Li Ke was dumbfounded and asked, "Second Master, what is this again?"
"The Long Family Rules"
Li Ke felt the thin piece of paper burning hot: "Family rules? I've never heard of them before."
“I just made the decision. Go first thing tomorrow morning and tell Old Man Ju not to let her sleep in, and read the family rules to her.”
Li Ke was speechless and withdrew, holding the "family rules".
The next morning, Li Ke arrived at the Ju Family Sake Shop as ordered. Old Master Ju warmly welcomed him, served him breakfast and sake. The two ate and drank, sighing together as they looked at the "Long Family Rules".
Old Man Ju asked, "Guard Li, tell me the truth, does Second Master not want my daughter anymore?"
"No, no." Li Ke waved her hands in fright and quickly explained, "Yesterday, Second Master urged Granny Yu to finish the wedding preparations as soon as possible. He didn't mean to reject Miss Ju."
Old Man Ju sighed, "My daughter, why does she always have to quarrel with Second Master? I asked her yesterday if she was actually reluctant to get married because she was always upsetting him. She actually said no, she wanted to get married."
Old Man Ju poured himself a glass of wine: "Tell me about those two, one is going to marry, and the other is going to be married off, why are they making things difficult for each other?"
Li Ke pondered for a moment: "Maybe this will make them happy?"
After Li Ke returned to the manor, he realized that he had said something wrong today. Master Long was clearly unhappy, not at all.
"Did Old Man Ju read it?"
"I read it."
What was Mu'er's reaction?
"I don't know."
So the subordinate got glared at.
The subordinate quickly explained, "Old Master Ju told me to wait in the shop, and he went to read it to Miss Ju himself." This was the explanation he had discussed with Old Master Ju.
Long Er was very dissatisfied: "Since you were waiting at the shop, how did you know that Old Man Ju had read it?"
"It was Old Man Ju who told me."
"Then why don't you ask him how Mu'er reacted to the family rules?"
Li Ke was speechless and could only lower his head and admit his mistake: "This subordinate has failed in his duty, please punish me, Second Master." Punish him to fight mountain bandits, go suppress bandits, whatever you want, just don't send him to some home-style tavern.
"Hmph." Long Er glared at him: "Tomorrow, you go again and make Mu'er recite the family rules. She has to recite them well."
Li Ke was very worried. She thought to herself, "Second Master, you're always making things difficult for her. Aren't you afraid she won't marry me?"
The next day, Li Ke almost cried.
It wasn't that Ju Mu'er hadn't memorized the family rules; rather, she had come to him on her own before he even had a chance to go.
Her arrival was like a savior to Li Ke.
Li Ke witnessed firsthand the beaming smile on Long Er's face when the servant announced that Miss Ju Mu'er was requesting an audience, and saw him rush out of the library to personally greet her at the main gate. Li Ke was so moved that she almost shed tears; she felt that her hard times were finally over.
Ju Mu'er was still wearing a blue cotton-padded robe and carrying a bamboo cane. Unlike before, she was wearing a hat. The hat was quite large, and she covered her hair and her entire head inside it, making her look somewhat comical.
"Why are you dressed like this?" Long Er asked.
Ju Mu'er touched the hat and replied, "Qing'er made this hat for me. This way, I can cover my head and not smell the stench."
Long Er snorted: "It doesn't stink anymore, but it's really ugly."
Ju Mu'er didn't care: "It's okay, I can't see it anyway."
Long Er gently pinched her earlobe. With her hat on, her ears were completely exposed, making his hands itch. "So you came here specifically to show me your ugly face?"
"No, it's just that the hat is finished and doesn't smell anymore. Besides, now that I'm here, you don't have to work so hard writing the family rules. With that time, you should be checking on the business and doing some serious work." Ju Mu'er tilted her head slightly, her expression innocent, but she was teasing Master Long, implying that his family rules were really boring.
Long Er understood, and was secretly pleased. He never felt bored chatting with her. He led her to the library and explained that he did indeed need to review many files. In a couple of days, managers from various regions would be coming to the capital to report on their sales accounts and discuss the business for the coming year. He also wanted to reward the managers.
Ju Mu'er nodded without saying anything. Long Er found a soft couch and placed it in his study. He then asked Ju Mu'er what she wanted to play. Ju Mu'er shook her head and just sat there lazily, listening to the sound of Long Er turning pages and writing.
The study was quiet. Long Er was working with exceptional energy. He would occasionally glance at her, finding her slightly dazed expression quite amusing. He planned to talk to her after working for a while longer, and he also instructed the kitchen to prepare her lunch.
He was looking at the case file absentmindedly when he suddenly remembered that he hadn't asked her to pour him tea and massage his back. He turned to call her, but found her slumped on the couch, seemingly asleep.
24. A proposal was made, but an unexpected turn of events occurred.
Long Er looked closely at Ju Mu'er. Her eyes were closed and her body was tilted to one side. She seemed uncomfortable leaning against the couch like this, but she was indeed asleep. Her breathing was long and shallow, and her hand had loosened. The bamboo cane was leaning against the edge of the couch, almost falling to the ground.
With the large hat making her face appear smaller, she looked a few years younger.
Long Er looked at her and thought she was really thin. It wasn't very noticeable because she was wearing thick clothes, but her face was obviously very thin. Her eyelashes were long and delicate, like two rows of small fans. Her mouth was neither too big nor too small, and Long Er knew that she looked very cute when she smiled with the corners of her mouth turned up.
Long Er stood up, ready to scare her.
This lazybones! She came to see him, but all she did was sleep somewhere else. He works so hard to earn money to support the family, and she doesn't even care about him? She's right next to him; she should be talking to him, asking if he's bored, thirsty, or tired…
She didn't ask anything, just sat there blankly and fell asleep.
Long Er walked over, about to say something to scare her, but saw that Ju Mu'er seemed to have noticed, and suddenly sat up in fright, instinctively shrinking back.
Her expression was one of panic and terror, as if she were quite frightened.
Long Er hurriedly called out, "It's me."
Ju Mu'er was still somewhat dazed when Long Er said again, "It's me, Mu'er. You're in my study right now."
Ju Mu'er blinked, then blinked again, then lowered her head and rubbed her face. Long Er walked over, squatted down in front of her, and asked softly, "Are you still half asleep?"
Ju Mu'er shook her head. Long Er, fearing she wasn't fully awake, said again, "Speak to me, Mu'er."
Ju Mu'er opened her mouth, and after a while, she said in a hoarse voice, "I had a dream, and I forgot that I was here with you."
"A nightmare?" Ryuji frowned. "What did you dream about?"
"I don't remember." Ju Mu'er leaned forward, but bumped into Long Er. Long Er naturally pulled her into his arms and patted her stiff back.
Ju Mu'er closed her eyes. Long Er's broad chest made her relax. The terrifying scene of the execution ground in her dream was still swirling in her mind, but she could only say, "I'm fine, I'm fine."
"Are you really alright?" Ryuji confirmed.
Ju Mu'er nodded, and Long Er reached out to pinch her earlobe. Ju Mu'er winced in pain, and heard Long Er say, "If you're alright, cheer up. Come and pour me some tea, and give me a back massage."
"Oh," Ju Mu'er replied listlessly, sounding rather unwilling. Long Er pinched her earlobe hard again.
Ju Mu'er cried out in pain and forcefully slapped his hand away. Long Er pretended to exclaim, "Oh dear, your two ears are different sizes. You need to pinch them too, and make them the same size."
Upon hearing this, Ju Mu'er immediately covered her ears and hid. Long Er laughed heartily, pulled her into his arms, and complained as he held her, "You're so thin. It'll be hard to hold you in the summer. You should gain some weight soon."
Ju Mu'er didn't speak, but buried her face in her hands. After a while, she asked in a muffled voice, "Second Master, are you really going to marry me?"
"Then there are fake ones?" Long Er wanted to pinch her again.
Ju Mu'er didn't speak, but relaxed and leaned against him. Long Er thought for a moment, then asked, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
Ju Mu'er paused for a moment, then shook her head.
Long Er patted her hat, "If you don't want to talk, then don't." He pulled her over to the desk and said, "Come, serve me some tea."
Ju Mu'er curtsied in response, behaving like a little servant. She wore a hat, dressed comically, yet she imitated the docile demeanor of a maid with her head bowed, but Long Er knew in his heart that she was the most mischievous and disobedient.
Sure enough, she kept nagging, asking where the teacup was, then where the teapot was, and finally touching his table again, saying that it wouldn't be good if she spilled the tea and damaged his books, files, or account books.
In order to drink the cup of tea that she poured for him, Master Long had to trouble himself to serve her first before he could get his wish.
Long Er was convinced that she was doing it on purpose. Every time he teased her, she would turn around and tease him back before she was satisfied.
Even so, Long Er still led her to touch the table, tidied it up for her, and then set out the teapot and teacups. Only then did Ju Mu'er pour him a cup of tea in a proper manner.
Long Ermei picked up the teacup and drank it, but Ju Mu'er asked, "Second Master, is the tea I poured good?"
Long Er feigned indifference and said, "It's alright."
"That must be because the Second Master's tea doesn't suit him, because no matter who pours it, it always tastes the same."
Long Er almost choked on his tea. He turned his head and saw the blind girl smiling mischievously.
Long Er said irritably, "Come over here and give me a back massage."
Ju Mu'er agreed and groped her way to Long Er's back. She then rubbed against him for a long time, making Long Er's shoulders and back very itchy. He couldn't help but tease her: "If you're going to touch me, then touch me properly."
The commotion behind her stopped abruptly, and then Ju Mu'er called out loudly, "Reporting to Second Master, the chair back is too high and is blocking my way." She hadn't done it on purpose; who would want to touch him?
Long Er turned to look at her, finding her flushed face quite amusing. He turned his chair around, sat sideways, revealing his shoulder to her, and then took her hand, placing it on his shoulder.
Ju Mu'er then began to massage his shoulders earnestly. Her fingers were slender and long, yet quite strong, and the pressure points were just right. Long Er had been sitting at his desk for a long time, and his shoulders were stiff. With her massage, he felt comfortable and wanted to sigh.
"Second Master, did I massage it well?"
"So-so." Ryuji was enjoying himself but was reluctant to praise her.
Ju Mu'er seemed unconcerned, saying only, "I often massage my father's shoulders too, but Second Master's standards are much higher than my father's. In that case, I think I should use my best skills to please Second Master."
"You are not allowed to play the piano, and you are not allowed to secretly mock me."
Ju Mu'er giggled behind him.
Long Er scolded her impatiently, "Have you memorized all the family rules?"
Ju Mu'er continued to laugh, and Long Er took her small hand and held it: "Are the family rules I wrote really that funny?"
Ju Mu'er shook her head. She didn't even know what those family rules were written down; she hadn't even asked her father to read them to her. Long Er just wanted to tease her, she knew that.
Long Er was teasing her. He said, "There's a rule in the family that you're not allowed to use the zither to mock Master."
Ju Mu'er laughed again upon hearing this: "Second Master really understands me. My best skill is playing the zither."
Long Er snorted, pulled down her hands, and made her lie on his back. He squeezed her fingers and said, "I understand you. I can guess what you're thinking as long as I think about what might upset me."
Ju Mu'er lay on his back, wrinkling her nose: "I understand Second Master. As long as I think about how to punish me, I can guess what Second Master is thinking."
As she spoke, her mouth was very close to Long Er's ear, her soft breath teasing his senses. Long Er immediately felt a surge of heat rise to his lower abdomen. He imagined Ju Mu'er touching his cheek or his ear with her lips, and he felt his blood run hot.
But Ju Mu'er did not do any of the things he had imagined. She tried to pull her hand away, but Long Er held it tightly and wouldn't let go. She couldn't break free, so she rested her chin on his shoulder and said, "I guess Second Master is definitely going to invite me to lunch. I also guess that there will be fish in the dishes that Second Master asked the kitchen to prepare."
Long Er was stunned for a moment, then paused for another moment, and finally couldn't help but burst into laughter. It was unbelievable how smart and interesting she was.
He coughed and said stubbornly, "It's not that I'm trying to keep you here for dinner, it's just that it's about time to eat, it's just a matter of having an extra pair of chopsticks."
Ju Mu'er said softly, "Thank you, Second Master, but there are bones in the fish, so I can't eat it."
Long Er recalled how she looked pitiful when he treated her to a meal with a mouthful of fish with bones in her mouth, and his heart softened. He patted her little face and said, "I'll give you a boneless one."
At the table, Long Er kept his promise and picked out fish bones for Ju Mu'er. As he did so, he thought to himself that he had been tricked again and how he had been so easily swayed by her words.
Ju Mu'er ate the fish meat that Master Long had personally removed the bones from, and she smiled sweetly.