Chapter 90 Part 5: Uncle
“Didn’t expect uncle Ming Xuan to suddenly return to Yanjing.” Jiang Li said: “It’s a bit outside of my expectation. Uncle Ming Xuan, why did you think of visiting the Jiang family?”
Ye Shijie coughed lightly and said: “I spoke about you to second uncle.”
Jiang Li didn’t comment. She had known since earlier, after so many things happening, Ye Shijie would inform the Ye family about her sooner or later. She just didn’t expect that a close relative from the Ye family would come in person. However, Jiang Li believed that Ye Ming Xuan certainly didn’t come to Yanjing because of her. Seeing her should be while in pa.s.sing.
“Correct, Shijie spoke about you and I recall that it’s been a long time that I haven’t seen you.” Ye Ming Xuan lamented, “when counting, it’s been about 10 years. Ah Li, you look pretty good now. I’ve heard about your matters from Shijie, on behalf of Shijie, I’d like to thank you for repeatedly helping him.”
Jiang Li laughed: “Everyone is a family, uncle Ming Xuan doesn’t have to be courteous.”
She spoke gently and sincerely, her pupils crystal clear like river water, making people couldn’t help believing that the words she said at this time were from the bottom of her heart. Ye Ming Xuan was suddenly unable to speak. The one who first shunned the Ye family for being merchants was Jiang Li, but now the one who said “everyone is a family” so naturally was also Jiang Li. It was clearly a contradiction, but there was nothing to doubt.
“Are grandmother and the others doing well?” Jiang Li asked.
“Her health is not very good,” Ye Ming Xuan said: “It’s like this when getting on in years. Originally, she wanted to come to Yanjing to look at Shijie, but her body truly does not allow her to.”
Jiang Li frowned slightly. Old madam Ye’s health was not good, this was not a good thing.
Ye Shijie felt awkward. Old madam’s health was not good, wasn’t it the aftereffect of Jiang Li’s insult to the Ye family? At that time, old madam Ye fell into a serious illness which injured the root and could no longer be as healthy as before. These years, her health kept declining, the year was not as good as the year before.
“Grandmother could not come, why didn’t the other uncles come too?” Jiang Li asked. She had made some inquiries, the Jiang family’s second miss had three maternal uncles. Ye Ming Xuan ranked second, Ye Shijie’s father was the eldest, there’s also a younger uncle.
“There are small movements in the Xiangyang’s business,” Ye Ming Xuan smiled: “recently they’ve been really busy.”
Although Ye Ming Xuan smiled, Jiang Li could clearly make out the trace of worry in his eyes. The so-called “small movements” certainly wasn’t as light as how Ye Ming Xuan said it.
It’s not good if there’s a problem with the Ye family. On one hand, Jiang second miss needed the Ye family’s a.s.sistance to stabilize her position in the Jiang family. On the other hand, the Ye family resided in Xiangyang, Xue Huaiyuan was in Tongxiang, a district of Xiangyang. The matter in Tongxiang had to rely on the Ye family’s influence to investigate.
Jiang Li pondered, then asked: “How long does uncle Ming Xuan plan to stay in Yanjing? When are you planning to go back to Xiangyang?”
“Coming this time around is mainly to see Shijie while concluding the business in Yanjing in pa.s.sing. After everything is settled, I’ll return to Xiangyang.” Ye Ming Xuan thought for a while and said: “Supposedly it won’t take a long time, ten days at most. Can’t stay away from Xiangyang for a long time and get hold up in Yanjing for too long a time.”
Even 10 days is considered as getting held up, it seems that the matter in Xiangyang is pretty urgent. Jiang Li’s conjecture was confirmed after listening to Ye Ming Xuan. She glanced at Ye Shijie and saw that he was also ladened with anxiety.
Ye Ming Xuan noticed that Jiang Li abruptly turned silent and laughed: “Even though at this time I came to Yanjing to see Shijie, but meeting Ah Li is also an unexpected happiness. Heard that you are also the top at Ming Yi Hall and received a reward from His Majesty. If your grandmother knew about this, she would certainly be very happy. Speaking of which, nowadays there’s no precedent of a woman being an official. You are equally matched with Shijie, Shijie has become an official, you should also get an official post.”
This uncle could really wish, Jiang Li smiled: “It’s a pity that I was not born in a man’s body.”
Ye Shijie at once raised his eyes at Jiang Li. Though Jiang Li wasn’t a man, afraid some men wouldn’t even dare to use her way of handling things. Who would possibly bring a dagger to enter the palace. If it wasn’t good, they could be captured in the name of a.s.sa.s.sination, implicating the entire family. She was not afraid, even treating it as a trivial matter that was not worth mentioning, which was really effective.
Fortunately she wasn’t a man, if she was a man, she would fly to the sky.
“Speaking of this, I also haven’t seen my maternal grandmother and the other uncles for a long time.” Jiang Li said: “Meeting uncle Ming Xuan today, just like uncle Ming Xuan couldn’t recognize me, I also almost could not recognize uncle Ming Xuan.”
Ye Ming Xuan laughed out loud: “It’s okay, wait until there’s an opportunity, you and Shijie can go back to Xiangyang together to see your grandmother and uncles. They will definitely be very happy.”
This was precisely the words Jiang Li was waiting for. Her eyes bent and she smiled as she said: “No need to wait, there’s an opportunity exactly at this time. After uncle Ming Xuan finished with things, I can go to Xiangyang together with uncle, right?”