The dining hall was on the ground floor. She just realized how many people there were when she entered.
Someone greeted the maid and asked obscurely, “Is this that child?”
The maid nodded. She didn’t want to say too much. “I brought her here to eat.”
Lin Miao didn’t understand anything, and because she didn’t understand, she observed more, did less, and spoke less. She was afraid of doing something wrong or saying something wrong...
The maid passed her two dishes, one vegan and one meat. She also brought her a bowl of rice.
Lin Miao was starving! But she buried her feelings and started eating elegantly.
Lin Miao was thinking about a lot of things. She was already disliked. She couldn’t eat too much, if she ate too much, she would definitely be disliked even more.
But it was so delicious!
Lin Miao was very satisfied, so she forgot her thoughts. A few moments later, she finished her rice and her two dishes.
She felt like she still wasn’t full, but was too embarrassed to help herself with more since the maid beside her finished neither her rice nor her dishes.
Lin Miao asked quietly, “Where do I wash the dishes?”
“You don’t need to wash them yourself.” The maid answered, “The elderly madame should be here for you in a bit.”
Then she led her back to her room.
Lin Miao didn’t know what else to do.
She felt useless, mainly because no one was assigning tasks to her.
Lin Miao looked at the immaculate room; they didn’t need her to clean it.
As expected, the elderly woman arrived a few moments later.
The elderly woman invited her to sit down. “You saw your little brother today, right?”
Lin Miao was a little confused. “I didn’t see him. My brother is in the town.”
The elderly woman explained, chuckling, “I’m referring to Little Yu. In the future, can he be your brother?”
Of course Lin Miao remembered who Little Yu was, however, she was still a bit confused. “But, he’s taller than me.”
Lin Miao always thought that her little brother must call her “older sister” because he was shorter than her. Lin Miao’s brother frequently said, ‘Someday when I grow taller than you, you must call me older brother!’
So, at home, they ate all they could to grow taller.
The elderly woman was speechless for a bit. “But, his health isn’t well. He needs an older sister to care for him. Can you be his older sister?”
Lin Miao felt sorry for the older brother since he had to be her little brother despite being taller than her.
Lin Miao quietly asked, “Is this my job?”
Her older female cousin didn’t explain what working really was back then, but one point did match with her situation, and that was the boss has a bad temper and throws tantrums.
The elderly woman nodded and uncontrollably smiled seeing her asking the question with clarity in her eyes and in all seriousness. “Can you do this job? I’ll pay you in due course.”
Lin Miao was a bit embarrassed. “I saw you pay my mom already.”
The elderly woman patted her head. “Your brother’s temper isn’t good. Don’t get mad at him.”
Lin Miao nodded. Those who have to be younger brothers all have bad tempers.
Lin Miao’s mother brought her along when she was working outside the village because she said that her grandma preferred boys over girls so it wasn’t good to leave her at home. As a result, her brother was alone at their grandma’s.
When his brother was four, she was six. It was the ripe age for starting school, so she came back. Her brother had a horrible temper and yelled at her very often. It was only when she helped her brother fight some fights and steal the pears that their relationship improved significantly. Now, he was very obedient to her.
“Ok, you should sleep now. Little children have to sleep more to grow taller.” The elderly woman said.
Lin Miao lied on the giant bed, well-behaved. The elderly woman covered her with the quilt. “I’ll be your grandma from now on.”
Lin Miao didn’t quite understand, but nodded anyway, “Grandma.”
“Ay.” The elderly woman was quite happy as she touched her forehead, “Shui Shui, see you tomorrow.”
The next day, Lin Miao woke up before dawn.
Her first reaction was to go pick mushrooms in the mountains.
But then she saw the soft, snow-white bedsheet. Lin Miao realized she wasn’t home anymore.
She crawled up, folded the quilt, and went to brush her teeth and wash her face.
She opened the door and found that there weren't many people yet.
Lin Miao thought for a bit, and quietly went downstairs anyway.
Right when she arrived at the stairwell, she saw the Young Master, being helped by another person.
His face was even paler and he frowned when he saw her.
Lin Miao didn’t dare to call him little brother, for fear that he would get mad. When she first returned to her home in the village back then, her little brother didn’t allow her to call him little brother.
Lin Miao had plenty of experience, so, she just said softly, “My name is Lin Miao, you can call me Shui Shui.”
The Young Master’s gaze was on her clothes. He paused a little in his slippers, and then asked the housekeeper beside him, “You let her wear my old clothes?”
Lin Miao noticed this problem as well. She was indeed wearing his old clothing.
Lin Miao’s face flushed red and then she ran back to her room.
The Young Master watched her disappear from the mouth of the stairwell and then said angrily to the housekeeper beside him, “Before you take her out of here, buy her a new set of clothes.”
Housekeeper: “...”
Right after that, they saw her trotting back.
She stretched out a hand, a bit shy. “Don’t be mad, I’m only in your clothes because I didn’t bring any here. This is for you.”
As she explained, she took the Young Master’s hand with her left hand, and then placed a neatly folded hundred-dollar bill in his palm.
Lin Miao said softly, “Stop being angry, I’ll give you more after I get paid.”
Lin Miao’s mother gave her five-hundred-dollar bills. She kept all of them neatly.
The Young Master felt that it was a bit scalding, so he handed the money back. “You can wear it if you want.”
And then he went upstairs to his room.
Lin Miao put the bill away, thinking that this brother was a lot better than her own. When she first returned from the town, her brother had taken all of her stuff. He even said that whatever is her’s is also his.
But this brother even gave his clothes to her.
After breakfast, the elderly woman brought Lin Miao to the Young Master’s room, the Young Master was lying on the bed, being infused. He looked even more frail.
The elderly woman led Lin Miao to the bed and sat beside it. “Shui Shui, can you look after your younger brother for a bit right here?”
The Young Master’s eyes shot open, disgusted. “Younger Brother?”
Then he turned his head and looked at Lin Miao. “Get out.”
Lin Miao was a bit worried, but he seemed really angry so she listened to him.
And so she went out.
Lin Miao pondered while standing at the door; Young Master seriously disliked her.
She might become the only person in the village who returned after less than three days of working outside.
So embarrassing, should she buy candy for her buddies at that time?
Not long after, the elderly woman came out. Smiling, she said, “Ok, Shui Shui, he won’t tell you to leave from now on.”
That turned around fast, Lin Miao was astonished.
“But, don’t call him little brother.” The elderly woman said, “You have to call him older brother.”
Lin Miao had argued about this with her brother at home, but, since he was taller than her, she should call him older brother. When she gets taller than him, he will just have to call her older sister then.
“Oh, go change your clothes.” The elderly woman added.
Lin Miao nodded.
In short, today was a wonderful day.
Lin Miao was very excited.
She headed back to the Young Master’s room after changing her clothes. She found him sleeping. He looked beautiful when he was asleep, but Lin Miao couldn’t afford to stare excessively.
She received her first task in her career: Watch the infusion bottle and call the doctor to pull the needle when it’s empty.
Lin Miao didn’t dare to slack off because the doctor beside her told her that this job was actually important, and the Young Master’s blood will backflow into the bottle if she wasn’t careful...
So, Lin Miao anxiously watched the hanging bottle.
She was afraid that the bottle would suck the Young Master’s blood away the moment her attention trailed away.