Volume 1 Chapter 137: Three Steps Forward, Three Steps Back (Part 1)

  Chapter 137: Three Steps Forward, Three Steps Back (Part One)

  "Second Master, it's Lu Bi." A pleasant female voice sounded from outside the study door. The door was open, but she didn't enter, this was truly someone who understood etiquette.

  Xiao Wei stood up from the table, "Come in. Yan Yan is lazy again, I told him to go get an umbrella, but he startled you instead."

  "Yan Yan got soaked, I was afraid he would get sick and wouldn't be able to attend to Master Er, so I told him to hurry up and take a break. Holding an umbrella is not a big deal, it's something the servants should do anyway. Besides, Master Er hasn't even returned to the garden yet, let alone rested, it doesn't count as disturbing him." The voice came from inside the study.

  At the sight of the woman, Mozi saw that she was wearing a pale blue hundred-pleated skirt and a lotus leaf-patterned blouse. Her face was not only beautiful but also serene, with features that could be compared to a spring day's azalea - unassuming, understated, yet subtly blooming. Her hair was styled in an intricate bun, adorned with only two high-quality jade pins.

  A self-proclaimed slave maid, even more noble than Daiyu, and by Xiao Wei's side. What identity that is should be obvious.

  Behind the green skirt, there were two little maids, but they didn't follow in. They stood under the corridor outside the door, one holding a lantern and the other an umbrella.

  Lu Bi obviously didn't expect that apart from Xiao Wei, there was someone else in the study, and she was slightly stunned. Seeing Mo Zi wearing a maid's uniform, she didn't notice her sitting posture, thinking she was temporarily serving Master Yan at the behest of Yan Yan, so she nodded slightly to her.

  The dark purple and greenish-blue invitation, after some thought, put down the book in hand and stood up.

  "Second Master, you're all wet and might catch a chill. I specifically gave that embroidered silk cloak with the peacock pattern to Ah Yan, but he didn't even think to put it on you. Luckily, I brought some spare clothes, hurry up and change." Lu Bi's tone was full of concern, so considerate and meticulous.

  Mo Zi Xiang thought that all men would like women like Lu Bi, who seemed to be low-maintenance and considerate. A beat too slow, she discovered Xiao Er Lang was about to change clothes, and for a moment, she didn't know whether to hide in the bookshelf or wait outside. Although she was just a maid, she served the mistress. Men still needed to avoid suspicion, lest they be misunderstood later on.

  "It's not a long way, let's go back and change." Xiao Wei showed the "thick skin and flesh" of a military general at this time.

  Yes, yes, hurry up and go, don't disturb her from finding books. If you keep going back and forth like this, she'll really end up spending the night here. Mozi urged secretly in her heart.

  "Second Master, at least change into some outer clothes." Lü Bi still had her own persistence.

  Mozi thought it would be detrimental to his reputation, so he walked out from behind the bookshelf, ignoring the two of them. He bent his knees and tapped his toes, "I'll wait outside first." Are you going to change or not? Hurry up and discuss what to do.

  "You don't have to go out." Xiao Wei said as Mo Zi was about to leave, and at the same time took big strides towards the door, letting Lu Bi go outside to hold an umbrella.

  Lu Bi took a closer look at Mo Zi this time, but her expression didn't change much. She lowered her eyes and followed Xiao Wei's words, going out to instruct the little maids to open the umbrella.

  Mozi stood in the doorway and said, "Second Master, have a good trip."

  Xiao Wei didn't say anything back and walked into the rainy ground.

  Mozi sat back in front of the bookshelf, finally able to breathe smoothly, and her speed at finding books was much faster than before. She didn't know if it was because of the restrictions on her identity or because she was carrying Mo Ge's secret with a guilty conscience, but staying under the same roof as Xiao Er Lang made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

  She thought it was quiet again, but in a short while, another person came in from outside the door.

  "I am Hong Luo, the maid of Wei Feng's residence. Following Second Master's orders, I brought a book for Third Madam. Please take it quickly." The maid's attire was plain and simple, her appearance ordinary, but her attitude was not arrogant, she smiled warmly, another clever and obedient person.

  Mozi hurriedly got up and took the book over to take a look, it was indeed Shi Jing and Chun Qiu. "Thank you Hong Luo sister, saved me the trouble of finding books."

  "No need to thank me, just thank Second Master. I've left the lantern and umbrella outside, be careful on your way back." Hong Luo finished what she had been told to do by her master, said no more, and turned to leave.

  Purple candle blown out, door closed tightly, holding a book and umbrella, carrying a glass lantern that rain can't extinguish and wind can't blow out, thinking to himself, this alcohol is really amazing.

  Back at Mo Zhi Ju, the one guarding the door was unexpectedly Bai He. Mo Zi didn't show surprise, but asked, "You're keeping watch, isn't it strange that Hong Mei and other maids aren't around?"

  "Even the senior maids have to do the junior maids' chores, this is the new rule in our household." Bai He hastily took the umbrella from Mozi's hand, "Don't you know? The new maids are really fond of Nainai now. Every few days they get a day off, and they can serve the masters without distinction, and even get to follow them to the garden to see the world. Hongmei has been secretly praising Nainai for being kind-hearted and benevolent, saying she's never seen anyone treat the maids so well."

  "She agreed, but it's not like the elders agreed." Although Qiu San Niang had won over the hearts of the maids with small favors, those new rules would become a loss of authority or ability in the eyes of the hierarchical masters of the Wang Fu if they were not good.

  "The meaning of Hongmei was the same, so this rule was established in Mochen's residence, and she also instructed the maids not to casually reveal it in front of others. If they were to offend other masters, wouldn't the benefits of these maids be gone? To say, under Hongmei's repeated warnings, their mouths had indeed become tighter." Baihe was a girl who easily got along with people, and she could now have heart-to-heart conversations with Hongmei.

  Mozi thought that there was someone who knew the noble ladies of the Wangfu well by Gu San Niang's side, which was good. Next, it depended on whether Hongmei could be loyal to Gu San Niang or not.

  "You can tell me, but don't go telling Grandma. She's making new rules for your convenience in coming and going." There were two things that Bai He feared most in this world. One was his adoptive mother's health. Two was the intense rivalry between Juu San Niang and Mo Zi.

  "I'm just reminding you. Grandma has a quick temper, although there's a distinction between superior and inferior, sometimes she needs to be advised, otherwise her temper will offend people." Mozi knew that it was almost impossible for Baihe to talk back to Qiu San Niang, "But now with Hongmei around, I'm not particularly worried."

  "Yes, yes, I know I'm soft-hearted and can't say anything to others." Bai He chuckled, "Alright, hurry up and go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, you'll have to pay respects to Grandma again. You wait and see, that sharp-tongued person will definitely ask you where you slacked off for a whole day."

  It's about Red Plum Blossom.

  Mozi waved her hand, and the two books lightly patted each other. "Who's lazy? Next time Grandma wants to find a book, let someone capable do it. I'd like to see if she can do it without spending an entire day."

  After finishing speaking, went back to the room and slept.

  On the second day, early in the morning, Mozi entered Jiuliu's bedroom to attend to her, handing over a handkerchief for her to wipe her face, but found herself staring at him.

  "Didn't grandma sleep well last night?" Why so solemn?

  Qiu San Niang seemed to have forgotten about sending Mo Zi to find the book, and turned her gaze back, saying, "Last night there was a sudden thunderstorm, I was sleeping well, but it woke me up, and after that, my sleep was shallow, it felt like I kept hearing the sound of raindrops dripping."

  "In the afternoon, grandma will take another nap." Mozi felt that the towel had cooled down and warmed it up again.

  This time it was Qiu San Niang who received it, carelessly wiping it clean, "Mozi."

  "Yes, Grandma." This title, oh, if you change the tone it's not right.

  "Do... you believe in fate?" All of Jiang Sanniang's abnormal behavior was because of that fortune teller. The things he said really made her unable to stop thinking about it.

  She was born in a year of drought, and her mother had her fortune told by a diviner who was said to be very accurate. As a result, she was given a name that included the character for water. She had never mentioned this to anyone before. And as for the land with the red maple trees, it was just like the place where the red sprouts grew - she really did intend to continue abandoning it or find an opportunity to sell it off. But now that she thought about it, since her fortune lacked water, she couldn't sell the land and couldn't abandon it either. But could she entrust it to Mozi?

  When she saved Mozi, she could tell from her clothes and accessories that she was no ordinary person. Otherwise, with her personality of not liking to get involved in other people's business, she wouldn't have rescued an ordinary person. A noble? It's absolutely possible. Mozi said her parents were just commoners, but while she appeared to believe it on the surface, deep down she thought Mozi wasn't telling the truth. And after Mozi helped her, the wisdom and insight she showed weren't something a daughter of a humble family would have. She also understood that once Mozi's true identity was exposed, a contract wouldn't be able to keep her around. But as long as Mozi refused to acknowledge her past, she wouldn't be foolish enough to give up on using Mozi to make a fortune.

  The other three thought that the relationship between the two was tense, but in fact, it was not so much that they were both looking for a balance point where they could coexist peacefully and achieve each other's goals, so they kept probing each other's limits of tolerance.

  When Mozi was a servant, she was only five points, and when she became the master, wasn't it also just five points? It seemed like she was suppressing Mozi, but in reality, she had never truly suppressed her. While making things difficult for Mozi, which time didn't she leave enough room for maneuvering, and which time didn't she punish Mozi's pride without distinguishing between right and wrong?

  The two have always been evenly matched.

  So far, the things handed over to Mozi have not failed. She does not suspect that Mozi's words are like fortune-telling, and she is a person of water and wood. Mozi's left-handed woodworking skills, she has seen with her own eyes, are very nimble, better than the average carpenter's craftsmanship. Mozi rowing a boat, according to what the Cen brothers said, is simply like a fish in water, learning to drive a boat quickly, and after one trip, he can keep up with the boat's speed.

  But, Red Maple Valley was handed over to Mozi?

  She was contradictory. On the one hand, she knew that among the people around her, Mozi was the most suitable candidate. But on the other hand, unlike in the past, the entire business would be handed over to Mozi, and it was what Mozi was best at. With Mozi's cleverness, how much benefit could be gained from it? She also knew that Mozi leaving her was only a matter of time, but she didn't want to let Mozi go free so soon. The shipyard was unprofitable and could only maintain her foundation. If she let Mozi take advantage of the loophole, wouldn't it be a loss?

  However, in his heart, he kept thinking: "The water and wood are in your hands, and you also have the living water. But you are so foolish and stubborn, with dull eyes and deaf ears, yet you want to cut off people's wings and covet short-term gains. You should know that for all things, a sincere heart is spiritual, and a broad mind is far-reaching. If you don't let go, how can you get the true heart of those who help you?

  Is it true that only by letting go can one gain? By releasing her grip and allowing Mozi to leave, does she mean that Mozi will then offer his genuine assistance?

  Qiu San Niang thought for a night and decided to make a probe.

  Today's first update.

  I went out during the day, so the second update might be only 2,000 words and will be later.

  Mua mua, dear friends.

  Chapter 137: Three Steps Forward, Three Steps Back (Part One)

  Chapter 137: Three Steps Forward, Three Steps Back, Arriving at the Website