Fangling County, don’t take the mansion of Zhang Yanqi.

In a remote place to the west of the back house, in a small wing room, Zhu Yanyan, wearing a light green skirt with her chest, was sitting in front of the decaying dressing table, holding a letter in her hand, and reading it word by word.

The letter was sent by Zhu Xiu, a younger brother from Zhushan County. This morning, Aunt Lan, beside Mrs. Cui, delivered the letter to her.

In the letter, my younger brother said that he and his mother had moved to the county town and rented a big house to settle down.

What made Zhu Yanyan the most happy was that my younger brother successfully entered the county school and unexpectedly won the championship!

"I passed the exam! I really passed the exam!" Zhu Yanyan's eyes were filled with tears, and she cried with joy, and her beautiful and simple face was full of joy.

She covered her mouth hard, suppressing the whimpering sounds under excitement, and tears in her eyes blurred her vision.

The long-cherished wish of the old Zhu family was finally realized, and the years of hard work of his mother and their sisters were not in vain.

"Dad looks in the sky and will definitely be as happy as us! Please continue to bless my younger brother and let his scientific research go smoothly! Bless my mother and sister and me to be healthy..."

Zhu Yanyan closed her hands in front of her chest, closed her eyes slightly, and prayed to the sky devoutly.

There were several blue-purple scars on the forearm exposed on her right hand, as if they were beaten with bamboo strips.

At the end of the letter, Zhu Xiu said that while he had not officially entered the county school, he wanted Zhu Yanyan to take leave and go home, reunite with his family, and celebrate this great joy together.

Zhu Yanyan was a little embarrassed. Naturally, she wanted to go back and be with her family, celebrate with her younger brother and see what their new home looked like.

It’s a pity that she was in the Zhang Mansion and could not leave easily, and Mrs. Cui, who was in charge of the affairs of the mansion, would not let her go.

Zhu Yanyan also saved a few stagnants of money. If she could go home, she would just send the money back.

When I entered the county school to study, it was time to spend money. The family lived in the county town and the expenses must be much higher than before. Zhu Yanyan held the letter and frowned her thin brows, and her soft face was a little worried.

Zhu Yanyan was in a daze and did not notice a figure tiptoed into the house and approached her quietly.

It was a girl wearing a colorful silk dress with a light yellow gold silk on her shoulders, and a golden step was inserted into her bun.

This girl is as old as Zhu Yanyan, and she is dressed in a wealthy manner. Unfortunately, she is short and fat, with a wide and round face, and is wearing thick powder to cover up her not-so-white complexion. She does not show any beauty at all, and only has a kind of gaudy charm.

The girl stood behind Zhu Yanyan, opened her eyes wide and stretched her neck to look at the letter in her hand, and suddenly reached out to snatch the letter.

The girl succeeded in the sudden attack, took a few steps back, and carried the letter paper and let out a stern and smug laugh.

Zhu Yanyan was startled and quickly turned around and saw that it was Zhang Biejia's beloved daughter Zhang Jingxiang, the main owner she served in the mansion.

Zhu Yanyan quickly got up, folded her hands on her waist, lowered her head and bowed her knees and bowed her blessing: "Miss!"

Zhu Yanyan was together, and two girls of similar age were judged to be of high or low status.

Zhu Yanyan's dress is simple, not even decorated with gold and jade, but she has a slender and tall figure, shy and timid eyebrows and eyes, and a white and elegant face, full of the natural beauty of a girl.

In front of her, Zhang Mei looked like a taro egg in colorful clothes.

The more this happens, the more disgusted the more shocked Zhu Yanyan looks, thinking that she is pretending to be pretentious and encouraging people to be sympathetic.

Zhang Meimei withdrew her jealous look from Zhu Yanyan and snorted coldly: "What are you looking at? She was stunned! Have you washed my squirting shirt?"

Zhu Yanyan hurriedly pointed outside the house, and a light shirt was hung on the bamboo pole rack: "Report to the lady, the maid has washed it and will be sent to the lady's room after it is dried."

Zhang Jingmei curled her lips and suddenly lost her excuse to teach people a lesson. She shook the letter and glanced at it, sneering: "Who wrote it to you? Don't hook up with wild men on your back!"

Zhu Yanyan's face turned red in an instant, as if she was about to drip blood. She bit her teeth and whispered: "This is a letter sent by my younger brother from my maid's family. It is my maid's personal property. Please give it back to me!"

When Zhang Jing was unhappy when she heard this, she said coldly: "Private things? Your whole body, food, clothing and use are all provided by my Zhang family. Even you are from the Zhang family, so how can you have any private things? You are just a slave!"

Zhu Yanyan lowered her head, as if she was in the final powerless struggle, and said softly: "I am not a slave, but just signed a contract with the mansion. She worked in the mansion for five years, packed food and accommodation in the mansion, gave me a set of clothes every season, and gave me regular money every month. These are all stated in the deeds. The maid feels that she has no debt to the mansion!"

Zhang Jingying smiled angrily and said in a weird voice: "Oh~ This little mouth is quite telling! Even so, aren't there three years left? In these three years, you still have to do things at my house honestly! You have to do whatever I ask you to do!"

Seeing Zhu Yanyan lowering her head and not speaking, Zhang Meimei hummed proudly, crumpled the letter paper into a ball and squeezed it into her hand, "I have confiscated this thing! Even if it is a punishment for you to dare to contradict me!"

Zhang Meimei snorted and turned her head and ran out of the house. Zhu Yanyan hurriedly chased her and stopped her. Her voice was very low but firm, "If you want to punish me, the maid can go to Mrs. Cui to receive the punishment! But please return the letter to me!"

Zhang Meimei didn't expect that her commander would dare to reach out to stop her. Her face changed and a bit of fierce light appeared in her eyes. She shook a thin bamboo strip like magic tricks in her hand and thrust hard on Zhu Yanyan's arm!

In an instant, another blue mark appeared on Zhu Yanyan's right wrist.

She gritted her teeth without making a sound. A little pain flashed between her eyebrows, but her eyes were extremely firm: "This is a letter from my relatives in my maid's family. Please give it back to me!"

Zhang Yanyan was so angry that she waved the bamboo strips and whipped them a few times, which made Zhu Yanyan's arms scarred.

Zhu Yanyan was so painful that tears were flowing, but she still stubbornly opened her hands and stopped her in front of her.

"What a slut! If you dare to talk too much, I will ask Aunt Lan to deduct your monthly payment!" Zhang Meiying shouted angrily.

Zhu Yanyan, who was beaten by the bamboo strips, was obviously a little panicked. She was not afraid of pain, but she was afraid that the Zhang family would really deduct the money for the money used to support her study!

Zhu Yanyan lowered her head, tears fell, and she put her hands down with a little trembling, and turned to the side, not daring to stop her again.

"Hmph~ I knew you were a bitch who was jealous of money! Get out of here!" Zhang Yanyan reached out and pushed her hard, and ran out of the side courtyard along the stone path.

A middle-aged scholar suddenly walked over his hands behind his back, wearing a round neck robe made of light scarlet silk, wearing a two-liang Jinxian crown on his head, with a handsome face, an eagle-like falcon, and a black beard under his jaw and temples.

"Dad!"

Zhang Meiyu shouted happily and hurriedly came forward.

This person is Zhang Yanqi, a local official from the fifth rank.

"I heard your voice as soon as I returned home. What happened?" Zhang Yanqi looked at him and wiped away tears and bowed his knees to avoid Zhu Yanyan, who was aside, and asked with a smile.

Zhang Meiyu gave Zhu Yanyan a gouging eyes and said viciously: "This little girl dares to talk back to me for a letter! Humph~ I'm so angry! Dad, it's okay, my daughter will teach her a lesson!"

Zhang Yanqi's eyes swept across Zhu Yanyan's arm indifferently, and blood was leaching from his thin sleeves.

"It's He Shuxin? Take it to your father." Zhang Yanqi said lightly.

Zhang Jingyou didn't dare to be arrogant in front of his father, so he obediently presented the paper ball.

Zhang Yanqi took it and unfolded it. Seeing the handwriting on the letter paper is hard, rugged, vigorous and powerful, with a unique character, his eyes lit up and he couldn't help but smile and nodded: "This word is really well written! The brushwork is quite innovative!"

After reading it at a glance, Zhang Yanqi looked at Zhu Yanyan, and his voice sounded kind, but there was a deep cold feeling, "Is this written by your brother? Your brother was admitted to Zhushan County School? He also won the top position? It's very good!"

Zhu Yanyan didn't dare to look up and whispered: "I dare not get the praise from the master! My brother is mediocre in his qualifications, and he has been studying hard for many years to achieve today!"

Zhang Jingyan snorted and said disdainfully: "Just a mere county student, what's so amazing! Maybe it's a bad luck or something ~"

Zhu Yanyan bit her lower lip and said softly: "My foolish brother is dull, but I believe he passed the exam with a dignified and honest exam! He has this talent!"

"Dad~ Look at her! You have to talk back to me if you say anything!" Zhang Yanying was so angry that she stamped her feet, holding Zhang Yanqi's arm and acting coquettishly.

Zhang Yanqi smiled and said lightly: "Your father had been a tribute scholar in the village before, so it is not surprising that your brother can get into the county school. However, county students are not a big deal. The first step in the imperial examination is just the first step. If you want to take leave and go home to celebrate, you should wait until he gets into the state school!"

Zhu Yanyan sighed in her heart, not daring to fight any more.

"Mr. Cui will be a guest at the mansion tonight. He likes music theory. Your pipa is good. Go and prepare it quickly. Don't let the guests down later!"

Zhang Yanqi stroked his beard and gave a command indifferently.

"Maid obey the order!" Zhu Yanyan bowed her body and left. The letter of family never returned to her hands.

Zhang Yanqi kneaded the letter paper again and threw it into the flower pond beside him. Then he stopped looking at it, and walked out of the side courtyard with Zhang Yan's shoulder.

"Jiang'er, don't hit her with bamboo sticks in the future~"

"Dad~~Why are you protecting that bitch?"

"Haha, my father is not protecting her, but just wants to find a well-educated girl in Fangzhou to be a maid for you. If you break it, you have to send someone from God. I will trouble you."

"Hmph~Who told that little girl to dare to talk back to me!"

"Okay, you'll go back and prepare soon. Dress up better. I'll pay more toast your cousin Cui later!"

"Hehe~ Dad, when will you go to Cui's family to propose marriage?"
Chapter completed!