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Late night, Zhilanyuan.
After Gu Jiu washed up, she sat in front of the desk, holding a book and flipping through it.
Qing Mei said, “Guniang, it’s late in the night. Take care of your eyes.”
Gu Jiu turned a page and said softly, “Reading for a while isn’t a problem.”
From outside, they heard footsteps.
Qing Zhu said, standing at the doorway, “Guniang, Yanzi has come.”
Gu Jiu replied in a low voice, “Let her come in.”
Qing Zhu took Jiang Yan to enter.
Jiang Yan bowed and saluted. “Nubi pays respects to guniang. For guniang to summon nubi so late in the night, what instructions does guniang have?”
Gu Jiu put the book down, looking at her lazily. “I heard that you have signed a five-year work deed?”
Jiang Yan replied uneasily, “Yes!”
“I heard that you sold yourself to escape from becoming a local landlord’s concubine?”
Jiang Yan was increasingly anxious. “Yes!”
Gu Jiu asked her, “Five years later, what do you plan to do?”
Jiang Yan lowered her head. “Nubi still hasn’t thought about it.”
Gu Jiu looked at her with a smile that wasn’t a smile. “If I let you serve the san shaoye, are you willing?”
Jiang Yan suddenly lifted her head, then suddenly lowered it, her face perplexed and tense. But not the slightest bit of joy could be seen.
Qing Mei and Qing Zhu were puzzled, not able to understand. Guniang grabbed Jiang Yan from taitai with such difficulty, so why did she want to send her to san shaoye’s side now?
Gu Jiu smiled. “It seems that you aren’t willing.”
“Thank you, guniang, for your understanding.” Jiang Yan lowered her head further, her heart becoming more anxious.
Guniang certainly didn’t summon her late at night to send her to san shaoye’s side.
What she just asked was probably to just probe her, nothing more.
Jiang Yan wasn’t able to guess what guniang wanted to probe.
She wasn’t able to see through what kind of a person guniang was.
At shang fang, she appeared weak, soft and delicate. But now, guniang was so incomparably imposing.
Jiang Yan felt that she had jumped into a big pit. If she wasn’t careful, she would be buried in this pit.
Gu Jiu waved her hand, letting Qing Mei and Qing Zhu withdraw.
Qing Mei was a little worried.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, “Don’t worry about me. I just want to chat with Yanzi for a while.”
Qing Mei said, “Nubi will be just outside the door. If nubi wants something, just call out. Nubi will immediately come in.”
Gu Jiu nodded.
Qing Mei and Qing Zhu turned and left.
Only Gu Jiu and Jiang Yan were remained in the room.
The atmosphere suddenly calmed down. Jiang Yan’s palms became damp with sweat.
Gu Jiu hadn’t done or said a single harsh sentence. She had also been smiling the whole time she spoke. But Jiang Yan felt indescribable fear.
Finally, Gu Jiu broke the silence.
“You signed a five-year work deed just to make a fortune in this time, am I right?”
Bang!
Jiang Yan suddenly knelt. “I ask guniang to punish me.”
Gu Jiu had a smile at the corner of her mouth. “Why are you asking me to punish you? It isn’t a mistake for you to want to scheme for wealth.”
Jiang Yan stared at Gu Jiu blankly. Gu Jiu looked down, supporting her chin. “You are very beautiful.”
Jiang Yan came back to her senses, feeling a little embarrassed. “Nubi looks like a willow and is unworthy of guniang’s praise.”
Gu Jiu shook her head. “You are beautiful, you needn’t be modest. I want to ask you what kind of wealth you seek.”
Jiang Yan looked at her in doubt.
Gu Jiu’s two eyes stared at her. She asked casually, “Do you want the wealth of a big family or small wealth? Do you want to be a concubine in a grand clan’s residence or do you want to climb up to the nobility?”
Jiang Yan’s heart beat like a drum. Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. It palpitated at lightning speed as if it were about to jump out of her throat.
She opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word.
When she entered the provincial governor’s residence, she had imagined various possibilities but she didn’t expect the problem she faced at that moment.
Gu Jiu smiled and asked, “Haven’t you thought about it?”
Jiang Yan’s throat rolled as she swallowed. She said cautiously in a low voice, “If there is an opportunity, nubi wants great wealth, rising straight up in a clear sky.”
Sure enough.
This was a fox-faced, wildly ambitious woman.
Perhaps when she was in a small mountain village, she didn’t have these ambitions.
But when she entered the city walls and experienced the outside world, her ambitions also inflated.
She didn’t want to serve Gu Ting because Gu Ting, this boy, couldn’t satisfy her ambitions.
Gu Jiu only needed to push her a little from behind and this woman instantly exposed her astonishing potential. Gu Jiu didn’t dare to say for certain how high this woman could go.
Keeping this restless woman in her room was like holding an explosive. She had to either be quickly destroyed or assisted as she climbed up.
“Why did you speak the truth suddenly?” Gu Jiu found it strange.
Jiang Yan looked at her and said, “Because nubi wants to grab this opportunity to plan for riches and honour. Nubi doesn’t want to leave behind any regrets.”
Gu Jiu laughed. “It isn’t easy to get riches and honour.”
Jiang Yan eagerly showed her determination. “Nubi can endure hardships, all kinds of pain and suffering.”
Gu Jiu leaned against her chair and said quietly, “If you want riches and honour, just bearing hardships is insufficient. You should be patient, intelligent, resourceful and have good vision. Most importantly, I must see your ability in handling various affairs.”
“I ask guniang to command.” Jiang Yan’s eyes were filled with resolution.
Gu Jiu’s face was expressionless. “You already know that maid Xiao Hong. This servant is a little irritating. Can you send her away?”
Jiang Yan was bewildered. “Nubi will be so bold as to ask a sentence, guniang needs only a word to send Xiao Hong away. Why must nubi personally come forward to do it?”
Gu Jiu raised her brows. “Keeping Xiao Hong is actually not a problem. It’s just that Xiao Hong is not discreet and toadies everywhere for personal gain. She mustn’t be allowed to stay any longer.”
Pausing, Gu Jiu continued. “Last time, when Xiao Hong made a mistake, father personally punished her. It isn’t good for me to punish her again to avoid a reputation of treating people harshly and provoke father’s dislike if he hears those words.
“I wanted to give Xiao Hong a chance to turn over a new leaf and let bygones be bygones. Unfortunately, this servant doesn’t know how to cherish it. It’s time that she is sent out. Can you accomplish this matter?”
Jiang Yan thought for a while before nodding. “Nubi is willing help guniang share her difficulties.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Very good! Before the middle third of next month, I want you to complete this matter well.”
There were not many days before the middle third of the next month.
Jiang Yan looked up at Gu Jiu. “Is this guniang’s true nature?”
Gu Jiu laughed. “You are very daring.”
Jiang Yan hurriedly lowered her head. “I ask guniang to forgive me.”
Gu Jiu waved her hand, saying casually, “What is true and what is false? It’s impossible for a person to have just one face. Sometimes gentle, sometimes callous, sometimes naive and lovable, sometimes shrewd, sometimes whispering tenderly, sometimes speaking like harsh swords.
“To show which appearance where depends on the circumstances and the person you are facing. If you want wealth and honour, you can’t have only one face.”
“Nubi has received the instructions! Many thanks, guniang, for your teaching!”
Jiang Yan was excited, her cheeks flushed.
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Gu Jiu smiled, asking, “Are you literate?”
“Not yet.” Jiang Yan said weakly, her confidence and excitement disappearing without a trace.
Gu Jiu picked up her book calmly and said, “After you complete this matter, I will teach you how to read.”
Jiang Yan was overjoyed. “Many thanks, guniang, for your cultivation. Nubi will not disappoint guniang’s trust.”
Gu Jiu said, “Polish your temper well, don’t be flustered. Later, I will have many more errands for you to do.”
“Nubi obeys guniang.”
Jiang Yan stood and left.
Qing Mei entered. “If guniang values Yanzi so much, then Qing Zhu and I can only stand to one side in the future.”
Gu Jiu laughed. “Don’t be silly. You and Jiang Yan are different. She will leave sooner or later, but you will always be by my side. You and Qing Zhu are people I rely on greatly.”
Qing Mei’s sorrow turned to joy. “Nubi is willing to serve by guniang’s side for a lifetime.”