Chapter 91 Contrast

The magpie stared at Lin Yuesha for a few moments, trying to guess her identity.

Before arriving at the Jiang residence, He Xing briefly explained the situation: Xi Que knew that Jiang Baozhu had a little maidservant by her side, but she didn't take it seriously.

Given Magpie's competitive nature, she was bound to argue with Lin Yuesha. However, upon seeing the housekeeper, she turned her eyes and immediately changed her mind.

"This humble concubine...this humble concubine was only worried that my appearance would put my elder sister in a difficult position, so I came to explain."

Magpie sniffed, her eyes immediately reddening. She lowered her head, tugged at her hem, and became very humble, a stark contrast to her earlier arrogance.

Lin Yuesha caught a glimpse of the newcomer out of the corner of her eye and thought sarcastically, "That white lotus is two-faced; feigning helplessness is her usual tactic."

"Sister Baozhu, let's not be forceful. Let's get them away first."

With Madam Xu not taking charge and Jiang Baozhu remaining silent, the Jiang household was well-managed by the steward. Taking a hard line at this time would not be beneficial to them.

Whether in the open or in the shadows, the Xu mother and daughter were in a vulnerable position, not because of the scheming woman's arrival, but because of the Jiang family's blood relatives.

Lin Yuesha deeply understood the deep-seated, ingrained societal bias against women prevalent in this era.

"Moon Sag, go home before it gets dark. I'll come find you in a couple of days."

Jiang Baozhu bit her lip and nodded. This was her family's private matter. She would calm down and think things through before dealing with it.

"If there's anything I can do to help, have Xiao Xi deliver a message to me."

Lin Yuesha thought for a moment. It would be really awkward for her to stay and not be able to help as an outsider. She might as well listen to Jiang Baozhu's suggestion and go home first.

Emerging through the back door, Lin Yuesha's feet seemed to turn against her, and she headed towards the He family's house.

He Xing had mentioned that if there was any situation, she would be asked to deliver a message to the He residence, and in return, she would be given a silver butterfly hairpin. Now, the opportunity had presented itself.

Jiang Huai's mistress knelt in front of the mansion gate for a whole day, causing quite a commotion, and those with good connections probably all know about it.

Lin Yuesha's trip served two purposes: firstly, to test the He family's attitude, and secondly, to maintain her undercover persona.

He Xing had always coveted the Jiang family's wealth, and when Jiang Huai suddenly had a son, He Xing suffered heavy losses.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. We can join forces. Besides, this guy has connections and might have a way.

The alley wasn't big, so Lin Yuesha asked around and was immediately told that it was the second to last house in the He family's courtyard.

"Auntie, did you come from the He family?"

Lin Yuesha stood at the entrance of the alley and saw a woman in a bright red coat swaying her hips as she came out of the He family's house. Judging from her attire, she was undoubtedly a matchmaker.

Could it be that He Xing received the news and couldn't contain himself, wanting to propose marriage to the Jiang family? Lin Yuesha pulled the matchmaker aside to inquire about the news.

"Oh my, what a pretty little girl."

The matchmaker looked up and pinched Lin Yuesha's cheek, laughing, "It's just that the He family has a happy occasion, and Scholar He asked me to go to Xuanfu to propose marriage!"

The matchmaker was overjoyed, and the He family generously gave her two taels of silver.

He Xiucai's mother said that the two families had already reached a consensus that the marriage proposal would be just a formality, and that there would be a generous reward for the matchmaker after the matter was settled.

It was just a matter of the upper lip touching the lower lip, and I gained benefits from just one trip. I made a huge profit from this trip.

The matchmaker was in a good mood and was looking forward to showing off to someone. When Lin Yuesha asked her, she told her everything without any hesitation.

"Xuanfu, the one with the calligraphy and painting shops?"

"The surname Xuan is not common," Lin Yuesha asked again.

"That family, the sister of Scholar Xuan, it's quite a beautiful story that Scholar He can marry the sister of his classmate!"

After the matchmaker finished speaking, she left in a hurry.

Lin Yuesha touched her chin; this was different from hers.

He Xing was determined to get his hands on the Jiang family's wealth and couldn't wait to marry Jiang Baozhu. But now he suddenly sent someone to the Xuan family to propose marriage. Could it be that he knows about the Jiang family's wealth and that he has no hope?

This doesn't seem to make sense. The mistress and her son appeared early in the morning; He Xing's actions shouldn't have been so swift.

What exactly went wrong?

Another one is the Miss Xuan mentioned by the matchmaker. She is Xuan Yao, the girl with the folding fan and pig's head. Xuan Yao took the initiative to express her feelings to Xiao Qi. How did she end up being involved with He Xing?

This is such a mess!

Lin Yuesha couldn't figure out a few things, so she went to the He family to find He Xing, as planned.

He Xing's face was treated with a high-quality ointment, and the swelling was reduced by half, making it less alarming. However, he still couldn't sit up and could only lie down.

"Young Master He, something has happened to the Jiang family."

Lin Yuesha got straight to the point, and incidentally informed He Xing that the mother and son had already moved into the house.

"Sister Lin, thank you for remembering our promise, alas."

He Xing sighed and said dejectedly, "Actually, I could tell when I went to the Jiang residence last time that Baozhu didn't want to see me."

"Over the years, even a stone would have warmed up by being held for so long, yet she..."

He Xing covered his chest with his hand, looking as if he had been let down by Jiang Baozhu, and he did a pretty good job of putting on an act.

"That mother and son were extremely arrogant, and the servants seemed to tacitly approve. Miss Baozhu's position is awkward. If Young Master He could go and comfort her, perhaps..."

Lin Yuesha feigned persuasion, emphasizing that Xu Shi and Jiang Baozhu couldn't accept reality, especially Xu Shi, who was unable to withstand the blow and was in poor health.

When the Jiang family's troubles were mentioned, He Xing said that he couldn't visit them and had to avoid suspicion. He then dismissed Lin Yuesha with a few words.

Lin Yuesha was still dizzy when she left home. He Xing's attitude had changed so much before and after, he was probably fickle and had found another powerful patron.

Lin Yuesha's trip wasn't entirely fruitless; at least she learned that the He family was going to form a marriage alliance with the Xuan family.

Upon returning home, Lin Yuesha immediately found her stepbrother and told him the news.

"That's fine."

Xiao Qi said gently, "It is a joyous occasion that Miss Xuan has found a good home."

"Brother, don't you find this strange?"

Lin Yuesha walked around twice with her hands behind her back and began to analyze the situation calmly.

First of all, He Xing's attitude has changed drastically. A few days ago, he spent a lot of money to win her over, but now that the money has been spent, he doesn't really need it anymore and doesn't seem to care at all.

Secondly, He Xing is a greedy man. Someone as greedy as him should know very well that by becoming the son-in-law of the Jiang family, he would gain all of the Jiang family's wealth, while marrying Xuan Yao would only bring him some dowry.

Lin Yuesha was certain that all of the Xuan family's wealth would be left to the "Folding Fan Pig Head" (a nickname implying that Xuan Yao was not very wealthy), and no matter how much she loved her daughter, Xuan Yao wouldn't get much.

The beating of He Xing was also suspicious.

"Who exactly beat up He Xing? He was covered in a sack like a pig with a folding fan. Could it really be that Master Jiang hired someone to do it?"

Upon learning this, He Xing felt resentful and abandoned any further attempts to target the Jiang family, instead turning his attention to allying with the Xuan family.

Thinking about it that way, it's actually quite possible.

Xiao Qi turned his back, a cold smile on his lips. No one knew better than him why those two idiots were beaten; beating them was just a small lesson for them.

As long as his younger sister isn't bullied, why should he care about the impact on outsiders? They're just two ants, not worth his trouble.