Chapter 29 - 29
Xiao Xi was a servant girl specially selected for Su Wenyue by the An Family and the Su brothers. She had been serving Su Wenyue since she was little and understood her mistress’s habits well. Outspoken and unreserved, she knew some basic martial arts and was extremely loyal to Su Wenyue, willingly following her mistress to endure the rural hardships.
“Miss, at last, I can follow you again.” Xiao Xi, carrying a large bundle, ran to Su Wenyue’s side and said with a beaming smile.
“Following me will be tough – are you scared?” Su Wenyue saw Xiao Xi’s joyous demeanor and thought that anyone who didn’t know better might think they were going to a pleasant place. Only this girl could be so silly.
In her previous life, when she was at the Han Family, Xiao Xi had come to look for her several times, requesting to serve by her side. At that time, Su Wenyue was filled with resentment and never accepted anyone from the Su Family, sending Xiao Xi away every time. Su Wenyue still remembered the sorrowful and dim expression on Xiao Xi’s face when she was turned away. Later, when she was in that mansion, she realized that the servant girls who served her paled in comparison to Xiao Xi.
“Miss, I was sold by my parents when I was little and later followed a troupe. Starving was common, and I often got beaten and scolded by people in the troupe. Only after the Madam and Young Master bought me and I began serving you did I start having good days. Not to mention the extra care you showed me, you were better to me than to the other maids. You always thought of me when good opportunities arose. You are the best person to me in this world. I will follow you for the rest of my life, no matter how hard or tiring it is. ”
Su Wenyue listened to Xiao Xi’s words and felt flustered because Xiao Xi was the one who always followed her orders without hesitation, with swift and nimble movements. As a result, whenever Su Wenyue caused trouble, she dragged Xiao Xi into it, getting her servant wrongfully punished as well. If it had been another maid, they might have harbored resentment, but Xiaoxi thought differently, believing that Su Wenyue trusted her and that was why she was included in her schemes. But in fact, Su Wenyue did greatly “value” Xiao Xi’s abilities; after all, Xiao Xi was an expert at climbing walls and trees and had been her partner in numerous “major events”, loyal and unlikely to betray her to her parents or elder brothers.
“Xiao Xi, well done! You indeed are a loyal and devoted maid. Rest assured, as your mistress, I will make sure you never go hungry.”
“I trust you, Miss!” Xiao Xi responded with firm conviction.
With Xiao Xi by her side, Su Wenyue felt immensely empowered. Although she was past the age for mischief, Xiao Xi could do much more than just assist in her unruly antics.
After being taken to Guilin by the An Family and her brothers Su Hengyi and Su Hengxuan on multiple occasions, Xiao Xi proved to be quite capable, and her talents had improved. That was why the An Family sent her back to Su Wenyue. With the changes this life brought, Master Su had already entrusted Su Wenyue with the management of the Zhuangzi earlier than expected. With Xiao Xi around, it became much more convenient to relay messages or handle affairs.
Han Yu had no objections to his Mother-in-law sending along such a simple servant girl for his wife. Seeing the interaction between his wife and the maid, he knew these two were cut from the same cloth, both equally silly at times. Occasionally, Han Yu understood that his wife wasn’t as naive as she appeared.
“Son-in-law, my precious daughter is in your hands now; take good care of her.”
“Yes, Han family’s kid, you better treat my younger sister right. Protect her, and if she’s ever bullied again… don’t blame me for disregarding the Han Family’s face. With people like Mrs. Liu or Mrs. Wang, it would be easy for me to deal with them!”
Han Yu responded well to his Father-in-law and Cousin’s words, grasping the significant place his wife held in her mother’s family: “Please rest assured, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, and Cousin. Lady Yue is my wife, and I will definitely take good care of her, protecting her. It’s getting late; we should depart now.”
This time, Su Wenyue and her party rode in a horse carriage because they had too many things, which the ox cart couldn’t accommodate. Su Wenyue was now in charge of managing the Zhuangzi, and without a horse carriage, it would have been inconvenient. However, she wondered what Han Yu thought about it, especially considering a man’s pride, and Han Yu was a man of ambition. Perhaps he might not want to be accused of relying on his wife’s family, more so given the class difference, which already stirred much gossip in the village, although it was often out of envy and jealousy.
“Husband, my parents just love me too much and that’s why they prepared so much. Don’t overthink it. With your abilities, I believe you will achieve great things in the future. Don’t mind what those idle people think. They’re just jealous because you married a wife who is both beautiful and smart – they’re unbalanced by that, so just ignore their chatter.”
Han Yu felt a warmth in his heart upon hearing his wife’s words, though he couldn’t help but chuckle. His wife never seemed to know the meaning of modesty, always praising herself — even if it were true, some humility was in order, not to mention that her words were heavily exaggerated.
“So, Lady Yue, I have something to tell you too, and don’t take it the wrong way.”
“Sure, tell me. I’m very open-minded and won’t get angry,” Su Wenyue said, sitting up attentively, ready to listen earnestly to Han Yu’s thoughts, hoping to avoid any unnecessary misgivings between them.
“My wife, it’s okay to praise your looks since you actually are quite pretty, but let’s leave ‘smart’ out of it, because it really has nothing to do with you.”
Su Wenyue wasn’t expecting Han Yu to make a joke at that moment. She didn’t catch his meaning at first and saw the hint of a smile on his lips before realizing she had been played. Her fists playfully pounded on Han Yu, who dared to mock her.
“Very funny, Han Yu. How dare you laugh at me? What makes me not smart?
Tell me, since you’re so dismissive.”
Han Yu burst out laughing outright. His wife was indeed a treasure, and it had been a long time since he’d felt so carefree. Laughter filled the horse carriage, and amid the merriment, certain activities known as Guilin were added. Under the influence of the joyful ambiance Su Hengxuan and Su Wenyue shared as siblings, Han Yu, who was usually reserved, couldn’t help but engage in such activities.
Seeing Han Yu like this, Su Wenyue knew any hesitations were gone. She overthought things; with the heights Han Yu was destined to reach, ambition was essential, and certainly, he would not lack such magnanimity..