Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 534 - 498: "I’m not familiar with Sister-in-law, why is Sister-in-law looking for me?" (2)
There was quite a lot to move, with both stoves and firewood jars, so Li Yu En called over Second Lady Liu to help with the moving.
Lou Chengye took Second Lady Liu to find the kitchen.
But unexpectedly, the kitchen was locked, so they couldn’t get any firewood, and the jars were locked inside too.
However, there was an old stove discarded in a corner of the kitchen,
Lou Chengye sighed, "It’s just an empty stove, what’s the use?"
Second Lady Liu, having grown up in poverty, treated every item as a treasure, "Master-in-law, take it back anyway."
That small courtyard, other than having five rooms sturdier than those in the countryside and furniture that looked better, didn’t have a single practical item.
No cooking tools, no stove, living there meant having to bring in meals from elsewhere.
If they couldn’t find food, they’d only be left to starve.
Lou Chengye looked at the stove, "Alright then." It’s better than returning empty-handed.
The two returned to the small courtyard.
Li Yu En was already very sleepy.
"Did you bring back everything?" She asked Lou Chengye with a forced smile.
Lou Chengye sighed, "Just an old stove, the kitchen’s locked, couldn’t get anything else."
But Li Yu En wasn’t angry, she still smiled and said, "It’s alright, don’t we have a copper basin in our room? We can fill it with water and heat it on the stove, it’s just the same."
Lou Chengye was pleased, "Right, right, Yu En’s idea is good."
The plan seemed workable, but what about firewood?
"But there’s no firewood." Second Lady Liu mentioned again.
Li Yu En pointed to a row of small trees in front of the courtyard, "Cut the trees for burning, trees can grow back, but if I freeze to death, there won’t be another me in this world."
Lou Chengye covered her mouth, "It’s an auspicious and happy day, Yu En, don’t say such things."
"But I’m really cold, I’m afraid I’ll freeze to death." Li Yu En sighed.
"Don’t worry, I’ll cut the trees." Lou Chengye reassured her.
In a corner of the backyard, Lou Chengye found large pruning shears and a hatchet.
With Second Lady Liu holding a lantern for help, they cut down some small trees in front of the courtyard.
These little trees were planted along the lotus pond, only about as tall as a person.
The trees weren’t thick; Lou Chengye just took one swing with the hatchet to cut them down.
He and Second Lady Liu carried the small branches back into the courtyard and chopped them into short pieces piled in a corner of the room.
The small courtyard had no walls, couldn’t block the biting northern winds, so they had to burn the stove indoors.
Lou Chengye moved the stove to the main room, while Second Lady Liu poured some of the now-cold water into the copper basin, and they started boiling water inside.
The two nannies assigned to Lou Chengye, with no tasks being given, had already gone back to sleep.
The other two maids, fearing the cold, also returned to their rooms to sleep early.
Being usually mischievous, Lou Chengye was often ignored by Lady Lou who was angry with him.
When disregarded by Lady Lou, he’d be looked down upon by the servants.
Lou Chengye, being careless in his actions, didn’t bother to argue when the servants ignored him.
Li Yu En, being content with food and sleep, didn’t much care if people in the Lou Mansion ignored her.
After all, Second Lady Liu handled her matters, so she just focused on enjoying herself.
The branches cut were green, causing the fire to burn weakly and slowly; Li Yu En waited until she almost fell asleep before a basin of water finally boiled.
Second Lady Liu fetched two dry cloths, lifted the basin, and poured the hot water into the bathtub, followed by the bucket of water that had already cooled.
Er Niu and San Niu helped Li Yu En bathe together.
After Li Yu En went to bed, Second Lady Liu boiled another basin of water for Lou Chengye.
Lou Chengye bathed in the adjoining washroom and returned to the bedroom.
Since they were both still young, Princess Consort Luling had instructed Second Lady Liu and Lou Chengye that they couldn’t share the bed yet.
They would have to wait a couple of years before consummating the marriage.
But today was their wedding day, so they couldn’t sleep in separate rooms.
Second Lady Liu set up a small couch in the bedroom, spread a mattress, and arranged for Lou Chengye to sleep there.
Having wandered outside for some time, Lou Chengye had his spoiled nature worn down quite a bit and wasn’t particular; he fell asleep right on the couch.
After arranging for the two to sleep, Second Lady Liu, along with Er Niu and San Niu, used a small stove to boil water, and bathed in their rooms.
They cleaned the ash from the stove, piled the leftover branches outside the back door, and Second Lady Liu slept on a footrest at the end of Li Yu En’s bed to keep watch, while Er Niu and San Niu went to sleep in the side room.
.
A newlywed couple, bustling around until the latter half of the night before falling asleep, while others awoke at the first moments of dawn the next day; Li Yu En and Lou Chengye were still sound asleep, oblivious to the storm brewing in the mansion.
The two nannies assigned to Lou Chengye, along with two maids, came here early to see duty and found all the plum trees planted along the pond in front of the small courtyard were gone.
They were quite shocked.
Where are the trees?
Weren’t they still there last night?
The two nannies asked the two maids, "Where are the trees? Why are they all gone?"
The two maids were exhausted last night and slept soundly. Coupled with the strong wind at night, which sounded like a lullaby, they fell asleep as soon as they hit the bed and didn’t know anything about what happened outside.
"I... I don’t know..." The maids were so frightened that their faces turned white.
Oh my, it’s the Madam’s favorite red plum trees.
Who cut them down?
The missing trees were a big deal, so the Nanny Jing, who had brought in Second Lady Liu, immediately went to report to Lady Lou.
Lady Lou had just gotten up, four of her five daughters-in-law had arrived, with only the new one missing.
The four daughters-in-law surrounded and assisted her, helping her with her grooming and getting up.
This was the custom of the Lou Mansion.
But the new daughter-in-law hadn’t arrived!
She was already angry when she heard that the plum trees in front of the He Feng Courtyard were all gone. Lady Lou was shocked, "What’s going on? You work in that courtyard, how do you not know where the trees went?"
Nanny Jing was aggrieved, "Madam, when we left last night, everything was still there..."
These were the Lou Mansion’s two old servants, who had already settled in the mansion.
Because their families also served in the mansion, they received special benefits from the Lou Family. They didn’t have to stay overnight in the mansion; every day after finishing work, they could leave the mansion to sleep at their own homes.
Their homes were located in civilian residences behind the Lou Mansion, separated only by an alley a yard wide.
So, they knew nothing about Lou Chengye cutting down the trees last night.
"Do Hongzhu and Qiugui know?" Lady Lou asked again.
These were the two maids arranged to be by Lou Chengye’s side.
"Not... not sure, they said they don’t know." Nanny Jing replied.
"You go back first, and ask Fifth Young Madam to come talk to me." Lady Lou held back her anger.
"Yes, Madam." Nanny Jing breathed a sigh of relief and stepped back.
The other four ladies of the Lou Family exchanged glances, then someone said, "Strange, I saw those plum trees were fine during the day yesterday, how could they all be gone overnight? Who cut them down?"
"Could someone have found them an eyesore and intentionally cut them down?" another person suggested.
"But those are mother’s favorite plum trees, is this done deliberately to anger her?"
"Alright, you all say less, isn’t it chaotic enough already?" Lady Lou glared at her sisters-in-law, then smiled slightly at Lady Lou, "Mother, don’t be angry. I’ll go there and take a look."
Lady Lou’s face was like a thundercloud, "You go, find out and report back to me."
"Yes." Lady Lou agreed.
.
Lady Lou, with a maid, headed toward the He Feng Courtyard.
The maid looked around seeing no one, then smiled, "Eldest Young Madam, I suspect those trees were cut by that countrywoman."
"What countrywoman? That is Fifth Young Madam, mind your tone." Lady Lou glanced at the maid. She spoke words of reproach, but there was no tone of blame.
Because this was her trusted maid.
The maid stifled a laugh, "Yes, Eldest Young Madam."
"She actually has some nerve, daring to cut down the Madam’s trees. On the second day of her marriage, she cut her mother-in-law’s beloved plum trees, tsk tsk, she’s the only one in town who would dare."
"Eldest Young Madam, do you think Fifth Young Madam will be punished?" the maid asked gleefully.
"Who knows? First, let’s have her brought in front of the Madam." Lady Lou covered her mouth and laughed.
Arriving at the He Feng Courtyard, Lady Lou and her maid were astounded by the imposing scene before them.
Having only heard Nanny Jing’s description of the cut trees earlier, they had no mental image and could not envision how devastating it was.
Seeing the real scene now, the mistress and maid were stunned.
Those poor tree branches were all cut from the base; fifty-eight trees, not a single one spared.
Lady Lou raised her lips, Li Yu En, if you really did this, you’re doomed!
She wrapped herself in her cloak and walked into the main house of the He Feng Courtyard.
The two nannies and two maids stood in the main house, and upon seeing her approach, they all greeted her, "Eldest Young Madam."
"Where is your Fifth Young Madam?" Lady Lou deliberately asked with a smile.
She hadn’t seen Li Yu En but heard her talking with a maid in the bedroom on the side.
Listening to the voices, this lazy young lady was only just getting up?
"In the bedroom, the door is closed." Nanny Jing said.
"Is that so?" Lady Lou smiled and stood outside the bedroom, "Fifth Sister-in-law, are you up yet?"
"Oh, getting up just now, Eldest Sister-in-law, you’re really early, wait a moment, I’ll fix my hair first." Li Yu En replied from inside.
Lady Lou smiled coldly in her heart, fine, you’re capable, you dare make me wait, just wait and see how I report you to our mother-in-law later!
