Jun Jiuling

Manager Gao felt a flash of uneasiness, but Miss Jun had already started speaking.

“He does his work very well. Liu’er, please, reward him some money,” she said with a smile.

So it was actually a reward.

Miss Jun did not hate these business people of the Fang Family the most; she disdained the lowly hires of the Fang Family to the point she couldn’t even hold contempt for them.

As expected, she was preparing to become the young mistress of the Fang Family and was trying to win favor.

Manager Gao smiled and thanked her.

Although Liu’er did not know why she was to give this lowly servant money, she would always obey Young Miss. Since Young Miss said to reward him, that meant she could not be stingy.

Liu’er gave a tael of silver to this Lei Zhonglian.

Lei Zhonglian accepted the money with profuse thanks. After seeing Miss Jun had no other requests or commands, Manager Gao took his leave with him.

As they left Miss Jun’s courtyard, Lei Zhonglian fingered the silver in his hand, then harrumphed in front of Manager Gao.

For someone in charge of watching carriages, it was incredibly disrespectful. Manager Gao did not get upset, however. It was only a snort.

“To be honest, I didn’t do very good work, and that Young Miss thinks I did well,” said Lei Zhonglian.

“This Young Miss is a child who does not understand anything, and so are you,” said Manager Gao. “I told you to watch the lanterns, and you really only watched the lanterns. Who told you to go drinking afterwards? Why didn’t you follow Tian San?”

“You told me only to watch the lanterns; you didn’t tell me to watch the people,” replied Lei Zhonglian.

Manager Gao raised his hand, planning to hit his shoulder but then let it fall back down.

“You are too stupid. Obviously there is a problem with Tian San taking that much money,” he cursed, grinding his teeth.

Lei Zhonglian wore a wooden expression.

“The lit lantern meant he had made the correct Go move. What’s wrong with that?” he said.

Manager Gao poked the space between his eyebrows.

“That’s what Young Miss just said, that she didn’t tell you to follow him,” Lei Zhonglian started saying. “And she also said that she didn’t plan on finding out who it was.”

Miss Jun really had said this.

Manager Gao gaped. Did she say that on purpose, or was that just a careless remark?

“This was correct of Miss Jun to do,” continued Lei Zhong Lian. “Once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it [1], what is said must be done. You must be able to take what comes.”

Manager Gao stared at him, then made a pah! sound.

“You don’t know shit. Why are you exaggerating this much, no one thinks that she is that kind of person. Useless,” he spat out.

“Whatever other people think, she is this kind of person. Could it be just because other people don’t think of her as such, she would not do such things? Just because other people don’t think such, she isn’t that kind of person?” Lei Zhonglian countered.

Manager Gao felt both angry and amused. He appraised Lei Zhonglian.

“You are indeed knowledgeable,” he commented.

Lei Zhonglian looked again at the silver in his hands.

“Didn’t that Young Miss say that I did good work? Thus she rewarded me with silver. If she had the same thoughts as you, if she’d heard that I had gone drinking after working, she would have definitely not thought that I did a good job, much less given me a reward,” he said.

Manager Gao looked at him and smiled. He suddenly stuck out his hand and patted Lei Zhonglian’s arm.

“Old Lei, you spoke very well, very reasonably,” he said. “But in this world, words are not useful. You must evaluate on what they do and what kind of results they produce.”

Lei Zhonglian’s face paled slightly, stiffening under Manager Gao’s gaze. He looked at Manager Gao, moved his lips but did not say anything.

“I know that for many years your heart has felt injustice, and that you know that hitting the person cannot damage their face, how insulting someone may not uncover their weaknesses,” said Manager Gao kindly. “But you must first remember this person’s shortcomings. These shortcomings cannot be made up for with just words.”

He patted Lei Zhonglian again and walked away.

Lei Zhonglian stood rigidly in his original position, looking at his arm. He spread out his palm, looking at the deep, angry scars extending from the webbing between his thumb and index finger to his wrist.

He let his hand fall, lowered his head, and continued walking. His thin frame stooped as he slowly hobbled away.

At this moment, Liu’er was pacing in front of Miss Jun, grabbing at her ears and scratching her cheeks.

“Young Miss, Young Miss, are you really fine with this? Are you really not going to look for the person who beat us out of our money?” she hurried to ask. “Didn’t Manager Gao just ask whether or not we were going to find that person?”

Misss Jun laughed.

“Liu’er is very smart,” she praised.

Liu’er felt herself swell with pride.

“Those merchants all have mouths full of oil, but I heard his true meaning.”

Yes, she had perceived what Manager Gao had meant, and also knew that Manager Gao was thinking incorrectly.

Manager Gao believed that she was doing this for fame, so the person who won was very important.

But Manager Gao was overthinking it. She was doing this, not for fame, but for wealth.

Jun Zhenzhen might have possibly found a use for the fame, but she did not need it. At least, not right now.

In the end, she had failed to gain money. Although she was able to let it go, this was, after all, not such a splendid thought. And that person had turned this trick into a scam that was not worth speaking of. The people would not discuss it, and it all had ended.

This was very good, really very good. Very satisfactory.

Liu’er did not question Young Miss’ words further. Since Young Miss did not care, she also would not care. After letting go of this, she happily sat down and started to fiddle with her shadow puppet.

Young Miss had done as she said. Yesterday, she had brought her to see a shadow play at the Lantern Festival.

Yesterday, the shadow play had told the story of a scholar and a village girl. The scholar had been riding on his donkey when he met the village girl. Attracted by her good looks, he deliberately blamed her for startling his donkey to start a conversation.

Liu’er hummed with her shadow puppet.

“My bucket fell into the well, little sister knows my worries…” she sang, then suddenly paused. She had suddenly thought of a problem.

She turned to look at Miss Jun who was sitting at the table, raising her brush in preparation to write.

“Young Miss, was that person who won the money from Yangcheng? Don’t you want to see who it was?” The little girl sighed. “I wonder what that person looks like.”

How old are they? What do they look like ? What do they do?

Perhaps because she had listened to the play last night, but her mind was filled with questions.

“I don’t,” said Miss Jun, concentrating on writing one of her master’s medical cases from memory.

She really was not thinking about that person. She did not feel like she had used a wicker basket to draw water [2], nor was she annoyed or displeased because he had won her money.

Miss Jun stopped her brush to look at Liu’er. The feeling of being wronged for her young miss was plainly written on her face.

“I don’t like that person,” Miss Jun said with a smile.

Of course, of course, she did not like them. Liu’er nodded.

“Not because he won my money, but because of they way he did it,” Miss Jun continued. Compared to Old Lady Fang, Manager Gao, and them, she enjoyed talking with this little servant girl the most.

It was probably because when she first awoke from the darkness, the first thing she saw was this sobbing little girl.

People were strange. They were very stubborn with their firsts.

First time crying, first time laughing, seeing a certain person first.

She had only seen such happiness once in her life, so she would carry that glance with her forever.

“They way he did it?” Liu’er tilted her head.

“The way he did it was much too despicable,” Mis Jun said.

She had set up that lantern to earn money, but she had let Manager Gao send only one person to watch over it. After all, it was just money, that’s all.

She was still calm. If no one won, that money would be hers. If someone won, she would give up the money. She would not stop or pursue the one who won the money.

But the person who had won the money had done it so cowardly, getting another person to disrupt the situation like that.

She was playing in a bright open arena, but he was playing without confidence, suspiciously. It truly was gauging the heart of a gentleman with one’s own mean measure [3].

“I don’t like this person,” she said again.

Of course, that person’s conduct was not completely inexcusable. After all, Manager Gao had sent people to chase after him. Looking from a different perspective, it could be said that this person was cautious and prudent.

But so what? She did not like it.

Liking and disliking things were not related to the Old Heavenly Father’s justice.

What’s more, she was a woman. So what if a woman liked or disliked this thing.

“However, Lei Zhonglian, that person, I very like,” she said after thinking of something. “He’s a very reliable person.”

This Lantern Festival could not be said to be without gains. She did not gain any money, but now she knew a reliable man. Sometimes people were much more valuable than money. From now on, she could use this person.

So said, the Old Heavenly Father was still just.

Miss Jun was very happy. Likes and dislikes, happiness and unhappiness were very simple. She lowered her head and continued to write, humming to herself quietly.

“… seventeen servants this year…”

Young Miss had also enjoyed watching the shadow play yesterday. Liu’er could not help but grin as she continued acting out the movements of the handsome scholar.

“… A bursting scab from the earth, you see, Big Brother…”

[1] Once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it: a promise is a promise

[2] Use a wicker basket to draw water: do something in vain

[3] It truly was gauging the heart of a gentleman with one’s own mean measure: it means to use one’s despicable mind to test an upright gentleman.