"Madam Yang, how have you been? It's been a while since you sent us any money. Tell me, what kind of business are you in this time?" the leader asked, ogling her with lewd eyes.
Rouge frowned involuntarily. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and found his gaze lecherous. She didn't know when Madam had met these people. His gaze made her feel angry and uncomfortable, and she wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
"Let's go inside and talk," she said, walking into a room as if she knew the place well. Rouge stood there, unsure whether to follow.
After some thought, she decided to follow. If Madam got into trouble with them, she would have no choice but to die to atone for her failure.
"Rouge, go stand by the courtyard entrance. I'll be out soon," Wu Qingzhi said, remembering the maid behind her as she heard footsteps.
"Yes, Madam." Rouge secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Having worked in the manor for so many years, she knew the importance of self-preservation. Since she couldn't stop Madam, the less she knew about certain secrets, the better. Even as she lowered her head and quickened her pace towards the courtyard entrance, she could still feel many eyes on her, which made her feel an indescribable sense of nausea.
She closed the courtyard gate, shutting out all gazes, and that feeling finally disappeared. Standing at the entrance, she felt like an eternity had passed. After an unknown amount of time, she finally heard a noise from inside the gate and quickly stood by the door. As expected, Madam soon emerged from within.
"You're a smart person. You know what to say and what not to say. If I hear even a whisper of what happened today, not only will your head be chopped off, but your family won't escape either," Wu Qingzhi said calmly as they walked down the alley, her voice low enough for only the two of them to hear.
"Yes." Although she had been mentally prepared, hearing the threat firsthand still made Rouge feel like crying. Before this incident, she considered herself quite clever, having climbed from a third-class maid to a first-class maid. She had hoped to further consolidate her position, but instead, she had suffered a great setback. This incident also taught her to be more low-key in the future.
Soon, it was time for the annual Mid-Autumn Festival. The city was holding a lantern fair, and many young men and women would go out to join the festivities.
When Rui'er looked at his mother with anticipation, Wu Caiwei, despite considering his safety, couldn't bear to refuse him. At worst, she would go with him herself.
Seeing his mother smile and nod, the unusually composed Rui'er couldn't help but reveal a happy smile. For years, he had dedicated himself to his studies, wanting to earn respect from others. He had never gone out during lively festivals. Now that he had finally passed the imperial examination, he felt relieved and wanted to relax.
He wasn't an unreasonable child and had considered his safety. He had simply thought that since the other party had made no move for so long, perhaps they had given up. Of course, he didn't refuse his mother's suggestion to bring more escorts, knowing she was doing it for his own good.
On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, he finished dinner early and happily went to the main gate to wait for his mother.
"It's so lively today!" he exclaimed. The Zheng family's location was excellent. Usually quiet, today he could hear human voices, indicating how many people were out and how lively it was. He couldn't help but look around, his spirits soaring as he watched the people passing by.
Wu Caiwei saw him like this as she came out and shook her head with a smile, thinking he was still just a child.
"Mother, you're out. Let's go quickly," he said excitedly, turning his head after being reminded by someone beside him and seeing his mother.
Wu Caiwei nodded gently, and he immediately bolted into the crowd like a wild horse.
Several guards quickly followed. In fact, they weren't much older than Rui'er and were also at an age of curiosity. However, they knew that their primary task today was to ensure the young master's safety.
Wu Caiwei also hurried her pace with her retinue, chasing in the direction her son had disappeared.
As Rui'er walked, he suddenly saw a building surrounded by people. He quickly pushed his way to the front and discovered it was a riddle-guessing event. It was the first time he had seen such a scene in his life, and he was very interested, so he stayed.
It was a little regrettable that he had arrived a bit early, and the main riddle-guessing event hadn't started yet. Manager Liu on the second floor looked at the surging crowd below and said happily, "Thank you all for actively participating every year. Today, we will have a special event. Before we begin guessing riddles, we will first select a few lucky individuals to receive some auspicious prizes."
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd cheered, and some even asked with a smile, "May we ask Manager Liu, what are these auspicious prizes?"
"You'll know soon. Let me keep you in suspense for now," Manager Liu said enigmatically.
"I hope Manager Liu chooses me. I want to receive the auspicious prize," the other person continued.
This time, Manager Liu did not respond. Instead, he winked at someone standing behind him. That person quickly went downstairs, entered the crowd, and randomly pulled a few people.
Rui'er was among these people. Seeing the envious looks from the crowd, he involuntarily straightened his back. At the same time, he felt a little uneasy. He didn't know why, but he always felt a force from the person pulling him that he strongly resisted. He quickly looked back at the others. Seeing that everyone was smiling and happy, he shook his head. Perhaps his mother's repeated warnings before leaving had made him too sensitive.
They soon arrived on the second floor. Manager Liu immediately had people bring out five jars of Zhuye Qing wine, aged for thirty years, one jar for each person.
This auspicious prize was undoubtedly valuable and immediately caused a sensation. Those who enjoyed a drink regretted it deeply. If they had known the prize, they would have fought to be chosen when people were being selected. Now, it was too late. Although Rui'er knew nothing about wine, seeing the surprised looks on everyone's faces, he knew that what he held was a good thing. He couldn't help but feel a little happy, vowing to let his tutor and mother taste it.
"However, we have one condition. To take this auspicious prize away, each person must first drink a cup," Manager Liu said, gesturing for quiet.
The chosen individuals agreed without hesitation, opened their wine jars, poured the wine into nearby cups, and drank it all in one gulp.
Rui'er hesitated. He had never tasted alcohol before and didn't know what it tasted like. He was also afraid of getting drunk.
"Young sir, what difficulty have you encountered? You should think carefully. It's very rare to receive such an auspicious prize. It's only happened once in so many years. A man should be able to drink a cup of wine," the manager said, stepping forward to inquire as the others gradually left, leaving only the young man with a troubled expression.