Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 533 - 497: Go to the Kitchen to Get Things (1)
The nanny was there mumbling, unwilling to go forward.
Li Yu En asked her, "Nanny, are you worried about not being able to borrow it? It’s okay, if we can’t borrow it, that’s fine too."
This made the nanny happy, "Ah, then let’s not go."
Li Yu En shook her head, "But if we don’t go and ask, how do we know we can’t borrow it? Let’s go ask first." She smiled and urged the nanny, "Hurry up, you lead the way, and Aunt Liu will follow you to take it."
She also found an old basket used for flowers in the room and handed it to Second Lady Liu.
Second Lady Liu also smiled and urged the nanny.
The nanny hesitated, being pushed without any recourse, she reluctantly said, "Alright then, let’s hurry up and go."
The wind was strong outside, and it was dark.
The nanny carried a lantern and led Second Lady Liu towards another courtyard.
She deliberately led Second Lady Liu in circles around the mansion, thinking that by the middle of the night, the master and lady would be asleep, and the housekeeper in that courtyard was fierce, unlikely to open the door.
That way, she wouldn’t be scolded by the lady.
The nanny led Second Lady Liu in the opposite direction, and Second Lady Liu realized something was wrong, promptly saying, "Isn’t that the road to the garden? The master and lady don’t live there, old sister, you’re going the wrong way."
The nanny refused to admit she was leading the wrong way, only saying, "Oh dear, look at me with these old eyes, it’s so dark, I mistook the road."
Second Lady Liu said, "Let me lead the way then, you just follow along."
The nanny laughed and said, "That sounds good." But in her heart, she mocked, hoping that Second Lady Liu would get lost and not come crying.
Little did she know that Second Lady Liu knew the way around Lou Mansion.
Earlier in the Li Family, Princess Consort Luling had asked Lou Chengye for the floor plan of the Lou household’s inner courtyards.
Princess Consort Luling was worried that Li Yu En and the other women might be bullied in a strange place and wouldn’t even know how to escape.
So she prepared in advance.
Princess Consort Luling required Li Yu En, Second Lady Liu, and the two Liu sisters to memorize the floor plan thoroughly.
And Liu Er and his two sons were required to memorize the city map of Zhen An Prefecture.
This last-minute cramming for the maps unexpectedly came in handy immediately.
Second Lady Liu admired in her heart how thoroughly Princess Consort Luling had considered everything.
After twisting and turning, without taking a single wrong turn, Second Lady Liu found herself at Lady Lou’s main house.
The second watch had passed, and the courtyard gate was closed.
Two red lanterns hung under the eaves above the gate, swaying left and right in the wind.
Second Lady Liu chuckled, "Old sister, I’m new here, so you should be the one to call out at the door."
The nanny refused to call out, "My calling won’t do any good."
Second Lady Liu smiled insincerely, "Nanny, you’re being evasive, are you trying to freeze the newcomer to death?"
The nanny’s face was embarrassed, "You’re talking nonsense, that’s not what I meant!"
"Then you should call out." Second Lady Liu urged her again.
The nanny steeled herself and went forward to knock on the door.
She knocked for quite a while, and only then did the door open.
A woman behind the door asked, "Who is it, so late at night?"
"It’s me, from Fifth Young Master’s side, someone is here to see the lady." The nanny pushed Second Lady Liu forward.
She would never admit it was herself who needed to see the lady; she didn’t want to get scolded.
Second Lady Liu saw that the person who opened the door was a woman older than herself and also called her "old sister" with a smile, "There’s no more charcoal in Fifth Young Master’s courtyard, he asked me to come and ask the lady."
This woman raised her eyebrows, "Charcoal? It’s so late, the master and lady have gone to bed, come back in the morning."
With that, she unceremoniously closed the door.
Second Lady Liu knocked on the door again, but no matter how she called, the door wouldn’t open.
The nanny stood to the side, curling her lips in a smile, wondering why they were bothering to find trouble?
Trying to ask the lady for something in the dead of night, did this Fifth Young Madam take herself for a Princess? What wishful thinking.
"I told you, young sister, didn’t I? The lady is asleep, coming here is useless, let’s go back and get the newcomer an extra quilt, and make do for one night; we’ll find a way in the morning." The nanny tucked her sleeves, looked at the sky, "It’s snowing, it’s so cold, let’s go back."
Large snowflakes fell gently from the sky.
As if someone up high were pulling on cotton wool.
Second Lady Liu sighed, never imagining that people from a prestigious family could be more difficult to deal with than those in the countryside.
Before coming, Second Girl’s mother had repeatedly warned that women from prestigious families have small hearts, and it seemed she was right.
Such a wealthy family wouldn’t even spare a single piece of charcoal, they weren’t afraid of being laughed at if word got out.
Second Lady Liu snorted and turned to leave.
The nanny followed behind her, rolling her eyes mockingly.
The two left along the original path.
Lady Lou was still not asleep, sitting under the lamp and looking at Li Yu En’s dowry list. She hadn’t expected a countryside girl to be so generous; the dowry was not inferior to her other daughters-in-law.
But then again, so what? It might have been bought with borrowed money.
Who knows what plans she might have to move money and goods out from the family in the future.
She let out a cold snort and stuffed the dowry list into the drawer.
At this moment, the nanny guarding the gate came to report, "Madam, someone from Fifth Young Master came asking about the charcoal, and as per your instructions, I’ve sent them away."
"If they come again tomorrow morning asking about the charcoal, say there’s none," Lady Lou said.
She snorted coldly in her heart, her disobedient youngest son, just wait and see how she’ll punish him!
"Yes, madam," the nanny replied.
Lady Lou walked to the bed, asking the person beside her, "Is the master resting in the study?"
"Resting, madam."
"Alright then, let’s sleep too."
.
The Second Lady Liu returned empty-handed.
Lou Chengye looked guilty, "Yu En, tonight you’ll have to put up with it for now. Tomorrow, I’ll go find someone for the charcoal. I will definitely bring back a lot of charcoal."
Li Yu En tucked her sleeves, wrapped in a cloak, listening to the howling north wind outside, sighed, "But if it’s too cold, I can’t sleep."
Lou Chengye frowned, "Then shall I keep you company by chatting?"
Li Yu En smiled and nodded, "Alright."
The nanny, seeing the two newlyweds compromise, was pleased in her heart. Lady’s move was indeed clever; the newcomers quickly became obedient.
Without charcoal, they still had to sleep.
Lou Chengye arranged for someone to fetch bath water.
There was no small kitchen here; all face washing and bathing water had to be fetched from the main kitchen.
And the main kitchen was not close to here.
Separated by a square-mile lotus pond, a small garden, a pavilion, and a koi pond.
A single trip would be more than two miles.
Two nannies carried hot water from the kitchen and brought it into the room.
The Second Lady Liu reached out to touch, only to find the water was cold.
Just slightly warmer than the icy water in the pond.
Is this the Lou Family looking down on the youngest son or the new daughter-in-law?
The Second Lady Liu sneered, "You actually use cold water for the newlyweds’ bath? Do you want her to catch a cold?"
The two nannies carrying the water chuckled, "Big sister, do you know how far the kitchen is? And it’s snowing outside, what can we do? We are not stoves, capable of keeping the water boiling."
"What’s the fuss?" Lou Chengye came over to ask.
At this late hour, can’t people be allowed to sleep?
"Second brother-in-law, the bath water is cold, can’t bathe," Second Lady Liu reached into the bucket to touch, "Even washing the face feels cold."
"That’s not right; Yu En can’t bathe in cold water," Lou Chengye shook his head.
"Fifth Young Master, just make do. It’s the same for everyone in the mansion now. Once the weather warms up, the water won’t get cold so quickly," chuckled the nanny who led the way earlier.
Another nanny also said, "It was still boiling hot when fetched from the kitchen, but with snow outside and the long walk, of course, it’s cold now."
Li Yu En walked over and looked, "You make a good point." She waved to the nannies, "Alright, you can go. It’s late, rest early."
She was very tired, wanted to sleep.
The two nannies exchanged glances, "Yes." They left together.
Lou Chengye held Li Yu En’s shoulder, "Yu En, I’m sorry."
Li Yu En yawned, "What’s there to be sorry about?"
The Second Lady Liu shook her head, thinking to herself, this heartless second young lady, what is there to be sorry about? The Lou Mansion treats you poorly, but luckily Fifth Young Master treats you well; otherwise, how would life go on?
"Anyway, tomorrow won’t be like this. It’s too late today, why not just make do and sleep for now?" Lou Chengye felt very guilty.
Li Yu En rubbed her sleepy eyes, thought for a moment, and said, "Lou Chengye, do you know where your kitchen is?"
Lou Chengye nodded, "Of course, I do."
"You go to the kitchen and fetch a kettle for boiling water, find a stove, and bring some firewood. Let’s boil the water ourselves," Li Yu En was delighted by her idea, "We will boil hot water for bathing here, so we don’t have to carry water from afar, where hot water becomes cold water."
Lou Chengye was a man who didn’t fuss over small matters and had no particular rules; he immediately agreed to Li Yu En’s proposal.
He said excitedly, "That’s a good idea, I’ll go to the kitchen and fetch the things right away."
