Casting Nets to Catch a Husband

Chapter 188: Master and Servant

The three of them made their way back to the inn, but Lu Chengxiao could hardly contain his shock.

Liu Yu had mentioned before that she’d had a dream last March about being sold off by her stepfather, stepbrother, and sister-in-law, which was why she was in such a hurry to find a way out for herself. Before coming to Yangzhou, Lu Chengxiao hadn’t really believed that dreams could predict reality.

Back then, he could clearly explain to Liu Yu that it was probably due to subtle signs in her daily life that made her sense the impending crisis, leading to such dreams.

But now?

There really was a Liuxian Pavilion in Yangzhou, and they had indeed encountered, in late March, the girl from Liu Yu’s dream—the one who was sold into Liuxian Pavilion.

Lu Chengxiao hadn’t missed the way Liu Yu’s eyes reddened at the sight of that girl. He could feel the uncontrollable joy, affection, and sympathy emanating from her.

The hardest thing to conceal is one’s emotions, especially when they’re running high. And from Lu Chengxiao’s perspective, Liu Yu wasn’t trying to hide it from him either.

Could such feelings really come from just a few dreams?

He couldn’t help but glance sideways at Liu Yu.

Liu Yu was currently asking the girl questions, like where she was from and how old she was.

This wasn’t an act—firstly, Liu Yu genuinely didn’t know where Xu’er was from. In her past life, after taking Xu’er from the brothel madam, Liu Yu herself had been deeply disappointed with her own family. Upon hearing that Xu’er had also been sold by her own family, she didn’t ask any more about Xu’er’s background or family situation. She only ensured that, within her abilities, Xu’er could live a relatively peaceful life in Liuxian Pavilion.

Secondly, even though Liu Yu had an explanation ready for Lu Chengxiao, it would still seem abrupt and strange to Xu’er—after all, she had no personal connection with them. Why would they be waiting at the brothel entrance just to intercept her?

Xu’er had been sold by her family for 30 taels. She knew very well that if you were just buying a maid, appearance didn’t matter much, and in rural areas, one could be bought for just ten to twenty taels. But she had seen with her own eyes that Lu Chengxiao paid 180 taels for her.

Liu Yu needed a plausible explanation, or rather, a story for Xu’er, which is how the conversation began.

Gradually, Xu’er began to pick up on what was happening. Although the man was the one who had bought her, it seemed that the person who truly wanted to save her was the young woman disguised as a man. She stated her name and place of origin, then bent her knees to kneel in gratitude before Liu Yu and Lu Chengxiao.

Startled, Liu Yu quickly reached out to help her up.

Though Xu’er was a year younger than Liu Yu, she was strong, and when she knelt, it was solid and firm; Liu Yu couldn’t pull her up.

“Thank you, young master and miss, for saving me. Xu’er will never forget your kindness for the rest of her life. I will serve as your maid, repay your kindness, and work tirelessly for both of you.”

Dressed in men’s clothing, Liu Yu appeared to be either a young unmarried woman or a married lady, making it hard for Xu’er to discern her true status. So, Xu’er addressed her as “young master” and “miss,” using both titles. After a few words, she was about to kneel and kowtow, but Liu Yu wouldn’t allow it. She squatted down, blocking the space in front of Xu’er’s knees, making it impossible for her to bow.

“That’s enough, no need for this. Get up quickly.”

With people bustling up and down the street, Xu’er knew that such a gesture would attract attention and make Liu Yu uncomfortable, so she obediently stood up.

From the start, Lu Chengxiao stood just a step away from Liu Yu, refraining from getting involved in the situation.

Once back at the inn, Liu Yu asked the innkeeper for an extra room and took Xu’er there to settle her in. Only after the couple returned to their own room did they finally have a chance to talk.

“How do we arrange things for this girl? Are we really going to keep her as a maid?”

From Lu Chengxiao’s perspective, they didn’t know much about Xu’er’s character yet. Although they had saved her, bringing her back with them wasn’t necessarily certain. His purpose for accompanying Liu Yu on this trip was to ease her mind. Discovering that such a person really existed, of course, meant rescuing her, but they hadn’t thought much about what would happen next.

Liu Yu hesitated as well. Taking someone as a maid would mean registering them as a servant, something she was reluctant to do. Yet, she didn’t know how Xu’er had ended up being sold by her family in her past life, nor whether her family was trustworthy.

Lu Chengxiao noticed her uncertainty and handed over the contract they had taken from the procuress. “Why don’t you ask her what she wants?”

A hundred and eighty taels was a significant sum for most families. However, while Lu Chengxiao wasn’t exactly wealthy, earning a hundred or two hundred taels wasn’t too difficult for him. He certainly hadn’t spent that money with the intention of keeping someone as a lifelong servant.

The bond between Liu Yu and Xu’er was different, so she had even less inclination to impose such terms.

Taking the contract from Lu Chengxiao, Liu Yu leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

Thank you for accompanying me to Yangzhou, just because of a dream I told you. Thank you for not questioning it.

Lu Chengxiao hugged her back, then smiled, gently patting her on the back. “Go on.”

Liu Yu left the room with the contract and knocked on the door of the adjacent room.

“I’d like to ask you what your plans are for the future.”

The first thing Liu Yu said after sitting down was this.

Xu’er was taken aback. “But… didn’t you already buy me?”

For a moment, she panicked, quickly standing up. “I… I can chop wood, carry water, do laundry, and cook.”

Liu Yu quickly waved her hand. “Sit down, no need to rush.”

She continued, “To be honest, I didn’t buy you because I wanted a maid. I was hoping to do a good deed, to offer some kindness, which is why I wanted to ask you—why were you sold? If I were to return your contract and set you free, would you have somewhere to go?”

Liu Yu didn’t bring up the supernatural dreams, feeling it was fine to talk about them between her and Lu Chengxiao but potentially troublesome if shared with others. Speaking of doing good deeds seemed more appropriate.

Some people offer food or medicine; this was just her own way of helping others.

From the moment Xu’er left the Liuxian Pavilion side entrance to the inn, she had thought about many things, but she had never imagined that she had been bought out of sheer kindness. She knew she was lucky to be saved, but she hadn’t expected it to be due to such generosity. Hearing Liu Yu’s words, she immediately knelt down beside her, saying, “I have nowhere to go. Please, miss, take me in.”

Then she started to explain how she was sold, and Liu Yu learned that Xu’er had six sisters and one brother. All of the sisters, except for the brother, were sold off one by one; Xu’er was the fourth.

“Miss, your kindness is immense. But if I were to go back, my family would just sell me again. Please, take me in.”

She was about to kowtow again.

Liu Yu quickly grabbed her. “Sit down and talk. I’m not saying you have to go home. You can stay with me, but really, there’s no need for all this kneeling and bowing.”

That stopped Xu’er’s action, and she stood up quickly, but instead of sitting, she just stood by the side, immediately displaying the demeanor of a proper maid.

From her hometown to Yangzhou, the procuress had spent a lot of time teaching Xu’er the rules, so she already knew how to be a maid.

Liu Yu, feeling a bit helpless, said, “Since you’ll be staying with me, you don’t need to call me ‘Miss.’ I’m already married, and the man you saw earlier is my husband. You can call me ‘Madam’ instead.”

In truth, being called “Madam” felt unfamiliar to Liu Yu, but she didn’t know what else Xu’er could call her.

Hearing that Liu Yu was willing to keep her, Xu’er’s face lit up with a smile, and she immediately sweetly called her “Madam.”

Liu Yu chuckled and said, “We aren’t a big household; we don’t have any maids. I run an embroidery workshop, though. Are you good with needlework? If you are, you don’t have to return to your hometown. You can work at the workshop instead.”

Xu’er’s embroidery skills were average, as she had never had the opportunity to learn, but she was quite good with basic needlework. Liu Yu actually knew this because she had seen her work in the previous life.

Still, she asked anyway.

Xu’er nodded eagerly. “I can do needlework. I used to do all the mending at home.”

Liu Yu smiled, took out the contract Lu Chengxiao had given her, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Xu’er. “That’s good. Here, take this contract back. Our home is in Anyi County, Yuanzhou City. When we get there, you can go to the local office and cancel your registration. After that, you’ll be free.”

Xu’er recognized the contract; her father’s fingerprint was still on it. That thin piece of paper had held her fate in its grip. Before today, she could only dream of getting it back and gaining her freedom.

However, not long ago, she had seen Lu Chengxiao pay one hundred and eighty taels to buy her from the procuress.

One hundred and eighty taels — Xu’er thought that even if she were sold five times over, she wouldn’t be worth that much.

It was an amount she could never repay in her lifetime.

She shook her head and stepped back, saying, “No, I can’t accept this. You and Master spent one hundred and eighty taels to buy me, and now I’m your servant. As you said, you don’t have any maids, and there are always chores to be done. I can do anything, and I’ll even work at the workshop.”

The way she shifted between calling herself a servant and just “I” made Liu Yu feel a mix of emotions.

Just as stubborn as in the past life.

Looking at Xu’er, Liu Yu said, “I’m simply trying to do a good deed. There’s no need to overthink it. I genuinely don’t need a maid. We’re just a small household, and if there’s a need for cooking or cleaning, we can just hire someone. If you have nowhere else to go, you can work at my workshop. We’ll provide food and lodging; you won’t be left without a place.”

But Xu’er shook her head. Seeing the expression on Liu Yu’s face, she gathered her courage and pushed the contract back across the table to her. “Madam, I really don’t want it. A person has to have a conscience. You and Master saved me from a terrible fate, and I owe my life to you. Serving you for the rest of my life is how I can repay you. I can tell you’re both good people. I’m more than willing to be your maid, and being in servitude isn’t a problem. I was already sold once. If it weren’t for you and Master, who knows where I’d be now? This is more than enough for me, and I’m very grateful.”

Seeing her so resolute, Liu Yu asked once more, “You won’t regret it in the future?”

Xu’er shook her head.

Liu Yu smiled. “Alright then, but if you ever decide to buy back your contract, just let me know. You can do so at any time.”

Xu’er beamed with joy, curtsied, and said, “Thank you, Madam.”

“Rest well. We’ll stay here a few more days before returning to Yuanzhou.”

As Liu Yu took the contract and left, she couldn’t help but smile as she remembered how Xu’er had called Lu Chengxiao “Master.” She was curious to see his reaction when he heard it.

Back in their room, Liu Yu explained the situation to Lu Chengxiao and handed the contract back to him for safekeeping. “She insisted on repaying us, and since she has nowhere to go, I agreed for now. But if she ever wants her contract back, she can have it at any time. She’s only fifteen. If she doesn’t ask for it in two or three years, we can find her a suitable marriage and give her a dowry. That way, it won’t be a wasted opportunity for either of us. What do you think?”

Being grateful and willing to repay kindness sounded good to Lu Chengxiao, so he nodded. “Alright, you can decide. We’ve saved this one, but what about the other? Will our money be enough?”

Lu Chengxiao calculated that they still had about two hundred and eighty taels left. Before coming, he really thought five hundred taels would be sufficient, but now it seemed less certain. Xu’er was bought outside the Liuxian Pavilion, and he knew the procuress had inflated the price, but it still shouldn’t have cost more than buying someone directly from within the establishment. And yet, it had been one hundred and eighty taels. What about the other girl?

Liu Yu wasn’t too worried, but she didn’t say that out loud. She simply replied, “Let’s check it out this evening. We’ll do what we can.”

Redeeming Xiao Yuniang wasn’t really about the money; it was about whether Xiao Yuniang would trust her enough to take that step.

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