The mother and daughter's lips were cracked and peeling from dryness. Seeing Bai Sheng hand them a full waterskin, they immediately kowtowed to her several more times.
Bai Sheng forced a smile and said, "Stop kowtowing and drink the water quickly."
The woman immediately hugged her daughter and first offered the water to the girl's lips.
The little girl eagerly opened her mouth and drank greedily. A little water spilled out due to her haste. The woman immediately extended her other hand to catch it and then bent her head to lick her palm.
After the daughter had her fill, the woman picked up the waterskin and drank.
She tilted her head back and, though she drank quickly, not a single drop was spilled.
This water was extraordinary. After drinking it, all three felt a surge of strength and their spirits lifted.
Even the little girl, who couldn't stand steady earlier, had a spark in her eyes.
A moment later, Yang Ming returned carrying a bag of steaming hot meat buns.
Bai Sheng told him to give two to each of the three.
"You've been hungry for too long. It's not advisable to eat too much at once, or your stomachs might have problems. Remember to gradually increase your intake from now on."
"Thank you, Master," the woman said, bowing to Bai Sheng with her daughter.
Lin Jing also bowed to Bai Sheng and said, "Thank you, Master."
Bai Sheng smiled and said, "Alright, everyone, get in the carriage. We need to get back quickly; there's a lot to do at home."
Lin Jing and the woman both replied obediently.
Bai Sheng got into the carriage first and opened the window curtains and door curtains. It wasn't that Bai Sheng looked down on their dirtiness, but rather she was concerned about potential contagious germs, as the three looked like they hadn't bathed in a long time.
Lin Jing and the woman seemed to know they were dirty too. They got into the carriage and quietly sat at the back, not daring to get close to Bai Sheng.
After the carriage started, Bai Sheng looked at Lin Jing and asked, "Miss Lin, you don't seem like someone from a poor family. Why did you sell yourself?"
Lin Jing tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and replied respectfully, "Reporting to Master, this servant is actually the daughter of a Xiucai from the neighboring town. I married a husband who was well-matched and was my childhood sweetheart.
Before our marriage, my husband promised me he would never take a concubine. But after more than two years of marriage, he took one.
I was furious and decided to leave him, so I asked my husband for a divorce letter. My in-laws, seeing that I had given birth to a son and the family line was secured, felt I was no longer of use and had my husband give me the divorce letter.
I wanted to take my son with me, but they absolutely refused to let him go..." Lin Jing's voice choked up at this point.
"Later, I returned to my maiden home. My father and brother told me that as a wife, I didn't understand the 'three obediences and four virtues,' that I should consider my husband as the pivot of my life, and that I was jealous and couldn't tolerate my husband taking a concubine. They said I had disgraced the Lin family and kicked me out of the house. From then on, the Lin family had no daughter named me.
I had some silver on me, but it was stolen by refugees on the road.
With no home to return to, I begged and wandered on the road for over two months. Finally, with no other options, I sold myself to an agent.
I never expected that Master would buy me. It's not flattery, Master, but I felt an immediate liking for you the moment I saw you. From now on... I can live. Thank you, Master, for buying me," Lin Jing said, her eyes moist.
Hearing Lin Jing's story, Bai Sheng sighed with emotion. She hadn't expected Lin Jing to be such a spirited woman, one who couldn't tolerate even a speck of dust.
Such a rebellious character must have been shocking in this era, she mused.
Bai Sheng felt her judgment was sound; she admired the grit in Lin Jing.
She looked at Lin Jing and asked gently, "Up to now, do you regret it? Just because you couldn't stand your husband taking a concubine, you insisted on a divorce and then endured months of hardship. Lin Jing, do you regret it?"
Lin Jing, with reddened eyes, stubbornly shook her head. "Never regret it. It's just... I can't bear to be separated from my son. He's only a little over a year old, and his mother is... not by his side."
Bai Sheng encouraged her calmly, "Lin Jing, as long as you become strong enough and have the power, you will find a way to get your son back."
"Master, are... are you telling the truth? Can I... get my son back?" Lin Jing's eyes suddenly lit up, her voice trembling.
Bai Sheng smiled and nodded. "Absolutely. As long as you are strong enough. So, work hard. Before long, you will have the ability to get your son back."
"Thank you, Master! I will work hard!" Lin Jing tried to kneel before Bai Sheng in the carriage.
Bai Sheng supported her and continued to encourage her, "You are literate and upright. As long as you are willing to work hard, I will definitely give you opportunities."
"Master, please rest assured, I will work diligently," Lin Jing said with firm conviction. She was determined to work hard, save money, and then, once she had enough strength, reclaim her son.
"I believe you," Bai Sheng nodded with a smile. "However, whenever we buy new servants, we rename them. Lin Jing, from now on, you will be called Bai Jing. Bai is my surname, and my husband's surname is Lu."
The woman sitting beside them heard Bai Sheng mention her husband's surname was Lu. A hint of doubt flashed in her eyes. Master said they were from Hongshu Village, not Huangsha Village, so why would her husband's surname be Lu? But perhaps it was just a common surname.
"Thank you for the bestowed name, Master. My father and brother wouldn't let me into the house, and I am no longer a member of the Lin family. Then I shall take Master's surname. I am Bai Jing." Lin Jing liked the name very much; a new name also represented a fresh start.
At this moment, she was filled with hope and strength.
Listening to Bai Sheng and Lin Jing, or rather, Bai Jing's conversation, the woman's originally dim eyes gradually brightened.
In the future, she asked for nothing more than to be able to feed herself and her daughter; that was her greatest dream.
It was better to live miserably than to die. She had thought of death, but if she died, wouldn't she be letting down those who bullied her and her daughter? Therefore, she had to find ways to live strongly with her daughter and strive to live even better.
Bai Sheng looked at the woman again and smiled, "The agent said your surname is also Lu, the same as my husband's. Then, Sister, from now on, you shall be called Lu Hao, meaning everything will get better. Do you like this name?"
The woman immediately bowed and replied, "I... I like it very much. Thank you, Master." Her name was Lu Youdi, which wasn't a name at all!
Bai Sheng then looked at the little girl in her arms and said softly, "Little one, you will be called Lu Man from now on. I hope you will be full of good fortune."
The woman was very grateful and said with a choked voice, "Thank you for the bestowed name, Master." Lu Man, full of good fortune – what a wonderful name! Her daughter had no name before, and her husband and in-laws always called her a "money-loser," while she herself called her "Little Ya Ya."
From now on, she would call her daughter "Man Man."
After saying thank you, the woman turned to the little girl in her arms and said, "Man Man, quickly thank Master for the bestowed name."