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Chapter 2: The Little Maid Wants to Find Several Men to Marry
After leaving her young mistress's room, Xiang Wu felt rather dazed and dispirited.
She didn't even want to return to her room, so she simply wandered aimlessly around the small garden in the rear residence.
Eventually, she wandered beneath a grape arbor.
At this time, the grapes had only just begun to form. They were still tiny, green, unripe clusters, each one no bigger than a green bean. Cluster after cluster hung from the vines, their fresh emerald-green color resembling strings of jade ornaments, giving off the faintly sour fragrance of young grapes.
Xiang Wu sighed and sat down on a small stone stool beside the grape arbor.
Although it had only been a dream, Xiang Wu knew very well that it had been real.
It couldn't have been any more real.
She could even remember the pain when the scissors had come down in the dream. It had hurt so badly that she had almost lost the will to live.
And afterward, she had been sent to the nunnery, where she had endured an utterly miserable life.
Xiang Wu absolutely did not want to live that kind of life.
She wanted to get married.
She wanted to have one, two, three, perhaps even four children.
She wanted to live an ordinary and peaceful life.
But what was she supposed to do?
She thought about everything Miss had said to her today, as well as the look in Miss's eyes when she had said those things.
It was obvious that Miss was wary of her.
She was wary of her, yet at the same time, she wanted to make use of her.
Once Miss married Young Master Chu in the future, Xiang Wu would certainly have to accompany her as part of her bridal entourage.
And then...
She bit her lip.
She remembered the way Young Master Chu had looked at her.
She always had the feeling that Young Master Chu wanted to swallow her whole.
The thought made her even more frightened.
That path was absolutely impossible.
Thinking of this, Xiang Wu drooped her head and began counting things out on her fingers.
If she wanted to escape the miserable fate she had seen in that dream, what should she do?
She had to get married.
She had to find a man and marry him.
Once she was married, there was no way she could continue serving as Miss's personal maid after the marriage.
Even if she married another servant of the Marquis of Dingyuan's household, she would become a married woman accompanying her mistress into her new household.
A woman in such a position could later help manage certain household affairs.
The Chu family had a reasonably good reputation and household conduct. They certainly wouldn't stoop to having their young master lay hands on a married woman who had accompanied his wife into the household.
Once she had settled on this plan, Xiang Wu began counting on her fingers all the men she knew.
She had been sold to the Marquis's residence when she was seven years old, so the men she knew were basically limited to those who worked around the estate.
The first person she thought of was Ergouzi, who guarded the front gate.
He was rather simple and honest.
Whenever he saw her, he would always hurriedly rub his hands against his clothes before coming over with a smile.
“Miss Xiang Wu, is there anything you need me to do? Just tell me what you need, Miss Xiang Wu. We'll run the errand for you.”
He was extremely attentive and considerate.
Xiang Wu felt that he could probably count as one of her choices.
If she agreed to him, he would probably be eagerly waiting to marry her.
Besides, Ergouzi's parents were both stewards in the household. They could be considered people of some standing and reputation.
If she could marry him, her life afterward probably wouldn't be too difficult.
The second person Xiang Wu thought of was A-Fu, who tended to the garden in the rear courtyard.
A-Fu was very skillful with his hands. He helped take care of the trees and plants in the rear garden, and he was diligent and capable.
Previously, when Miss had ordered her to go to the rear garden to pick flowers, Brother A-Fu would always pick a bunch of the freshest and prettiest flowers for her.
He would hand them to her and say,
“Miss Xiang Wu, use these. There's a lot of dew over there. Don't get your skirt wet.”
Although A-Fu didn't have much of a background, at least he had good skills.
A person with good skills was always valued.
He wouldn't be casually dismissed by his masters, and even if he eventually left the household, having a good trade would at least ensure that he wouldn't starve.
The only thing that worried her was this.
If she said she wanted to marry A-Fu, would Miss agree?
Xiang Wu continued counting on her fingers and soon thought of a third person.
The third was Chen Zhong from the stables.
Compared with the previous two, Chen Zhong was older.
He was already thirty-three or thirty-four years old.
She had heard that he had grown up alongside the Marquis from childhood. However, he had gotten into trouble in his younger years and had consequently been sent to the Marquis's residence to take care of the horses.
Previously, Miss had ordered people to prepare the horses because she wanted to go horseback riding and enjoy an outing with Young Master Huo.
Because of that, Xiang Wu had gone to the stables several times, and that was how she had come to know Chen Zhong.
She hadn't really paid much attention to him at first.
He was more than ten years older than her, after all, so she hadn't given him much thought.
But one time when she went there, she discovered that Chen Zhong was actually bare-chested, wearing nothing but a pair of coarse-cloth trousers.
It happened to be an especially sunny day.
The sunlight fell across his dark, sturdy back, and beads of sweat trickled down his skin.
Xiang Wu secretly looked at him.
Only then did she discover that he was actually quite handsome.
His body was strong and solid, full of physical strength, and his waist was straight and firm.
He wasn't at all like the “old man” she had imagined someone of his age to be.
In fact, compared with A-Fu and Ergouzi, he seemed to have even more of a distinctly masculine air.
After that, Xiang Wu discovered that Chen Zhong would secretly look at her from time to time. Whenever she caught him staring, he would immediately turn his flushed face away and look somewhere else.
Xiang Wu understood then.
This man probably wanted to marry her too.
Xiang Wu counted the three men off on her fingers and pondered for a long while, struggling to decide which one she should make her move on.
No matter what, she had to find someone and get married.
The sooner she married, the sooner she could put her mind at ease.
As she thought it over, she was tempted by Ergouzi's parents' status as household stewards, envious of A-Fu's useful skill, yet reluctant to give up Chen Zhong's strong, sturdy physique.
The more she thought about it, the more troubled she became.
Of these three men, which one should she choose?
She furrowed her little brows and let out a long sigh.
“Ugh!”
Who could have expected that the moment she sighed, a man's voice would sound beside her?
“Miss Xiang Wu, what's wrong?”
Hearing this, Xiang Wu jumped in fright and hurriedly looked up.
It was A-Fu!
One of the three men on her list.
Her heart immediately began beating faster, and a faint blush spread across her face. She glanced at A-Fu shyly.
Choosing a man was less useful than choosing the man right in front of her.
Why not just choose this one?
But how should she go about it?
Should she simply take the initiative and say, I want to marry you?
No, no, no. That would be far too improper.
She had heard the older maids say before that a girl shouldn't throw herself at a man like that. A bargain that someone has to chase after isn't worth making!
Then should she make him say it?
But would he dare?
Could he?
Xiang Wu grew anxious.
And once she became anxious, her mind began working quickly.
She understood.
She needed to flirt with A-Fu and coax him into taking the initiative himself.
As for flirting with a man, she had no experience with that.
But in that dream, she and Young Master Huo had gone through all sorts of things together. Perhaps she could simply imitate what she had seen in the dream?
At this point, A-Fu realized that something was not quite right.
He frowned as he looked at the young girl before him.
It was true that he had noticed Xiang Wu long ago.
The young girl was so fair and delicate that she was as captivating as the newly blossomed apricot flowers on the eastern side of the courtyard. Their petals were soft and tender, their pale pink color almost velvety, so delicate that looking at them made one's heart ache and made one want to gently brush them with a rough hand.
At this moment, the young girl was dressed in a pale onion-green skirt and top, which made her little face look even brighter and more delicate.
She seemed to have been startled by him.
Her pair of innocent eyes stared blankly at him, as though she were desperately trying to think of something.
A-Fu felt sorry for her and hurriedly asked,
“Miss Xiang Wu, have you run into some difficulty? Does Miss need some flowers again? Just tell me what kind you want, and I'll go pick them for you.”
Yet Xiang Wu didn't say anything.
She merely looked timidly at A-Fu with those bright, watery eyes.
Then she lowered her head, her whole expression shy and bashful.
Seeing her standing there in shy silence, A-Fu suddenly felt his chest tighten.
His body stiffened, and even his breathing became faster.
Miss Xiang Wu... Miss Xiang Wu...
What... what does this mean?
Why was Miss Xiang Wu looking at him like this?
His mouth went dry.
His face felt as though it were burning.
His heart seemed about to leap right out of his throat.
Yet when Xiang Wu saw him looking like this, she grew anxious inside.
What's wrong with this man?
Can't he take the initiative just a little?
Doesn't he know how to act a little affectionate, put his arms around her, or at the very least hold her hand?
What exactly does he mean by just standing there like an idiot?
Could it be that she was actually expected to be the one to speak first?
How could a young woman possibly say something like that herself?
Xiang Wu felt indignant.
She puffed up her cheeks, feeling both angry and wronged.
But she couldn't give up so easily.
She wanted to get married.
She wanted a husband.
She absolutely could not end up with the same fate she had seen in her dream!
She gave A-Fu a shy yet slightly resentful glance, then said softly,
“Brother A-Fu...”
Brother A-Fu.
Brother A-Fu!
Those words made A-Fu's mind explode.
This was Miss Xiang Wu!
Miss Xiang Wu had actually called him Brother A-Fu!
What... what could that mean?
A-Fu's face instantly turned bright red.
He stared eagerly at Xiang Wu, wanting to say something, but no matter how hard he tried, the words simply wouldn't come out.
His hands were skillful, but his mouth was clumsy.
He had no idea what he was supposed to say to Miss Xiang Wu.
His face grew red from holding everything in.
Finally, he managed to squeeze out a single sentence.
“Xiang Wu... little sister!”
When Xiang Wu heard those words, her heart began pounding.
Did he agree?
Does this mean he thinks she's suitable too?
Then... what would he say next?
Would he finally confess what was in his heart?
If he hurried up and revealed his feelings, she could seize the opportunity and hold on to him tightly.
Better yet, she would find a way to let everyone know about their relationship within three days.
She wanted to get married!
She wanted to marry a man!
She wanted to escape from Miss's side!
Xiang Wu's heart began beating even faster.
She clenched the hem of her clothes, her face and ears burning red as she waited.
She waited...
And waited...
She heard A-Fu's breathing grow heavier.
She could tell that A-Fu seemed to be standing very, very close to her.
She could even smell the mingled scent of sweat and earth on the man, along with the fragrance of trees in the spring air.
She waited.
Waited.
Waited for him to say something...
But after waiting for a very, very long time, she finally heard A-Fu say,
“Xiang Wu... Miss Xiang Wu, look, it's already getting dark. You... you should go back early.”
???
Xiang Wu looked up in disbelief.
But she discovered that A-Fu wasn't looking at her at all.
He had lowered his head and was staring at the ground beneath his feet.
Xiang Wu lowered her head too and followed his gaze.
There were several fallen grape leaves on the ground, along with a few tiny insects crawling around.
Xiang Wu's heart went cold.
She had even called him Brother A-Fu, and he had actually said nothing at all?
Was this even a man?
How could he be so useless!
Xiang Wu felt as though she had eagerly offered up her affection only to be met with complete indifference.
She was furious.
She almost wanted to demand that he tell her whether he was even a man at all!
However, Xiang Wu smiled.
After serving by Miss's side for so many years, who couldn't put on a smile when necessary?
She smiled sweetly and then said, “A-Fu is right. It's getting late, so I should go back.”
She directly changed “Brother A-Fu” to simply “A-Fu.”
Hmph! Did she think “Brother” was something she could call him so easily?
He hadn't said a single thing to her.
Fine, she wasn't going to call him that anymore!
She would change her targets.
She would go after Brother Ergouzi and Brother Chen Zhong instead!
Who would have thought that just after she finished saying this, someone over there called out to A-Fu?
The moment Xiang Wu heard the voice, she knew it was the steward in charge of the rear courtyard.
A-Fu heard it too and hurriedly said, his face turning red,
“Miss Xiang Wu, Steward Wang is calling me. I'll go first. We'll talk later, we'll talk later.”
After saying that, he ran off.
Once he was gone, Xiang Wu stopped pretending as well.
She puffed out her cheeks and stood there angrily.
What was that line from the poem Miss had once recited?
Before the campaign could even begin, the general died in battle, leaving heroes for generations to weep.
It seemed that Xiang Wu was destined to suffer a crushing defeat before she had even gotten started.
She looked at A-Fu's retreating back, stomped her foot, and turned around to leave.
Who would have thought that the moment she turned around, she would crash straight into a hard chest?
And, unfortunately, the part of her that collided with it was the softest part of her chest.
That chest was far too hard, as hard as a stone.
The impact left the tender flesh there aching painfully. She had never suffered such an indignity before, much less been treated so abruptly by anyone.
Xiang Wu covered the sore spot, both embarrassed and in pain. Her nose suddenly stung, and tears nearly spilled from her eyes.
She rubbed her nose angrily and accused the person in front of her in an aggrieved voice,
“Don't you have eyes? Why are you standing here?!”
She was one of the favored maids serving at Miss's side, after all, so she had a little temper of her own.
Besides, she had just suffered a crushing defeat in her first attempt at finding a husband, so naturally her mood was terrible!
But after the final word left her mouth, her upper and lower lips seemed to freeze apart.
She stared blankly at the person before her.
Her mind buzzed loudly, and she felt as though the entire world were spinning around her.
It's over.
It's over!
The person standing before her was the Marquis.
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