“Dongsheng! Xiaomei! Come out here!” Zhiyan called out to the front yard. In no time, a thin boy of thirteen or fourteen, leading an eight-year-old girl, walked out. They were both quite young and skinny, but they looked lively. They wore rough cloth clothes and had bright eyes. “Miss, do you recognize them?” Zhiyan asked mysteriously. “You said it, they do look familiar.” Lu Lingyun looked at them, and they also looked at Lu Lingyun, with gratitude in their eyes. “Where have I seen them before?”
“They’re the brother and sister who were selling themselves to bury their mother that you saw when you came back home!” Zhiyan said.
Lu Lingyun suddenly remembered. On the day she came back with Cheng Yunshuo, they had given some money to the siblings along the way.
“So it’s you two.”
“Thank you, benefactor Miss.”
“Thank you, benefactor Miss.”
The two young children knelt down to Lu Lingyun.
“Miss, it’s a coincidence. When I was buying charcoal for you, I met them. Dongsheng was the one who helped me find the charcoal seller. He negotiated the price. Normally, a cart of charcoal would cost one tael of silver, but he got it for almost a penny less. They both worked hard.”
Lu Lingyun smiled slightly. “Get up, both of you.”
Dongsheng helped Xiaomei up. Zhiyan continued, “By the way, Miss, a few days ago, you asked me to keep an eye on the Luo family. It was Dongsheng who did it. He followed the Luo family’s servants all the way to the place outside the suburbs.”
“So it was you!” Lu Lingyun was pleasantly surprised. She looked at the thirteen or fourteen-year-old Dongsheng with surprise. “You did a great job.”
“Thank you, Miss. It’s nothing.” Dongsheng’s tone was calm and he didn’t seem excited. For someone so young, he was surprisingly composed and reserved.
Lu Lingyun was even more satisfied with him.
She looked at the little girl next to Dongsheng. “Your name is Xiaomei?”
“Yes, Miss.”
“How old are you?”
“Eight years old.” Xiaomei was young and her voice was a bit timid, but her eyes were clear. She looked at Lu Lingyun without any hesitation.
Lu Lingyun reached out and touched her head. “I want to take you with me. Would you like to come back to the Houfu and work by my side?”
Her words surprised Zhiyan and Dongsheng.
Especially Zhiyan, it would be such a great opportunity for someone to work by the side of their master.
Xiaomei looked at her brother. Dongsheng nodded at her earnestly.
Lu Lingyun was the wife of the Houfu’s young master. Her sister was an orphan, with both their parents gone. He couldn’t easily take care of a younger sister, so if Xiaomei could follow Lu Lingyun, it would be a great fortune for her.
In the future, she would be a maid at the Houfu at the very least. Whether she continued to work at the Houfu or Lu Lingyun helped her find a good husband and leave the Houfu, it was a privilege they could never have dreamed of.
Under the urging of her brother, Xiaomei hesitated before replying, “I’m willing.”
“Very good.” Lu Lingyun smiled brightly. She took Xiaomei in and kept her by her side.
Lu Lingyun also gave Dongsheng some money, asking him to continue keeping an eye on the Luo family’s movements. Dongsheng immediately agreed.
This time was different from before. He would work even harder for Lu Lingyun, because his sister was by her side. They were now truly part of Lu Lingyun’s family.
Lu Lingyun walked around the grocery store for a while, giving some other instructions, and then left with her entourage.
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