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墨書 Inktalez
"Remember, before Chen Time, never look in the mirror!"
Amidst the steady sound of the wooden fish, Luofu seemed to hear the old monk say that nearby. She raised her head, looked reverently at Bodhisattva, clasped her hands together, and knelt gently. After getting up, she walked over to the old monk and asked, "What did you just say, Master?"
The old monk opened his eyes and stopped playing the wooden fish: "I didn't say anything just now, but I did hear you speaking to Bodhisattva. You are so devout; Bodhisattva will surely bless you and make your wishes come true."
Luofu felt her face flush slightly and instructed the maid beside her to add some incense money to the oil lamp before turning to leave the main hall. In the bustling crowd, the sound of the old monk chanting still lingered in Luofu's ears. Faintly, she seemed to hear someone saying to her, "Remember, before Chen Time, never look in the mirror!"
Luofu turned around but saw that Bodhisattva had changed from a kind and gentle expression to a serious one; her own expression followed suit.
"Sister, what's wrong with you?"
The maid Rui'er asked softly, her gaze shifting to Bodhisattva along with Luofu.
"Rui'er, do you see any changes in that Bodhisattva?"
"What changes could there be in Bodhisattva?"
"But I feel like something is off with Bodhisattva's expression. Just a moment ago, she looked so kind, but now she seems much more serious. Did you hear someone speaking in my ear just now?"
"Although Bodhisattva has a kind face, she is still a deity. Depending on the angle from which you view her, her expression will naturally differ. When you were kneeling devoutly earlier, you were looking up at Bodhisattva, so she appeared kind. Now that you're standing at the entrance of this hall, your perception changes accordingly, making her seem solemn. As for the voice, my ears have not stopped hearing it. You probably heard someone else's words; if it bothers you, we can find a quieter place."
With that, Rui'er supported Luofu's arm and led her down the steps. As Luofu lifted her right foot, she suddenly felt a slight numbness radiating from her knee and quickly bent down to rub it.
"What's wrong with you again?"
Rui'er asked with a hint of impatience in her eyes.
"It's nothing; I probably knelt for too long earlier and didn't pay attention when I got up. Now that I think about it, my knees feel a bit numb." Luofu tried moving her legs a bit and placed her hand on Rui'er's arm as they slowly walked forward: "After rubbing it a bit, it feels much better. By the way, where did my brother Sister-in-law go?"
"Madam is focused on seeking a child; upon arriving at this Yongan Temple, she only goes to one place. As for Eldest Young Master, he should be with the Abbot right now. Since it's your first time here, you might not know this. The Abbot is quite an old friend of our family’s Eldest Young Master. If he hasn't returned yet, he must be visiting the Abbot."
"I almost forgot that you used to be in my brother's courtyard." Luofu said as she cautiously took two more steps forward. Feeling the numbness in her knee lessen slightly, she straightened up and scanned her surroundings. She saw numerous Buddhist halls filled with incense smoke; this temple seemed even more lively than outside.
Lost in thought while listening intently, Rui'er felt slightly displeased by what Luofu had just said.
"Rui'er is a maid, so it's normal that I don't remember where Rui'er came from. Besides, Rui'er didn't just enter the manor like those other maids; she is naturally incomparable to them."
"I've heard Nursemaid mention this before. Rui'er, you were rescued by my brother. When he saw you were injured and frightened, he brought you back to the manor to recuperate. He originally planned to send you home once you recovered. However, it turned out that you had no family. My brother privately discussed with Mother about keeping you in the manor, but you refused to stay without contributing and insisted on accepting your Contract of Servitude. You truly are an extraordinary girl, Rui'er."
Rui'er's expression instantly darkened but quickly returned to normal.
"Although Rui'er comes from humble beginnings, she understands the importance of not taking advantage of others. Moreover, Poor People have their own dignity. Rui'er is fortunate to have been saved by Young Master, so how could she shamelessly stay in the manor without any status? Eldest Young Master feels pity for Rui'er, and naturally, Master and Madam are kind-hearted people who have no complaints about her. However, from the perspective of outsiders, it might lead to gossip. If this tarnishes the reputation of Eldest Young Master or the Luo Family, how could Rui'er face the world or confront the one who saved her?"
"Rui'er, you're good at everything except overthinking. In fact, neither my parents nor my brother, nor even I have thought that way. Our household has taken in many people in distress before, but none were as stubborn as you. My parents often say that everyone faces difficulties at some point in life. Offering a helping hand during critical times is also a way to accumulate virtue."
When Luofu reached this point, her cheeks flushed: "If my husband hadn't faced misfortune when he was young and been taken in by my parents, how could we have this bond today? So, Rui'er, there's no need to dwell on the past."
Regarding this future Son-in-law of the Luo Family, Rui'er had heard about him too. About three or four years ago on a stormy night, Master Luo, who is Luofu's father, was returning home after meeting friends when he accidentally hit a pedestrian due to the heavy rain obscuring his horse's vision. That pedestrian turned out to be the current fiancé of Luofu.
At that time, the rain was pouring heavily and it was quite dark; Lord Luo could only bring the person back to the manor and wait for him to regain consciousness before asking questions. To his surprise, that person was a destitute Scholar. Both of his parents had passed away, and he had come to attend the Yun Family Gathering with letters from his parents seeking relatives. However, upon arriving at the address mentioned in the letters, he found that his relatives had long since moved away. The silver he carried had already run out, and in order to survive, he had been selling books. Before being hit by Lord Luo, he hadn't eaten or drunk clean water for three days.
Seeing that the man was handsome and well-spoken, and knowing that he had accidentally harmed him, Lord Luo felt guilty and decided to keep him at the manor while nursing him back to health and preparing for the autumn exams. It must have been good fortune for Luofu, as that Scholar ended up passing as a Top Scholar.
It was said that the Top Scholar intended to recognize Lord Luo as his father; however, Lord Luo had other plans and wanted to betroth his then fourteen-year-old daughter, Luofu, to him. The Top Scholar, unable to refuse, accepted this marriage proposal with an agreement to come back three years later when Luofu turned sixteen.
Due to official duties delaying things by a year, it wasn't until Luofu turned seventeen that the former Top Scholar, now a fourth-rank official in court, sent wedding gifts to the Ruo Mansion.
For this stroke of luck regarding Luofu, not only did maid Rui'er feel a twinge of jealousy, but also those similarly aged sisters-in-law at the Yun Family Gathering. After all, not everyone’s father can casually bring home a Top Scholar, nor can every girl marry a young and promising fourth-rank official just like that.
Luofu knew she was fortunate and was grateful that fate had chosen such a good husband for her; thus her words towards Rui'er were sincere and straightforward without deeper implications. However, they took on another meaning in Rui'er's ears. Secretly biting her teeth in resentment, she thought: "If it weren't for your birth into the Luo Family, how could you speak such condescending words here?"
Rui'er also had her own thoughts.
She was indeed born into a poor family but not without parents; rather her parents favored her younger brother since childhood and treated her like a rough servant girl—often scolding or hitting her. To send her brother to the best academy, her parents even offered her hand in marriage to an old bachelor in their village simply because he owned a rare tree that could be sold for hundreds of taels of silver. The old bachelor promised her parents that if she agreed to marry him, half of the proceeds from selling the tree would go to her family.
She knew she wasn't some noble lady or beauty but just an ordinary girl from a common family with plain looks; it would be difficult for her to find a suitable husband in life. However, having a hard life didn't mean she would resign herself to fate. She—Rui'er—decided that even if she couldn't marry a handsome young man, she certainly wouldn't marry an old bachelor on death's doorstep. So she ran away.
On her escape journey, she met Brother Luo, who is also known as the eldest young master of the Luo Family, Luo Ping. Never before had she seen such a clean and handsome man or heard such melodious words; looking at his beautiful brows and listening to his caring speech made her heart uncontrollably fall for him.
When Luo Ping asked her if she had any relatives at home, she didn't think twice before saying no. On one hand, she was afraid; she feared that after finally escaping from that household, she would be sent back by this clean and refined man in front of her. On the other hand, she held some hope, wishing to stay by this man's side, even if it meant being a lowly maid.
Luo Ping did not question her words. Seeing that she was injured and unable to walk, he lifted her onto his horse and took her back to Ruo Mansion. He instructed the butler to find a doctor for her and arranged for maids to take care of her attentively. Once her injuries healed and he learned that she had nowhere to go, Luo Ping even sought out his wife, hoping that the Luo Family would allow her to stay.
At that time, she forgot her identity and background entirely, indulging in beautiful dreams. She mistakenly believed that Luo Ping liked her, which was why he did so much for her. She knew that Luo Ping was the Eldest Young Master of the Luo Family and that he was already married. However, his wife had been in the family for many years without bearing any children. Seizing the opportunity, she expressed to Luo Ping that she had no ties to the Luo Family and that even if his wife was willing to take her in, she would not want to remain in the mansion under such circumstances. She asked the butler to help her draft a Contract of Servitude, willingly selling herself to Luo Ping as his personal maid.
Rui'er thought that Luo Ping would refuse, just as he had gently declined when she insisted on not letting him find a doctor or maids for her. Instead, he said to her, "Rui'er, I brought you back not to make you a maid but to make you my concubine. Rui'er, I like you. Would you be willing to bear children for me?"
She was willing; of course, she was willing. She was not a Madam or a delicate young lady; she was robust and capable of bearing children. Whether it was one or two or even three or four plump babies, Rui'er could give birth.
However, what she did not expect was that the Eldest Young Master actually accepted her Contract of Servitude and truly treated her as a maid.
Even so, she still held onto hope, thinking it was merely a way for the Eldest Young Master to silence others' gossip. She waited eagerly for good news; however, what came instead were reports of the Eldest Young Master growing closer with Madam and instructions for him to transfer her to Luofu so as not to upset Madam.
Transfer!
It was at that moment Rui'er realized that she was not just a maid of the Luo Family but also an item that could be casually given away in Luo Ping's eyes. Yet she did not hate Luo Ping; rather, she despised those around him—like Madam, who could not bear children yet insisted on keeping Luo Ping all to herself; Sister Two Luofu, who seemed innocent but always spoke with hidden meanings; and the seemingly kind yet calculating Master and Madam.
Rui'er had been waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity to make the Luo Family sad while bringing herself joy. Hard work pays off; finally, this opportunity arrived.
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