There was no snow on the bluestone outside Mingquan Garden. Wang Gui pressed his forehead against the stone and felt the cold touch on the stone was like a knife, almost cutting his head open.

Wang Gui just knelt down, waiting for the traces to appear.

But the traces never appeared.

Not far from Mingquan Garden is Qunfang Garden where the maids live. Some maids heard Wang Gui's shouts in the dormitory, put on their clothes and went out to watch the fun. At that time, several heads were crowded in front of the dormitory door.

In the freezing cold night, the little maids' hands turned purple and their noses were red from the cold, but they didn't want to miss this wonderful show.

A slender maid squinted her eyes and carefully identified Wang Gui's back: "Isn't that the housekeeper?"

An older maid said disdainfully: "He is no longer a housekeeper. Call him Wang Gui."

The slender maid screamed: "Did Wang Gui give in to the Third Young Master after being scolded with a cane? Look at his back, there is still blood. He may freeze to death if he kneels for a while longer."

The older maid spat aside: "You deserve it! Apart from the young master, the master, and the first-class maids around the madam, who hasn't been touched by him in these years?"

Chen's maids are divided into three classes.

The first class serves the master, has the highest salary and the highest status.

The second class is the maids, Jian Pu, who are in charge of the miscellaneous things in the house. Each second class maid, Jian Pu is in charge of seven or eight third class maids, and they can live a comfortable life.

The worst thing is that these third-class maids, whose monthly salary is extremely low, live with twenty or thirty other people. If they want to marry, they can only marry tenants on Chen's farm or shop assistants.

At this time, the maids were still missing and were whispering: "Strange, the third young master used to be the most weak-hearted and cowardly. Wang Gui has begged him like this, why haven't he come out yet?"

The slender maid lowered her voice: "Maybe she went out to study medicine for two years and changed her temper?"

The older maid sneered: "Impossible. A country is easy to change, but a person's nature is hard to change. A person's temperament cannot be changed casually."

Having said this, she turned back to look at the little maid behind her. She was wearing a simple double bun, her round face was still childish, and her eyes were lively.

The older maid said to her: "Xiao Man, you used to serve the Third Young Master. Now that he is back, why don't you ask Madam to reassign you to the Third Young Master?"

The maid Xiao Man, who was wearing a double bun, murmured in a low voice: "Sister Liqiu, if I don't go, I will feel useless every day following him."

'Li Qiu' hated the irony and tapped Xiao Man's forehead with her fingertips: "You are useless, if you go back to him, won't you become a first-class maid again? The moon silver has increased by three hundred yuan. You

If you don't like him, just marry him out of the house until he is old enough, and you can get a dowry, which is better than marrying a tenant or a coachman."

Xiaoman lowered his head: "It's not that I dislike him, I just feel uncomfortable seeing how cowardly he is. Anyway, whoever wants to go will go, and the monthly increase of three hundred copper coins is not enough to make him feel cowardly... Sister Liqiu, I think

If you stay in Luo City, you won't have to serve anyone, and you'll just die here."

"Not getting married?"

"Don't marry."

Li Qiu whispered: "Don't you know that the Third Young Master has now received 2,500 taels of silver from the newly established Preparation Bureau, and his life has become better."

Xiaoman's eyes widened: "So many?"

Li Qiu exhaled and rubbed his cold hands, and said casually: "Now that I follow the Third Young Master, although I will be a little angry, he is soft-hearted. When you get married, please beg him properly, and you may be able to get a generous dowry.

"

At this time, a maid whispered: "Did the Third Young Master really change his temper and become cruel? Do you really plan to let Wang Gui freeze to death here?"

Xiaoman pouted: "How is that possible?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the courtyard door of Mingquan Garden opened with a creak.

Xiao Man hurriedly said: "Look, I'll just tell you."

…

…

In the dark night, Chen Ji opened the courtyard door, stood on the threshold wearing a big cloak, and asked calmly: "Why is the housekeeper kneeling in front of my door in the middle of the night?"

Wang Gui hurriedly said: "I am no longer a housekeeper. Third Young Master can just call me Wang Gui. I am here tonight. I just ask Third Young Master to be magnanimous and spare me."

Chen Ji said nonchalantly: "It is Mr. Chen's decision to punish you with the rod. There is no point in begging me."

Wang Gui grabbed the ground with his head and banged his forehead on the bluestone, causing blood to flow from his forehead: "There are a lot of Third Young Masters. Everything in the past was the fault of the villain. If you are angry, just give him a slap. It's just that the villain's mother is the sixth.

Seven out of ten, she is still waiting for the villain to come back in the capital. If you don't forgive the villain, I'm afraid I will lose the chance to give her a retirement."

The traces remain silent.

In the Ning Dynasty, it was Taizu's ancestral precept to govern the world with filial piety. Even people like Liu Ge Lao and Wang Daosheng had to resign and go home to Ding You after their father passed away, which wasted three years.

In the dead of winter, Wang Gui took off his shirt and came to plead guilty. He wanted to return to Beijing to serve his biological mother. He was repentant and willing to sacrifice his life for mercy.

If Chen Ji accepted Wang Gui's apology, it would be a scholarly legend, showing Chen Ji's benevolence and righteousness; if Chen Ji let Wang Gui freeze to death here, it would be unkind, and spreading it would damage the Chen family's face.

Wang Gui did not really ask for his forgiveness, but wanted to stage a bitter trick.

This cruel trick was not staged for him, but for Chen Liqin. The other party was betting that Chen Liqin would care about the Chen family's reputation and the friendship between the wet nurses.

Chen Ji thought for a moment: "If you want to serve your biological mother and have the utmost filial piety, I am naturally willing to fulfill it."

Wang Gui raised his head with hope in his eyes: "Third Young Master, have you forgiven me? Can I go back to Beijing with you?"

Chen Ji smiled and said, "I mean, I just need to send someone to bring your mother to Luo City."

"Ah?" Wang Gui was lost for a moment.

Chen Ji pointed at the Chen Mansion: "After we go to the capital, this place will be vacant. I will pay for the carriage and carriage to bring your mother, and then you can place her in my Mingquan Garden, wouldn't it?

How beautiful? Luocheng has beautiful mountains and clear waters and outstanding people. It is a good place to retire."

"This..." Wang Gui hesitated, his eyes rolled slightly, and he quickly came to his senses: "Third Young Master, the villain's mother is old and weak in energy and blood. I'm afraid she can't bear the car ride of several hundred miles.

Mallowton.”

Chen Ji calculated the time: "If we take a speed boat through the Grand Canal, we will arrive there in ten days from south to north."

Wang Gui bit the bullet and said: "The villain's mother is seasick."

Chen Ji sighed: "Then there is no other way. I also want to fulfill your filial piety, but nothing works. Go back quickly. If you continue to kneel down like this, you will die of hypothermia immediately."

Wang Gui knelt down again and said, "If you don't forgive me, I will kneel down and die here."

Chen Ji fell silent.

The little maids in Qunfang Garden held their breath, their heads one on top of another outside the door frame, secretly observing.

Li Qiu said with emotion: "This Wang Gui is also a ruthless person. Is he betting that the Third Young Master will be soft-hearted and not dare to actually cause death?"

Xiaoman curled his lips: "If it were me, I would definitely let him kneel down and die here. Just watch, the Third Young Master will definitely swallow this cowardly attitude. If he hadn't had this temper, he wouldn't have been manipulated by others in the past few years."

In front of the gate of Mingquan Garden, Chen Ji asked softly: "Butler, are you really not going to get up?"

Wang Gui said: "If Third Young Master does not forgive the villain, the villain will not get up."

Chen Ji nodded: "Okay, if you don't want to get up, don't get up. I'll take you to Mr. Chen for comment."

Wang Gui fell on the ground: "The villain won't go...what are you doing?!"

The next moment, Chen Ji walked out of the door, grabbed Wang Gui's wrist, and dragged him deep into the Chen Mansion.

Wang Gui struggled and made a sound like a killing pig: "Let me go!"

However, no matter how hard he struggled, he could not break free from the iron-like hands.

Wang Gui could only lie on his back and let Chen Ji drag him farther and farther on the bluestone road.

The maids outside the door looked at each other, and Li Qiu was surprised and uncertain: "Did I read it right just now? The third young master just dragged Wang Gui away like that?"

Xiaoman turned sideways and scratched the door frame, muttering: "How...you were dragged away like that?"

"Third Young Master is so strong!"

They imagined ten thousand possible endings, such as Chen Ji being soft-hearted and forgiving, such as Wang Gui being unable to bear to leave, such as Chen Liqin arriving.

However, he never expected that Chen Ji would drag Wang Gui away with his bare hands.

The maids were a little at a loss for a while. Xiao Man looked at the back of his former master and suddenly felt a little confused.

…

…

Outside Wenhua Garden, Chen Ji dragged Wang Gui, who was crying, and knocked hard on the door. Chen Liqin didn't even put on his clothes properly, so he pushed the door open in a panic and asked, "What are you doing?"

Chen Ji bowed his hands outside the door and saluted: "Mr. Chen, Wang Gui went to Mingquan Garden to kneel in the middle of the night, wanting to bear a thorn and apologize. He said that as long as I don't forgive him, he will kneel and freeze to death outside my door. I will do this.

If you can’t find the master, then bring him to Mr. Chen to make a decision.”

Chen Liqin looked at Wang Gui and said angrily: "Why are you so crazy?"

Wang Gui walked to Chen Liqin's side and couldn't help but kowtow and admit his mistake: "Master, I know my mistake. I know my mistake. Please don't leave me in Luo City. You also know that my mother is old. She

You can’t be left without someone to look after you.”

Chen Liqin frowned.

Wang Gui continued: "Every time my mother mentioned you, she said that you were the most kind-hearted and well-educated. When you were three years old, you knew that you should give the biggest pear to your brother, mother. She also talked about taking you to visit the Lantern Festival.

It is said that you can guess all the lantern riddles when you are four years old..."

Wang Gui cried bitterly: "Master, she stayed with you until she was fourteen years old, taking care of your food and daily life day and night. How could you bear to see her die alone?"
To be continued...