Chapter 14: Chapter 14

The carriage stopped beside a stretch of golden-yellow fields. When Ming Rou jumped down, she saw Ye Qiuniang bending over, harvesting rice with a group of farmers.

Even wearing the same dusty, tattered clothes as those peasant women, she could still be recognized at a glance.

After not seeing her for a long time, she looked a bit sturdier than before, but her figure remained graceful and slender. Her fair skin, nurtured back to health at the Ming Residence, now appeared slightly tanned, yet it still couldn’t hide the budding charm of a young woman coming into her own.

She watched her bend over, her left hand gathering a large clump of rice stalks, her right hand wielding the sickle nimbly. With one swift motion, a small patch of rice was cut and fell.

It looked incredibly smooth and pleasing to the eye.

“Jiujiu—” Ming Rou shouted excitedly.

Working vigorously, Ye Qiuniang heard this call and immediately straightened up. She thought she had misheard, for only that little girl in the world called her that, and she shouldn’t be here.

Yet, she turned around with hopeful anticipation. She saw the young girl dressed in pale yellow sprinting towards her.

In that instant, Ye Qiuniang felt as if fireworks had exploded in her heart, filled with immense joy. But she was always reserved and stood waiting for the young girl to run over.

She expected her to rush into her arms as she used to. But Ming Rou, upon reaching her, suddenly stopped.

The anticipated embrace was abruptly missed, leaving her feeling anxious. Ye Qiuniang looked at Ming Rou with confusion.

The young girl gave a light snort, raising her chin. “Why didn’t you run over to greet me?”

Looking at the young girl who now reached her chin, Ye Qiuniang couldn’t help but laugh silently.

“It’s my fault. I should have run over to greet the Eldest Miss.”

Seeing her pursed smile, Ming Rou felt she had changed somehow. Every gesture seemed to carry something extra, something that made one’s eyes involuntarily stick to her. Yet the Jiujiu before her was still Jiujiu, not someone else.

Ming Rou attributed this strange feeling to their year-long separation. As Ye Qiuniang walked towards her, she inexplicably felt a bit shy and uneasy.

After not seeing her for so long, Jiujiu had become even more beautiful. But what about herself? Would Jiujiu like how she looked? Would she think she was pretty, as cute as before?

Ming Rou lifted her eyelids to sneak a peek at Ye Qiuniang, her heart full of anticipation.

Ye Qiuniang had entered the Ming Family as an Auspicious Maid, her status inherently lower. Being sent down to this estate farm made it even more so. No matter how close she was to Ming Rou, in front of other Long-term Laborers, servants, and the Old Patriarch, she dared not act improperly.

She walked up to Ming Rou and greeted her as Eldest Miss, then went past her to pay respects to Old Patriarch Ming.

Ming Rou had wanted to cling to her the moment she got off the carriage, but now this person was still concerned with all these formalities. Her previously joyful mood felt like it had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

When Ye Qiuniang returned to her side, the young girl’s mouth was puckered high, an expression of extreme displeasure on her face.

During this past year apart, Ye Qiuniang’s longing for Ming Rou was no less than Ming Rou’s for her. To her, Ming Rou was her chance to escape the quagmire of the Ye Family, the only protection that allowed her to live so well in the Ming Residence, her lifelong benefactor.

And on top of that, this benefactor was so incredibly lovable.

“Is the Eldest Miss unhappy?” Ye Qiuniang stood before her, looking at her softly.

“Hmph!”

The young girl didn’t answer. She turned away proudly, presenting the back of her head.

Seeing this, Ye Qiuniang found her even more adorable. But master and servant were different, and with everyone watching, she couldn’t tease her as they did in private. She said gently, “It’s Qiuniang’s fault for upsetting the Eldest Miss. Please forgive me.”

Ming Rou had expected her to soothe her as she used to, but hearing this distant politeness made her even angrier. She stomped her foot and ran to Old Patriarch Ming’s side, hiding behind him, her face turned away in a huff, refusing to look at her.

The Old Patriarch then came over and asked the Manager overseeing this area some questions. Ming Rou thought Ye Qiuniang would seize the chance to come and talk to her, but the woman stood still behind the Manager, quietly listening to their conversation and occasionally interjecting a few words.

Ming Rou was now truly angered. They’d been separated for a year, and she thought she would be impatient to speak with her. Yet she only focused on talking business with her grandfather, completely disregarding her.

Instantly, her mood soured. She stood awkwardly aside, looking utterly displeased.

After the Old Patriarch finished his inquiries and Ye Qiuniang sought her out again, Ming Rou didn’t want to talk to her at all. She completely forgot about her intention, back in the carriage, to ask Jiujiu if she was suffering at the estate.

The Old Patriarch finished his business and saw Ming Rou’s unhappy face. He asked her what was wrong. Ming Rou said she wanted to go home.

The Old Patriarch looked puzzled. “Before coming, you urged nonstop. Now, not long after arriving, you want to go back? Tell me, what’s going on in that little head of yours?”

Ye Qiuniang, overhearing the Old Patriarch, immediately understood. She stepped up to Ming Rou. “It’s rare for the Eldest Miss to visit the estate. Let Qiuniang show you around.”

Ming Rou gave a soft humph from her nose, puffed out her small chest, and raised her chin high, as if saying: You’re the one begging me to go; I’m not the one asking you to take me.

A smile played on Ye Qiuniang’s lips. “In my year at the estate, Qiuniang has collected many curious little trinkets I wish to give to the Eldest Miss. I wonder if the Eldest Miss would honor me by accepting?”

Just as Ming Rou was about to maintain her airs a bit longer, she heard the Old Patriarch laugh from behind. “Go on. Normally you can’t go out. Today, go with Qiuniang to see our family’s land. Otherwise, if people say the future head of Pingle County’s grain magnates has never been down to the estate farm, they’d laugh their teeth out.”

Only then did Ming Rou, somewhat reluctantly, follow Ye Qiuniang towards the edge of the field.

When they were some distance from Old Patriarch Ming and the others, Ming Rou walked a few steps and then stopped, huffing angrily. “Jiujiu, I’m very unhappy.”

“Why is the Eldest Miss unhappy?” A slight smile curved on Ye Qiuniang’s lips.

“You didn’t miss me! You weren’t even looking forward to my visit!”

“How can the Eldest Miss think that? Naturally, Qiuniang was looking forward to your visit to the estate.”

“But you didn’t seem expectant at all. You simply didn’t want me to come.” Ming Rou finished, her expression turning utterly dejected, her eyes slightly reddening.

Ye Qiuniang’s heart trembled. She quickly stopped and wanted to wipe away the dampness at the corner of Ming Rou’s eye, but her hands were filthy from harvesting rice. She raised her hand, then lowered it again.

Seeing that Ye Qiuniang didn’t coax her as before, Ming Rou felt even more aggrieved. She turned her back, squatted down, and tears of grievance fell onto the ground.

How could Ye Qiuniang bear to see her cry? She stopped being reserved and squatted down beside her. “Eldest Miss, please don’t think that. Qiuniang also looked forward to seeing you every day. I dreamed of you last night and didn’t expect to actually see you today.”

“Then come back with me. I’ll go beg Grandfather right now to let you return with us.” Ming Rou gritted her teeth.

“No!” Ye Qiuniang refused without a second thought. “Eldest Miss, you cannot do this.”

“Why?” Rejected outright by Ye Qiuniang, Ming Rou was heartbroken. She thought Jiujiu simply didn’t want to be with her.

“The three-year period the Old Master set isn’t up yet. If Qiuniang returns just like that, what about the Old Master’s credibility?”

“This isn’t like doing business. What’s more important, my happiness, or his credibility?” Ming Rou retorted defiantly. Having lived in luxury since childhood, with her family granting her every wish, even the Old Patriarch rarely refused her. Sending Jiujiu to the estate last time was a decision made in anger. Now that his anger had subsided, and Jiujiu had been so diligent and hardworking here, surely that could offset the remaining time.

“Without trust, one cannot stand. This principle applies to everything.” Ye Qiuniang said patiently.

Once Ming Rou’s willful temper flared, she wasn’t easily persuaded. She huffed angrily, “In the end, you just don’t want to return to the Ming Family. You’d rather toil here every day, harvesting and planting, than come live with me.”

“That’s absolutely not true. In Qiuniang’s heart, the Eldest Miss has always been first.” Ye Qiuniang stated. And it was the truth.

“If I’m first, then let me ask you: Suppose the Old Master deemed your punishment sufficient and came personally to bring you back, would you be willing or not?”

Ye Qiuniang paused, stunned by the question. Then she answered slowly, “If I truly had to choose… actually, I quite like it here at the estate. The relationships are simple; you rise with the sun and rest at sunset. As long as you are diligent, there will always be food. Of course, if I could be together with the Eldest Miss, that would be best.”

Hearing this, Ming Rou had already sensitively perceived that Ye Qiuniang preferred staying at the estate. Her mind buzzed, and she barely registered the last part. The small resentment that had almost been soothed instantly flared up again.

“So that’s it. You just don’t want to come back with me. Since you don’t want to see me, I might as well go back.” Without caring about anything Ye Qiuniang said behind her, she stood up and ran towards Old Patriarch Ming.

Ye Qiuniang, observant and sensitive, couldn’t possibly miss the two clear tear tracks on the young girl’s face.

Watching Ming Rou’s retreating figure, Ye Qiuniang sighed softly but, in the end, did not chase after her.

“What’s wrong, Rou’er? Weren’t you going to walk around with your Jiujiu? Why are you back so soon?” Old Patriarch Ming asked, puzzled.

“Grandfather, Rou’er doesn’t want to stay here anymore. Can we go back, please?” Ming Rou, eyes red, held the Old Patriarch’s arm, swaying it.

Seeing her so aggrieved, Old Patriarch Ming’s heart ached terribly. He didn’t know what had happened between Ye Qiuniang and his granddaughter to make her demand to leave so soon.

But Ming Rou was throwing a tantrum, and the Old Patriarch couldn’t bear to scold her. He could only say helplessly to the Manager, “Alright, I understand the situation. In the future, just leave these matters directly to her…”

Then he ordered the coachman to bring the carriage over. Grandfather and granddaughter boarded one after the other. Once the curtain was drawn, the horses raised their hooves and began the journey back.

And behind the departing carriage, the young woman standing amidst the sea of wheat watched it fade into the distance. The emotions in her eyes solidified, revealing neither sorrow nor joy.