Chapter 4: The Countryside Wife and the White Moonlight (4)

Li Hua explained that her mother had fallen ill and died when she was ten. After her father remarried, both he and her stepmother succumbed to opium addiction, squandering every cent the family had on the drug. Following her father’s remarriage, Li Hua hadn’t eaten a single full meal in two years; eventually, her stepmother stopped feeding her altogether, sending her out into the streets to beg.

“When the money ran out completely, my stepmother wanted to sell me off. At first, she tried to sell me to a brothel, but my father refused. Just then, the Marshal’s Manor happened to be buying servants and offering decent pay, so they sold me here.”

“Does anyone else live in your household besides your father and stepmother?”

Li Hua shook her head. “There was a little brother born to my stepmother, but he died before he even turned a month old. The doctor said the poison from the opium was in her breast milk, and my brother was poisoned to death nursing from her.”

“Madam, I think the Marshal is a wonderful man,” Li Hua continued earnestly. “Even though I have to do lots of chores every day here, I get to eat until I’m full at every meal. I can eat five steamed buns in one sitting now, and Butler Qian has never scolded me for eating too much.”

Su Yu found the girl’s mindset troubling. “Li Hua, you’re eating this way because you’re terrified of starving, but stuffing yourself every day will ruin your health. Look at the other maids in the manor—they are all slender and dressed in lovely skirts. Don’t you envy them?”

No woman was indifferent to beauty. Li Hua nodded. “I do, but I can’t lose weight.” She was so heavy now that even walking was a struggle. Her stomach had stretched, and eating even slightly less left her panicking with gnawing hunger.

Su Yu patted Li Hua’s broad shoulder. “Don’t be afraid. We’ll lose it together.”

The following morning, Butler Qian delivered the requested supplies. Su Yu instructed Li Hua to carry everything to the west wing, dismissing her before turning to Butler Qian.

“I want Li Hua’s indenture of sale.”

Butler Qian blinked in surprise. “Does Madam require only Li Hua’s indenture, or those of all the maidservants in the manor?”

By right, as Mo Chengyuan’s wife, taking charge of the household finances and servants’ contracts was entirely legitimate.

Yet Su Yu’s circumstances were unique. For one, she had just arrived from the countryside and knew nothing of managing a sprawling military estate. For another, Mo Chengyuan had no affection for her.

A mistress who lacked the Marshal’s favor ranked lower than a concubine.

While Mo Chengyuan kept no concubines, there was a White Moonlight entrenched in his heart. Everyone in the manor knew he favored the Eldest Miss of the Sang family, Sang Conghan. If Su Yu were allowed to meddle in household affairs, Mo Chengyuan would surely be displeased.

Butler Qian’s master was Mo Chengyuan; anything Su Yu wished to do required the Marshal’s blessing.

Su Yu’s gaze turned frosty. “Don’t fret. I have neither the time nor the inclination to run the Marshal’s Manor right now. If you cannot make the decision, go ask Mo Chengyuan whether he consents to me holding a single maid’s contract.”

Butler Qian breathed a quiet sigh of relief. As long as she wasn’t seeking to seize control of the manor, all was well.

He forced a fawning smile. “What are you saying, Madam? You are Madame Marshal, after all. I shall fetch Li Hua’s indenture of sale at once.”

It took Li Hua several trips to carry everything into the west wing, her clothes soaked through with perspiration by the time she finished.

“Don’t change your clothes just yet,” Su Yu told her. “Come run two laps around the courtyard with me.”

Though Li Hua ate excessively and could not endure hunger, she possessed an obedient nature and recognized genuine kindness. Hearing Su Yu’s command, she joined her without a word of protest.

Su Yu stood at one hundred and seventy-three centimeters, weighing one hundred and thirty jin.

Li Hua stood at one hundred and sixty-two centimeters, weighing one hundred and sixty jin.

Su Yu could manage a proper jog, but Li Hua was reduced to a waddle, every step sending ripples through the excess weight on her frame.

When Butler Qian returned with the indenture, Su Yu was performing jumping jacks to loosen her leg muscles, her long hair bound securely beneath her indigo kerchief.

“Madam, here is Li Hua’s indenture of sale.”

Su Yu took the flimsy sheet of paper, scanning the traditional script. “Li Hua’s formal name is Zhao Li?”

“That is correct, Madam.”

“Very well. Thank you, Butler Qian. On your way back, instruct the water house to bring hot water over. Establish a fixed schedule of two deliveries a day, morning and evening. I wish to bathe.”

By the time Li Hua came wheezing around the rear of the building, Butler Qian was long gone. Had Su Yu not mentioned it, Li Hua wouldn’t have known he had come at all.

“Madam, did Butler Qian need something?” Li Hua mimicked Su Yu, resting her leg against a willow trunk to stretch. As she shifted, the branches rustled loudly.

Su Yu lowered her aching leg. “Good news.”

“That’s wonderful, then.” To Li Hua, Su Yu was a benevolent benefactor who was helping her lose weight. Over the past two days, she had also noticed that the Marshal didn’t seem fond of Madam; otherwise, he would have visited Beiyuan to see her. Li Hua prayed with all her heart that the Marshal wouldn’t cast Su Yu out.

Once their workout was complete, Li Hua’s clothes were utterly drenched. She turned to head inside to change, but Su Yu stopped her. “Bring your fresh clothes over. Take a bath first before changing.”

“A bath?” Li Hua was taken aback. “B-but us maids usually just fetch water and wipe down with a towel. You go ahead and bathe, Madam. Li Hua will scrub your back in a moment.”

Su Yu shook her head. “I requested two extra buckets of hot water. Letting them go to waste serves no purpose. I make the rules in Beiyuan. Summer will be here soon; if you exercise daily without bathing, you’ll develop an odor. Do you want everyone steering clear of you?”

When the hot water arrived, Li Hua helped wash Su Yu’s hair before retreating to another room to bathe.

Emerging fresh and fragrant, Li Hua felt an even deeper well of gratitude toward Su Yu.

Su Yu’s current body was well-endowed, her bust resembling two plump steamed buns—soft, plush, and tender to the touch. Even if she lost weight, they were unlikely to shrink.

Every day, Su Yu checked the fat around her waist. Today, it felt noticeably firmer; she wondered if she had already shed some pounds.

“123, what is my weight now?”

123 replied: [One hundred and twenty-seven jin! Host, you’ve lost three jin~]

Su Yu nodded in satisfaction. “I’ve reduced my caloric intake these past two days while maintaining moderate exercise. Once my body adapts in a few days, ramping up the intensity will burn it off even faster.”

123: [The Host is bound to be a breathtaking beauty once you’ve slimmed down~]

“A beauty?” Su Yu grazed her cheek with her fingertips, feeling its rough texture. “Starting tomorrow, I need to add skincare to the regimen. If the skin beneath is ruined, no amount of powder will conceal it.”

Weathered by the sun and wind on the rural planet, her skin hadn’t darkened, but it had grown parched and coarse, marked by a scattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose.

She lacked the youth of Li Hua, a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl whose skin remained supple and luminous despite her weight.

Su Yu peered down at her reflection in the washbasin. She had narrow, elongated phoenix eyes, their sharp, restrained gaze slanting upward at the outer corners. Her nose was neatly proportioned, and her lips were thin and crimson. Each feature was striking in its own right, yet when crammed onto a broad, plate-like face, whatever beauty they possessed was utterly drowned out.