TSWPF -Chapter 324 Fear

Liu Zhimou reached out and covered Li Qingling’s eyes, urging her to sleep.

Li Qingling blinked twice, and her long eyelashes brushed against Liu Zhimou’s palm, sending a tingling sensation through his hand—right into his heart.

“You still haven’t told me!”

“If you don’t want to sleep, then how about we do something meaningful?” He let go of her eyes, leaned close to her ear, and blew softly against it, smiling faintly.

“Something meaningful?”

The hint was so obvious that only a fool wouldn’t understand.

She pulled the blanket over her head and muttered, “Sleep… sleep.”

Liu Zhimou smiled indulgently, reaching out to remove the blanket that covered her head. “Don’t suffocate yourself.” He slipped his arms around her neck, pulling her entire body into his embrace, gently patting her back. “Sleep now.”

Li Qingling had thought she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, but before long, she drifted off.

When she woke up, it was almost time for dinner.

She tapped her head in frustration—she had just slept the entire day away. What a waste…

After quickly washing up, she opened the door and saw Xichun sitting at the doorway doing some needlework. She called out softly.

Xichun looked up, saw Li Qingling, and immediately stood, greeting her, “Mistress!”

Li Qingling smiled and asked if dinner was ready.

“Not yet, we were waiting for you!”

“Then let’s hurry!” Li Qingling stepped toward the dining hall. They had a separate room set up as their dining area, where the family usually ate together.

Back at the Xue residence, they also ate together. But at the Liu family home, everyone ate separately.

The Liu family was large and powerful, with many people. Gathering together for meals wasn’t practical and often led to conflicts. It was easier for everyone to eat separately.

In their courtyard, they had a small kitchen. During her stay at the Liu family home, they cooked for themselves, making whatever they wanted without bothering the main kitchen or worrying about anyone’s mood.

“Did anyone come looking for me today?”

Xichun shook her head. “No one.”

Li Qingling let out a light sigh of relief—fortunately, no one had come, or else people might think the county magistrate’s wife was lazy for sleeping the whole day away.

She asked Xichun about the household matters, and after hearing the report, she nodded, satisfied.

The household was small and simple—one of its benefits was fewer trivial matters to handle and fewer chances for conflicts.

“Did you get the vegetable seeds I asked Nianxia to buy yesterday? I plan to clear a few plots and plant vegetables tomorrow.”

“Yes, I bought them this afternoon. Various kinds of seeds,” Xichun replied. “Mistress, didn’t Lady Hu say she would bring seeds from her place? Why did we still need to buy some?”

Li Qingling smiled. “I can’t rely solely on her. It’s better to buy some ourselves.”

She didn’t put all her hopes on someone else, especially a stranger. She preferred to take the initiative.

Xichun nodded thoughtfully. Following her mistress, she always unconsciously learned things she had never learned before.

Though Li Qingling was young, she was steady and methodical in everything, inspiring confidence.

Xichun decided that for the rest of her life, she would follow her mistress—wherever her mistress went, she would go.

Li Qingling glanced at Xichun again and gave her a few instructions.

Just a few simple words, but they instantly enlightened Xichun, who smiled and thanked her mistress for the guidance.

Li Qingling waved her hand—it was her duty to guide her chief maid and nurture her into her right-hand helper.

“Xichun, you’re seventeen this year, right? Do you like anyone? If you do, tell me—I’ll help you make the decision.”

At this topic, Xichun blushed deeply. She stammered, “No… I don’t want to marry. I want to stay by your side.”

“How can you not marry?” Li Qingling looked at her disapprovingly. “Even if you marry, you can still stay by my side.”

She was happy herself and wanted those around her to be happy as well.

Xichun lowered her head, lost in thought. She had truly never considered marriage.

She didn’t want to live like her mother, having to compromise with a man for her whole life.

She remembered clearly that before her mother gave birth to her younger brother, life at home was miserable.

Her grandmother constantly scolded her mother as a “hen that doesn’t lay eggs,” and her father would beat her mother whenever he was unhappy.

Her mother did the most work but ate the least. By her twenties, she had been worn down to resemble a woman in her forties.

It was only after giving birth to a son that life became slightly better.

Xichun had never experienced a day of happiness in that household, and eventually, her father sold her.

By luck, she met her mistress—otherwise, who knew where she would have ended up or what kind of life she would have led?

Because of all this, Xichun had no desire to marry, fearing she might end up like her mother.

Li Qingling looked at Xichun again and recalled her description of her family. She frowned and asked, “Xichun, do you think I and your master are happy?”

The parents’ marriage had a huge impact on children. Xichun had been terrified by her parents’ unhappy marriage and didn’t want to marry, fearing she would be unhappy like her mother.

Since fate had made them mistress and servant, Li Qingling decided to help her, pulling her out of that fear.

Startled by the question, Xichun looked up and nodded firmly. “Yes, you are happy.”

The love between Mistress and Master was real. Even the servants could feel it.

Sometimes, seeing them so happy, Xichun felt a bit envious and wondered if she would ever meet someone as good to her.

But then she immediately dismissed the thought, believing she was too unlucky to meet such a person.

If so, it was better not to marry and to stay by her mistress’s side for life.

Her mistress was so good; she would never mistreat her.

Li Qingling said earnestly, “There are all kinds of relationships. Everyone’s experience is different. Not everyone will be like your father, and not everyone will be like your mother. If your mother had been strong, she wouldn’t have suffered so much. Would you let your children suffer like she did?”

She felt Xichun’s mother was too weak, letting herself and her children suffer.

If it were her, no one would dare treat her children badly—she would fight for justice.

Although her mother was gentle, she was good to her siblings and wouldn’t allow others to bully them like Xichun’s mother did.

Xichun exclaimed, “No! If I have children, I will never… never let them suffer like that!”

She would never let her children walk the path she had before. She wouldn’t be weak and silent, letting others bully her.

Hearing her shout so loudly, Li Qingling smiled and shrugged. “There, that’s it. So why are you still afraid? Besides, with me as your strong backing, who dares to bully you?”

“Mistress…”

Xichun’s lips trembled, and tears brimmed in her eyes. She quickly lowered her head, letting the tears fall. No one had ever said that to her—not even her mother.

How had she been so fortunate to meet her mistress?

She felt she had truly used up all her luck in this lifetime.

Hearing her sobbing behind her, Li Qingling smiled helplessly. “It’s just a few ordinary words. No need to be so touched.”

She stopped, turned, and gently patted Xichun’s shoulder. “Don’t cry. If you cry more, people will think I bullied you.”

Xichun took out her handkerchief, gently wiped her tears, and looked up at Li Qingling. “Mistress, my life belongs to you. From now on…”

“No,” Li Qingling raised a hand, cutting her off. “Your life belongs to you, not anyone else, understand?” She gently patted Xichun’s cheek and turned to continue walking.

She couldn’t change much or alter this era, but she could change those around her.

For example, she never allowed her servants to call themselves slaves or kowtow unnecessarily.

She hoped they would shed their subservience, be confident, and live more like humans.

She had also said that if any of them ever wanted to leave, she would let them go.

Xichun bit her lip and hurried to follow Li Qingling.

In her heart, she silently swore never to betray her mistress, to protect her even at the cost of her life.

Meeting a mistress so good to her, it was worth it.

Li Qingling was completely unaware of Xichun’s vow, which only made Xichun more devoted.

If she knew, she would only smile helplessly.

“Elder sister, you’re finally awake?” When Li Qingling entered the dining hall, Li Qingning exclaimed loudly, “Sister, are you sick? Why did you sleep so long?” Every time she asked her brother-in-law, he always said her sister was just sleeping.

She ran to Li Qingling, making her squat down, and worriedly touched her forehead to see if she was hot.

Li Qingling patted Li Qingning on the head and smiled, “Don’t worry! Sister isn’t sick.”

Li Qingning felt her temperature was normal and giggled. “Good, then. If you were sick, you’d have to take bitter medicine.”

Li Qingling picked up Li Qingning and placed her back on her chair, getting her ready for dinner.

Mr. Luo, sitting at the head of the table, looked at Li Qingling meaningfully, a smile tugging at his lips. Soon, he would have the chance to hold soft, adorable grandchildren.