiled and ignorant. Please... take good care of her in the future."
"Of course." Sima Hong laughed.
Xu Mingye bowed and said, "Second Young Master, it's getting late. Let's say goodbye now. I believe that Second Young Master is a man who keeps his promises." After that, Xu Mingye turned around and got on the carriage. He lifted the curtain and waved to Sima Hong. The carriage started slowly and drove eastward.
Sima Hong watched for a long while, until the carriage disappeared from his sight, then he turned his horse back. The servant behind him, Bai Hao, muttered, "Master, what did your uncle say to you?"
Sima Hong raised his hand, "Guess for yourself!"
Bai Hao muttered, "How could I have guessed..." But he saw Sima Hong whipping his horse and running fast, so he hurried to catch up.
After Xu Mingye left, Mingyu felt very uncomfortable and leaned on the couch without saying a word. When she first learned that her brother was coming, she was surprised and expectant, hoping that her brother could help her get a divorce. The current result made her very disappointed.
In fact, if you think about it carefully, she has been patient for too long, so when a glimmer of opportunity appeared out of thin air, she couldn't help but bet all her hopes on it. As a result, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Xu Mingye is just a teenager who is still studying. What can he do? If you think about it carefully, he has always said that he will help her divorce after he passes the imperial examination. He never said that his father at home would help her. It can be seen that although Xu Changqian loves his daughter, he still does not approve of her wish to divorce.
The sandalwood incense was curling in the room. Li Xiang sat down next to Mingyu, took Mingyu's hand and said, "Second Madam, don't be sad. The young master will come to see you again."
Mingyu looked at Lixiang and said with an apologetic smile: "Lixiang, I didn't let you go back, you won't blame me, right?" If Lixiang left again, she would really be alone. Besides, her brother would definitely not agree.
"What are you talking about, Second Madam!" Li Xiang pretended to be angry, "Even if you chase Li Xiang away, she won't leave."
Mingyu smiled and leaned her head in Lixiang's arms. She was not the real Xu Mingyu. No matter whether Lixiang was loyal to the previous Xu Mingyu or the current Xu Mingyu, she had recognized Lixiang as a good sister.
The two of them were leaning on the couch and talking slowly. At the door, Master Bao called out, "Mingyu? Mingyu?"
Li Xiang stood up quickly, pulled aside the bead curtain and came out. Master Bao threw the whip in his hand to Bai Hao and asked, "Is Mingyu in the room?"
Before Lixiang could answer, Master Bao had already walked in familiarly.
Master Bao walked up to Mingyu and saw her sitting on the couch, her small body curled up in a ball with red eyes. He couldn't help but squat down, looking at Mingyu, and said softly: "Don't cry, if you miss your family, when autumn comes, I will take you back to Jiangnan to live for a while, okay?"
The sixteen-year-old boy was dressed in brocade clothes and had handsome eyes and eyebrows. He looked expectant and serious, with a hint of flattery.
Mingyu's heart started pounding. She had always been a slow-reacting person, but no matter how slow she was, she still felt something.
"You..." Mingyu spoke hesitantly, her fair cheeks stained with rouge red, and she gritted her teeth and asked, "Do you... like...?"
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