Chapter 202: Not Understanding, But Respect

Chapter 202: Not Understanding, But Respect

Xie Wanniang was unaware that this was because he always considered himself a chivalrous hero, but this did not prevent Xie Wanniang, like everyone else, from having some confidence in his character.

She guessed that the man's attraction to the woman might be true, but the woman was also attracted to his status, so she readily agreed to his marriage proposal, which was also likely true.

Beauty and power—it really is the most common and vulgar combination in the world.

Thinking this, Xie Wanniang couldn't help but sigh again.

Seeing the worried look in Hai Tang's eyes, Xie Wanniang subconsciously tried to comfort herself.

Forget it, she shouldn't shed tears over the Three Kingdoms and worry about the ancients. Compared to that girl, her situation wasn't much better.

After all, compared to this renowned Duke, her scumbag father was truly morally corrupt and needed to be viewed with the utmost malice, guarded against, and retaliated against.

Taking a deep breath, Xie Wanniang smiled as she locked the cabinet, then got up and walked out of the room. "I'll go ask the waiter for some congee and side dishes. Let's eat, then wash up and go to bed."

The girl no longer needs her help; she plans to head to Qingyuan County, the closest county to the prefectural city, early tomorrow morning.

If she spends the money sooner, she won't have to constantly have people guarding her heavy money boxes.

Thinking this, Xie Wanniang quickened her pace.

Seeing that she had regained her radiant appearance, Haitang immediately followed her with a beaming smile.

The two men looked around at the courtyard gate for a while, and then the waiter who was waiting nearby for customers to call came running over with a smile on his face.

Xie Wanniang looked at him and said, "Please send us some congee and side dishes, and also send two bowls of rice, two bowls of steamed buns, and twelve dishes that taste good and are served in large portions to the neighboring yard."

"Okay!" the waiter replied and jogged off to the kitchen to relay the message.

Xie Wanniang and Haitang retreated to the courtyard, chatting idly while waiting for the young waiter to bring them congee and side dishes.

Side dishes are easy to make, and porridge, like rice and steamed buns, is prepared in advance by the cooks and left there, so Xie Wanniang and the others' food is served very quickly.

A plate of spicy and sour radish, a plate of pickled cucumber, a plate of scrambled eggs with chives, a plate of stir-fried cured pork with onions, wood ear mushrooms and carrots, a plate of preserved egg with tofu, and a plate of braised pig's head, liver and heart platter—a mix of meat and vegetables, hot and cold dishes, all of which are great with porridge.

Xie Wanniang glanced at the dishes the waiter had laid out on the table and nodded with satisfaction.

Seeing that she was in a good mood, Haitang happily grabbed two pieces of silver and placed them on the table, saying, "This is a tip for you and the cook."

The worker was overjoyed. He was getting a reward of almost a coin just for delivering food. This was the first time he had ever encountered such a good thing since he started working.

The waiter happily pocketed the money, and as he backed out, he kept bowing and scraping, saying, "Thank you, young lady, thank you, young lady."

Seeing him like this, the slight pang of regret that had arisen after the impulsive purchase vanished instantly.

Xie Wanniang was amused by their expressions, and her lips were turned up in a smile throughout the meal.

Seeing her like this, Haitang felt even more that her two taels of silver were well worth the money.

She laughed along with them, and in such a good mood that she even drank an extra big bowl of porridge.

What she didn't expect was that something even happier was yet to come.

After the two finished dinner, they asked the waiter to clear away the tableware and bring hot water. After taking turns washing up, Haitang was about to dry Xie Wanniang's hair again when Xie Wanniang took the initiative and stuffed a gold leaf into her hand.

"Here, save it as your secret stash." She looked at Haitang with a smile. "Surprised? Unexpected?"

Haitang burst into tears, startling Xie Wanniang so much that her mouth gaped open and her eyes widened, leaving her stunned on the spot.

She was quickly reflecting on whether her actions had caused Haitang to misunderstand something again when Haitang started wiping away tears and laughing and crying at the same time.

"Thank you, thank you for the gift, Miss." She grinned, clearly happy, but tears were still streaming down her face.

"Ah, this..." Xie Wanniang was a little flustered. "So, are you happy or sad?"

Haitang put her hands on her hips and exclaimed, "Of course I'm happy!"

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she casually wiped them away. "What I'm called... what I'm called..."

Xie Wanniang cautiously replied, "Tears of joy?"

"Yes, it's tears of joy." Haitang clapped her hands vigorously, her little face shining with pride, surprise and excitement. "Miss, this is the first time in my life that I've received gold leaves as a reward. You don't know, I used to envy the old ladies around Madam. In the whole Xie family, they were the only ones who had gold as their private stash."

Of course, what they had were not gold leaves, but gold jewelry, gold beans, and gold peanuts.

In the past, when the Xie family was wealthy, these favored servants who surrounded their masters would receive gold rewards or celebratory money from their masters on holidays, when they performed meritorious service, or whenever there was a major happy event in the mansion.

Although during times of war, even if these people managed to survive, they would inevitably have to spend a lot of their hard-earned gold and silver. However, some of the more fortunate people, whose household expenses were not so high, were still able to keep some valuable items that they were reluctant to part with.

Having experienced hunger and even nearly starved to death, Haitang deeply understands the importance of money and food. She harbors a strong, heartfelt longing for the golden glitter that the old women occasionally take out and polish, but she never dares to voice it.

She never dreamed that her intense longing for gold would be satisfied in such an abrupt way.

Xie Wanniang was in a bad situation; no matter how much money she had, it wasn't enough to cover the costs of hiring and training guards.

Haitang thought that Xie Wanniang would change her frugal habit of spending every penny wisely after all the hidden dangers were eliminated, but unexpectedly, Xie Wanniang generously gave Haitang a gold leaf while she was still in danger.

Although the golden leaves were light and not heavy, Begonia, whose wish had been fulfilled, couldn't help but cry out in joy and emotion.

Xie Wanniang had never longed for anything so much, so she couldn't understand Haitang's tears of joy. But that didn't matter. Even if she couldn't understand, she could still respect Haitang's joy.

The master and servant chatted as they worked, and only after Haitang had completely dried Xie Wanniang's hair did they turn off the lights and go to sleep, one inside and one outside.

The next day, Xie Wanniang packed her things early in the morning, preparing to leave the city with Haitang and the guards.

While having breakfast and settling the bill in the inn's lobby, the young waiter, who had received a generous gift from the girl and had even helped her deliver a letter to Xie Wan Niang, secretly told Xie Wan Niang in a very fast voice that the family would be sending off their cousin today.