mtl008 Chapter 87 Maid
Chapter 87 Maid
And so, Xiao Siyue and her parents stayed in Qianyuan County for two months, enjoying themselves immensely every day. Lin Qin took them to all the famous places in Qianyuan County and let them try all the local delicacies.
The elderly couple were preparing to go home, but Xiao Siyue didn't plan to go back with them; she wanted to stay with her parents.
This was the day the elderly couple was to return home. Xiao Siyue and her family of four saw them off outside the government office.
"Father, Mother, after you go back this time, you don't need to do any work anymore. The family isn't short of money now. We can buy a few maids and servants to take care of you." The Xiao family's elderly couple are getting on in years. Although they look hale and hearty, they can't compare to what they used to be. Xiao Qinian gave them these words of advice with some concern.
"Yes, I understand," Grandpa Xiao replied. Their courtyard had been renovated and many rooms had been added. With the help of maids and servants, they wouldn't be without a place to live.
Xiao Siyue had originally planned to buy a house in the county, but the elderly couple were unwilling to live there.
"Grandma, are you really not going to stay a little longer?" Xiao Siyue held Old Lady Xiao's hand with extreme reluctance.
“Yes, Mother, don’t rush back,” Lin Qin also advised from the side.
"No, it's almost time for the busy farming season. Your grandfather wants to go home and look after his hundred acres of farmland." Old Mrs. Xiao touched Xiao Siyue's soft little hand.
"Grandma, didn't we give the grain to my second uncle?" Could it be that his grandfather was still worried? Although Xiao Qili didn't usually interact with people much, he was a very responsible person.
"Your grandfather was always a worrywart. He just loved living in our Xiao Family Village," Old Mrs. Xiao sighed. Actually, she also enjoyed life in Xiao Family Village; it was lively.
"Alright then, you must be careful on the road." Xiao Siyue could only give a helpless reminder. Although her father had suggested arranging for a few people to escort the elderly couple back this time, she still had to give them some reminders.
"Okay, Grandpa and Grandma will definitely do it." Old Mrs. Xiao felt comforted and patted Xiao Siyue's little hand.
"Grandpa, Grandma, you mustn't forget about us," Xiao Siyu said with a smile.
"I won't forget you, you little rascal." Old Mrs. Xiao patted Xiao Siyu's shoulder with a smile.
The group chatted and laughed for a while. It was getting late, and if they didn't leave soon, they probably wouldn't be able to reach their accommodation by nightfall.
After helping Old Lady Xiao into the carriage, Xiao Siyue said to Zhou Ming, "Zhou Ming, please be careful on the road."
Zhou Ming nodded, indicating that he understood.
Watching the carriage gradually disappear into the distance, Xiao Siyue then returned home with Xiao Qinian and Lin Qin.
After returning home, Xiao Qinian went to work, while Xiao Siyu went to school.
Lin Qin then pulled Xiao Siyue back to the backyard.
"Yue'er, I specially chose two maids for you. They will take care of you from now on." Lin Qin pointed to two girls who looked to be about eleven or twelve years old.
Xiao Siyue looked them over carefully and saw that both of them had clear eyes, but they were both thin and had sallow complexions, so it was obvious that they were from poor families.
That's true. Families with better financial means are willing to sell their children to others to be maids.
However, the two seemed to have completely different personalities. Although both appeared humble, one of them stood out, constantly glancing at Xiao Siyue with curiosity in her eyes.
The other one was rather dull and timid. He only glanced at me before quickly lowering his head, and upon closer inspection, his body was trembling slightly.
What are your names?
"This servant is Chuntao," the bolder girl answered first.
"This servant girl, Lan Yi," another girl followed closely behind, her voice barely audible.
"Okay, then you'll all be following me from now on."
"Yes, ma'am."
Xiao Siyue didn't ask any more questions. Although it wasn't quite what she wanted, she was still young and could be properly guided in the future. As long as her character was good, that was fine.
"You may leave now."
"Yes," the two replied in unison and withdrew.
"Mother, why is Lan Yi so timid?" Xiao Siyue asked after the two left.
"Oh, you mean that girl? She's a child with a tragic fate," Lin Qin said with a sigh.
"Mom, tell me, what happened to her?" Xiao Siyue was very curious about what kind of experience had caused such a young child to be in this state.
"Lan Yi is a girl from a respectable family, and she's even the daughter of a scholar,"
"The daughter of a scholar?" Xiao Siyue exclaimed in surprise.
"How could a scholar's daughter be working as a maid? Did something happen to their family?" Xiao Siyue hurriedly asked.
“Something did happen. Lan Yi’s mother died when she was five years old, and her father remarried,” Lin Qin continued.
"So having a stepmother means having a stepfather," Xiao Siyue guessed.
"No, that's not true. Her father treated her very well, and her stepmother was also alright. Lan Yi lived a pretty good life, but her father died less than two years later."
"Then, her stepmother thought that Lan Yi was a jinx, bringing bad luck to her father and mother, and started to beat and scold Lan Yi, often not giving her food."
"Some time ago, he even secretly sold Lan Yi and then ran away with the money."
"And that matchmaker wasn't a good person. She planned to sell Lan Yi to a brothel. I just happened to run into her and bought her." Lin Qin thought back to when she first saw Lan Yi. She was beaten all over by the matchmaker. She had a soft heart and bought her. It's been a while since she brought her back. She's gotten a little better now. At first, she wouldn't say a word and would always sneak away to a corner.
"Oh, I see. No wonder." Xiao Siyue sighed. Spending every day being beaten, a child like her naturally lived in fear and grew increasingly timid.
"What about Chun Tao? This girl doesn't seem to have been mistreated. How come she's working as a maid?" Xiao Siyue had thought Chun Tao came from an ordinary family.
"Hehe, Chun Tao, she volunteered to be a maid. Her family was very poor, and the young girl didn't want her family to suffer, so she secretly sold herself. She's a filial and good girl," Lin Qin said with a smile.
"That's quite a bold girl."
“Then I’ll keep both of them,” Xiao Siyue said.
Despite their young age, these two girls are exceptionally efficient and have taken excellent care of Xiao Siyue during this time.
Xiao Siyue feels like she's a level two disabled person now, with everything done for her.
Although Lan Yi was timid, she was exceptionally diligent. After spending some time together, she no longer trembled as much as before when she spoke.
What surprised Xiao Siyue the most was Chun Tao, who was bold, meticulous, and very perceptive. She handled all the tasks Xiao Siyue assigned her very well.
Xiao Siyue pondered that after observing for a while longer, she would try to cultivate Chun Tao into her confidante, and in the future, she would hand over her own business to Chun Tao to manage.