In contrast to Li Helan"s struggle, Qin Yining was very happy today. Grand Steward Zhong and a group of her confidantes had finally made it to the capital!
"Have you been well, miss? When we were on our way, we heard that the first convoy had been attacked by bandits. I was scared out of my mind! Thank goodness you and your family are alright. The heavens bless the kind, the heavens bless the kind!" Steward Zhong looked emotionally at Qin Yining, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
The fourth miss had undergone quite a great deal since arriving in the capital. Though no one had given her the cold shoulder at the Pang Manor, and she had Xianyun and Xiaozhou to keep her company, she still had no visibility or hold on her own finances.
Oh, she trusted Steward Zhong completely, of course, but he and therefore support was far away.
Now that he was by her side again, she would have full backup in whatever she did. Besides, it was just a good thing to see the loyal elder after such a long time.
"It was certainly a trip and quite a long story. I"ll tell you some other time." Qin Yining looked at the two standing behind the steward and couldn"t help but smile. "Missus Nine and Brother Lu, you"re here as well."
Liu Jiu"er and Lu Dehan had been part of the refugees that Qin Yining had taken in at Ning Park.
"Benefactor." Hot tears came to their eyes when they saw that Qin Yining still remembered them. They knelt down to kowtow to her.
Qin Yining hastily helped them back up. "What"s all this? Please do hurry and get up."
Back when taking shelter at Ning Park, they"d all starved and suffered together. The refugees were the picture of grat.i.tude when thinking of the Qin fourth miss" altruistic deed. Lu Dehan and Liu Jiu"er were two who wielded more authority and so were closer to Qin Yining as they worked together more often.
Liu Jiu"er stood up and flashed an easy grin. "Benefactor, when Steward Zhong said that he was bringing his entire family to join you, the two of us talked it over and decided to come with. We don"t have much skill, but we"re absolutely loyal to you. Please give us any orders you wish and tell us whatever you want to do. Don"t be modest with us at all."
Lu Dehan bobbed his head rapidly in agreement.
"Alright then, that"s actually rather perfect. I am indeed short on people. I"ll be at ease with your help. Where"s Mister Ni then?"
The two chuckled to see that Qin Yining even remembered the old man Ni Liping.
"Mister Ni is getting up in the years and said that his old bones couldn"t handle the hards.h.i.+ps of travel," responded Lu Dehan. "That"s why he"s not here with us. Steward Zhong found jobs for all of us at Ning Park, just like how you said. Everyone now has a farm to tend, a house to live in, and food to eat. The steward pitied the old and poor and found a place for the elderly and orphaned. Mister Ni has his own little residence and is taking care of the orphans there. He"s teaching them their characters and numbers. With the benefactor"s help, they"re all living well."
"That"s good, absolutely wonderful." Qin Yining beamed merrily. "Great fortune always follows in the wake of great disaster. Our good days stretch out long ahead of us."
Liu Jiu"er smiled. "It"s already our good fortune to follow you, miss."
The Qin fourth miss turned to her steward with a smile. "It"s not a convenient place to talk here. Let me get ready and we"ll go find a restaurant for some food. We can talk more deeply then."
"Understood." The three a.s.sented respectfully.
Qin Yining returned inside her room to change, but the welcoming inns were only so big. The disturbance at her place immediately made its way to the old dowager.
When the matriarch heard that Qin Yining"s prized helper in Great Yan had arrived in town, her eyes glinted enthusiastically.
"Quick, quick, have the girl come here!"
Qin-mama had no choice but to carry out the instruction.
Qin Yining had just finished changing when the mama arrived. The girl immediately knew what the servant was here for, but welcomed the visitor with a pleasant smile. "h.e.l.lo Qin-mama, does Old Dowager have any instructions?"
Awkwardness flashed across the granny servant"s face as she sighed. "The old dowager has heard that the miss" former grand steward has arrived. She sent me to invite you over for a conversation."
It was incredibly, blatantly obvious what the old dowager wanted to talk about.
The Qin family fortune had been lost in the bandit attack, the second elder master was waiting on the emperor for a position, the third elder master"s businesses were all in Great Yan and he was still establis.h.i.+ng contact with them. All of the womenfolk were doing needlework to help with the family finances.
And now, Qin Yining"s grand steward had arrived before the third elder master"s! Of course he was here with money for household expenses!
Qin Yining smiled faintly. "In that case, I"ll go see the old dowager first."
Qin-mama relaxed with her agreeable response. She"d been afraid that the fourth miss would mulishly dig her heels in because she didn"t like the old dowager"s style. The family was already a mess these days and couldn"t take any further disturbances. If they kept having fall-outs like these, it"d be a humiliating show to the Lis and Gus across the way, much less making life difficult for themselves.
Normally suffocated with resentment whenever she saw Qin Yining, today, the old dowager actually craned her neck forward with antic.i.p.ation of seeing her granddaughter.
The fourth miss had just entered through the door curtains when the question spilled out, "Granddaughter Yi, did the grand steward of your businesses arrive today?"
Qin Yining came forward to bend her knee and smiled wryly, "Surely you jest, Old Dowager, what businesses do I have now?"
The unexpected response stopped the Qin matriarch dead in her tracks. Her granddaughter continued lowly, "There is no more Inst.i.tute of Luminous Charm after the fall of Great Yan. The income that the Inst.i.tute generated was long confiscated by the Great Zhou officials. All of the inns, taverns, and properties have been taken as well."
"What?!" The old dowager shrieked in anger and skepticism. "Are you trying to pull the wool over the eyes of an old woman?! If they"re not here with a business update, what are they here to meet you for?! You"re a Qin daughter through and through, are you thinking of leaving the family to die?? We"re depending on someone else for survival now and almost have nothing to cook in the pots, but here you are getting stingy! Girls are biased to outsiders alright, we"ve raised you for fifteen years for nothing!"
The Qin matriarch completely forgot propriety in the depths of her anger.
Halfies! ..I think I need a quick break for my blood pressure...