My Husband is the Emperor : I Woke Up With a Husband

Mrs. Jin took the drink that was served first now that she was only with her daughter, she didn’t had to put her pleasing and sweet smile, letting her stern face open that had the four servants who stood to wait for the other people in the house to come by the dining room.

"You," Mrs. Jin pointed on one maid who gingerly walked toward the woman. In Li family’s house, Mrs. Jin was the one of the worse people they would wish to never have an encounter with. Seeing how slow the maid walked, Mrs. Jin clicked her tongue, "Will you come here or not?" Her voice was raised in volume, having the maid to be startled and hurried to her side.

"W-what may I help you with, madam?" asked the woman, keeping her voice even to not gain more displeasure from the woman in front of her now.

"How long have you worked here?" asked Mrs. Jin and the maid wondered why would the woman asked her of that. Mrs. Jin looked at the rest of four servants and raised her hand to wave, letting them know that she wished to be alone now except for the maid who was now standing by her side.

The maid who had a bright reddish brown hair that were curly saw everyone had left the room and prayed that the madam wouldn’t beat her or slapped her because she had heard from the senior maids who had stayed longer than her how Mrs. Jin had once slapped a maid for doing mistake.

Her hands she held one over another was soggy, "Nearly two years, madam." replied the maid who then curled her lips in nervousness. To be locked in the dining room with Mrs. Jin would mean she had done mistake.

"Two years, hm." Mrs. Jin twirled the glass while Jin Nu Yuan watched her mother pressuring the maid and found this side of her mother to be admirable. Jin Nu Yuan since her childhood want to be her mother who was fearless, clever, and knew what she wanted. The young girl studied what her mother did to be looked by fear for the maid. "Is your salary satisfiable?"

Again the question had the maid questioned herself and she didn’t want to delay the reply. "It is not too much but more than enough for making a living."

"Do you want more?"

"Pardon?" The maid lifted her face to see the maid’s face in shock at Mrs. Jin’s offer. When Mrs. Jin stood from her seat, the maid braced herself for a slap or two across her cheeks and shut her eyes.

"I am asking if you want more money, a double of your salary, however, in exchange I would want you to follow every and each of my order." Mrs. Jin turned her head at the maid to watch how the poor maid who came with lesser money than her had a look of eagerness but still hesitated as they know Li Jun Wei wasn’t a man who tolerate servants working for others for money. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The maid looked at Mrs. Jin nervously, biting her lips and her mind weigh the benefits. The money. Mrs. Jin offering to the maid was mouth watering but she wasn’t prepared to do what Mrs. Jin instructed. The maid feared that she would be tell to do harmful thing or be pointed as a scapegoat. Although the maid was hungry for the money, she was also clever enough to know that there would be more drawbacks for her side.

"I..." The maid looked down on the ground and the reluctance was clear to see from the maid’s face.

"I wouldn’t ask you to do anything that could harm you or anyone. I just need ears and mouth on this house." stated Mrs. Jin with a softer smile empty from kindness but the maid couldn’t tell, "That is all I need." Mrs. Jin pulled her tone on the word all and her hand she raised set on the maid’s shoulder, with a rub.

The maid looked up at Mrs. Jin, a smile followed the maid’s mouth. Once the maid left, Mrs. Jin went out of the room briefly and came back with a handkerchief on her hand with an evident water drops as she had washed the good hand she used to touch the maid’s shoulders.

Sitting down, Jin Nu Yuan who had stayed quiet finally spoke, "Mama, why did you choose that maid?" There was any other maids but in particular Jin Nu Yuan noticed how Mrs. Jin had chosen the maid with reason. But Jin Nu Yuan doubt her mother would know the maid.

"Dear," Mrs. Jin sighed at her daughter who was still yet to learn anything from her. "The maid earlier is poorer than the rest, her inner clothes and her shoes, everything she had is old. You could see by her eyes how she is hungry for money." Mrs. Jin laughed as if she knew and could read well poor people’s mind that were very simple and easy to trick to Mrs. Jin’s calculation. Since she entered the dining room, Mrs. Jin didn’t miss the maid who eyed her golden bracelet and earrings, it was simple to see how the maid carve to have what she could never have.

Jin Nu Yuan with her brows still drawn looked at her mother, "The maid seemed to be easily tempt, what if next time she snitched on us?"

"We shall dispose her when that time come, I don’t expect her to be on our side for their entire time either." Mrs. Jin dismissed the talk and sat down beside her daughter when after a few minutes the door creaked opened, Jin Nu Yuan and Mrs. Jin was quick to turn their cunning expression into a pleasant smile to see Li Lian and Li Jun Wei entering the dining room as if the talk they had earlier or Mrs. Jin offering Li Lian money in exchange for her to be gone for good never took place.