Finest Servant Chapter 381 (Patreon)

Chapter 381 On Weishan Lake

That night, the two were deeply in love, their affection and sweetness beyond words. Miss Luo, gentle and tranquil on the outside, was bold in love and hate on the inside. With her heart's desire fulfilled, she shyly cooperated with her big brother at the dressing mirror, allowing him to take what he wished. Seeing their intimate state in the mirror, she felt a deep thrill beneath her shyness, moaning softly, rising and falling like the tide, turning the humble room into a passionate spring scene.

After several bouts, Lin Wanrong's vigor was undiminished, his ambitions unfulfilled. Miss Luo blossomed beautifully, but could no longer bear his grace and favor, and fell asleep sweetly and shyly in his arms. Touching her smooth, bare chest, Master Lin smiled wryly, thinking that being too strong might not be a blessing. The tonic given by Seo Jang Geum would probably not be needed until he was a hundred years old.

The next morning, when he awoke, Luo Ning had already stirred. Her almond eyes slightly open, her face rosy, her bare arm tightly wrapped around his chest, her full breasts gently rubbing against him. Miss Luo's face was flushed, her mouth slightly open, a faint fragrant breath escaping her lips, she shyly said, "Big brother, are you awake?"

Lin Wanrong laughed and pinched her little nose, "Ning'er, you can't call me big brother now, you should call me husband."

Luo Ning blushed and nestled in his arms, "Husband, you are Ning'er's big brother, and also Ning'er's husband. No matter how I call you, Ning'er is willing."

As a new bride, Luo Ning's face was flushed with a strong spring charm. Her red cherry lips opened and closed, as fresh as if they had just been painted, so juicy that they seemed to drip water. Her charming and seductive demeanor was utterly captivating.

Master Lin stared, gulping down his saliva, thinking to himself that he had found a treasure. Ning'er seemed gentle as water, but she was a truly charming woman. Her passion and boldness last night were something Lin Wanrong had never encountered before, and her fiery enthusiasm had brought him to the ultimate pleasure.

The two reluctantly got up from the small bed, looking at the newly embroidered peach blossom on the bedsheet. Luo Ning whimpered, her face flushed, and quickly tidied up the bed, carefully folding the sheet.

Lin Wanrong stood behind her, looking at her curvy figure as she bent over, recalling her fiery passion from the night before. His heart ignited, and he tightly embraced her slender waist, pressing against her full buttocks. Lin Wanrong gently kissed her delicate earlobe and chuckled, "Ning'er, it's still early, let's do some morning exercise."

Luo Ning felt a thrill in her heart, her body softened, leaning against him, she breathed sweetly, "Husband, you're so naughty, you still haven't had enough of tormenting me last night—"

"Never enough!" Lin Wanrong laughed in her ear, Luo Ning's heart skipped a beat, her ears burning, she lowered her head, not daring to speak, and the fiery passion of the previous night was nowhere to be seen.

In the hall, she was the paragon of virtue; in bed, she was a lascivious woman. That was the flavor he desired. Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment. Morning exercises were now out of the question. Luo Ning, a newlywed, was greatly affected, and even walking required small, unsteady steps. Master Lin, who claimed to treasure beauty, naturally showered her with affection and pampering, without feeling the least bit embarrassed.

Luo Ning, seeing her big brother so considerate and gentle, was overjoyed beyond words. The two fondled and caressed each other, a unique sensation in their hearts.

"Oh!" Just as they were getting passionate, Luo Ning suddenly remembered something, her face showing a trace of surprise, then turning completely red as she shyly glanced at him.

"What's wrong, Ning'er?" Lin Wanrong pulled her onto his lap, feeling the warmth from her delicate body, so comforting that he couldn't help but press a little closer.

"Oh, big brother, don't tease me," Luo Ning screamed, her ears burning, as she panted.

"Teasing, teasing," Master Lin shamelessly laughed, "It's just morning arousal, not intentional. Ning'er, did it hurt you? Do you need some medicine?"

Hearing his crude words, Luo Ning couldn't help but hit his chest a few times, but inside, she felt a bit happy. Before marriage, she was a chaste woman, but once past that threshold, hearing these private whispers was a pleasure she wouldn't share with outsiders. "Big brother, I mean, Sister Xu..."

"Sister Xu, what about Sister Xu?" As soon as Xu Zhiqing was mentioned, Lin Wanrong's brow furrowed. ‘Old Xu, it wasn't my fault, I warned about a man and woman traveling alone, and see, my words came true.’

"Big brother, it's all your fault, so wicked." Luo Ning's face blushed, "Last night, Sister Xu wanted to talk to me, waiting in my room. But I didn't return all night, oh, I'm so embarrassed, she will laugh at me to death—" Luo Ning covered her cheeks, whimpering, her blush spreading from her ears to her neck.

Lin Wanrong laughed loudly. ‘Xu Zhiqing laughing at you? She's in no position to do so, probably hiding and crying under her blankets.’

"Why didn't she come looking for me when I didn't return?" Luo Ning blushed for a while, mumbling to herself as if asking him.

"Don't worry, maybe she fell asleep. Spring is the season of dreams," Lin Wanrong laughed it off, trying not to let Luo Ning ask further, or else he would be exposed. As long as he didn't say it, Ning'er would never know, and Miss Xu wouldn't leak a word. Would she say, Ning'er, your husband is a damned lecher, sneaking into my room to touch me?

A lecherous smile crept across his face, and he grabbed Luo Ning's hand, "Oh, by the way, Ning'er, I talked to Luo Yuan yesterday. Early this morning, we'll go to Weishan Lake to investigate."

When it came to serious matters, Luo Ning put away her shyness and clung to his arm, "Big brother, I'll go with you."

The two had just consummated their marriage, a time of sweet affection, so naturally, wherever he went, Ning'er would follow. Lin Wanrong couldn't refuse, and they quickly got ready, heading to the outer courtyard.

As they passed by the room they had been in last night, Lin Wanrong pointed at the door and said, "Ning'er, this is your boudoir, isn't it?"

Luo Ning nodded slightly, leaning against him with a sweet smile, her cherry lips parting slightly, "This is Ning'er's room, but also big brother's room. I and Big Brother are one, never to be separated."

These words warmed Lin Wanrong's heart, and he laughed heartily twice. Both chambers were quiet, and he didn't know if Xu Zhiqing was inside. With a guilty conscience, Lin Wanrong turned up his collar to hide half of his face. He was about to pull Luo Ning away when she broke free of his wrist, her voice tenderly saying, "Big brother, wait for me a moment; I'm going to see if Sister Xu is up yet."

Lin Wanrong opened his mouth to shout, but Luo Ning had already pushed open Xu Zhiqing's door and gone in, calling softly a few times, but there was no response. Luo Ning then returned to her own room to search but found no trace of her, and she couldn't help but frown delicately, wondering, "Where could Sister Xu be?"

"Oh, she might have gone out for a walk to clear her mind this morning. Ning'er, let's go," Lin Wanrong hurriedly said.

Luo Ning laughed, "Big brother, what nonsense are you talking about? Sister Xu's mood is good."

Good mood? That was before last night! Now Xu Zhiqing was probably hiding somewhere, crying. The two of them left the inner residence and first went to Luo Min's room to pay their respects. Lin Wanrong had stolen someone's precious daughter the night before, so he respectfully knelt before Luo Min's bed, kowtowing, with Luo Ning obediently kneeling beside him, as they performed the ritual of three bows and nine kowtows. Lin Wanrong respectfully said, "Father-in-law, rest assured, I will find the silver and return justice to you."

Tears welled up in Luo Ning's eyes as she softly said, "Father, your daughter is now married to big brother. From now on, we'll be together, never to part, serving you for life. When you wake up, we will kowtow to you again."

The two of them left the room, and it was already dawn. Luo Yuan was anxiously waiting at the door, with hundreds of people gathered behind him. Judging by their attire, with nets and fishing spears in hand, they were fishermen from Weishan Lake, skilled in swimming.

"Big Brother—" Seeing Lin Wanrong, Luo Yuan exclaimed joyfully, running toward them. When he reached Luo Ning's side, he looked at her strangely and said, "Sister, you've changed!"

Luo Ning blushed, sneakily grabbing her big brother's hand, glancing at him and saying, "What nonsense are you talking about, child? Where have I changed?"

"Sister, you've become more beautiful." Luo Yuan teased, "It must be because Big Brother came, and you're so happy that you've become more radiant and youthful."

Listening to the banter between the siblings, Lin Wanrong felt some joy in his heart and nodded, saying, "Alright, let's save the chit-chat for later. Little Luo, are these all fishermen from Weishan Lake?"

Luo Yuan nodded, "Yes, these brothers are all local fishermen who have been living off Weishan Lake for generations. They are skilled swimmers. After Father took office in Jining, he visited every household around Weishan Lake, and they all remember his kindness. They came to help voluntarily."

Luo Min, as an official, had made quite an accomplishment. This could be seen from his efforts in Jinling, where he initiated water conservation and reinforced the river embankment, and he continued to do so when he arrived in Jining. Lin Wanrong nodded slightly and said contentedly, "That's good. Do we have boats? Let's take a look at Weishan Lake."

"Of course, there are boats, several of them," Luo Yuan excitedly replied. "Miss Xu has already found one and gone out on the lake."

"Who? Who did you say?" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, his face showing a touch of surprise. Luo Ning's face also reflected a hint of astonishment.

"Xu Zhiqing, Miss Xu. She came early at the fourth watch of the night, saying she wanted to find a boat to go out on the lake. So I called an experienced uncle to accompany her," Luo Yuan explained.

The fourth watch of the night? That meant she had been gone for over two hours already. In this cold weather, a young girl alone on the lake, how could that not cause concern? Luo Ning anxiously said, "Little Yuan, why didn't you stop her?"

Luo Yuan gave a bitter smile of frustration, "I did try to stop her. But Miss Xu said she wanted to go to Weishan Lake early to assess the situation, to investigate the location of the silver. I tried to persuade her to wait for Big Brother to go together, but she insisted. In the end, I had no choice but to arrange a boat to take her."

Luo Ning shook her head, puzzled, "No wonder I couldn't find her in her room. So she went to Weishan Lake. This is strange, I know Xu Sister's character well, she is usually very patient, always thinking three times before acting. How could she act so rashly this time, going to Weishan Lake so early in the dark? What could she possibly see?"

"I told you she was probably out to clear her mind, but you didn't believe me." Lin Wanrong's face flushed red as Luo Ning and Luo Yuan's astonished gaze fell on him, and he laughed, "Don't look at me, I didn't encourage her to go."

"Big brother, did you notice anything wrong with Miss Xu on the way? This rash action is not like her, and I always feel something is strange," Luo Ning said softly, taking his hand.

"Something wrong? No, I think she was very much alright, too much so," Lin Wanrong brazenly replied, laughing, "Let's not guess blindly. Once we find her on the lake, you can ask her yourself, and that will settle it, won't it?"

Having successfully diverted their attention, Lin Wanrong secretly wiped away a bead of cold sweat, feeling wronged. It was just a misunderstanding; why was he feeling so guilty?

The early morning mist enveloped Weishan Lake, making it hard to see figures even a few feet away. The refreshing moisture hit their faces with a bone-chilling sensation. Cold dew was scattered all over the dried yellow reeds, swaying and glittering with crystalline drops in the gentle breeze.

Being early spring, the weather was bitterly cold. Standing at the bow of the boat, facing the biting morning wind, Luo Ning, despite wearing a thick winter coat, couldn't help but shiver, her little face turning rosy red from the cold.

Lin Wanrong, feeling compassion, grabbed her little hand and gently rubbed it to warm it up, then tucked it into his cotton jacket to keep it warm. Luo Ning smiled sweetly, lightly pinching his chest, and softly said, "Big brother, being by your side, Ning'er feels like the luckiest woman in the world."

Ah, this girl was really too easy to appease. Lin Wanrong felt slightly embarrassed, and just as he was about to tease her a little, he heard Luo Ning say, "I have big brother by my side to keep me warm when I'm cold, but what about Sister Zhiqing? She's alone and adrift on the lake in this freezing weather. Who will keep her warm?"

‘Ah, wasn't this forcing me to reflect? Miss Xu had gone to Weishan Lake alone, and a large part of the reason was due to last night's incident, I really didn't mean to do what happened last night. My hand had touched her chest, but hadn't her chest also touched my hand? It was a mutual thing.’ He gazed into the distance, but all around was a foggy scene, and he couldn't make out anything more than a few yards away. How could he find Miss Xu's boat?

What's meant to be will always find a way, and what's not won't even if you try. Lin Wanrong didn't think about it too much and bent down to scoop up a handful of clear water to splash on his face. The icy, bone-chilling sensation woke him up considerably.

Weishan Lake covered hundreds of miles, stretching across several counties in Shandong, not to mention the more fatal existence of water grass and reed marshes, one patch connected to another, extending beyond sight. From the shore, the shallow areas were about the height of a person, and the deep parts reached dozens of yards. Even if the entire city of Jining were submerged, it wouldn't create much of a ripple, let alone a mere three hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver? If the silver really were hidden in the lake, perhaps only the Dragon King knew the specific location.

"Big brother," seeing his furrowed brow, Luo Ning felt a pang in her heart and hurriedly grasped his sleeve, softly saying, "Don't make things difficult for yourself. If we really can't find the silver, Ning'er will accept it. Being big brother's wife, even if I die, it would be worth it."

"You little girl, what nonsense are you talking about? We have a long, loving life ahead of us!" Lin Wanrong stroked Luo Ning's hair, forcing a smile onto his face.

The crisp sound of the oar hitting the water rang in their ears. Lin Wanrong banished the distracting thoughts from his mind and asked the old fisherman rowing the boat, "Uncle, how many pounds of fish are caught in Weishan Lake every year?"

The old man chuckled a few times, striking the water forcefully with his oar, "How many pounds of fish each year? This old man never calculated that. But as for my family, during late summer and early autumn, I go out to cast my nets every day. On a good day, I can catch dozens of pounds of fish. Over those two seasons, I can easily catch eight hundred to a thousand pounds."

Luo Ning listened, puzzled, "Dozens of pounds every day? Uncle, doesn't that mean you can earn a lot of silver over the course of a year?"

Lin Wanrong gently pinched her small face, shaking his head with a helpless smile, "Silly girl, do you think fishing is like eating meals, something you can do several times a day? Fishing is like farming. You must sow the seeds, tend to them, and only in autumn can you have a good harvest. Take Weishan Lake, for example; out of the four seasons, only summer and autumn are suitable for fishing. In winter, the grass must be nourished, and in spring, the fish fry must be scattered. Only in summer and autumn can the fish be plentiful."

Lin Wanrong had grown up by the Yangtze River, so he knew these matters clearly. However, Luo Ning and her sibling were born into a family of officials and had no knowledge of farming. Listening to Big Brother talk about these things, they found it utterly fascinating. Luo Ning snuggled close to her Big Brother, infinitely delighted, her voice sweetly saying, "Big brother, Ning'er doesn't understand. Will you teach me every day from now on?"

The old fisherman gave a thumbs up and said, "I only saw that you were a scholarly young man, but I didn't expect you to understand even these things. You are absolutely right. The reeds that have been nourished all winter will soon be put to use. It's early spring now, and it's time to release the fish fry. Once tens of thousands of them are let go, the lake will be bustling come autumn."

"Releasing the fish fry, releasing the fish fry," Lin Wanrong silently muttered to himself twice, as if he had grasped something, yet it also seemed like he hadn't grasped anything at all.