"Second Young Mistress, Nanny Gui has left the courtyard gate," Sumo said, her head bowed and her voice trembling slightly.
"I'm tired. Rub my legs," Su Hele said calmly, turning her head to look at the clivia in the olive vase.
Hearing this, Sumo quickly knelt down to rub Su Hele's legs, not daring to even breathe loudly.
But as she was rubbing, Sumo felt something drip onto her sleeve, forming a wet patch. Looking up, she saw that the clivia that had been in the olive vase was now in Su Hele's hand.
Su Hele looked calm, looking down at the clivia in her hand and slowly squeezing it, bit by bit. The clivia was crushed into a mess, and the flower juice dripped down through her fingers.
Sumo lowered her head again to rub Su Hele's legs, her body trembling slightly.
Su Hele watched the clivia wither and decay from its once vibrant state, her expression darkening.
Today, Nanny Gui had ordered her around from morning till night, not giving her a moment's rest. But even so, Nanny Gui was still not satisfied.
She had even threatened that Su Hele would have to attend to the sick again tomorrow and continue to learn the rules.
The reason Nanny Gui dared to treat her like this was because she had offended Chen Wanrong, and it was all because of Su Nansheng!
Su Hele tightened her grip on the clivia, and the flower juice dripped down in a thin line.
Suddenly, Su Hele let go of her hand and took out a silk handkerchief from her bosom. She slowly wiped the remaining juice from her palm, bit by bit.
Her movements were gentle, but her expression gradually darkened.
It seemed that ever since Su Nansheng had agreed to marry He Xun, she had not been as respectful to her as before. Now, she had even framed her. She was really despicable!
And Chen Wanrong was really blind to like that vulgar Su Nansheng.
Thinking of this, Su Hele stopped her movements.
If that vulgar Su Nansheng could be liked by Chen Wanrong, then it would be easy for her, who was so elegant, to win Chen Wanrong's favor.
She had scorned it before, but if it could help her avoid Chen Wanrong's dislike, she was willing to lower herself and give it a try.
Once Chen Wanrong saw her goodness, she would surely no longer take a fancy to Su Nansheng.
Without anyone to support her, let's see how Su Nansheng would dare to challenge her.
Su Hele's expression returned to calm, and a smile appeared on her lips.
She threw the silk handkerchief on the ground and got up to go to the inner room.
"Clean it up."
...
"Is this the compensation you're giving me?" Su Nansheng sighed deeply as she looked at the fishing rod in He Xun's hand.
When He Xun had said he would give her compensation, Su Nansheng had imagined countless possibilities.
Was it going to be a dazzling set of jewelry or a real gold and silver shop? If not, she would even be willing to accept his hand in marriage. But a fishing rod...
Was this a way of repaying kindness with enmity?
He Xun placed the fishing rod in Su Nansheng's palm.
"This is the finest arrow bamboo. It's light in weight, has good flexibility, and I've specifically chosen a size that suits you. This way, you'll use less strength when holding and retracting the rod. When your movements are quick, the prey on the hook won't be able to escape."
Seeing that Su Nansheng was just holding out her hand without moving and there was a hint of helplessness on her face, a smile flashed across He Xun's eyes.
He placed his hand under Su Nansheng's and held it. Her hand was completely enveloped by his, with only the long fishing rod sticking out.
"Give it a try?" He Xun looked down at Su Nansheng.
Looking at the big, bony hand in front of her, Su Nansheng rolled her eyes silently. Then she broke free from He Xun's hand and sat down angrily on the mahogany chair beside her.
What kind of compensation was this? She had just been daydreaming about so many things. This He Xun was really heartless.
Seeing that even her back was filled with resentment, He Xun smiled. She still knew how to get angry. That was good.
He paced over to Su Nansheng's side with his hands behind his back and sat down. He said softly,
"Don't slouch. Otherwise, your back will hurt if you sit for too long."
Su Nansheng didn't say a word. She just straightened her back silently.
Seeing that she ignored him, He Xun said again,
"Now that you have a suitable weapon, you must make some gains today. Otherwise, you won't be able to go back and rest."
Su Nansheng slowly turned her head, her movements stiff. She stared at He Xun in disbelief.
No gains, no rest? Was he treating her like a soldier in training?
He Xun saw Su Nansheng's movements from the corner of his eye but didn't respond. He just looked at the float in front of him and said,
"If you don't get the hang of it, I'd be happy to give you some guidance."
Su Nansheng rubbed her forehead. Did he mean for her to beg him?
He had been cold to her first, and now he wanted her to beg him. He was really going too far.
Although she was a woman, she had her own integrity.
Thinking of this, Su Nansheng smiled brightly and said in a charming voice,
"Linchuan, teach me."
In the gentle breeze, He Xun's lips curled up slightly.
...
In the front hall of the main courtyard, Su Hele stood behind Chen Wanrong, rubbing her shoulders gently with her eyes slightly lowered.
Su Nansheng stared at Su Hele intently, her eyes shining with interest and a bright smile on her face.
Su Hele had always been arrogant and looked down on others. It was really rare to see her serving Chen Wanrong so submissively and humbly like this.
This was a sight that she had never seen in her previous life. She should cherish it.
Nanny Gui curtsied and said,
"Reporting to the mistress, Concubine Li's headache has been cured, and the Second Young Mistress has almost learned the rules. Please test her, mistress."
Chen Wanrong raised her hand, indicating for Su Hele to stop.
"You've always been strict in your work and never been perfunctory. Since you say she's ready, then she is. Starting tomorrow, you don't have to go to Bitao Courtyard anymore."
She had actually already calmed down, but this Su Hele really needed to be taught a good lesson. Otherwise, she might cause trouble for the Marquis Mansion.
Thinking of this, Chen Wanrong turned her head and glanced at Su Hele.
"Go and sit down. Since you've already learned the rules, I can rest assured to hand over the affairs of the mansion to you.
Since Nansheng is in charge of the accounts, you can be responsible for the daily affairs of the mansion, managing the servants and maids, and entertaining the female guests. These are all easy tasks and easy to get the hang of."
"Mother, I've never done these things before. I'm afraid I won't do them well," Su Hele said respectfully, but her chin was still held high.
She had lowered herself to learn the rules in order to suppress Su Nansheng.
Her energy was precious, and she couldn't waste it on these mundane matters.
"It won't be that complicated. You can just go ahead and do it with confidence. If you encounter something you can't handle, just come and find me," Chen Wanrong comforted her.
Although she would be more at ease if she handed over all the affairs of the mansion to Su Nansheng, she didn't want people to say that she was harsh on her concubine's son. So, she had to give Su Hele a chance.
Hearing this, Su Hele frowned slightly and wanted to find another excuse to refuse, but then she heard Su Nansheng say,
"If you don't mind, Second Young Mistress, you can also come to me. I'll surely teach you everything I know."
Hearing this, a hint of contempt flashed across Su Hele's eyes. She was so intelligent. Why would she need to ask Su Nansheng for advice?
"No need. Being in charge of the mansion is just a piece of cake. I won't disappoint Mother," Su Hele said, raising her chin even higher.
She just didn't want to get involved in these mundane matters. It wasn't that she couldn't do it.
She was so intelligent. As long as she wanted to, she would surely do a thousand times better than Su Nansheng.