From that day on, I found a way to give the Second Master medicine and feed him.

Congratulations to me.

The Second Master no longer scolded me, he just acted like I didn't exist. Every day he would lay in bed with his eyes open, looking at the ceiling, and do everything else in bed.

Speaking of doing everything else in bed, the first three words were my punishment, and the last two words were the Second Master's punishment.

He couldn't get off the bed, so I had to go in and serve him every once in a while.

It was manageable when he had to go to the bathroom, but for when he had to go number two, it was a life and death situation. I had to help him sit up.

It was said to be sitting, but it was really just propping up his butt and putting the chamber pot underneath.

Because the Second Master's right leg was gone, even a slight movement of his butt would cause the wound to stick. Not to mention, when it came to pooping, he had to strain, and when he strained, both sides of the wound would hurt.

Every time the Second Master had to go number two, he would hum and groan, with cold sweat and tears. The atmosphere in the room was so miserable.

But life went on like this.

A month later, the Second Master's wound gradually improved.

The Eldest Master and Yuan Sheng hadn't come back yet, but the family was already running out of money. I squatted in the yard and thought, if there was no more money coming in, the Second Master wouldn't even be able to drink porridge in four or five days.

So I decided to go out and sell something.

What to sell.

After thinking and thinking, I decided to sell some handicrafts. Don't look at me like a monkey, I actually have a pair of nimble hands.

After taking care of the Second Master during the day, I ran to the suburbs and picked a basket of flowers and grass, then came back to the courtyard and braided them into flower hats, necklaces and bracelets.

Now it was a good time for spring outings, and every day there were young masters and ladies going out of the city. I blocked the city gate and sold them there.

Believe it or not, the sales were really good.

Just a bit tiring.

The flowers and grass had to be fresh and good-looking to be sold, and the overnight ones would be wilted. So I had to go back and forth every day.

But it's good to have money, after all, I can't really starve the Second Master to death.

That day I fed the Second Master again, and the Second Master suddenly said, open the window.

I quickly opened the window, it was already spring, the wind was gentle, the birds were chirping, and the atmosphere was full of vitality. I looked at the outside and was stunned for a moment.

the Second Master said in a low voice: "Close it."

I swear I really didn't hear the Second Master's words at first.

the Second Master probably thought I was deliberately disobedient, and shouted: "I asked you to close it——!"

I was so frightened that I turned my eyes and saw the Second Master turning his head away, half of his face buried in the quilt, and I couldn't see clearly.

I suddenly—it was just a moment, suddenly felt that the Second Master was a bit pitiful. I don't know where I got the courage, I said to the Second Master: " Second Master, let me take you out for a walk."

The Second Master didn't answer me.

I walked over and held the Second Master's shoulder, and the Second Master shook his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!"

At that time I was really desperate, and I didn't listen to the Second Master's words, and pulled him up to sit.

The Second Master's wound was almost healed, but he hadn't gotten up much, and so he got dizzy and confused. Taking advantage of his dizziness, I quickly put him on the cart myself.

After the Second Master calmed down, he was already lying on the cart.

He was about to get angry, and when he turned his eyes, he saw the things piled up beside him. Those were the flower hats I was going to sell. the Second Master said: "What is this?"

I answered truthfully.

The Second Master didn't say anything.

I felt that he was embarrassed to sell these things, but I didn't have any other good ideas.

Seeing that he didn't get angry, I pushed him out of the door.

Anyway, after staying in the house for so long, it's also good to come out and bask in the sun.

When I was selling things, the Second Master was resting in the board cart.

Originally, everything was going very well.

But suddenly a group of people came and looked for trouble at the stall. I was really puzzled, can't you look for trouble on another day, why do you have to do it when the Second Master was here.

I later found out that these people were acquainted with the Second Master. When the Second Master had been strutting around Hangzhou City before, many people had taken a dislike to him, and now that he had fallen from grace, they had come to bully him.

They had gathered around the cart, chattering away, but however I looked at them, I felt they were taking pleasure in his misfortune. Especially the one in the lead, who was quite handsome and dressed quite smartly, but had a poisonous look in his eyes.

The Second Master said nothing and made no move, he just lay there. Although he showed no signs, I could tell he was suffering terribly.

I had covered the Second Master's lower body with a blanket to keep him from catching a chill, but the one in the lead had lifted it up, and when everyone saw the Second Master's missing legs, they were stunned, then burst into laughter.

I exploded. Not caring about the consequences, I picked up a branch from the side and swung it at the one in the lead. He was not prepared and I hit him square on.

They probably hadn't expected a servant to do something like this, even the Second Master looked over.

The one who had been hit was stunned for a moment, then snapped out of it and waved his hand, and the lackeys around him rushed forward to give me a beating.

I curled up in a ball, biting my teeth and enduring.

What was the point of kicking so hard?

After they tired themselves out, they continued to go shopping. I slowly got up from the ground and the first thing I saw was the Second Master's expressionless face and those dark, dark eyes.

I had embarrassed him again.

After all this, the hats were all ruined and could no longer be sold, so we had to go home.

On the way back, the Second Master didn't say a word. I felt a bit regretful for bringing him out.

Although lying at home was a bit boring, at least he wouldn't be humiliated.

At dinner time, the Second Master, to my surprise, said to help him sit up.

He had always been fed while lying down before.

I helped him up and he looked at me. I knew my face must have been quite something and I lowered my head.

The Second Master said: "Lift your head."

I opened my swollen eyes and looked at him.

The Second Master looked for a while, then said, "Who are you?"

I was stunned.

I thought to myself, the Second Master, have you gone mad from all that humiliation? I nervously said, "Er, Second Master?"

The Second Master furrowed his brows and said, "Are you a maidservant that Big Brother bought?"

Me: "..." I knew he wasn't mad, it was me who was mad. I took a deep breath and told the Second Master, "This servant is a maid from Yang Mansion." I thought for a moment and added, "From the Second Master's courtyard."

The Second Master didn't think twice and said, "Impossible."

Me: "..." I knew he hadn't said what was in his heart — there was no way there was a maid like me in his courtyard.

So I took another deep breath and told him what had happened that led me to his courtyard.

After the Second Master had finished listening, he was silent for a while, then said, "Why didn't you leave?"

I was stunned, yeah, why didn't I leave. Before I could think of an answer, the Second Master had already spoken, "Forget it, give me the food."

I subconsciously handed him the bowl.

The Second Master leaned against the wall and started eating.

I still stood there, stunned.

He wasn't sitting very stably, and when his body started to tilt, he would reach out to steady himself. Throughout the meal, I never lent a hand.

After eating, I was about to go wash the dishes, but the Second Master kept me there.

"Sit down."

I sat down.

"What is your name?"

"Monkey."

"... "

The Second Master looked at me with a complicated expression, "What did you say?"

I said, "This servant is called Monkey."

The Second Master had a look of being choked by his food, then said, "How much savings do we have left at home?"

I said, "Two liang of silver."

The Second Master: "..."

I thought maybe this number was too much for the Second Master to accept, so I was just about to comfort him by saying that the Oldest Master had gone out to do business, when the Second Master suddenly said, "That's enough."

Me: "?"

The Second Master didn't say any more, he asked me how much those hats could be sold for in a day.

I said, "Five coins."

The Second Master's brows instantly furrowed, "How much did you say?"

I said it again. He said, "Tomorrow, make something and don't go sell it."

I didn't know what the Second Master wanted to do, but I still nodded.

After saying all this, the Second Master commanded me to bring the straw mat from outside.

I brought the straw mat into the room and the Second Master asked me to lay it down on the floor. I followed his instructions and after I was done, he asked me to leave. I went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, feeling that the Second Master was acting strangely tonight.

After washing the dishes, when I came out from the courtyard, I heard some noises from the Second Master's room. But he didn't call me, so I couldn't enter. I sat by the window and listened to the occasional thumps.

I resisted for as long as I could, but I couldn't help it and peeked through the crack of the window.

This one glance scared me.

The Second Master had somehow fallen off the bed and was lying on the ground, as if he was trying to turn over.

I didn't have time to think and rushed into the room. He seemed startled when I came in and stared at me.

"Who let you in?!"

I said, "Your servant is here to serve you."

"Get out!"

I was hesitating, but the Second Master turned his face away and said, "I said get out!"

He still had the same temper. I turned around and left. I listened to the mess inside the room from outside the door.

Until late at night, I finally heard a sound from the room.

"Monkey, come in."

I pushed open the door.

The Second Master was drenched and lying on the straw mat. As if all his strength was gone, he said weakly, "Help me up."

I carried the Second Master to the bed and he continued to pant.

I vaguely understood what the Second Master was doing and, after hesitating, I quietly said to him, "Second Master, if you want to exercise, you should ask your servant to help. That way, there will be more people to help and you won't hurt yourself from bumping into things."

I was only brave enough to say these things because I had eaten a leopard's gallbladder. After I said it, I braced myself for death.

To my surprise, the Second Master closed his eyes and, after his breathing stabilized, he said in a low voice, "Mm."

As I left the Second Master's room, I thought to myself that he really was acting strangely tonight.