Chapter 9: The Battle Ends, Yet the Servant's Defiance Remains Unyielding

The Plum and Snow Garden of the Lu Family Marquis Estate.

This garden, located on the southern side of the estate, was the favorite of the Matriarch and the Master of the Lu household. Every winter, the faint fragrance of plum blossoms would drift through the air, and the sight of pristine white snow resting upon the branches added a layer of profound poetic beauty.

It was currently only late autumn; the magnificent scenery of the Plum and Snow Garden had yet to bloom. However, the elders of the estate were to host guests here tomorrow. Lu Xiao had been summoned by the servants to clean the garden in preparation for the visit. Several servants remained today, assisting with the work. The schedule was tight, and hosting guests was a matter of the estate’s reputation. If anything went wrong, Lu Xiao would not be the only one to face reprimand; the servants would suffer alongside him. The staff in the First Madam’s quarters were shrewd and understood the gravity of the situation; they knew exactly which tasks required absolute rigor. In truth, servants often cut corners, but the clever ones only slacked off on tasks the masters didn't care about. When it came to the family’s reputation, they exerted every ounce of effort.

Because the Matriarch adored the garden, it was cleaned regularly even when not in use. Today’s work was primarily focused on arrangements for the upcoming guests. In the center of the garden lay an open clearing where, during the year-end festivities, the Old Marquis would test the martial cultivation of the younger generation. For ordinary social gatherings, the clearing was used for performances. Guests would sit around the perimeter, accompanied by the plum trees, enjoying the elegant fragrance while watching the entertainment.

Well past midday, the Plum and Snow Garden already looked refreshed. Once finished, Lu Xiao headed to the kitchen for his meal. While food remained, it had grown cold by the time he arrived to claim his portion.

"My apologies, Fourth Young Master, but the estate is hosting distinguished guests tomorrow. The kitchen is truly overwhelmed, so you will have to make do with something cold."

The kitchen servant spoke in the same polite tone he used with everyone else, yet the content of his words was anything but respectful. He offered cold rice and leftovers, using a convenient excuse to avoid reheating them. Lu Xiao found a food box, intending to take the meal back to his room to heat it slightly. Before he could leave, he saw Liu Wang and several others arrive. Liu Wang was the foreman who had ordered Lu Xiao to clean the garden. Since he had been working alongside Lu Xiao, he had also missed the mealtime.

Seeing Liu Wang and his group approach, the kitchen servant immediately stood up and opened the steamer on the stove. Inside were dishes and soups that had been kept warm. Seeing that Lu Xiao had not yet left, the servant offered a preemptive explanation. "Do not take offense, Fourth Young Master. Liu Wang and his men told me earlier that they would be a bit late, so they asked me to keep their food warm."

Liu Wang and the three servants with him bowed slightly to Lu Xiao, appearing to offer an apology. They assumed that a mere gesture of courtesy would be enough to brush him off. But today, Lu Xiao turned back and placed his cold food on the stove.

"Since there is warm food, give these to me. It would hardly be fitting for me, a young master of the Marquis Estate, to eat cold leftovers while the servants eat hot meals. If word got out, people would say you don't know your place."

Lu Xiao’s sudden remark caught the servants off guard. They had not expected him to demand an exchange.

"Fourth Young Master, that would be inappropriate. This is food for us servants, and you..." Liu Wang stammered, scrambling for an excuse. But Lu Xiao had already stepped forward and handed him the box of cold food.

"What is inappropriate about it? And isn't the food I’m given essentially the same as yours anyway? What? Do you think those who bear the surname Lu are only fit to eat cold scraps?"

Lu Xiao spoke softly, his tone calm and devoid of anger, yet his words left Liu Wang speechless. Lu Xiao had not used his title, but rather referred to "those who bear the surname Lu." In the Lu Family Marquis Estate, who dared suggest that a Lu was not entitled to a hot meal? As he spoke, Lu Xiao took the warm food, transferred it to his own container, and returned to his room.

Liu Wang and the others stood there with grim expressions, unable to utter a word even after Lu Xiao had left. They were furious, but knew better than to speak out in public.

The kitchen hand did not make Liu Wang and his men eat the cold food; he reheated the meals Lu Xiao had swapped. In the late autumn chill, the stone-cold food was truly difficult to swallow. As they ate, the two younger servants were visibly incensed. Being scolded by their masters was something they were used to, but being bested by a neglected young master like Lu Xiao was a bitter pill to swallow.

Liu Wang, a veteran of the household, offered some comfort. "From the Old Marquis down to the young masters and misses, other than the Eldest Young Master, who gives him any respect? He’s a young master who can only try to save face in front of us servants. I will speak well of you to the First Madam later. Rest assured, you will get back at him for the slight today."

Liu Wang’s words made the younger servants feel much better, almost triumphant. Their own status was low, yet they still did their utmost to bully others. The idea of the downtrodden helping one another was a mere fantasy; it was far more likely for them to prey upon each other.

Back in his room, Lu Xiao ate a simple meal at a stone table. After tempering his body with the *Gong Qi Heart Manual*, his physical strength and stamina had improved, and his appetite had grown accordingly. What he had done today might have looked like an impulsive act of temper, but in reality, Lu Xiao had been planning this.

In the Lu Family Marquis Estate, the Matriarch and the others were full of resentment toward him. Previously, they had treated him with cold indifference, ignoring him entirely. He had always been polite and kept to himself. But now, the servants—especially those from the First Madam’s side—had clearly received orders from above to deliberately cause him trouble. Facing such a situation, he had to fight back. If he allowed them to act with impunity, every servant in the house would eventually try to trample on him. Liu Wang and his ilk often hid behind the names of the First Madam and the Matriarch to order him around, so he, too, would learn to wield a banner of his own to secure his interests.