readsfreenovel Chapter 184 Do the Secret Guards Have Household Registration?
Chapter 184 Do the Secret Guards Have Household Registration?
Seeing Xia Yu's wary and resistant gaze, Nineteen looked at Butler Ding somewhat helplessly.
"Xiaxia, it's true that Young Master sent Nineteen to protect you. He said you're very important to him and that Nineteen should risk her life to ensure your safety. Of course, Brother Zhang is just as important as your sister-in-law, but the situation in the capital is unstable right now, and he can't spare any more people. Besides, if he sends too many people to your side, it might attract the attention of those with ulterior motives. So, while Nineteen is nominally your maid, she's actually protecting the safety of everyone in this house."
Hearing Butler Ding's words, Xia Yu still didn't believe it. She felt that it was more like surveillance than protection. Others might not understand what he meant by "she was very important to him," but didn't she and her parents know? Shen Jingheng treated her like his private farm, the kind where he could give her anything she wanted.
Butler Ding pulled a letter sealed with wax from his sleeve and said to Xia Yu...
"This is a letter my master asked me to bring. He said you'll understand once you read it." After saying this, he took out a pocket watch from his pocket, checked the time, and continued...
"I have other things to do and I have to leave now. Nineteen, serve your new master well. If Miss says she's not satisfied with you and you're sent back, you know what will happen to you." The first sentence was addressed to Zhang Youtie and the others, while the second threat was directed at Nineteen.
Upon hearing Butler Ding's words, Shen Shijiu knelt down with a thud, crawling forward a few steps to Xia Yu's feet.
"Miss, please take me in! I was truly sent by my master to protect you and the master and madam. I promise I will work hard. If you send me back, the leader will beat me to death on the spot. Miss, master, madam, please take me in!" As she spoke, she began to kowtow on the ground, each kowtow louder than the last. Judging from her posture, if Xia Yu and the others didn't want her, she was going to kowtow herself to death right there.
Xia Yu's mind was in turmoil, but as a modern person, she still held life in awe. Seeing that Nineteen's head was starting to bleed, she couldn't help but speak up, "Stop kowtowing. I didn't say I didn't want you. It's just that my family does a lot of farm work, and I don't know if you'll be used to it. Besides, our food is rough, mostly coarse grains and pickled vegetables every day. Most importantly, right now my family only provides for our food and clothing, without any monthly interest. Are you still willing to accept that?"
"I'm willing, I'm willing! As long as Miss is willing to take me in, it will be like saving my life, like being reborn. I will serve Miss well for the rest of my life." Nineteen quickly expressed her loyalty when she heard Xia Yu finally agree. She was worried that if she spoke too slowly, Xia Yu would really send her back, and then she would really have no way out.
Seeing this, Butler Ding quietly walked out. By the time everyone realized what was happening and chased after him, Butler Ding was nowhere to be seen.
"This room is too small; we can't let Nineteen and Xia Yu sleep in the same bed," said Madam Liu after thinking for a moment.
“On the other side of the pond, only Da Niu sleeps alone. Let Shi Jiu sleep on the same kang with Da Niu.”
"Well, that's all we can do for now," Zhang Youtie said after thinking for a moment.
Once the matter was settled, Liu immediately went to the house to fetch bedding. All the old bedding had already been distributed, and the only thing left to use was the new bedding made for Changyun, which they would give to Shijiu for now.
Liu Shi handed the quilt to Zhang Youtie to hold. Originally, she didn't want to go, but after thinking about it, she realized that Da Niu and Shi Jiu were both girls, and it would be inconvenient for Zhang Youtie to go alone, so she decided to go along as well. After telling Xia Yu to go back to her room to sleep, Zhang Youtie and Liu Shi led Shen Shi Jiu out the door.
Xia Yu watched as her mother locked the door from the outside, then returned to her room. In her hand was the letter that Steward Ding had left behind.
She lit the oil lamp and carefully tore open the envelope. She pulled out a thin piece of paper, unfolded it, and examined it closely by the lamplight. It was Nineteen's indenture. Xia Yu seriously doubted its authenticity; did bodyguards also have household registration? Nevertheless, she folded the paper back up and tossed it into her spatial storage. Anyway, she'd already taken him in; protection or surveillance it was up to her.
Just as Zhang Youtie and Liu approached the house, they heard Sanhei and Sihei calling out. Immediately afterward, they saw Uncle Ma carrying a lantern and walking out of the house.
"Is this the master and madam?" Uncle Ma asked, holding up a lantern.
"Uncle Ma, it's us. We woke you up!" Zhang Youtie said in a low voice.
"This servant is old and a light sleeper," Uncle Ma said, when he suddenly sensed something was wrong. There were more than two people approaching, but they were now only five or six meters away from the master and mistress, and he still hadn't heard the footsteps of the third person. If it weren't for the master's lantern illuminating the figure, he wouldn't have noticed the third person at all.
"Master, who is this man?" Uncle Ma looked at Nineteen, who was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, and then looked at Zhang Youtie with some doubt.
"Oh, she just fainted from hunger at the gate of the courtyard and we found her. Now she's one of our family, and I've arranged for her to sleep in the same room as Da Niu." Zhang Youtie was too lazy to make up any more excuses. Uncle Ma was a martial arts expert, and this Nineteen-year-old had kung fu skills. Others might not be able to tell, but they couldn't hide it from Uncle Ma.
Uncle Ma looked at Nineteen dressed in black, showing no surprise at Zhang Youtie's blatant lie. Their master had been kind to them, so even if he said the little girl was Zhou's daughter, Gou Dan, in disguise, he would believe him.
"Oh, this servant is carrying a lantern to light the way for the master and mistress." With that, he walked to Zhang Youtie's right front and led them towards Da Niu's room.
When Uncle Ma arrived at Da Niu's room, he knocked on the door. "Da Niu, Da Niu, wake up!"
"Big Girl, Big Girl..." Uncle Ma called out a few times, but there was no response from inside. Uncle Ma turned to look at the people standing behind him, then knocked on the door again.
"Hey girl, it's Uncle Ma, open the door quickly."
"Big Girl, Big Girl." Uncle Ma's knocking had turned into pounding on the door, but there was still no sound from inside.
"Is anyone home? Does Da Niu sleep in this room?" Zhang Youtie couldn't help but ask.
"Master, there's someone in the room, still asleep, snoring," Nineteen answered for Uncle Ma when Zhang Youtie asked.
Hearing what Nineteen said, Zhang Youtie looked helplessly at the tightly closed door. Just then, a creak sounded, and the door on the right opened.
A little boy's head popped out; it was Gao Shuanzhu, who lived alone in the house.
"Oh, sir and madam, what brings you here at this hour?"
Before Zhang Youtie could answer, they heard two more doors open. They turned to look and saw that the doors of the two rooms on the left had also opened.
"Master, Madam, what brings you here at this hour?" the sleepy-eyed man asked.
"It's nothing, everyone go back to sleep. Madam wants to talk to Da Niu about something," Zhang Youtie said helplessly to the group of people who came out. He had originally planned to secretly send Nineteen over so she could change into the same clothes as everyone else in the morning, thus avoiding suspicion. He hadn't expected Da Niu to be sleeping so soundly; everyone else was awake, but she was still asleep.
Fortunately, Uncle Ma acted prudently. He extinguished the lantern in his hand when Gao Shuanzhu peeked out. At this moment, only the lantern in Zhang Youtie's hand, the "Qi Si Feng" (a type of lantern), had limited brightness and could not illuminate a large area. Nineteen concealed himself further into the shadows, holding his breath. If Uncle Ma hadn't known that someone was following him, he would almost have thought that only Zhang Youtie and Liu Shi were there.
The group of people who came out were already half asleep, and when they heard Zhang Youtie's words, they obediently closed their doors and went back to their rooms. Whether they actually fell asleep immediately was another matter.