Time Travel: The Noble Family

Chapter 139: Chapter 58: Young Servant_2

Yueyao had originally intended to send someone to the manor to pick out a couple of children, when Hua Lei cautiously said, “Miss, my uncle heard that the young master is in need of a young servant and wants my cousin to serve by his side. My cousin is a clever child. If Miss finds him suitable after meeting him, he can be employed.”

Nanny Deng furrowed her brows. Hua Lei was normally very measured in her actions, so why was she so off the mark on this matter? She actually dared to use her connections to reach the young lady. Which servants the young lady wished to employ was her own prerogative, not something a maid could influence.

Serving closely by the young master’s side was error-free work, and those who did so would become the most valued and useful servants as they grew older. Yueyao thought about the last incident, how well Hua Lei’s uncle had handled it without letting a single whisper get out. His seeking her out this time signified his intentions to pledge loyalty and also to secure a future for his own child.

She was currently troubled by the lack of useful people, so if she could win over Hua Lei’s uncle’s family, that wouldn’t be bad either, “Alright, have your aunt bring him over for me to see.”

Hua Lei knelt on the ground and kowtowed, “Thank you, Miss.” She really had no choice, being pressed by the circumstances. Her younger uncle worked in the stable, her younger aunt was assigned heavy labor, and with four children at home, their scanty monthly salaries were hardly sufficient; life was tough. Her uncle and aunt begged her, and Hua Lei thought of how the young lady had also made use of her uncle previously. Fearing that a flat refusal might disillusion her uncle and cause trouble for the young lady, she had reluctantly spoken to the young lady about it.

Yueyao waved her hand, “It’s too early for thanks; I need to see him first.” She did not want someone overly clever. Someone too crafty, with many tricks up their sleeve, Brother Zheng would not be able to control. Of course, what mattered most was loyalty; that was essential.

Having the opportunity was enough to make Hua Lei extremely grateful; the rest was up to her cousin.

Suddenly, Yueyao remembered the twenty silvers she had given the last time, “Did your uncle properly settle your cousin?” It had been quite a while, and Yueyao had almost forgotten about it.

Hua Lei’s expression turned ugly, “No. My aunt said that my cousin had already fallen out of favor with Madam, and no amount of silver would redeem her. It would be better to use the silver to arrange a good marriage for my older cousin. Now, we don’t even know where my cousin has been sold to.” Hua Lei felt deeply sad thinking that her beautiful and fair cousin was now unbeknownst to her.

Yueyao was somewhat surprised, “Is that a stepmother?” If it was a stepmother, she could understand, but such a person was absolutely not suitable for employment, as they would definitely betray their master.

Hua Lei gave a bitter smile, “If it were a stepmother, I wouldn’t say anything, but she is our birth mother.” A birth mother capable of such cruelty was even more disheartening.

Yueyao glanced at Hua Lei and said no more. Having spent ten years in the Nunnery, what hadn’t she heard? There were other parents out there more biased and cruel than Hua Lei’s uncle and aunt. When you have such parents, as their child, you just have to accept your bad luck, “In the future, you’d better limit your interactions with your relatives.” It was best to have fewer dealings with such people; to get involved meant trouble.

Eagerly nodding, Hua Lei replied, “Rest assured, Miss, there will be no more dealings.” Hua Lei didn’t disclose what followed, but when her mother learned the whole story, she went to demand the silver from her aunt. Not only did she not get a single piece of silver, but she also had a huge argument with her mother, and the whole affair ended on bad terms. Given such a brother, Hua Lei’s mother was also disheartened and declared that she no longer recognized him as a brother and refused any further contact.

With a scornful laugh, Hua Lei thought about how her aunt had the absurd idea to approach her when word got out that the young lady was selecting a young servant for the young master. She wanted Hua Lei to recommend her second cousin, a lazy and gluttonous boy, as a servant for the young master—such an ironic suggestion. But she didn’t shut down the conversation outright. Instead, she simply said to return the twenty silvers first, then they could talk about the rest. As a result, her uncle backed down.

Yueyao nodded, “That’s good,” without probing any further.

After Nanny Deng left, she went specifically to Hua Lei, “This time it’s just once, and there must not be a next time. Otherwise, you will no longer serve by the Miss’s side.” Nanny Deng believed that Hua Lei’s actions were out of line, and continuing in this manner was not good for the Miss.

Hua Lei, her face flushed with embarrassment, replied, “Nanny, it won’t happen again.”

Nanny Deng nodded. Actually, what Nanny Deng meant was to choose a young man from the families of the attendants the Old Master used to rely on, but she never expected Hua Lei to thwart her plan. To Nanny Deng, picking from the families of former attendants was far more reliable than Hua Lei’s uncle. However, since the Miss had decided, she did not think it appropriate to object.