Flowers in full bloom

Chapter 141: Being short-handed

Hua Lei pondered for a moment and asked Xiao Yuan softly.

"Xiaoyuan, do you think that if we take and use less of the Marquis' Mansion's resources now, we will owe the Marquis Mansion less favors?" Seeing that Xiaoyuan didn't say anything, he continued.

"But Xiaoyuan, you are still young, you don't need to think about these things. Even if you don't eat or use the food from the Marquis' Mansion now, others will think that we ate and used it. In fact, we did eat and used it. In the eyes of others, we two siblings are just mice that fell into the rice jar. Even if we didn't eat it, we can't explain it clearly, not to mention that we ate a lot."

"When we first entered the Marquis' Mansion, Grandmother Pei gave us monthly wages. Why did you refuse them?" Xiao Yuan sniffed and asked in a muffled voice.

Hualei was stunned, "Xiaoyuan, you......"

"Sister, after we moved into the Marquis' Mansion, you could have lived here peacefully, gone to the girls' school, read books, and just please Grandmother Pei and the ladies of the Marquis' Mansion. The bookstore and the steamed bun shop should have been able to support us, so why did you buy a farm and a shop later?"

"Xiaoyuan, does this have anything to do with whether you live in a building or not?" Hua Lei was a little confused.

"Sister, you were determined not to accept the monthly salary from Grandmother Pei because you didn't want to owe the Marquisate more. You never visit the rooms of the ladies in the Marquisate. Besides the fact that we are in mourning, you have never thought about integrating with them, right?

You give copper coins to Sister Qingying and Sister Qinglian every month because you don't want them to think that we are dependent on others and look down on us, right? You bought the farm and the shop because you want to leave a way out for the two of us, right? Aren't you working so hard so that we can be fearless when we leave the Marquis' Mansion?" Xiaoyuan looked at Hualei, who had a dazed look on her face, and continued.

"Even if we leave the Marquis' Mansion, my sister and I can still live well. Isn't this what you have done so much to achieve? You said that Grandmother Pei took us in because of her kindness, but we can't take this kindness for granted as what we deserve. The Marquis' Mansion has no relatives or friends with us.

We should be grateful for the support and care that the Marquis' Mansion has given us, but you don't want the Marquis' Mansion to use this favor to control your marriage, right? You said that you can only have a say after you become strong. Isn't buying a farm and a shop just to strengthen yourself?

Sister, I am not strong enough now, and I am not even grown up yet. I can't help you with anything, but, sister, I don't want to hold you back. It doesn't matter what others think of us, even if they think of us as mice that fell into a rice jar.

But at least I know how much I have eaten. Even if the Marquis's Mansion really wants us to repay this favor, I can pay back less. I won't owe too much because I want to be lazy and comfortable now, and I won't be able to pay it back later."

"Xiaoyuan..." Hualei's eyes felt sore and she lowered her head, feeling a slight pain in her heart.

"Sister." Xiaoyuan came up and took Hualei's hand, saying, "In addition to the words that Grandfather gave you a few days before he passed away, in fact, Grandfather also said a lot to me when you were not by his bedside."

"What did you say?" Hua Lei asked involuntarily, looking up.

"Grandfather told me to listen to you and live well. If possible, I should study hard for the imperial examination. However, no matter how important studying is, it is not as important as you. You are the only daughter of our Hua family. He will not allow me to use your marriage as a springboard, nor will he allow me to sell out your happiness for the rest of my life for my own benefit, even if it is my study for the imperial examination.

He wanted me to use my intelligence to take the imperial examination and become an official, and then support you as a backer. Before that, no matter what dangers we encounter, we should always take our lives as the first and best consideration, as long as we are alive. If someone uses my study and imperial examination to control your marriage with small favors, let me give up the imperial examination and become an ordinary citizen. My grandfather's last words to me were "Take good care of my sister and study for the imperial examination."

Hualei's eye sockets felt hot, and she turned her head to look out the window. Outside the window, under the blue sky, a few white birds flew by quickly, seeming to leave something behind, yet seeming to leave nothing behind.

After a long time, Hualei turned around and gently held Xiaoyuan's hand. "Okay, I'll listen to you this time. We'll live in the dormitory. You take good care of yourself and don't get sick, okay?"

"Yeah. I can take care of myself." Xiaoyuan replied.

Because Xiaoyuan wanted to live in the building, Mrs. Pei and Ruan persuaded Xiaoyuan for a long time, but Xiaoyuan did not change his mind. When Mrs. Pei saw that Hualei also agreed, she stopped talking.

When Rong Jue saw that Xiao Yuan wanted to live in the building, he started throwing a tantrum at Ruan and asked to live there too. In the end, Ruan couldn't persuade Rong Jue anymore, so she agreed, and they both decided to live in the building.

What was surprising was that Rong Jin was also going to live in the building in the Imperial College. This decision surprised not only Mrs. Pei, but also Mrs. Han. She had been studying in the Imperial College for almost five or six years, and had always been going back and forth every day, and had never lived in the building. But now she suddenly had to live in the building.

Mrs. Han was puzzled and asked the reason. Rong Jin just said that he wanted to focus on his studies and didn't want to be distracted. Besides, living in the building would allow him to sleep a little longer every morning and evening, and he wouldn't have to rush around on the road and waste time. Mrs. Han persuaded him for a long time without success, so she agreed.

But after hearing the news, Han Qingge was sad and secretly shed tears. She lived in the Marquis' Mansion, and although she didn't have many opportunities to see Rong Jin, Rong Jin went back and forth to the Marquis' Mansion every day. Every morning, Han Qingge would intentionally or unintentionally see Rong Jin drop a handkerchief or lose an earring on the path he passed by, and pretend to meet him by chance. Even if Rong Jin was in a hurry, he would not stop to say anything to Han Qingge. However, as long as she could see Rong Jin from time to time, it was a great comfort for Han Qingge.

Every night, she could use the excuse of helping Madam Han deliver snacks and nourishing soup to Rong Jin to go to Rong Jin's Qixia Courtyard. Although she would be stopped by Qingzao and Qingsheng at the gate every time, as long as she could see Rong Jin's silhouette on the window paper, Han Qingge would be able to sleep well all night.

Although she had to get up earlier and sleep later than Rong Jin every day, Han Qingge was happy to do it. However, Rong Jin was going to live in a building. Then, except for seeing Rong Jin once every ten days, she would not have any other chance to see Rong Jin. How could she let Rong Jin see her good side? It seemed that her marriage with Rong Jin was even more distant.