Chapter 1124: I won’t let you go
At last, they got to the last key. He Xiaodong wasn’t much affected, but Lin Yuan was already sweating profusely.
"Miss, these are all the keys to the cottages," Xiaodong said. "Other than the living room, all other courtyards have locked doors."
He Chengfang added, "Our Xiaodong might not be good at many things, but she sure has a sharp mind. However, even though she remembers this so clearly, if you ask her to study, she can’t remember a thing. Ouch! My foot!"
He Xiaodong grimaced and glared at him, then gave Lin Yuan a sheepish grin. He Guangming had specifically come home to tell her to bring the keys before he went to Yamen, reminding her to be polite and not to offend the two noble guests. Initially, they were apprehensive about the visit, but upon meeting, they didn’t find the two to be fearsome at all—in fact, they felt quite kindred to them.
If Lin Yuan knew what He Xiaodong was thinking at that moment, she certainly would have chuckled and patted her shoulder, acknowledging that indeed, they were kindred spirits—not only did both come from rural backgrounds, but their temperaments matched as well.
Xia Zheng, having experienced it firsthand, agreed. The way Xiaodong foot-cuffed He Chengfang was all too familiar to him—it was exactly how Lin Yuan often treated him!
Now in possession of these courtyard keys, Lin Yuan decided not to inspect the back areas. For one, she was genuinely tired and hungry. Secondly, with He Xiaodong around and her familiarity with the cottages, Lin Yuan was sure it was better than if she inspected them herself.
"Xiaodong, you really are familiar with this place," Lin Yuan laughed. "You must be the one cleaning and tidying up around here, right?"
He Xiaodong blinked and glanced around, "Here? Oh no, not here. We only take care of the grapevine outside. The women from our village come to clean inside the cottages. My father said that the previous owner of this property was very good to us, and we could not let the place fall into disrepair because he left, so he arranges for the women in the village to clean every three days; four people each time, with everyone taking turns."