Chapter 19: Chapter 19

When Ming Rou decided to return the Indenture Contract to Ye Qiuniang, she had already made up her mind to leave this household. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to protect her grandfather’s estate, but Du Xian had already bought off everyone in and around the Ming Family. Her mother’s authority was completely hollowed out, and the mother-daughter pair had absolutely no say. Staying would only invite increasingly cruel treatment.

Ming Rou was undeniably proud. Coupled with her youthful impulsiveness, if she clashed with Du Xian and provoked him, the outcome was foreseeable.

Before his death, the Old Patriarch had urged her to learn to hide her sharp edges, to endure, and to wait for the right moment. But she had always been stubborn. She couldn’t accept either of the two points Du Xian proposed.

The Ming surname represented her origin, the lineage of her grandfather. The Old Patriarch’s indomitable spirit was something despicable wretches like Du Xian could never compare to. Ming Rou didn’t want to, and wouldn’t, change her surname.

Even less could she tolerate his coveting of the Auspicious Maid bride she had considered her own since childhood. This was the root of Ming Rou’s rage. She would rather set Ye Qiuniang free than let Du Xian possess her.

Now, unexpectedly, this person, having received her Indenture Contract, had actually chased after her alone.

Indescribable emotions surged in Ming Rou’s chest. Her nose stung, her eyes felt swollen. With a slight blink, large teardrops rolled down her cheeks instantly.

The mask of the angry little beast she’d worn before everyone instantly crumbled. Her nose was red. She gave a small, choked sob, her body trembling slightly, though her tone was still harsh.

“Liar… you clearly said you wanted to be the Matriarch. I’ve given you back your Indenture Contract. Why bother following someone who has nothing like me?”

Ye Qiuniang looked at her wet, glistening eyes and the teardrops sliding down her chin, and a soft sigh escaped her heart. She regretted her momentary satisfaction from that sharp retort.

Seeing the young girl’s pitiful state, an ache filled the bottom of her heart.

When she was little, Ming Rou often cried, but as she grew, she cried less. It wasn’t until three years ago, upon learning about what Du Xian had tried to do to her, that she had a major crying fit. Back then, Ye Qiuniang had secretly sworn never to let her shed tears again. Yet three years had passed, and she’d only just returned to the Ming Family, and now, right before her eyes, she’d made her cry again. Ye Qiuniang was filled with self-reproach.

She stepped closer, looking at Ming Rou, who was now a head shorter than her. Gently, she stroked her hair. “I did say I wanted to be the Matriarch of the Ming Family, that’s true. But what does that have to do with his Du household? This Ming Family now only has you, a single remaining descendant. Naturally, I must follow you.”

Ming Rou’s tears, which had been streaming down, suddenly stopped at these words. Her eyes widened, and the tears halted instantly.

Did Jiujiu mean what she just said?

Then… did I misunderstand her?

Ming Rou immediately felt a mix of shame and anger. She also felt that Ye Qiuniang was deliberately toying with her. Why else would she say something so easily misunderstood? With this thought, the tears that had just stopped instantly connected into strings again. She began to cry afresh.

But between her sobs, she cursed, her tiny fists thumping randomly against Ye Qiuniang.

“You did it on purpose… to make me angry… you wanted to make me cry, to see me as a joke… how can you be so bad… boo hoo…”

Her small fists hammered wildly, yet without any force.

Seeing her like this, Ye Qiuniang felt both heartache for her and anger at herself. Her heart melted into a puddle of water. She reached out and gently caught her small fists, pulling her into her embrace and holding her tight.

“It’s Qiuniang’s fault. I shouldn’t have spoken to anger you, shouldn’t have made the Eldest Miss cry. But Qiuniang would never laugh at the Eldest Miss. Qiuniang hasn’t even had enough time to feel heartache for the Eldest Miss.”

Pulled into the tight embrace, Ming Rou’s body initially stiffened with resistance. But as Ye Qiuniang’s soft words of comfort whispered in her ear, her body gradually relaxed and softened. Finally, she simply melted into Ye Qiuniang’s arms, curling up tightly against her chest.

Her tears gradually ceased, though a few fine, choked sobs still punctuated the air, one after another. Listening closely, one could hear her tiny, muttered complaint: “Bad Jiujiu…”

After a long while, when Ye Qiuniang felt her mood had roughly stabilized, she released Ming Rou, looked around, and said, “Let’s go. Let’s leave here first.”

This was the territory of the former Ming Residence. Du Xian’s eyes and ears were everywhere. It was not a place to linger.

Ming Rou didn’t know where to go and simply allowed Ye Qiuniang to hold her hand and lead her towards the main road.

“Jiujiu, let’s go find Qionghua. Maybe the Xu Family can take us in for a while,” Ming Rou said, clutching her chest. The spot where Du Xian had thrown her against the pillar still ached in her back; even the front of her chest felt jarred, and walking faster caused pain.

Most of the Ming relatives had been bought off by Du Xian. If they knew the two had been driven out, they certainly wouldn’t dare take them in. But the Xu Family still had some connection with the Old Patriarch. Now, penniless, the two needed a temporary place to stay.

Ye Qiuniang was silent for a moment before replying, “In that case, let’s follow the Eldest Miss’s decision.”

Seeing Ming Rou in discomfort, she could only support her carefully as they made their way towards the Xu residence. When they arrived and asked the Steward to announce them, the Steward said the Master and Madam had taken the Second Miss to her maternal grandfather’s home several days ago and wouldn’t be back for about half a month.

And so, the hope of getting help from the Xu Family also fell through.

The light in Ming Rou’s eyes instantly dimmed. She coughed lightly a couple of times. “Jiujiu, just around the corner is Cousin Xuan’s house. Let’s go ask. At least find a place to sleep tonight.”

Ye Qiuniang didn’t object. Obediently, she supported her towards Ming Hongxuan’s home.

Ming Hongxuan was home. But what Ming Rou never expected was that his parents seemed to already know the purpose of her visit. Before she could even speak, they preempted her, saying cautiously, “Eldest Miss, Master Du has already given word to the entire Ming clan: no Ming family member is to take you in. As long as you’re willing to go back and bow your head to him and admit your mistake, your position as Eldest Miss is still yours. If we dared to take you in, fearing future retaliation, our small business wouldn’t withstand the trouble.”

Ming Rou felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head from head to toe, drenching her brimming hopes completely. The light of hope in her eyes extinguished bit by bit.

Forcing herself to maintain dignity, she uttered a word of apology for the intrusion, grabbed Ye Qiuniang’s hand, and weakly exited their gate.

Holding Ming Rou’s hand, Ye Qiuniang turned her head to glance back at the slender young man standing at the doorway. She said nothing, but her eyes were terrifyingly cold.

Yet turning back to Ming Rou, her gaze softened instantly.

“Jiujiu, I’m so useless. To think, the dignified Eldest Miss of the Ming Family, now driven out, shunned like a weed, without even a place to shelter.”

Ye Qiuniang reached out and gently stroked the soft hair on her head, saying nothing, just looking at her steadily with those eyes. It was a silent comfort.

“Jiujiu, whether we have to beg for food or anything else, I don’t regret taking you out of there. I didn’t want you to stay behind. But if you don’t want to endure hardship with me, you should leave now while you can. You’re so diligent; eventually, you’ll find a job. With luck, perhaps you’ll meet a good person.”

“I’m not leaving,” Ye Qiuniang said. “Wherever you go, I will follow.”

Seeing her resolute, straightforward answer, Ming Rou didn’t know whether to be happy or dejected. Finally, she gritted her teeth. “It’s getting dark. Let’s find a place to rest first. It’s been raining a lot lately; it wouldn’t be good to get caught in it.”

Ye Qiuniang nodded, then asked, “Does the Eldest Miss have anywhere else to go?”

“Not at the moment. Let’s head to that little run-down temple in the east and stay the night. We’ll decide what to do tomorrow.”

Ye Qiuniang knew which small, broken temple she meant. It was the very one where Ming Rou, at eight years old, had been trapped with Xu Qionghua and Ming Hongxuan.

Knowing Ming Rou’s plan, Ye Qiuniang couldn’t bear to watch her struggle with these worries any longer and began supporting her towards the eastern outskirts.

Coming out as they were, they didn’t have a single copper coin between them. Apart from a jade pendant on Ming Rou’s waist—an ancestral heirloom of their Ming Family—they had nothing else of value. Ming Rou would never sell the pendant.

They walked slowly and reached the temple just as dusk was falling.

Fortunately, they had eaten lunch earlier and didn’t feel too hungry yet. Ye Qiuniang cleared the stone steps and helped Ming Rou sit down.

People came to offer incense and prayers at the temple during holidays, but it had been some time since the last festival. The food on the offering table had long since rotted. Fortunately, the wine cups for offerings were still intact.

“Eldest Miss, rest here for a moment while I go get some water to drink.”

Ming Rou leaned against a pillar and settled down. “Go ahead,” she said to Ye Qiuniang.

Ye Qiuniang found a spring nearby, filled the water, and hurried back to the temple.

She found Ming Rou leaning against the pillar, her lips pale.

Ye Qiuniang’s heart lurched. She rushed over, gathered her into her arms, and felt her forehead. There was a slight fever. Alarmed, she gently patted her face. “Eldest Miss… Eldest Miss…”

Ming Rou forced her eyelids open, glanced at Ye Qiuniang, and murmured, “Jiujiu… did I just fall asleep? I’m so sleepy… I want to sleep a little more…”

Seeing her overcome with drowsiness, Ye Qiuniang’s heart ached terribly. She brought the water cup to her lips. “Drink some water first.”

Ming Rou parted her lips slightly and drank a little. Feeling the embrace of Ye Qiuniang, so soft and warm, she unconsciously burrowed deeper into her arms after drinking.

Ye Qiuniang knew Ming Rou was likely about to fall ill, compounded by the injury when Du Xian had forcefully thrown her aside earlier. Thinking of this, Ye Qiuniang ground her teeth fiercely.

She adjusted Ming Rou into a more comfortable position in her arms, gently stroking her hair, soothing her rhythmically, just like when she was little, trying to make her feel more comfortable.

Not until night fell did soft footsteps sound at the doorway.

“Master, Du Xian’s men just left. Only then did this humble one dare come in.”

“Mm. Go bring Doctor Zhang. Bring medicine for fever.”

Just as A Tao was about to turn and leave, Ye Qiuniang called him back. “While you can still see, gather some straw from outside first to make a bed. It’ll be uncomfortable for her to lie down like this.”

A Tao quickly acknowledged the order. He rushed out and, moments later, swiftly carried in a large bundle of straw, arranging it nimbly on the ground.

Looking at the rough straw bedding, A Tao asked cautiously, “Master, why not just take her directly back to Paulownia Village?”

“Our foundation isn’t stable yet. It’s not wise to reveal our hand so early. Moreover, the Eldest Miss has been raised in luxury since childhood and doesn’t yet understand the harshness of life. This situation is a good chance to temper her mind and body.”

That was why, from the moment they left the Ming Family, Ye Qiuniang hadn’t spoken up or made decisions, letting Ming Rou take the lead to see just how far the Eldest Miss could go on her own.

“Should I bring a blanket later tonight, then?”

“No. If Du Xian’s men see it tomorrow, all our efforts will be for nothing.”

“Then let me leave my outer garment to pad the bedding… otherwise, it might prick the Eldest Miss…” So saying, A Tao began to remove his outer coat.

“Your clothes stink; she won’t like them. Take mine.”

Ye Qiuniang finished speaking, carefully withdrew her arm, took off her outer garment, and tossed it to A Tao.

A Tao scrambled to catch it and busily spread it over the straw to make the bed. Only then did he sneak back out the door.

Ye Qiuniang lifted Ming Rou in her arms and stood up. The light weight of the young girl made her brow furrow.

During her three years in Paulownia Village, this child, left at home, definitely hadn’t been eating properly.

Perhaps sensing the shift in position, Ming Rou stirred slightly, her little head against Ye Qiuniang’s chest, mumbling softly.

“Jiujiu… Jiujiu…”

Ye Qiuniang’s heart melted. She lifted Ming Rou’s body slightly higher and answered softly, “I’m here.”