Union

Chapter 64 Fabrics and Jewelry

Because her mental arithmetic skills had been revealed to the Second Master, Yunying stopped hiding them. She then worked very quickly, completing eight or nine ledgers in a single morning.

She was completely absorbed in the pleasure of doing the accounting and did not feel bored or tired at all.

But the second master told her to stop and rest before having lunch. As soon as she stopped, she felt an unbearable soreness in her shoulders, neck and back, and her body felt completely drained.

She let out a muffled groan, realizing her mistake as soon as the sound left her mouth, and quickly looked up at the Second Master.

Sure enough, the Second Master was leisurely watching her, his chin resting on his hand. His lips were slightly upturned, his eyes were bright, and his sharply defined features seemed to have softened a bit.

The second master jokingly asked her, "How are you? Are you exhausted?"

Yunying felt a little uncomfortable. She coughed lightly and pursed her lips. "It's alright. It's just... my back feels a bit uncomfortable, but I think I'll feel better after resting."

"Or should I have that little maid who serves you come over and give you a shoulder and back massage to help you relax?"

Yunying quickly waved her hand.

No, please. Sui'er is terrified of Second Master.

Once, Sui'er even told her that she wanted to kneel down to Second Master whenever she saw him.

She doesn't stutter when speaking in front of the Second Master; that's the result of her long and arduous effort to adapt.

But she was still afraid when she saw the Second Master. This fear stemmed partly from the oppressive presence of his status, and partly from the fact that the Second Master, being of noble birth, naturally exuded a sense of aloofness that inspired awe.

If Sui'er really came over, she probably wouldn't know what to do with her hands and feet.

Yunying said, "No need for Sui'er to come over, I just need to rest. Second Master, are you referring to lunch? Is it already lunchtime?"

As the Second Master said, "It's lunchtime. I've already sent the servants to prepare lunch," he stood up and looked at Yunying. "Let's go to the flower hall. Rest for a bit before having lunch."

Yunying got up and followed the Second Master to the flower hall.

It's quite a coincidence that the kitchen staff prepared a hot pot for Second Master today as well.

However, compared to the side dishes they ate yesterday, such as pigeon eggs and tofu, the side dishes at Second Master's place were significantly more abundant.

Leaving aside the venison and lamb, this table also has some expensive seafood: sea urchins, salmon, clams, abalone, and palm-sized shrimp. In short, this table looks very expensive.

In addition, there were many leafy green vegetables on the table.

You see, although Yungui County is in the south, it still has winters, and vegetables don't grow well in winter. So people grow some in their own homes and sell them when it gets cold.

Yunying and the others ate two kinds of leafy greens yesterday, but as for Second Master... well, it's all tears when I say more. No wonder everyone wants to be the master.

Yunying sighed deeply over the hot pot, making it hard for the Second Master not to be curious. Naturally, the Second Master asked why, but Yunying dared not tell the truth. She subtly offered another excuse, saying, "I just used the hot pot with Qiuning yesterday."

The second master raised an eyebrow slightly. "So you don't want to eat today?"

“No, that’s not it,” Yunying quickly said. “It just seems like a coincidence.”

Second Master nodded slightly and asked casually, "What kind of broth did you use? How was it?" He added, "I should have asked them to change it today."

Yunying quickly replied, "No need for that. I quite like hot pot. The key is that it's cold, and eating this will warm me up. Besides, I didn't have much of an appetite yesterday, so I didn't eat much of the hot pot. Qiu Ning did most of the eating. I only drank a bowl of broth and ate a bowl of chicken noodle soup."

She then went on and on about what kind of broth she used yesterday.

Their broth was made from chicken, duck, and pork bones, and it was incredibly rich, white, and delicious. But compared to what Second Master had prepared, it was clear that comparison is the thief of joy.

Yunying sighed softly, "The hot pot we ate didn't taste as good as the one at Second Master's place."

Second Master was no longer just smiling; his brows and eyes relaxed as he jokingly asked Yunying, "So what should we do? From now on, whenever you want to eat hot pot, come find me and we'll eat together?"

Second Master nodded slightly, seemingly pleased with his idea. "Alright, considering how much trouble this will cause you, you can come find me for hot pot next month, and the month after next, on this day."

Yunying wouldn't dare come to Second Master for hot pot; she must have a death wish.

Before she could even refuse, the Second Master had already made the final decision, "Alright, it's settled then. Let's eat quickly, the venison will get tough if it's cooked for too long."

Yunying swallowed back the words she was about to say and could only silently begin to eat.

She didn't know if she was feeling better today, or if she was really hungry after a busy morning, or if the hot pot was just more delicious than yesterday's.

Yunying found the meal very palatable, and before she knew it, she had eaten quite a lot.

When Yunying put down her chopsticks, her stomach was full and her body felt warm and comfortable. All she wanted to do was find a place to lie down and sleep.

However, no, Second Master still needs to use those account books.

We need to settle the accounts as soon as possible, find the corrupt officials behind it all, and make them spit out everything they've swallowed, otherwise it's just too painful to even think about.

Yunying greeted the Second Master and went to the study to continue reviewing the accounts. The Second Master said, "Take a break before you go. It's not something that can be done in a day or two. There are nearly ten years' worth of accounts to review. It would be fine if you could finish them before the end of the year."

Yunying frowned. "That won't do. We need to get this done as soon as possible. Not to mention the cleaning and preparations for the New Year banquet at the mansion, the elders and gentry from the surrounding villages will definitely come to visit you, Second Master. They might even bring you New Year's gifts. At that time, not only will you be extremely busy, Second Master, but I'm afraid I won't have any free time either. Let's get all this sorted out as soon as possible. Once this matter is resolved, we'll all feel relieved."

She added playfully, "Once I sort out the accounts and Second Master finds out who's behind this mess, the county government might get a huge sum of money before the new year."

The Second Master stared straight at Yun Ying, his gaze so deep and seemingly so dark that it made Yun Ying very uncomfortable. She spoke softly, and even turned her face away, no longer daring to look directly at the Second Master.

Fortunately, the Second Master seemed to think that getting a large sum of money before the end of the year would be a good omen. So he agreed to Yunying's request and sent her to continue with the accounting.

Yunying breathed a sigh of relief that the second master didn't go with them.

She strolled slowly toward the study, but once inside, Yunying was troubled again.

The question is, should she continue sitting in the second master's seat, or should she go back to her own seat?

Yunying didn't hesitate for long.

She wasn't the type to compromise herself. Since she felt the light was better by the window and the Second Master wouldn't be back anytime soon, she naturally decided to sit there.

Her eyes were very precious, and since there were no nearsighted glasses in ancient times, she really dared not stare at the book for a long time in dim light.

Yunying got busy again, working until the sun was setting and the room was so dark that candles had to be lit before she finally stopped.

Second Master didn't show up all afternoon; it's said he went down to inspect the people's winter preparations.

However, it was clear that the Second Master hadn't gone far this time, because just as Yunying stepped out of the study and was about to return to her own courtyard, the Second Master came over from outside.

Seeing that Yunying was about to leave, he called out to her, "Stay and have dinner together."

Before Yunying could refuse, the Second Master said, "I have some things for you. You can take them after you finish your meal."

Yunying assumed it was something interesting the Second Master had encountered while on his inspection tour, so she didn't think much of it. Besides, she had dined with the Second Master many times before, so this wouldn't be another one. Yunying didn't refuse and readily agreed.

However, since the Second Master had just returned from outside and needed to go back to his room to bathe and change, Yunying went to the flower hall to wait for him.

She didn't have to wait long. The Second Master soon returned with his long, wet hair disheveled, wearing a casual light blue round-necked robe with blue trim.

He had just taken a bath, and his skin was pale and cold. Water droplets still rolled down his simply dried black hair, dripping onto his clothes. The back of his clothes was particularly wet, making him look extremely uncomfortable.

Yunying's fingertips twitched slightly, and she couldn't help but frown, saying, "Second Master, you should at least dry your hair. It's terribly cold now, and if you come out with your hair wet like this, you might have a headache at night."

Second Master directly told Suiyun to fetch the towel for drying hair and threw it to her, saying, "Come here and wring my hair. I'm impatient with Suiyun and the others serving me."

Who did you have your hair cut before? You can't just let your hair air dry, can you?

Yunying wanted to ask this question, but she didn't. After all, it wasn't like she hadn't done this before. Wasn't it she who helped twist the hair when the Second Master injured his back?

Oh, right, the injury on Second Master's back.

While nervously twisting the Second Master's hair, Yunying asked him, "That wound on your back shouldn't have left a scar, right?"

The second master seemed to want to turn his head to look at her, but unfortunately, his hair was currently being held in Yunying's hand. He turned his face away, and Yunying turned around as well.

"What are you doing, Second Master? I'm busy here, please don't move around like that."

Second Master stopped moving and just chuckled, "That was so long ago, and you're only asking about it now."

That's a favor; it's only right that she doesn't ask.

If she shows too much concern, won't it seem like she has ulterior motives, and what if he misunderstands?
Yunying dared not say this aloud, and only laughed it off, saying, "I was too busy before and didn't think of this matter."

Too busy? Busy eating, drinking, having fun, and watching plays?

Yunying: "..."

The second master was too lazy to argue with Yunying, and said casually, "The wound is on my back. How could I see if it left a scar? If you're really curious, why don't you just open your clothes and take a look?"

Yunying: "..."

Whether the Second Master was serious or not, she was intimidated and could only stare blankly at the top of his head, no longer daring to speak to him.

Yunying focused intently on braiding the Second Master's hair. His hair was thick and of good quality; a large handful clump in her hand, glossy and black. At that moment, the hair emitted a faint scent of soapberry, which, combined with the subtle sandalwood fragrance emanating from the Second Master, calmed Yunying's heart.
Yunying twisted the hair for a long time, and when she felt that the Second Master's hair was almost dry, she let go.

She picked up the jade crown beside her and tried to tie up the Second Master's hair. However, whether it was because she was not skilled enough or because her hair was too smooth after her bath, Yunying couldn't tie it up after combing for a long time. Instead, she felt the Second Master move a few times as if he was restless and impatient, as if he wanted to break free from her hands.

Yunying hurriedly asked, "Did I hurt you, Second Master?"

The second master's voice was slightly hoarse, and after a long while, he finally replied, "No."

Yunying didn't believe her, so she quickened her pace and busied herself again. But she really had no experience and was worried that the Second Master would get impatient and give her a hard time. In her frustration, she even pulled out a few strands of the Second Master's hair.

The second master, seemingly unprepared for this calamity, gasped in pain. "Yun Ying, are you taking revenge on me?"

Yunying thought to herself, "I wouldn't dare," but then she thought, "Second Master, do you know that what you just said about me was inhumane?"

Yunying didn't say this aloud; she only apologized awkwardly, "I really don't know how, Second Master. Why don't you do it yourself?"

"Ha, you can't? Do you think I can?"

Yunying: "..." That's true.

Finally, Yunying, as if on a pilgrimage to the West, dawdled for quite a while before finally managing to tie up the Second Master's hair.

As she sat down next to the Second Master to prepare her meal, she not only breathed a sigh of relief herself, but also seemed to sense that the Second Master had also breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Seeing this, Yunying felt somewhat guilty, especially when she thought about the evidence she had secretly hidden and dared not let the Second Master see. Yunying felt even more sorry for the Second Master.

She suggested to the Second Master, "I think we should put a maid in your courtyard. Even if she doesn't do anything else, just simple tasks like making the bed, tidying clothes, and combing your hair are all too complicated and time-consuming. It's not good to keep having Suiyu and the others do these things, is it?"

The Second Master was still reeling from the electric shock that had run down his spine and made his whole body go numb. The lingering tremor made his eyes appear dark and dangerous.

He dared not let Yunying notice anything unusual about him, so he leaned back in the armchair and pretended to be asleep.

But upon hearing Yunying's suggestion, the Second Master couldn't help but open his eyes and glance at her.

“You’re right,” the Second Master said. “It’s just that it’s hard to find a maid I can trust to serve in a short time. Since you’re so considerate, why don’t you come and serve me for a few days?”

Yunying's heart pounded, and her hands and feet trembled slightly.

After a moment, she smiled awkwardly and said, "Second Master, what are you saying? I'm the manager now, and I can't even handle all the affairs in the manor every day. How could I have time to come and serve you, Second Master?"

The second master glanced at her, as if to say, "Then why are you still talking nonsense?"

Knowing she was in the wrong, Yunying turned her face away and dared not provoke the Second Master again.

Dinner was served quickly, and the two ate in silence, then drank some digestive tea.

It was already quite late, and today was a rare occasion; the moon had actually appeared, and it was very bright, like a round disc hanging in the sky.

The house gradually quieted down, the noise of the servants faded away, and only the soft footsteps echoed through the courtyard with the whistling cold wind.

Yunying thought it was time to go back to sleep, so she asked the Second Master, "What are you going to give me? Can you give it to me now? It's almost time to retire for the night, so I have to go back to the backyard."

The second master glanced at her.

Her eyes and brows were gentle, her cheeks fair, and her lips rosy red. She still looked bright and pretty, and in the candlelight, she had a unique charm. However, she had been working hard all day, and a hint of fatigue was visible between her brows. When she spoke to him, she even covered her lips and yawned.

Seeing this, the Second Master softened his heart and asked Suiyun to bring over the things that had been prepared beforehand.

When Yunying saw the many bolts of cloth and a box of jewelry that had been moved in front of her, all her drowsiness vanished in fright.

Yunying looked at the Second Master, then at the thing in front of her. She was a little unsure, but the Second Master looked so confident. What else could Yunying not understand? This was what the Second Master wanted to give her.

Yunying quickly refused, "Second Master, I can't accept these things."

"What? You don't like it?"

"What are you saying, Second Master?" Yunying said, both amused and exasperated. "These were all sent by the Duchess, so they must be rare and precious items. Putting aside the fact that I am just a maid and it is inappropriate for me to use these things, they are also too valuable. Even if I take them, I will have to worry about someone breaking into my room at night to steal things."

Yunying spoke wittily, but she conveyed the general meaning.

She couldn't accept those things; they were too precious for her.

If she were truly the Second Master's concubine or maidservant, then it would be acceptable to use her because of his favoritism. But she wasn't, and she would feel guilty taking these things.

Yunying thought so, but the Second Master clearly had a different idea.

"These things are clearly for the women. If you don't use them, do you expect me to give them to those two in the back courtyard?" The Second Master frowned deeply. "What have they done? What have they done to ease the Second Master's worries or solve his problems?"

Under the Second Master's intense gaze, Yunying guiltily said, "No."

But there was one more thing she didn't say: it wasn't that the two of them didn't want to share the burden with the Second Master, it was that the Second Master didn't give them the opportunity.

But Yunying valued her life, so she dared not say these words.

The Second Master continued, "Since you've done nothing but received the monthly allowance and tribute from the manor for nothing, if you're still not satisfied and dare to ask the Second Master for fabric and jewelry, such a person should be kicked out of the manor as soon as possible."

Yunying: "..." Although Second Master's reasoning was flawed, it seemed to make some sense.

Stop, stop! We can't let Second Master lead us astray.

The second master said again, "These are just a few bolts of fabric. I've given them to you, so they're yours. You're going to be the steward of the county government after all, and you'll inevitably have to help with welcoming and seeing off guests. Wouldn't it be beneath my dignity to dress so plainly?"

"And these pieces of jewelry are a reward for helping me with the accounting this time. As the saying goes, 'What you do deserves a reward.' Not only you, but also Suiyun and the others, anyone who makes a contribution will be richly rewarded by me."

Yunying still seemed somewhat reluctant, but the Second Master asked her again, "Or do you think that what you've done for me this time is not worthy of this generous reward?"

……

Yunying left the front yard a moment later, but she was followed not only by Hesui, but also by Suiyun, who had come to deliver the items.

Yunying's steps were light and airy, and so were Sui'er's. The two of them entered the courtyard, saw Suiyun off, and then sat down at the table, staring blankly at the things.

Yunying ultimately only wanted five bolts of cloth.

These five bolts of brightly colored silk were clearly made for young women to wear. Four of them could be used as outer garments, while the other, a pure snow pink, had an incredibly soft and delicate feel, perfect for an inner garment—one can only imagine how comfortable it would be.

Although it was just five simple bolts of cloth, the fact that these fabrics had passed through the hands of the Duchess meant they were of high quality. Not to mention, in addition to the fabrics, she also had a box of jewelry.

Inside the box was a set of fine red gold jewelry and a set of high-quality pink tourmaline jewelry.

The set of pure gold jewelry includes a pure gold "Full Pool of Beauty" hair ornament, a pure gold cloisonné willow leaf headband, two pure gold willow leaf earrings, a pure gold dragon necklace, a pure gold cloisonné pomegranate bracelet, and a pure gold kingfisher feather "Sunrise" beaded hairpin.

The tourmaline jewelry set had fewer items than the pure gold jewelry set, and the pieces were also much smaller. Among them were a tourmaline carved hairpin, a tourmaline skirt ring, a tourmaline ring, a tourmaline bracelet, and a pair of tourmaline ginkgo leaf earrings.

The items are few in number and small in size, but they are equally valuable.

Especially the pink color, so delicate and beautiful, just thinking about it, one can imagine how much more beautiful Yunying would look if she wore this set of jewelry.

Sui'er stared wide-eyed.

She was a maid from a poor family. Her biggest dream used to be to have enough to eat. Now, her biggest dream is to save up two pieces of silver jewelry as her dowry before she gets married.

In her mind, the best thing is gold, but gold is too far away from her, and she's afraid she'll never see it in her lifetime.

But tonight, at this very moment, she not only saw gold, but also a complete set of exquisite jewelry made of gold.

Sui'er's eyes were blinded by the gleam of the crimson gold jewelry.

She covered her eyes and kept calling out "Miss" repeatedly, saying, "Miss, please put these things away quickly, otherwise I'm afraid I'll just grab them and put them all in my room."

Upon hearing this, Yunying couldn't help but chuckle and pushed the box towards Sui'er. "You don't need to fight for it. If you want to see it, just pick it up and look at it. Do you think I'm afraid you'll break it?"

Sui'er quickly got up and ran quite a distance away. "If I had known that this box contained such valuable things, I probably wouldn't have been able to lift it. No, my hands are shaking a bit, I need to take a break."

Sui'er's expressions were so exaggerated that her joking around helped to alleviate Yun Ying's sense of unreality and unease.

Looking at these things in front of her, Yunying sighed inwardly. In fact, she had declined them several times, but in the end she couldn't refuse them.

Sui'er sat back down, looking worried, and said, "Miss, is it really okay to wear these things out? I'm not worried about people stealing them, I'm worried about those two over there..."

Sui'er pointed to Qiu Ning and Mu Jin, who lived to the west, with a look of wanting to say something but holding back.

Yunying was also worried, but what could she do?

She had previously used the excuse that after the New Year, elders and gentry would inevitably come to pay their respects, and if they had elderly parents, the Second Master would surely bestow something upon them.

After such a long chatter, the Second Master finally put away the rest of the fabric, and she only carried back these five bolts of cloth.

Now that everything has been brought back, there's no reason for it to just sit there gathering dust. Otherwise, not only will Second Master be unhappy, but she will be too.

As for Qiu Ning and Mu Jin having objections... haven't they always had objections? If we can't resolve it, let's just ignore it.

One update today, but still over 6000 words. I'll add another update the day after tomorrow after I finish tomorrow's busy schedule. These past few days have been incredibly busy. We're having a family banquet, doing a thorough cleaning, and buying and tidying up so many things. I really made a mistake in deciding against the banquet; I should have said no. Now everyone in the family is running around like crazy. Just thinking about seeing so many relatives tomorrow makes me so tired I just want to lie down and rest.

(End of this chapter)