Chapter 12 The Secret of Jade
“Lord, my lord, good news!”
The old butler came back and said, Su Huanli looked happy and asked, “Is it done?”
“Yes!”
The old butler clapped, “Squire Li really likes delicacies, and he agrees at once.”
But Su Huanli sneered and whispered, “This dish will definitely be a huge profit in the restaurant. He is raised by Li Shanbao. If he doesn’t agree, there must be something wrong!”
Speaking of this, Su Huanli couldn’t help but sigh, “If it’s not because Su family is doing a business in cloth, I won’t give the chance to Li Wei to make money on this. What a pity.”
The old butler suddenly understood Su Huanli’s words, he never expected He had that kind of plan. No wonder Li Wei made the decision without hesitation.
“My lord, that recipe…”
“You take the pen, ink, paper and inkstone and go to Erya.” Su Huanli said, then frown, “It’s a huge matter… Just find a good excuse and take her to the study.”
In a small courtyard, Su Li sat quietly in the suns.h.i.+ne with her eyes closed, as if she was asleep.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes with her ears moved slightly, then put her hand gently on the Dahan’s calligraphy on the stone table.
At that moment, the old butler pushed the door and came in. Seeing Second Miss, whose face was red under the suns.h.i.+ne, he couldn’t help laughing and then said, “Second Miss, the lord wants to see you in the study.”
Su Li were stunned in the chair and seemed scared, the old butler explained, “It’s about Zongzi.”
Su Li relieved. She stood up, patted her cotton-padded clothes, and trotted into the kitchen with her long hair waving lively.
The old butler shook his head and squinted his eyes on the delicate book on the stone table. His face turned dark immediately.
“Mr. Li, I am ready!”
Su Li came out with a basket, didn’t expected a question was waiting for her. The old butler asked her without any expression, “Second Miss, where did you steal this book? Is it from your old brother’s study?
Su Li s.h.i.+vered slightly with her face turned white and tears welled in her eye, “Mr. Li, I’ve never stolen anything. I didn’t steal the night-luminescent pearl.”
The old butler sighed. He didn’t expect his words reminded Second Miss of the miserable experience. He said lightly, “Then tell me, where did you get the book?”
“My old brother gave it to me,” Su Li blinked her bright eyes. “He said that he’s leaving, and the book might remind me of him.”
Hearing that, the old butler sighed deeply, That’s absolutely what the master might say. Second Miss was illiterate. It’s impossible for her to say such cultural words.
“It’s my fault that I misunderstand you,” The old butler patted her head gently and was afraid to scare her again, “But don’t let the lord see it. He’ll not be happy about it.”
Su Li nodded and then dispirited, “But I do not understand any of the pictures in it. I have no idea about why he gave it to me.”
The old butler stunned and was lost into thought.
Did the master hope the girls of the family learn to read?
During his meditation, Su Li took out a Zongzi from the basket and handed it to the old butler and smirked, “Here, you haven’t tasted the Zongzi I have made!”
The old butler came back from his thoughts and immediately pushed it away, “How can I eat such valuable delicacy. Keep it to yourself, Second Miss.”
With shriveled mouth, Su Li put the Zongzi into his hands. She said quietly, “It’s a gift that I kept it by myself. You worked so hard and it’s nothing to eating a Zongzi.”
The old butler didn’t know he should laugh or cry in his heart. He grinned and put the Zongzi into his arms.
Why didn’t I find that Second Miss was so considerate to me? It’s me that have scared her, and the little girl didn’t care at all.
Third Miss treated me as a slave, even if I did everything perfect, she would never be satisfied… It seemed that I should think more about Second Miss in the future.
The old butler made up his mind to himself, then saw the book on the stone table again, and had a plan in his mind at that moment.
As soon as Su Li left with the old butler, the West courtyard received the news from Zhu’er. Zhu Yan sat nervously at the bed with cold sweat on her forehead and panic in her eyes.
“Does the lord find something?”
Zhu Yan thought a lot, and the more she thought, the more she was afraid of. Apart from that incident, she could not think of any other reasons for the old butler to take Erya to the main house.
“No, I should calm down! What should Zipei do if I were gone?”
Zhu Yan stopped packing her bags, gritted her teeth, walked to the dresser, and opened the concealed draw under the table. She groped for a moment, and took out a white jade.
The jade became warm in her hands, pure and innocent, even a fool could see that this jade was extremely precious. The pattern on the jade was incomplete. It seemed like the lower body of an animal. However, Zhu Yan studied the pattern for many years and didn’t know what it was.
Zhu Yan stared at the jade, and soon she calmed herself down.
This piece of jade was obtained from Erya when she adopted her.
She has never seen such a valuable jade. Erya’s family must be very extraordinary. But she checked her and the girl had no birthmark on her body!
And Zipei had no birthmark, either!