The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 870 - 848: Master and Servant

Chapter 870: Chapter 848: Master and Servant

Before the Old Madam had obtained the portrait, he had already sensed that the adversary’s chances of misfortune outweighed their fortune. And by the time the Old Madam brought the portrait to him, he had practically confirmed in his heart that they, just like him, had been caught up with.

It was only because they hadn’t seen the body and didn’t know the adversary’s name or surname that they still held onto a sliver of hope.

Manbao stopped, turned back to look at him, and after pursing her lips, she said, "I don’t blame you."

Erji watched her with his mouth agape.

Manbao turned around and walked away. Bai Shan gave Erji a nod and left with her.

Erji lowered his head to wipe the tears from his face, while Bo’an pursed the corners of his mouth and turned to chase after them.

Daji frowned and was about to follow them out, but then he heard Bo’an already chasing after them, calling out, "Young Master—"

Bai Shan stopped and turned back, and Manbao also stopped and turned to look at him.

It was then that Bo’an turned to Manbao, and after tapping his toes, he said, "Young Master, Miss Man, if you had lifted your hems a bit higher earlier, you would have seen it. My second uncle has three deep and profound stab wounds on his body. Everyone in my family says, they don’t know how my second uncle survived. Each of those wounds could have been fatal on anyone else, but my second uncle miraculously made it. He’s not a coward, I think he’s not cowardly at all!"

Bo’an shouted this last sentence particularly loudly. Daji couldn’t help but step out and scolded in a low voice, "Bo’an, silence."

Then Bo’an lowered his head.

Daji, disapprovingly, said, "Aren’t you going to apologize to the Young Master and Miss Man for such shouting and disturbance?"

Bo’an lowered his head and said nothing.

Daji was about to smack him when Bai Shan called out, "Daji," shook his head at him, and then nodded to Bo’an, "You’re right, he’s not cowardly."

Bai Shan glanced at Manbao, took off a jade pendant he often wore from his waist, placed it in a pouch, and handed it to him, saying, "Tell Erji Uncle that this is from me."

Bo’an accepted it in a daze, not understanding its meaning.

But Daji immediately knelt on one knee, "Thank you for the Young Master’s generosity."

Bai Shan put the pouch in Bo’an’s hand and took Manbao to find County Magistrate Tang, "Lord Tang, do you have anything else to ask?"

Lord Tang opened his slightly closed eyes, looked at them for a moment, and then shook his head, "Yes, but I don’t know how to ask, so I won’t ask for now. Maybe next time."

He would come back to chat with Erji after finding out more information.

He stood up and smiled, "How about I travel with you?"

Dafu hesitated.

However, Manbao had already nodded, "You can just send us to the main street, we can walk back on our own."

Lord Tang nodded, letting the three of them get into his carriage in the yard before setting out.

To facilitate the trip, Lord Tang had chosen a particularly ugly horse today, clearly a nag, running slowly but bearing weight well.

The horse swayed out of the alley and onto the main road before County Magistrate Tang turned to Daji to inquire, "I see Erji is also in his prime, how old was he twelve years ago?"

Daji cast his eyes down and said, "Seventeen."

Lord Tang nodded, "The personal servants of reputable families are generally a couple of years older than the young masters, so they are more sensible and can serve the masters well. At that time, County Magistrate Bai had reached adulthood, right?"

Daji clenched his fists and after a long pause finally said, "I was the Xiaos who grew up with the master. Erji was sent to the young master’s side after I left."

Lord Tang glanced at his posture and hands and chuckled lightly, "Last year, I’ve been meaning to ask, were you trained by the Bai Family or have you served as a soldier?"

Bai Shan couldn’t help himself, stepping in front of Daji, "Lord Tang, the Bai Family are respectable citizens, we don’t keep private armies."

"Hmm, so it’s a guard then?"

Daji fell silent for a while then said, "After I came of age, the young master arranged a marriage for me, and then I left to become a bodyguard. Our head of bodyguards came from the frontier guards, so we all followed military regulations in our demeanor."

Lord Tang raised an eyebrow slightly, "Someone like you, and your young master was willing to let you leave service, no wonder you’ve stayed by Bai Shan’s side for twelve years without budging, your son doesn’t even recognize you, does he?"

Daji lowered his gaze without speaking.

Bai Shan and Manbao opened their mouths but found themselves unable to speak.

Manbao felt that County Magistrate Tang wasn’t at all endearing at that moment, so she glared at him.

County Magistrate Tang glanced at her and snorted inwardly, continuing to ask, "Didn’t County Magistrate Bai reach out to you before the incident?"

"He did, but I had gone out on a courier mission. I didn’t see the letter sent to me until it was too late. By the time I returned home, he was already gone."

County Magistrate Tang stared at him and asked, "Where is that letter?"

Daji hesitated and then said, "At home."

County Magistrate Tang merely smiled, "I want to see it."

Daji opened his mouth but under his gaze could only say, "Yes, I will bring the letter later."

County Magistrate Tang seemed satisfied.

When they reached the bustling main street, the carriage blocked the entrance to a small alley. Manbao and the others jumped down one by one, and then Mingli drove the carriage away.

Bai Shan watched the carriage disappear and couldn’t help but turn back to Daji, asking, "Why didn’t you tell me?"

Daji didn’t speak, and Bai Shan asked, "Was it Grandmother who told you not to say?"

"It wasn’t," Daji looked at the two and finally couldn’t help himself, "Lord Tang is very capable, can’t the Young Master and Miss Man just watch from the side?"

Both of them chorused, "No!"

Daji was helpless.

Bai Shan and Manbao turned and left, returning to the teahouse to calm their minds in the private room.

Manbao, puzzled about something, asked, "Why did you give Erji a jade pendant, and why was Daji so happy?"

Bai Shan scratched his head, "My mother taught me that there’s a protocol to rewarding people. When rewarding someone else’s servant outside, there are attendants who do it. But rewarding your own servants, those who are not close receive some copper coins, those who are a bit closer get some small silver pieces, and those who serve you personally can be given fan tassels, hairpins, beads, and such. Only for those who are extremely close to you, if you’re willing to trust them, do you give them jade. Jade is the gem of gentlemen."

Manbao pointed to Daji standing beside them, "Then shouldn’t that have been given to Daji?"

Bai Shan thought for a moment then shook his head, "Daji isn’t someone I should reward, even my mother never rewarded him. His rewards always came from Grandmother."

Daji just smiled at Manbao.

Manbao began to understand a little but couldn’t help saying, "It’s really complicated."

Manbao felt very hungry after putting her mind to use so much that afternoon, so she shared the snacks on the table with Bai Shan. Curiously, she asked Daji, "Daji, are you a free man now?"

Daji said, "No longer."

After finding Erji and bringing him back, he had sold himself into servitude to the Bai Family once again.

He paused and then added, "But Bo’an is."

Daji fell silent for a moment and then said, "Thanks to the Old Madam’s kindness, Bo’an is studying now."