In the late afternoon, wind and snow mingled together.
Fierce winds swept large snowflakes that swirled through the air like goose feathers, falling heavily to the ground and piling up into a thick layer. Each step made a crunching sound.
After leaving the tavern, Tao Su shrugged her shoulders, cupped her hands over her mouth to breathe some warm air, and complained, "This wretched weather, it starts snowing heavily just like that. By the time I get back, my shoes and socks will be soaked."
"Why don't you just stay at the tavern tonight and cozy up with Nuan Dong? ...I can get back faster on my own." Da said offhandedly as he opened an oiled paper umbrella.
"How could I do that? There are still a few children at the Welfare Institute, and I can't leave them unattended. Miss Qi trusted me with their care. My mother always said, 'When entrusted with a task, be faithful to fulfill it.' I must look after those children."
Tao Su opened her own oiled paper umbrella and stepped out into the wind and snow. Thinking of the children at home, she quickened her pace.
Then, her feet slipped, and she fell right onto her bottom.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha." Da laughed carelessly for a few moments before hurriedly pulling her up.
"Look at you being so stubborn. I'm at the Welfare Institute anyway, so I can take care of those few easy children. Why don't you just stay at the tavern tonight?"
After getting up, Tao Su rubbed her bottom and grumbled a few times, "My mother told me to listen to advice after a good meal, so I'll take your advice. Be careful on your way back."
Da nodded and quickened his pace. When walking with Tao Su, he had to wait for her. Now alone, he could stride rapidly.
After he left, Tao Su brushed the snow off her clothes and returned to the tavern.
In the middle of the night, Tao Su was awakened by the need to relieve herself. She hurriedly dressed and rushed to the thatched outhouse.
After squatting for a long time, she finally felt relieved. As she stood up, her legs were numb, and her body was nearly frozen. Leaning against the wall, she walked lightly. Just as she was about to enter the courtyard, she suddenly saw a shadowy figure stealthily pouring something into the well.
Instinctively, she wanted to call out but then noticed the figure also had a dagger tucked into their waist.
Tao Su quickly covered her mouth and shrank against the wall. Her mother had told her, "A true hero avoids unnecessary trouble. Don't rush headlong into danger without any advantage."
If she called out now, even if she could wake the others, it would take some time for them to wake up, run from the staff quarters to the courtyard.
If she scared off the culprit, that would be fine. But if she angered the culprit, they might just stab her, and she would die.
Tao Su dared not risk her life, so she watched helplessly as the shadowy figure slipped out the back door.
In the deep night, the shadowy figure had loose hair and a covered lower face, so Tao Su couldn't make out their features. By the time she woke others to give chase, the culprit had long since vanished.
The next day, early morning.
Miss Qi came to the tavern early, originally intending to check on how the tiger-skinned eggs were selling, but unexpectedly, the tavern had an incident.
She immediately decided, "Mr. Xu, go report to the officials. The tavern will be closed for the day. Niu, go call Sun Doctor."
After Sun Doctor arrived, Miss Qi instructed the staff to bring up a bucket of water for him to examine.
Sun Doctor first tested it with a silver needle, then looked at it closely and smelled it, but found nothing unusual.
His face wrinkled into a frown, "Could it be some colorless, odorless poison?"
"...It shouldn't be, right?" Tao Su recalled, "I saw him pour in a large packet. Would such an exotic poison be so cheap?"
"You saw it all, yet you didn't call out? If you had scared him off then, the tavern wouldn't have to be closed." Niu looked at her with accusation in his eyes.
Tao Su defended herself, "I saw him only after he had already started poisoning the water..."
"Then you should have shouted out, so we could all wake up and catch him together to interrogate him."
"He had a dagger!"
"But we outnumbered him, you coward." Niu gave her a disdainful look.
"I was only about ten steps away from him. If not for that tree blocking his view, he might have spotted me. Not to mention you all were staying at a certain distance, even if I shouted, could you guarantee you'd all wake up immediately and come help?"
Niu scratched his nose, "Maybe if you'd shouted, he would have just fled in fright..."
"He had a dagger!"
"So what if he had one dagger? If you ran fast enough, could he really stab you?"
Tao Su suddenly didn't want to argue with him anymore. Her mother had said there's no true empathy in this world; don't expect a few words to make others understand your difficulties.
But she still felt aggrieved. Was it wrong for her to fear death? She was just a fifteen-year-old girl who had never been to the capital, never tasted the "Tao Su" pastry her mother missed. She didn't want to die.
So she instinctively chose the safest approach - waiting for the culprit to leave, then telling Miss Qi about the incident to foil their evil scheme.
Her only regret was that the water source had been contaminated, forcing the tavern to close for a few days.
Tears welled up in Tao Su's eyes, but she refused to cry. Her mother had said tears were the most useless thing. She couldn't cry.
Moreover, that was just Niu's temperament, always nitpicking at everything. No point in letting him upset her to tears.
At that moment, she heard Miss Qi say, "Tao Su, you've already done very well. If not for you, the tavern would have used that water source, causing who knows how much trouble. So, I should be thanking you."
"Besides, your life is more precious than silver."
Tao Su looked up in disbelief.
Apart from her mother, this was the first time someone had said her life was more valuable than money.
Even her own father would have sold her for a few taels of silver. If her closest kin treated her so, how could she expect others to value her more than money?
Her mother's death had shown her the cold realities of the world. She always calculated what benefited her most and chose the advantageous side. She had many flaws, yet she also knew gratitude.
Miss Qi had been the kindest person to her since her mother's death.
Hearing her words of support, Tao Su burst into tears and threw herself into Miss Qi's arms, hugging her tightly.
"Miss Qi, you're so good to me. I'll offer my life in service to you!"
Upon hearing this, Miss Qi froze.
Why did Tao Su always want to offer her life in service?
What Miss Qi didn't know was that Tao Su had nothing but herself. In her heart, offering her life was the most precious repayment she could give.
After extricating herself from Tao Su's embrace, Miss Qi folded her arms warily, "I'm a woman who prefers men..."
After being pushed away, Tao Su's eyes still shone brightly: "Miss Qi, don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to marry you. What I mean is, from now on, I'll be your person. If you tell me to go east, I won't go west."
Miss Qi's willingness to consider the situation from her perspective and value her life was like a warm current, warming Tao Su's gradually cooling heart.
From that moment on, Tao Su felt that Miss Qi was not only her provider of food and clothing, but also one of the few who understood her and cared about her.
Her mother had said, "A noble person would die for one who understands them." The moment Miss Qi understood her, Tao Su wholeheartedly wished to follow her for life and serve her.
With her mind made up, Tao Su smiled even more earnestly: "Miss Qi, what can I do for you?"
Her mother had also said, "You must demonstrate your value to avoid being discarded." She would work hard! Shine brightly!
"......Oh, you can go buy a chicken for me."
