Everyone in Tianshui City probably knew about Master Bao. When they saw Master Bao, the ten people in the troupe immediately put down what they were doing and lined up to kowtow to Master Bao. Master Bao didn't take these people seriously at all. He waved his hand and asked them to stand up.
Mingyu looked at the stage and said, "I still have to watch them rehearse the play."
Sima Lian quickly walked down from the stage, pushed Mingyu towards Master Bao, blinked and smiled evilly, "Go quickly, see if Second Brother has something to say to you!"
Master Bao's handsome face turned slightly red at the teasing, and he turned to look at Mingyu expectantly.
Mingyu was a little short of breath as she looked at Sima Lian with the posture of a matchmaker. Suddenly, she felt that if she had chosen an opera, she should let Sima Lian sing The West Chamber.
After leaving the garden, Mingyu followed Master Bao and slowly walked to the Hibiscus Garden. The lotus flowers in the Hibiscus Garden were almost all withered, with only a few scattered lotus stems still standing in the clear pond.
Mingyu thought that Master Bao would continue to lead her like this, but suddenly Master Bao stopped and turned to face Mingyu. Looking at the delicate and beautiful face of the little girl, Master Bao blushed a little, touched his nose, and seemed very embarrassed. He said, "It was all my fault at that time. I caused you to fall into the pond and get sick."
"It's all happened, Second Master, don't worry about it." Mingyu smiled politely.
Master Bao felt very uncomfortable listening to Mingyu's polite words. He would rather Mingyu had his face covered with mud or beaten with a broom. He felt that Mingyu was alive and full of vitality. Although Mingyu's attitude was polite now, it was obvious that she was distant and kept him at a distance.
"If you are unhappy, just vent your anger on me." Master Bao said anxiously, "I can't do anything about the way my eldest sister-in-law is. I can't scold her or hit her. If something bad happens, where will my eldest brother's face be? Do you think the master and the old lady are used to my eldest sister-in-law? They have been holding back all the time, not because they care about my eldest brother's face and reputation."
Mingyu was silent for a while. After Master Bao's suggestion, she could understand why the old lady wanted to scold Luo Lingxiu so many times but always endured it. It was just because she was afraid of the consequences. If Luo Lingxiu lost face, Master Yang would lose face. If Luo Lingxiu had a bad reputation, Master Yang would be unlucky. As the saying goes, husband and wife prosper together and suffer together.
"I, I won't say bad things about my sister-in-law to others." Mingyu said.
Master Bao said awkwardly, "You've got the wrong idea again. You always think the worst of me... That's not what I meant. I meant that in two years I'll be able to get a job as an official through imperial favor, and then we won't have to live with my eldest sister-in-law in the mansion. Just put up with her for two years. Her temper is getting worse and worse. If you piss her off, she'll take advantage of my absence and bully you as much as she can."
Mingyu was a little surprised. This young dog saw things clearly. Then she felt a little annoyed. She couldn't even say whether she was angry. Perhaps it was Master Bao's words that completely exposed the nature of this family, exposing that she was an orphan with no one to rely on, who was not even as good as a decent old woman and could be bullied by anyone.
"Thank you for your reminder, Second Master." Mingyu said firmly, "I won't make my sister-in-law unhappy in the future. Don't worry, I will give it to her if she wants it."
"Look at you, you're thinking in the wrong way again." Master Bao sighed, and his tall body stood in front of Mingyu, blocking the sun. The distance was so close that Mingyu could almost see the newly grown green stubble on Master Bao's chin, and smell the scent of incense on Master Bao's body. However, when she thought that this incense must have been put on by some personal maid or concubine, Mingyu immediately felt that the incense that smelled good just now suddenly became pungent, and she quickly took two steps back.
When Master Bao saw the little girl retreat, he quickly stepped forward and coaxed her, "Don't be angry, I've only been patient for two years. Let's not talk about this anymore. Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. This is your first Mid-Autumn Festival in our house. Do you want anything?"
Mingyu leaned against the stone wall of the rockery, looked at Master Bao's expectant expression, and shook her head. She wanted to divorce, leave here and return to her real home, to be filial to her father, but Master Bao could not help her realize any of these wishes.
Seeing that the little girl was not interested, Master Bao smiled and said, "Then I'll take you to go horseback riding. Riding in autumn is much more fun than in spring. Let's go later. Don't you like riding horses?"
Mingyu looked at him, unable to swallow the words that came to her lips. For a long time, her thoughts and emotions had been suppressed deep in her heart. Now that they had accumulated to this point, it was like a volcano about to erupt and she could not suppress it.
"I don't like riding horses." Mingyu gritted her teeth and said, "I don't like it here either. I want to go home, back to my mother's home in Jiangnan."
Master Bao still smiled gently and nodded, saying, "Okay, when I become an official, I will ask my father to help me find a position in Jiangnan. Then I will take you to meet my father-in-law and mother-in-law. I also want to go to Jiangnan to see what it is like."
"That's not what I meant." Mingyu saw that Master Bao and she were thinking two different things, and couldn't help but shout, "Do you really not understand or are you pretending to be confused? Let's get a divorce, or you can divorce me. Anyway, your family doesn't like me, and always thinks that my family is too low and not worthy of you. If you divorce me, you can just find someone of the same social status. You are the second daughter of a marquis, and there must be many daughters who want to marry you..."
Mingyu couldn't continue, and the words died on her lips. She saw that the gentle smile of Bao Erye disappeared, replaced by a ferocious face, as if he might beat her up at any time. Mingyu suddenly woke up. She seemed to have forgotten that no matter how good-tempered Bao Erye was, he was the second son of the Marquisate who grew up in luxury. If anyone made him unhappy, a beating would be the least of his punishment. The title of "Ba Tianbao" of Northwest Tianshui was not earned for nothing.
Mingyu watched as Master Bao's fist, which was as strong as two of hers, whistled straight at her face, bringing with it a gust of wind, and she closed her eyes tightly in fear. However, the fist did not fall on her face, but on the stone wall beside her ear, shaking the huge rockery with a muffled sound.
Mingyu opened her eyes and met Master Bao's slightly red eyes.
After a long time, Master Bao's breath gradually stabilized, and he said, "You can just tell me these nonsense, but you must not tell others, let alone the old lady. If they hear it, they will definitely be angry and will not let you off easily. Even I can't protect you by then."
Mingyu lowered her head dejectedly, two tears rolled down to the ground, mixed with the dust, and soon sank into the soil and disappeared. Divorce is good for both families, why are you so stubborn about these people? At this moment, Master Bao grabbed Mingyu's wrist and squeezed it tightly. Mingyu gritted her teeth in pain and angrily looked at Master Bao, who was even more annoyed than her.
"Listen carefully, remember this." Master Bao had a ferocious look on his face and fierce eyes. Every word he said seemed to come out from between his teeth, revealing a feeling of gritting his teeth. "Xu Mingyu, you are my Sima Hong's person in life and my Sima Hong's ghost in death! You can only be Sima Xu in this life, and you can only be buried in our Sima family's cemetery after you die. Don't even think about it, and if I dare to hear you say such nonsense again, I will lock you up in the yard until the day of consummation of the marriage!"
Big tears fell from Mingyu's eyes. First, she was angry. He was a bunch of annoying concubines, and there was also an unclear sister-in-law and maids. Why should she waste her whole life on him? It was not easy to live again, but the past few months in Sima Hou's mansion seemed as long as a lifetime, painful and tormented. Mingyu didn't want to live such a miserable life.
Secondly, it hurt. Sima Hong's grip was extremely strong. Mingyu looked at her wrist held in mid-air by Sima Hong with tears in her eyes and felt that it must be broken.
"Let go!" Mingyu's eyes were filled with tears due to the pain, but Master Bao had no intention of letting go. Angrily, Mingyu raised her right hand and slapped Master Bao on the forehead.
Master Bao snorted coldly and let go of his hand, but he was still angry and looked sullen, as if he was in a dark cloud. He was worried that the little girl had been wronged a few days ago, so he came to comfort her. He didn't expect that she would dare to have such a rebellious mind. Yes, she has always been bold and bad-tempered, but she pretended well, so he would forget her nature from time to time. Master Bao became more and more angry as he thought about it. He was full of joy, but ended up like this, as if a bucket of cold water was poured on his head in the middle of winter.
He is not stupid, nor foolish. If Mingyu really has him in her heart, she would not propose such an incredible thing as divorce. He knows it very well in his heart, but he is unwilling to lift the veil, as if he will lose face immediately if he lifts it. This is the first time in so many years that he likes someone so much. This kind of liking for Mingyu is different from the admiration he had for Luo Lingxiu. Luo Lingxiu is the most beautiful among the few daughters of rich families he knows, and the one who is the most kind and friendly to him. At that time, his cousin was cheerful, beautiful and lively, which made people feel close to her involuntarily.
But his liking for Mingyu was completely different. It was as if she was the love that belonged only to him. He was afraid that she would fly away if he held her in his hands, and afraid that she would melt if he held her in his mouth. As soon as she frowned, he would get anxious and try all kinds of ways to make her happy. If she smiled at him, he would immediately become flustered and blush, and all his worries would be thrown behind his mind.
However, this was the first time in Bao Erye's life that he was rejected mercilessly.
Since he was born, he has been the most distinguished young master in the northwest. He was spoiled by the Marquis and his wife like a baby. He had everything he wanted, including status, position and looks. He had never considered whether Mingyu was willing to marry him. In his eyes, no, it should be in everyone's eyes, Xu Mingyu, whose father was just a small county magistrate, was lucky enough to marry into the Marquis's mansion because of the good fortune her ancestors had accumulated over several lifetimes.
The more Master Bao thought about it, the more ashamed and angry he became. His face turned red and his heart was filled with anger. He didn't even bother to look at Mingyu's wrist. He turned around and walked out in two steps. His steps were hurried and he looked like he was running away.
Mingyu looked at Master Bao in surprise as he disappeared in a few steps, tears still on her eyelashes. She looked at the fair and delicate wrist with some distress. There were five clear red finger marks, and it must have been a purple bruise. How could this little bastard dare to do that
The autumn afternoon sun shone brightly in the Hibiscus Garden. The cool autumn wind blew through the branches, drying the tears in Mingyu's eyes. The leaves swirled and fell to the ground, forming a thick layer. Mingyu took a deep breath. The sun was warm, but she could not feel any warmth. She only felt cold all over. The road ahead seemed to be pitch black, making people see no hope.
Mingyu took a few deep breaths, took out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes, then patted his face, trying to look fine. When he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a "crack" sound, as if his foot stepped on a dry branch and the branch broke.
"Who?" Mingyu was shocked and blurted out. She didn't expect that there was someone else in Furong Garden, wondering if he had heard what she and Master Bao said.
A person walked slowly from behind the rockery, met Mingyu's eyes, and said in a sheepish tone, "Second Madam, I saw the Second Master calling you, and I was afraid something might happen, so I followed behind. I didn't mean to eavesdrop on the Master's conversation."
Mingyu's eyes became sharp, staring at her. It seemed that she had heard everything. Was she going to report to Miao Clan? This was huge news.
Nanny Tan faced Mingyu's gaze, thought about it, and seemed to have made up her mind. She gritted her teeth and said, "Second Madam, don't worry. I am not a black-hearted person! I remember all the kindness you have shown me. I am a bit of a nag on weekdays, but I know the difference between right and wrong, and I will never be ungrateful. I will keep today's incident to myself and will never mention it to anyone! Otherwise, my whole family will die miserably!"
This oath was extremely serious. No one could deny that Nanny Tan’s most precious things were the few people in the family and the few young grandchildren. The muscles on Nanny Tan’s face twitched with effort. She looked at Mingyu nervously and expectantly, fearing that Mingyu would not agree with her. She also said that last time in front of the Second Master, if it wasn’t for Grandma speaking well for me, the Second Master would have sent me back home, and I would have been afraid that my family would not have been able to keep their jobs. Later, I thought clearly, if I hadn’t met such a loyal and righteous master like Second Madam, would I have had such a comfortable life in Yiqing Courtyard? Before, I was blinded by greed and shallow-sighted, and could only see what was in front of me. Now I have woken up from a dream, and I will never be confused again and do things that betray my master! Otherwise, I will thunder from the sky... "
Seeing that Nanny Tan was about to swear, Mingyu couldn't bear it anymore and waved her hand to stop her, "Stop it, I believe you." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian (). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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