After school, Qin Dewei returned to the Xu family, where he had been away for a long time. Since the "great changes in the county government", he had not entered the Xu family for almost ten days. He could have gone back a few days ago, but was blocked by Madam Dong near the door.
, and then went to the county government office.
Xu Shi'an said to Qin Dewei: "You'd better go and see Liu Yue first, maybe she's gone."
Qin Dewei couldn't help but remember that Xu Laosan had said before that during his absence, his mother thought her maid Liu Yue was not a peaceful person and wanted to sell Liu Yuefa, and then Liu Yue went on a hunger strike to protest.
Could something really go wrong? Qin Dewei was startled when he entered the utility room of Dongkuaoyuan with some worries.
I saw a layer of wooden boards laid out on the millstone, barely resembling a bed. This was nothing at first, but lying upright on the wooden board was a corpse-like maidservant who seemed to have lost her breath, which was very scary.
After hearing about Liu Yue's hunger strike ten days ago, Qin Dewei didn't pay much attention to it and just regarded it as a farce of the green tea girl. Besides, he was busy with county government affairs and couldn't take care of other things.
But when he came back and saw this scene, how could he not be shocked? This was someone who died on a hunger strike. No one could survive a hunger strike for more than ten days, and he didn't have the physique of a Mahatma.
After all, we live in an ancient society where human life is nothing. The death of a slave is not a big deal to a wealthy family like the Xu family, especially if it is a slave girl who has been kicked out of the house.
Qin Dewei may have some recognition of Liu Yue's fighting spirit, but really there is no relationship. But people are not grass and trees. Seeing that a living person beside him is gone, he still feels very sad.
Sighing softly, what can he do? Blame his mother? That is impossible, filial piety is more important than anything else. He walked forward, stretched out his hand and closed Liu Yue's unblinking eyes, and murmured:
"May you have a good pregnancy in your next life. Your surname will still be Liu, and you will live in Lehu. You will be as beautiful as a flower, good at poetry and music. You will be famous in the south of the Yangtze River and leave a lasting voice. Your final destination will be Shang Shulang, the leader of the two dynasties, and your scalp will not be itchy or cold.
.”
After Qin Dewei finished reciting the prayer for death, he took his hand away, only to see the eyelids of the maid holding the corpse blink a few times, and she looked directly at him.
When he came in just now, what he saw was a dead person, and Qin Dewei was shocked. But now that the person was alive, he was frightened a second time, and said in shock: "You're not dead?"
Liu Yue said feebly: "If the slave family is dead, will it be easier for you?"
"That's not true!" Qin Dewei denied: "It's just that you misunderstood me just now."
Liu Yue explained: "I don't want to be sold, this is the only way."
"Haven't you been on a hunger strike for seven or eight days?" Qin Dewei suddenly thought of a technical problem and subconsciously questioned his professionalism.
"Hunger strike once a day, and drink a bowl of rice soup at night with someone behind my back." Liu Yue was so angry that it was obviously very difficult for her to say these words, but she had to say them.
Qin Dewei was speechless. You should have been born in Tianzhu. You are either a saint or a master. Suddenly he thought of another question: "Wait a minute, where did you get the rice soup?"
Liu Yue, who was half-dead, used her last strength to reply: "Mr. An, my poor servant, gave me this secretly."
After she finished answering, she closed her eyes. Qin Dewei checked her breathing and found that she was breathing, okay, okay. It seemed that she was too tired just to keep her eyes open.
Now that Qin Dewei was back, the Xu family naturally sent food over in the evening. According to Mrs. Xu's request, the food was sumptuous. He also asked Qin Dewei if he wanted new clothes, but Qin Dewei, who had some sense of integrity, declined politely.
The young boy, who was in urgent need of nutritional supplements, wolfed down all the hard vegetables and meats, and then drank all the soup, water, and other things into the hunger strike maid.
Liu Yue is in such a weak state that it is best to drink some soup and water to avoid dying in her room. Qin Dewei is a man who aspires to become an urban legend, but he does not want to be the leading actor in a haunted house story.
When it was almost time to go to bed, Mrs. Zhou, the housekeeper, who had finished her busy work in the inner house, came to the Waidong Crossing Courtyard, called out her son, and avoided the sight of everyone, standing outside the courtyard door to talk.
He first asked about his mother's recent daily life, and then Qin Dewei said: "My son has not been at Xu's house these days. I wonder what my mother thinks about Liu Yue? Please give me some advice."
In fact, the way mother and son talk in this way is not as casual and affectionate as ordinary mothers and sons talk, and it is a bit deliberately formal.
But there was nothing he could do. Qin Dewei knew that his mother liked this accent. He probably stayed in the Xu family for a long time, especially being with the eldest wife, Mrs. Xu, for many years, and was influenced by it.
If I think about it a little more, I wonder if it is the accent of a woman from a wealthy family that makes Mr. Zeng so obsessed with it.
"This is a restless person, how can he stay with my son?" Zhou said bluntly, "So I wanted to make the decision for you and sell it."
Qin Dewei doesn't know how to evaluate his mother's views. In fact, he can't say that his mother is wrong. There is no absolute right or wrong in the issue of three views.
In the eyes of normal people in this era, people like Liu Yue are obviously not suitable to be personal maids. Who would want a maid who would make trouble when nothing happens and who has special personal pursuits?
Qin Dewei thought about it comprehensively and decided that it was not worth disobeying his mother for the sake of a maid. After all, this was an era that flaunted filial piety. If you still wanted to join the mainstream circles, you couldn't just resist your parents' orders.
"Don't bother mother anymore. When she regains her strength in the next few days, my son will find a way to send her away," Qin Dewei replied.
When the time comes, contact Wang Lianqing and try to find a place for Liu Yue to study, so that she can get her wish.
If I am willing in the future, I can ask the county government to come forward and convert Liu Yue from a slave to a Lehu, and then it will be up to her. Under the feudal social order, Qin Dewei can only do this step.
Mrs. Zhou nodded with satisfaction: "Old mistress will be very happy if she sends Liu Yue away. She wanted to send Liu Yue away completely at the beginning, but she was too embarrassed due to the affection of the elders, so she changed hands and left it to Jiu Yue.
You who live in the outer courtyard.
But Liu Yue's presence here has always been an embarrassment to the Xu family, especially the eldest family. When the eldest family member of the Xu family was so kind to her, she refused to keep her peace and cause wanton chaos!
If you completely remove Liu Yue from the Xu family, you will be doing things for the old mistress and fulfilling the old mistress's wishes. What's wrong with that? Besides, I don't think you need a maid very much."
Qin Dewei suddenly felt that it was quite boring, but for a moment he couldn't figure out where this feeling came from, so he responded in a half-hearted manner: "I know, don't worry, mother!"
Back in the house, Liu Yue had recovered to some extent after taking supplements. Her dry white lips had blood color again, and she could sit up tremblingly while holding on to the edge of the millstone.
"Aunt Zhou asked you to get rid of the slave family?" Liu Yue asked directly.
Qin Dewei was very afraid of Liu Yue's trouble. Even if he came to his bedside to commit suicide in the middle of the night, it would be unbearable. If he gave himself a break before he couldn't think about it, it would be even worse.
So I answered half truthfully: "My mother did say that, but I shied away from it and said I would think about it for a few days. In fact, I didn't want to."
But Liu Yue saw through it immediately: "Are you lying?"
Qin Dewei pretended to be calm and said: "Whatever you think." He began to wonder in his mind, should he go out and find another place to sleep?
"You are really a good person." Liu Yue sighed inexplicably and said, "You lied to the slave family just to make the slave family happy for a few more days. I understand this."
Qin Dewei was stunned, is this a good person? The standard of a good person is so low these days?
No matter what, just accept it and don't do any work at night. Qin Dewei got up and lay down, urging: "Go to bed, go to sleep!"
In the darkness, a word suddenly came from Mopan: "Shun family, please tell me something from your heart, have you ever thought that your mother is from the Xu family, and you are from our Qin family, are our Qin family affiliated with the Xu family?"
Qin Dewei turned over and ignored her. As long as you don't work tonight, you can say whatever you want.