The wind was moaning outside the window.
The master-servant duo each lay on one side of the bed, but neither of them had the desire to sleep.
Xiao Die rambled on about Luo Qingzhou's upcoming marriage for a while as she stared into the darkness. Suddenly, she changed the topic. "Young Master, do… do you know how to consummate a marriage?" She said softly, blushing with embarrassment.
Luo Qingzhou was at a loss for words.
If he said that he not only knew how to do it but was very good in bed and knew many different tricks too, would Xiao Die suspect that he had been secretly reading indecent books?
"Consummation? Of course, I know how to do it. It's just the bride and groom mutually toasting and drinking from each other's wine cups. After that, both of them will lay in bed and sleep," Luo Qingzhou said.
He deliberately teased her.
Xiao Die burst out laughing. She flushed crimson as she said, "Young Master, you really don't know how to do it! It's not as simple as that. You have to consummate your marriage if you want to have a child in the future. How can you possibly have a child just by laying in bed with one another?"
Luo Qingzhou raised his eyebrows and asked, "You know how to do it?"
Xiao Die's face flushed with a mixture of pride and shyness. "Yup. Of course, I know how to do it. Granny Sun taught me."
"Oh?"
Luo Qingzhou held back his laughter. Just as he was about to continue teasing her, Xiao Die suddenly hugged his leg and pressed her flushed face against it. She said in a voice that was barely audible, "Young Master, I… I will teach you how to consummate your marriage tonight, okay?"
The smile on Luo Qingzhou's face gradually disappeared.
Feeling the warmth at his feet and her reliance on him, Luo Qingzhou could not help but sigh inwardly.
In this era, such was the fate of maidservants.
A few taels of silver were enough to buy them. Apart from doing the tiring chores in the residence, they still had to serve their masters.
On top of that, they had to sexually serve their masters.
However, despite doing that, they might not get their big break and their status might not change at all.
In the end, even until her death, she might still be a lowly servant in the residence.
Even if her master took her in as a concubine, there would not be many changes to her status. Moreover, her master might cast her aside at any time.
In this era, gifting concubines to friends had long become a trend.
It was even quite popular.
Therefore, most maidservants were ill-fated.
Luo Qingzhou's heart ached for this little girl.
After all, she was the only person here who was sincere to him.
How could he bear to hurt her?
Even if he wanted to take her in as a concubine, he needed to wait till he safely left this place. Otherwise, he was only harming her.
"Erm… Xiao Die, I'm a bit tired today, so let's turn in early."
Luo Qingzhou declined politely, but he did not dare to move his feet. He was afraid of hurting Xiao Die's feelings, and he also feared that she would misunderstand and think that he despised her.
"Oh."
Xiao Die was slightly disappointed to hear that.
However, because she was shy, she did not dare to say anything else. Her flushed face was still pressed against his feet, and her heart was pounding wildly.
The night passed quietly.
The next day.
When Luo Qingzhou woke up, Xiao Die was sweeping snow from the courtyard with a broom.
It finally stopped snowing.
Luo Qingzhou got up, got dressed, and left the room.
When Xiao Die saw him, she quickly put down the broom in her hand and said, "Young Master, you're up! I'll go get water for you to wash your face."
The water in the pot was still warm.
She immediately went to get a basin.
After washing his face and brushing his teeth, Xiao Die brought breakfast over.
Breakfast was a bowl of gruel and a steamed bun.
After breakfast, Luo Qingzhou returned to his room. He opened the window and sat in front of his desk to read.
Although he had a photographic memory, he could only imprint the words in his mind. He could not immediately understand them.
Only by slowly going over the contents would he be able to comprehend its meaning.
When it was time for his exam, he had to be flexible and answer the questions with his own understanding. It was impossible for him to write every single word listed in the textbook.
Therefore, he had to comprehend the meaning of every word.
The Great Yan Empire advocated martial strength, but studying was equally important.
He was only an Elementary Scholar now. Once he became a High Scholar, his status would be very different.
At that time, even his father would not dare to punish him casually.
If First Madam wanted to harm him again, she would have to risk being beheaded.
Therefore, at that time, his safety would be even more guaranteed.
In such a chaotic world, having an official rank was equivalent to having an additional protective shield.
However, scholars were too weak.
There was a saying, "Better an open enemy than a false friend."
Since he had obtained a martial arts cultivation technique, naturally, he would want to try cultivating it. That way, it would strengthen his body and he could guard against villains or false friends.
Perhaps when the time came, he could also become an official like the eldest son of the Luo family or prepare for the entrance examination like Luo Yu.
At noon.
Butler Wang's voice sounded outside the courtyard again. "Third Young Master, are you there? Old Master and Madam want to see you."
Had the matter been settled?
Luo Qingzhou's heart skipped a beat. He put down his book and left.
This time, he did not go to the reception pavilion, but to the side hall where everyone was eating.
Luo Yannian and First Madam were eating.
Second Madam and a few maidservants remained standing in a respectful position by their side, serving them while they ate.
There were eight dishes and a soup on the table. It was a sumptuous meal.
Luo Qingzhou entered the side hall and bowed respectfully.
First Madam did not even glance at him. She had a dark expression.
Luo Yannian was still eating slowly. He only nodded slightly in response to Luo Qingzhou's greeting.
It was impossible for him to invite Luo Qingzhou to eat with them.
On the other hand, Second Madam saw him and immediately congratulated him with a smile. "Qingzhou, congratulations! Old Master already went to the Qin family this morning to explain things to them, and they agreed to you marrying their daughter. Your wedding will be held in three days. Gosh, you're so lucky to be able to marry the eldest daughter of the Qin family! The Qin family is a prestigious family, albeit with declining status…"
"Ahem!"
Luo Yannian coughed and put down his chopsticks.
Madam Yang immediately stopped talking.
Luo Yannian looked at the young man standing respectfully at the door. He paused for a moment and said seriously, "Qingzhou, for the next few days, make the relevant preparations. In three days' time, you will be going to the Qin residence to get married. Once you get there, make sure that you exercise self-discipline and abide by your duty. Serve your parents-in-law well and treat your wife well. Don't embarrass the Luo family. Do you understand?"
Three days later?
It was so soon!
Luo Qingzhou bowed and lowered his head. "Yes."
Luo Yannian was a ruthless, hypocritical, and heartless man. He was an irresponsible father. Luo Qingzhou inwardly thought that Luo Yannian was unworthy to say such words to him.
At this moment, First Madam finally raised her head and looked at Luo Qingzhou. With a stern expression, she said, "Although you're going to marry into the Qin family, you still represent the Luo family. After you go to the Qin family, you have to pay attention to your words and actions. If word gets out that you're causing trouble there and tarnishing the Luo family's reputation, even if you're already the Qin family's son-in-law, we still won't let you off! Do you understand that?"
Luo Qingzhou narrowed his eyes and bowed. "Yes, I will remember your words."
"You may leave. Butler Wang will bring you to the accounting room to collect some silver taels and order a few sets of clothes. You can use the money if there's a need to. If there's anything else you need, you can tell Butler Wang. Since we want you to marry into the Qin family, naturally, we won't treat you badly," said First Madam.
After saying that, she waved her hand dismissively, motioning for Luo Qingzhou to leave.
Luo Qingzhou looked into her eyes and heard what she was thinking. "I lose my appetite at the sight of this b*stard. Why can't he die just like his mother? How annoying!" she thought.
"I will take my leave," Qingzhou said.
Luo Qingzhou buried his hatred in the depths of his heart and bowed before taking his leave.
Butler Wang brought him to the accounting room and withdrew some silver taels. He then instructed the maidservant to take Luo Qingzhou's body measurements.
Then, he gave her some reminders.
After Luo Qingzhou left, he did not return to the small courtyard.
Seeing that there was no one around, he turned around and followed the same route he had taken yesterday where he discovered the warm lake.
He stopped in front of the arch doorway.
After looking around again, he slowly walked toward the lake, acting as if he was merely taking a stroll.
When he reached the willow trees, he looked over.
The ground was still well covered by snow and withered grass. It did not seem like it had been touched.
Luo Qingzhou strolled around the lakeside for a while.
After confirming that there was no one around, he walked over, grabbed a handful of the withered grass, and ripped it out of the soil.
The pit was covered over with soil. The black wooden box was gone.
Luo Qingzhou did not dare to stay there any longer. After sticking the withered grass back into the ground, he quickly left.
He did not know if the servant he met last night was from the residence.
If it was someone from the residence, where did he steal that cultivation technique secret manual from?
Was he intending to use it himself or was it for someone else?
As Luo Qingzhou mused over it, he returned to the small courtyard.
Xiao Die had already brought lunch over.
However, at this moment, she was sitting in front of the brazier at the door. She was wiping tears from her puffy red eyes.
Upon seeing Luo Qingzhou, her tears began to fall uncontrollably.