Rebirth: Contract Husband Falls in Love with Me
Chapter 70 - 35: An Incident Caused by a Parrot (Part 2) - 2

Chapter 70: Chapter 35: An Incident Caused by a Parrot (Part 2) - 2

"If that is the case, Mrs. Li, I have a few words to tell Liu Ya."

"Certainly!" Mrs. Li nodded, "It’s time to properly teach her a lesson; it will save a lot of trouble in the future! Take your time speaking with her, Sang Wan. I’m going to arrange the supper now!" With that, she turned and left.

Sang Wan let out a slight sigh of relief and called Liu Ya in.

"Young Madam, you wanted to see me?" Liu Ya said cheerfully, her dark eyes clear and bright, her oval face rosy and white, with a tranquil smile.

Sang Wan felt a pang in her heart. She was certain that Liu Ya was unwilling to go to Second Master Shi; she was so sure of it that she had outright offered to handle this herself. Now it was unclear whether Shi Fengju would be willing to help out. If not—no, he had to!

According to their agreement, when she left the Shi family, she planned to take Liu Ya with her—the Shi family couldn’t covet her dowry maid.

To leave and leave behind her dowry maid wouldn’t seem right, would it?

"Liu Ya, I need to speak with you," Sang Wan said, looking at Liu Ya with unprecedented seriousness.

"Young Madam?" Liu Ya unwittingly became nervous, her smile fading as she started fiddling with her fingers anxiously.

"Don’t be afraid," Sang Wan smiled and then honestly explained the matter concerning Second Master Shi’s desire to have her come over.

Before she could even ask for Liu Ya’s opinion, Liu Ya dropped to her knees, crying and pleading while tugging at Sang Wan’s clothes, "Young Madam, Young Madam, please save me! I don’t want to, I don’t want to!"

"Quiet down a bit, stand up!" Sang Wan raised her finger to signal for quietness and leaned in to help her up, softly saying, "I’m telling you this because I want to know what you truly feel. Since you are unwilling, I naturally have other plans. Think about it carefully, do you really not want it? Second Master noticed you, and you could become a concubine, are you truly unwilling?"

"Unwilling, unwilling!" Liu Ya shook her head vigorously and spoke quickly, "Second Master already has two concubines and three maids with whom he shares his bed. I heard from little Mei in the yard, those three are just officially recognized, but there are several other girls who have been with Second Master without any official status! I would rather be without a husband than to go there!"

She’s well-informed!

"Are you sincere about this?"

"Yes, if I’m not sincere, may I not die a good death!"

"Good," Sang Wan nodded, "We’ve been like sisters since we were little, naturally, I’ll help you. For now, just do as I say, and afterward, we will handle things as they come. What do you think?"

Liu Ya wiped her tears and hastily agreed, "I’ll listen to everything you say, Young Madam!"

Sang Wan then explained her plan and sighed, "The young master only has eyes for his cousin from the Gu Family. My own suffering is enough; I wouldn’t want to drag you into this. I implore the young master to help us muddle through this situation for now, and later, when things die down, I will grant you some silver to marry off to a different place as a proper wife, much better than being a secondary wife! My whole heart is in this for you. You won’t blame me for having a hidden agenda, will you?"

In her past life, Liu Ya suffered so much in the second house but still cared about Sang Wan, sneaking out to see her, bringing her food, aiding her in various tasks, and always offering comfort. Given this affection, Sang Wan couldn’t just ignore her plight. Moreover, she feared that Liu Ya might think Sang Wan didn’t want to let her serve as Shi Fengju’s concubine and harbor resentment towards her. When the moment came, Sang Wan realized how hard it was to speak these words out loud, especially if Liu Ya actually took a liking to Shi Fengju—she was practically inviting resentment!

But, she had no choice but to do so.

Because she knew clearly, even if she was willing to let Shi Fengju take Liu Ya now, Shi Fengju would not want it, and might even think she was sabotaging his relationship with Gu Fangzi. Playing this role could force him to help!

It would be better for her to clarify everything in advance rather than have Shi Fengju reject Liu Ya later on. This way, she wouldn’t end up offending people on either side.

"Young Madam," Liu Ya said with tears, "I have never harbored any thoughts about the young master! There’s something I’ve been keeping inside and might as well say it to you today, ’Better to be a poor man’s wife than a rich man’s concubine.’ I’ve never thought of it, never... even if I spend my whole life unmarried and serve you, it’s still better than being someone’s minor wife! This is truly how I feel, Young Madam, please understand!"

Sang Wan, moved, tightly held her hand, blinking her moist eyes and nodded, "Liu Ya, as long as I have a bowl of rice to eat, you will always have half! Don’t worry!"

Liu Ya also cried, nodding desperately.

"Alright, no more crying!" Sang Wan lifted her handkerchief to wipe her eyes, and forced a smile, "If Mrs. Li sees you, she might become suspicious. Pretend to be happy, hm, and a bit shy."

"Young Madam!" Liu Ya laughed through her tears, lowering her head shyly as instructed by Sang Wan.

The servant and mistress shared a smile.

Soon, Mrs. Li had the supper ready. Sang Wan lifted the lid of the food box to peek inside, steam rising and the aroma wafting, a large bowl of white noodles topped with vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, ham, and dried scallops—both visually and olfactory appetizing.

Sang Wan covered it again, signaling Liu Ya to carry it, with two servants leading the way with lanterns, and together they headed towards Shi Fengju’s study.

To show her ample care and service to Shi Fengju in front of Mrs. Li, Sang Wan made it a point to send some food to his study whenever Shi Fengju spent long nights there. Shi Fengju, seeing her arrive, didn’t mind and nodded for it to be set aside.

Yet, Sang Wan lingered, without the intent to leave, prompting Shi Fengju to eventually look up, puzzled.

After hearing what Sang Wan had to say, Shi Fengju angrily uttered, "Absurd!" He wasn’t scolding Sang Wan, but his own uncle.

The uncle was lecherous, fond of keeping goldfish and birds; Shi Fengju was aware and didn’t mind much. After all, it was a personal hobby, and the Shi family could afford it. Compared to other family elders who meddle in business without understanding, his uncle was actually not bad!