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  Li Mingyu rolled up his sleeves and said irritably, "Let's just drop it!"

  "I've already told Bai Hui today, but looking at her expression, she seems reluctant." Lin Lan said indifferently.

  "She has gone into the horn of a bull." Li Ming You sighed.

  Lin Lan poured him a cup of hot tea: "If she insists on not agreeing, what can be done?"

  The room fell silent, the tea cup in his hand had a misty vapor rising, the refreshing aroma of Bi Luo Chun wafted up, as he gazed at the tender green leaves slowly unfolding in the water, slightly rippling, Li Mingyun's eyes also became hazy, as if lost in distant memories.

  "I was thirteen when I contracted smallpox, with a high fever that wouldn't subside. My mother's health was frail, and the doctor said she could easily contract it too, so my father forbade her from coming to care for me. Only Bai Hui and Zi Mo stayed by my side, day and night, taking good care of me... I owe my life to them, so Mother said that in the future, I shouldn't mistreat them. Unfortunately, Zi Mo left early...

  Li Ming Yu sighed, looking at Lin Lan with a sincere expression: "I won't hide it, previously, I did have thoughts of giving her a title, but not out of love, just because of the debt of gratitude I owed her. I wanted to ensure she lived a worry-free life. But after the family's misfortune, I made up my mind that this lifetime would only be devoted to one woman, and I wouldn't let my wife suffer like my mother did under my father's neglect. Especially now that I have you, I truly don't have any thoughts to spare for anyone else. Making her my concubine would only lead to a life of loneliness, which would harm her instead. I thought she could understand, but I didn't know she was so fixated..."

  Lin Lan quietly discovered that Bai Hui was different from other maids in his heart, and it turned out that there was such a reason.

  "If she insists on not staying, then she can't stay in Luoxiazhai either." Li Mingyu sighed and put down his teacup, holding Lin Lan's hand: "Lan'er, this matter has made me difficult, it's my fault."

  Lin Lan quietly looked at him: "Of course, it's not like that. Since you've made up your mind, you should have told me earlier so I can make arrangements and cut off her hopes, instead of being passive for her sake and ending up in a situation where I'm not right."

  Li Mingyun's face showed a hint of guilt: "It was I who didn't think it through and caused trouble."

  "Alright, just this once, and don't let there be a next time. But after all, how many more romantic debts are there? It's best to tell me everything at once so I can prepare myself." Lin Lan said with a half-joking tone.

  Li Mingyun smiled somewhat awkwardly: "What romantic debt? You're my first woman and also my last."

  "Don't deceive me, Ziyu has already said it, back then I was the dream lover of many young ladies in the capital, I'll give you a chance to confess, and I won't pursue past matters anymore. But if one day another one suddenly pops up, I won't forgive." Lin Lanjiao scolded.

  Although it was a joke, Li Mingyun's heart skipped a beat. However, the past is just that - in the past. Now Yu Fen is his sister-in-law, and from now on, they only have an uncle-niece relationship, without any ambiguity. He couldn't bring up past matters again, so he forced a smile and said: "I shouldn't randomly guess what others are thinking, or it would ruin someone's reputation. Just remember that she is my wife, Li Mingyun's one and only woman."

  A clever woman shouldn't dwell on the past, who doesn't have a history? If she were to mention it, she also had admirers. The present and future are what matter most. Lin Lan smiled relieved: "Alright, I'm tired too, let's take a break first, we still need to go to Chao Hui Tang to pay our respects later!"

  In Ninghe Hall, Madame Han's face showed displeasure after hearing Xiang'er's report.

  Xiang Er was originally called Wan Xiang, but because it had the same character as Liu Niang's Wan Yu, she was simply called Xiang Er.

  "Go back and tell Miss Biao to behave herself. If she continues to make trouble, let Master know about it, and she won't be able to come out this year." Madam Han said angrily.

  Mrs. Jiang handed over the Ning Shen tea and comforted, "You know Miss Biao's temperament, don't you? Being confined on New Year's Day must have made her feel extremely wronged, so it's only natural that she would lose her temper."

  Jiang mother said to Xiang'er again: "Persuade Miss Biao more, let her be patient and don't worry, the lady will find an opportunity to plead with the old master. If Miss Biao is really bored, please ask Yu Lian to go over and accompany her to chat, the old master only doesn't allow Miss Biao to come out, but didn't say that people can't enter."

  Xiang'er curtsied: "I understand, I'll go back and persuade Miss Biao now."

  After Xiang'er left, Han's heart was vexed and he sighed: "It's already a thousand threads and ten thousand strands, she still adds trouble for me."

  "Miss Bai is still young and can't understand the hardships of being a wife, let's wait until she grows up and talk to her slowly then." said Jiang Mama in a soft tone.

  "It's not early anymore, by July she should be married off. There are indeed a few candidates, but unfortunately those with good family backgrounds are illegitimate children, and the legitimate ones have unsatisfactory family backgrounds. Alas! If she were the third miss of the Li family in name and reality, I wouldn't be so troubled." Madam Han thought about it and got a headache.

  "Madam, don't worry, after the fourth month, if young master passes the imperial examination, there will be good news from Shanxi too, everything will go smoothly." Jiang Mama smiled and said: "So for now, the most important thing is young master."

  Han nodded slightly.

  Lao Nu asked the maid of Wei Yu Ge, saying that Young Master started working hard after the fifth day of the new year, and Madame's body is also better, often advising Young Master!

  Mr. Han's face cleared a little: "As long as they can get along well with each other, I will be at ease."

  "Husbands and wives don't hold grudges overnight! Besides, it's all in the past now..." Mrs. Jiang chimed in.

  Mr. Han sipped his tea and suddenly frowned again: "Why hasn't Mr. Sun come back with an answer?"

  "Probably hasn't come back yet," said Jiang Mama. Jiang Mama hesitated and asked, "Madam, if they refuse to lower the interest rate on that side, what will you..."

  Han said angrily: "If I don't borrow, where can I make up for these losses? I thought selling Ye's things could hold on for a while, but Master is confused and actually wants to count the expenses of Mingyun and Linlan's New Year's gatherings on my head. This expense alone is the total expenditure of the four months in the mansion. I think they are deliberately extorting money from me."

  Mother Jiang couldn't help but feel anxious, now Master only has eyes for Second Young Master and Second Young Mistress.

  "That usurer's heart is too black, we borrowed 200,000 but the interest was only 6,000 silver coins per month. Now we're borrowing only 50,000 and he still wants 5,000 silver coins per month, isn't that daylight robbery?" Mother Jiang said with discontent.

  "What can be done? Fortunately, there is rent to be collected in May, which can hold out for a while."

  "Madam, don't forget that on the 19th of next month we need to go to Xiangshan Temple to burn incense. We can't skimp on the incense money either. Also, there's a large sum of silver to be spent on spring plowing, and Young Master is taking his exams, so we might have to spend some more..."

  Han suddenly felt a big headache, an unprecedented feeling of being at a loss. He couldn't help but sigh: "Endure it! First endure this period, I really regret now, shouldn't have been impulsive for a moment, and ended up in such a predicament."

  Mother Jiang, I had advised you to think thrice before acting, now it's too late for regrets. All I hope is that nothing goes wrong in Shanxi, otherwise, I really don't know how to wrap things up.

  Lin Lan and Li Mingyu returned to ask for peace, Jin Xiu said that Bai Hui's body was not feeling well.

  Lin Lan glanced at Ming Yun and said: "Since she's not feeling well, let her take a few days off to rest and recover. Let someone else cover for her!"

  Jin Yu came to help the second young mistress change her clothes, while Yu Rong went to prepare hot water.

  Li Mingyun had already entered the clean room, and there was no one else in the house. Lin Lan asked: "Jinxiu, don't you think that Second Young Master should also take Bai Hui as his concubine?"

  "The slave girl does not dare to criticize her master's actions."

  Lin Lan knew that Jin Xiu's heart was towards Bai Hui, and in their consciousness, it was a matter of course for Bai Hui to become the madam.

  Lin Lan smiled and said, "It doesn't matter what you say."

  Jin Xiu saw that Bai Hui was disheartened and felt sorry for her. She wanted to help, so she nodded and said: "Sister Bai Hui has always been diligent in serving Master..."

  "Embroidered brocade, doing one's utmost to serve the master is a maid's duty, not just her, but everyone here. Who isn't doing their best? Is it because we are loyal and diligent towards our master that he wants to lock us all up?" Lin Lan's voice was calm, but her words were sharp.

  Jin Yu was so frightened that she hastily knelt down: "I would never dare have such an improper thought."

  "Get up! I'm not saying that, just making an analogy. If all the maids think they have some credit because they've served their masters, and start having such thoughts, maybe even the masters wouldn't dare to order them around anymore. You two young masters' temperaments are clear - you're never harsh or rude to those around you, always treating people with sincerity, warmth, and kindness. It's our good fortune to have such a master, but if we become self-important because of this, won't that make things difficult for the master? And where would that put me, as the mistress?"

  Jin Xiu couldn't help but sweat in her palms, she maintained Bai Hui only because of the many years they spent together, but she never thought about whether Second Master liked it or not, whether Second Madam liked it or not. Upon careful consideration, since Second Master returned, he had never looked at anyone else properly, his eyes were only on Second Madam, their love for each other was enviable, and there was no room for a third person to intervene.

  "I understand, I'll try to persuade Bai Hua." Jin Xiu's thoughts became clear.

  At this time, I'm afraid someone will whisper in Bai Hui's ear, Like Yi is a sensible person, no need to say more, Jin Xiu has some emotional feelings, so, she must be reminded, lest she says something she shouldn't say in front of Bai Hui.

  "It's better this way. As the saying goes, it's better to be a poor man's wife than a rich man's concubine. Once you become a concubine, you'll be looked down upon for the rest of your life. Why not be a legitimate wife with dignity? Second Master will surely take care of us and help us out because of his past feelings. We don't have to worry about our future being bleak. Not just Bai Hui, but everyone in this courtyard, as long as you all work hard and do your best, I won't let anyone down and will find a good way out for each of you." Lin Lan helped her up.

  Jin Xiu's face was covered with sweat: "It's just that I, a slave, am foolish. The second young master and the second young madam are both magnanimous people. Bai Hui will come to her senses."

  Lin Lan smiled, but Bai Hui couldn't quite understand what she meant. However, if Bai Hui harbored resentment and did something wrong because of it, then even if she had once been kind to Ming Yun, Lin Lan wouldn't go easy on her.

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