Chapter 6: Young Miss Ding

  Ding Chengye raised his head and said with a strange tone, "Sister, I'm saying why you always can't get along with me? I discipline the family slaves and maintain the family rules, is this also wrong?"

  "Right or wrong, it has to be investigated before we can know, you can't just frame someone!"

  Miss Ding, the young lady of the Ding family, wore a barbarian-style waistcoat with a long skirt, her legs crossed, and a pair of deerskin boots that clicked on the green brick floor. Under the lamplight, this young lady was dressed in a fox fur coat, tall and slender, wearing a white fox hat on her head, which set off her beautiful eyebrows and eyes, with a hint of heroic spirit unique to women from the northern regions.

  Yang was once a maid in the Ding family's upper house, although she had been expelled from the inner courtyard early on. However, several close sisters from back then were now aunt-like figures within the inner courtyard, each managing some minor tasks and speaking with authority in front of the mistress and young ladies. Yang also knew that her words carried little weight and might not be able to stop the second young master's usual arrogance. Therefore, before rushing over, she had already sent a message through someone to the inner courtyard, telling the eldest and second sisters about what was happening through those close friends from the boudoir.

  Ding Yuluo was furious as soon as he heard the news. The Ding family had several thousand tenant farmers, over a thousand long-term workers, and hundreds of servants in their large compound. Such a vast household could only be managed so smoothly thanks to strict rules and clear rewards and punishments. How could they let Ding Chengye behave so recklessly? So they rushed over immediately.

  "Xiao Qing, go and call the kitchen manager to come over. Let him check how much venison was purchased by the mansion first, then bring the account book over immediately!"

  "Yes, miss." The maid Qing'er took a look at the eldest young lady and then at Young Master Ding Er, before quickly leaving. Ding Yuluo gave Ding Chengye a sideways glance, walked over to a chair on one side, and sat down with an air of importance. Ding Chengye looked around, suddenly let out a cold laugh, and also sat down by himself.

  Ding Hao struggled to walk to Yang's side, helped her up from the ground, gently wiped away the fresh blood on her forehead, and called out with deep concern: "Mother, does your head still hurt?"

  Mr. Yang looked at his son in surprise, who was normally timid and dull, but he completely ignored the two masters present, walked over to her, helped her up, and spoke to her. He felt surprised and delighted, with a hint of nervousness, and hastily said in a low voice: "Mother is fine, the eldest sister and second young master are present, don't be rude, quickly kneel down."

  Ding Hao pretended not to have heard, supporting her as she retreated to the side, standing still and coldly staring at the sister and brother sitting at the head. The two siblings both had cold faces, neither looking at each other, but Ding Hao's calm demeanor made Ding Yu feel a bit strange, she looked at him sideways as if she had just met him, and couldn't help but take a closer look.

  Inside the house, all was quiet, with only the faint crackling sound of the fire burning. After a while, Liu Ming, the fat kitchen manager, rushed in with an account book under the leadership of Xiao Qing, this glutton had eaten and drunk his fill, and had already taken off his clothes, embracing his wife's plump white buttocks on the kang, working hard with a "heh heh" sound. When Xiao Qing shouted from outside, he was startled and got down from the kang with a hot and steaming big sausage.

  It's said that the eldest sister and second young master are both waiting for him, he doesn't know where he went wrong, and at this moment, he can't help but feel a chill run down his spine. He hastily puts on his clothes and rushes over. Now, he isn't wearing any underpants or socks, his robe is all askew, his hair is disheveled, and the expression on his chubby face is truly priceless.

  Miss Ding's bright and shining eyes glanced at him lightly, asking softly: "Liu Ming, among the goods our mansion prepared for the new year, is there any rabbit meat? If so, how much was purchased, and how much was left after you took stock just now? Tell me honestly, without a single mistake!"

  "Uh......, yes, yes...", Liu Guanshi didn't know why the young lady only asked about the rabbit meat, and quickly flipped through the account book: "Reporting to the young lady, the estate purchased New Year's goods and bought 15 rabbits. I just checked, all 15 rabbits are frozen stiff and are stored in the warehouse, not one is missing."

  "Did you see clearly? Are you sure there are no more or less, and only fifteen have entered?" Yan Jiu asked hastily.

  Liu Guanshi pointed to the sky and swore to the ground: "Indeed, only fifteen have been entered, and they are all on the account book. Old Sun and I counted them carefully, and not one is missing."

  Miss Ding's beautiful eyes glanced at Ding Chengye, who was sitting there with a blank expression. After a moment, he suddenly stretched his waist, yawned, and lazily got up, saying: "I'm sleepy, Little Jiu, the lanterns are lit in front, let's go back to sleep."

  "Hey, hey." Yan Jiu lifted the lantern and looked at Second Master and then at Eldest Miss. He hastily retreated from the main hall. As soon as he stepped out of the door, Ding Chengye followed closely behind him and gave his buttocks a vicious kick. Yan Jiu was kicked to the ground, the lantern rolled far away, and with a "whoosh" it went out.

  "Hey, Second Master, why did you kick me?"

  Ding Chengye didn't make a sound, he lifted his robe and boots, and directly stepped over Yan Jiu's body. Yan Jiu looked at his back in confusion, licking his lips, before suddenly coming to his senses. He quickly scrambled up, like a dog with its tail between its legs, and followed Ding Chengye with a sheepish expression.

  Miss Ding raised her eyes and glanced at the surrounding villas, instructing in a light tone: "Everyone go back and rest."

  "Yes, yes, yes," those rough men quickly picked up their sticks and retreated from the main room. Ding Xiaojie looked at Ding Hao and suddenly let out a soft sigh: "You... have been serving Second Young Master since you were young, don't you know his temperament? This person is stubborn, can't be led by the nose, and will retreat when beaten. He absolutely cannot tolerate others saying no to him. Why must you be so stubborn? That kind of person, how could he possibly care about this family? The raccoon dog, whether or not it was stolen by you, as long as you admit it and kowtow to apologize, he definitely won't hit you. He's already spent all the gold and silver, will he care about a raccoon dog?"

  "Thanks for the reminder, Miss," Ding Hao said in a stiff tone. A surge of anger was still churning in his chest, and today Ding Chengye had clearly come looking for trouble; if he really admitted it, that would be even more unbearable, but these words didn't need to be explained to this young lady.

  Ding Yuluo cast a glance at him with her beautiful eyes, then quickly looked away: "Since you know, don't be so stubborn in the future. You are his servant, I can protect you for now, but not forever. When it's time to yield, you should yield; when it's time to suffer grievances, don't always think that you're being wronged. Be more open-minded, or else how will you have a good life?"

  Ding Hao's anger was not yet dissipated, and as soon as he heard this, he immediately retorted loudly: "Eldest Miss, I am indeed a lowly servant, but even a lowly servant is human. There are some things that can be endured, because they have not touched the things in one's heart that one wants to fight to the death to protect. Every person should have something in their heart that they would sacrifice their life to protect; otherwise, what's the difference between them and a dog or a pig?"

  Sister Ding looked at him in surprise, and once again faced this brother who was different from her in identity and experience: "Is this still the original timid and shy Ding Hao?"

  She pursed her lips, stretched out a pair of slender hands to tightly grasp the fox fur coat, and stood up with a gentle smile: "Go back to sleep, Xiao Qing, I'll send some gold wound medicine over to them later."

  "Thank you, big sister, no need."

  Ding Yuluo had already walked lightly to the door, heard the sound and turned her head again, gazing deeply at him for a moment, then smiled slightly: "Having backbone is good, but if one has no talent or skills, yet still has an arrogant attitude, that's being ignorant of the times, and even in death, no one would sympathize..."