Yu Qing: “So that matches up. That woman said her master is in the Wen clan, able to influence the Green Lotus Mountain side.”
Nan Zhu’s mouth was still clicking and tutting. “How did a young man get mixed up with old women? That’s quite a heavy appetite.”
Listening to that tone, he seemed a bit regretful, as if regretting he hadn’t gone along to appreciate that scene.
Mu Aotie: “There is actually a pit of dead people underground, certainly hiding murderous intent. Don’t go down again, better think of a way on the surface.”
Hearing this, Nan Zhu was silent for a moment, then also nodded and said, “Old Ninth speaks reasonably. Old Fifteenth, this is no joking matter.”
Yu Qing only gave an “Mm.”
The two, Nan and Mu, had also snuck away at noon and shouldn’t stay too long. They drew water from the well, quickly washed the bowls, and left.
Yu Qing, having sent off the two, went to the storage room. Seeing the little dog again nearly gave him a fright. The leftovers from his two senior brothers had actually all been finished off by it. Its belly was so round and bulging, and it was still lying in the pot licking the bottom, its body filthy beyond words.
Was it a starving ghost reincarnated? How was this behaviour so like Big Head when eating?
He quickly dragged the little dog out, threw it by the well, and fetched a bucket of water.
The little dog was indeed stuffed full, licking its lips and unwilling to move.
Well water was drawn up. One bucket of well water poured over it, again and again, splashing splashing splashing, until it was washed clean before stopping.
The little dog, from time to time shaking off water droplets, also seemed quite delighted. This bathing method was an experience it had never had before. The water was too strong, from time to time flipping it over, and it also went splish-splash licking water from the ground.
Yu Qing lifted it from the wet ground and threw it to a sunny spot.
The little dog also couldn’t be bothered to move. Yawning, it wagged its tail at Yu Qing for a while, then fell fast asleep. Basking in the sun, it slowly slept with its four legs pointing skyward. What need was there for an iron cage? It was completely quiet.
Yu Qing, returning to his room, looked at the food in his bowl. There were bits of pork, bits of mutton. This was still thanks to the Wen family’s scholar. Unfortunately the cook was a real talent, truly not making it tasty. After hesitating a while, he went to the storage room again, poured the food into the pot as well, letting the little dog handle it according to its own ability. He couldn’t put all his energy on the little dog.
In the afternoon, two groups of servants came to collect things. No one noticed the little dog sleeping in the sun under the eaves. The news that this place was helping the third miss raise a spirit pet had not been publicised, deliberately concealed.
During the day, occasionally people would come knocking and disturb him, making it hard to cultivate in peace. When bored, Yu Qing would grab some paper and write or draw casually, treating it as handwriting practice. Anyway, the storage room wasn’t short of paper.
Near evening, someone knocked. Yu Qing got up and opened the door. Outside, a servant waved happily, saying, “Quick, Steward Feng sent word for everyone to go to the canteen entrance to collect things.”
Yu Qing was puzzled. “Collect what things?”
That servant chuckled, “Thanks to the fifth young master’s good fortune, the main house mistress is giving out goodies again, giving everyone two pairs of shoes.”
Yu Qing wasn’t very interested, humming, “Alright, I understand.”
That servant reminded him, “I say, you must be quick. If you go late and the shoes in the right size are all picked over, shoes are not something you can make do with. You’ll just have to give them away.” Having spoken, he ran off.
A person who had handled several million taels of silver, how could he still care about two pairs of shoes? Yu Qing had just closed the door, then suddenly pondered a while, then opened the door again, properly closing it after himself, and still hurried to the canteen.
There was no other way. Just as he clearly didn’t want to eat the food here but still had to brace himself to go get it, would it be normal for a mere servant to look down on two pairs of new shoes? So he still had to go collect them.
He still had to pretend to be very happy, running all the way there.
The canteen entrance was already very lively. A group of people, typically not active in work but very active in collecting things, with Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie also muddling in among them.
A cart was stopped at the entrance, piled with many baskets full of shoes. Someone was responsible for registration, Liu Gui responsible for distribution.
Seeing Yu Qing come and hide at the back of the queue to line up, Liu Gui immediately waved, calling him over, asking, “Why did you come over? I could have sent them to you later.”
Hearing these words, servants who didn’t know the reason all looked at Yu Qing, very surprised, looking him up and down, not knowing why a favoured person by Steward Feng would think so highly of this one.
Yu Qing gave a slight bow. “I wouldn’t dare trouble Head Liu. I’ll come fetch them myself.”
Since he had come, Liu Gui couldn’t say much. He waved at the next servant waiting to collect, “You wait a moment. He has urgent business. Let him collect first.”
That one didn’t dare disobey, nor was he in a hurry for the moment, and nodded.
Liu Gui immediately had Yu Qing report his size and registered it first, then personally selected two pairs for him, and pulled him aside to whisper, “Brother Niu, your courtyard has a treasure. You mustn’t leave it long. Hurry back.”
“Alright, returning now.” Yu Qing gave a slight bow, departing under the gaze of the crowd.
Liu Gui, turning around, shouted, “Continue.”
Truly showing off his authority.
And at the utility courtyard entrance, three women had already arrived. They were none other than Wen Xin, Song Pingping, and Xiao Hong.
There was no helping it. They couldn’t just throw the spirit pet aside and ignore it. They also worried whether the spirit pet was accustomed to this side, whether it might have problems from discomfort.
Actually they had wanted to come at noon, but felt coming too frequently didn’t look good. Now it was nearly evening, so they decided it was more suitable to come take a look, to set their minds at ease.
Xiao Hong went bang bang knocking on the door, and ended up directly pushing it open. Stretching her head inside to look around, she shouted, “Niu Youqing, Niu Youqing… eh, is no one here?” She directly pushed the door and entered.
“Niu Youqing, Niu Youqing…”
Xiao Hong shouted several more times in succession, but still no one responded.
The three entered and looked around. Song Pingping directly entered Yu Qing’s bedroom, shouting, “Niu Youqing.”
She went in and looked, didn’t see anyone, but saw on the table against the wall a pile of messy drafts. Casually picking one up to look, she said, “Look, this guy who watches the utility room can actually write.”
Xiao Hong said, “There is a utility storage here. Incoming and outgoing goods all need to be registered. Don’t think it’s just a utility room; illiterate people can’t even do it.”
“This handwriting seems quite good too. Xin’er, I’m not criticising you, but those so-called Tanhua scholars, those are reputations hyped up by you literary types. I think this Niu Youqing who watches the utility room writes no worse than that Tanhua scholar.” Song Pingping casually shook the paper in her hand for the two at the doorway to see.
She actually couldn’t appraise the quality of handwriting at all, completely speaking casually based on visual impression and feeling.
Xiao Hong casually glanced without paying much attention.
Wen Xin initially also hadn’t paid attention. Prompted by Song Pingping like that, she then fixed her eyes to look. As a result, the moment her gaze touched the handwriting flickering in Song Pingping’s hand, she suddenly felt her heartbeat pause, her bright eyes widening on the spot.
At one glance she felt the handwriting on this draft seemed similar in spirit to the handwriting she had recently been studying.
Song Pingping threw the draft back onto the table, turned and walked away, “This Niu Youqing, who knows where he went. He couldn’t have taken Zilong away too, right?”
Xiao Hong followed her out, going together to look for Zilong.
“Eh, Zilong is here.” Xiao Hong cheered.
Wen Xin at the doorway, however, acted as if she hadn’t heard, forgetting propriety, stepping into a strange man’s bedroom. She picked up a handwriting practice draft from the desk, her eyes gradually showing an expression of disbelief.
Looking at one wasn’t enough. She picked up a second, then a third, then a fourth.
After quickly looking through all the drafts, she finally selected the one with the most similar handwriting to what she remembered, holding it in her hands. The uncertainty and shock in her eyes were beyond description. She murmured to herself, “How is this possible? Did I see wrong?”
“Miss, miss, come quickly and look at Zilong.”
Xiao Hong’s shout immediately brought Wen Xin back to her senses. She quickly went out, only to see Song Pingping and Xiao Hong squatting under the eaves. Approaching to look, they were guarding Zilong who was sleeping soundly.
Song Pingping was sliding her hand over Zilong’s fur.
Wen Xin also squatted down, asking, “What’s wrong?”
Song Pingping poked Zilong’s nose tip with her fingertip. Zilong immediately stuck out its tongue to lick. “Look at this fellow. At our place it made a fuss to the point of life and death. Now look, sleeping so soundly, can’t be woken by noise. How annoying.”
Xiao Hong reached out to stroke Zilong’s fur, “Miss, feel it. It’s only been half a day, and Zilong’s fur is already so glossy and smooth. It seems giving Zilong to Niu Youqing to raise was really finding the right person.”
Wen Xin couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it, discovering the texture was indeed much smoother, and quite fluffy too.
Song Pingping looked around, “Just letting Zilong sleep on the ground like this, raising it like a common dog? How dirty. Also, that fellow is too carefree, right? Running out to play, not even using the iron cage to confine it. What if it runs away?”
Wen Xin was silent for a moment, continuing to stroke Zilong’s fur, “Isn’t this quite good? No need to confine it, and it just honestly fell asleep. Zilong doesn’t like being confined. He gets along with Zilong better than we do.”
At this time, footsteps came from outside. The three turned to look together.
Yu Qing’s figure appeared. Seeing the door open, he was clearly somewhat surprised. Spotting the three inside, he was startled, not expecting them to come after he had only been out a short while. He immediately quickened his pace to enter.
The three women inside also stood up one after another. Wen Xin suddenly realised she was still holding a paper in her hand, and moreover it was a handwriting practice draft from a man’s bedroom. Her face immediately flushed red. The hand holding the draft quickly hid behind her back, crumpling it into a ball with a few movements, hiding it in her palm, concealed within her sleeve.
This furtive behaviour made her heart beat even faster, rosy clouds flying across her cheeks.
“Third Miss.” Yu Qing quickly came over to salute, then gave a slight bow to Song Pingping and Xiao Hong, his gaze also sweeping over Zilong who was still sleeping. He muttered in his heart, this little dog can really sleep, sleeping a whole afternoon and still not awake.
He naturally didn’t know how hard Zilong had it from yesterday until now, not eating well, and constantly making noise and fussing, exhausted long ago. Having eaten and drunk its fill, no wonder it was sleeping so well.
Song Pingping called out, “Hey, do you not know how precious a spirit pet is? How can you casually throw it aside and run off? If something happens to it, can you afford the responsibility?”