Chapter 16 Miss Cousin

The first thing Shanlai did after returning to the Liu residence was to go to Fuze Hall to thank Old Madam Qin.

"These are things I made myself at home. They're crude and nothing special, but I thought I had to repay the old lady no matter what, so I brought them here so she would know my heart... I can never repay the old lady's kindness until I die..."

What Madam Qin wanted was her heart.

“Good child, you are very good. I was right to judge you. You have this heart. In my eyes, even a thousand-year-old ginseng cannot compare to this…”

Suddenly, someone burst out laughing.

Shan Lai was secretly puzzled. Who was so bold as to laugh while the old lady was speaking? So he secretly glanced over.

A girl I'd never seen before, adorned with jewels and silks, was clearly not a maidservant; she must be a young lady. But where in the Liu household could there be a young lady?

Just then, she heard Old Madam Qin ask with a laugh, "What are you laughing at?"

The young girl spoke with a smile, "Please don't laugh at me, Grandma. I'm a rough man, and I love eating these simple things to go with my porridge and rice. I can't live without them. Besides, this girl is so clever and pretty; anything she makes must be better than anything else's. I wanted to ask you for a taste, but just as I was about to ask, you said it was more precious than a thousand-year-old ginseng… I thought you definitely wouldn't give it to me now, but I really wanted to try it, so I told myself I had to think of a way quickly…" She laughed again, "Grandma knows I'm very stupid. Even if you forced me, I wouldn't come up with a good idea. In my desperation, I thought I'd just throw a tantrum in front of you, make you impatient, and then you'd have to give me something to appease you… Isn't that a good idea? I'm so proud of myself for coming up with such a good idea that I couldn't help but laugh… Please don't laugh at me, Grandma!"

How could Old Madam Qin not laugh? Not only did she laugh, she laughed loudly, pointing at the person: "You little rascal! You must have been a glutton in your past life!"

The girl covered her face with her handkerchief in embarrassment and stamped her feet, saying, "Grandma, please stop laughing at me! If you laugh again, I'm not going to live anymore!" As she spoke, she made a move to run away.

Old Madam Qin quickly pulled the person into her arms and said with a smile, "You can't! If you die, how am I supposed to explain it to your grandfather?"

The girl was Qin Xu, the grandniece of Old Madam Qin's family, and her nickname was Yu Gui.

Feeling guilty towards her younger brother, Madam Qin always doted on her grandchildren, frequently sending them gifts and inviting them to stay. The Qin family children also loved visiting their great-aunt's house, where she was kind and gentle, and her family was wealthy and prosperous.

Qin Xu was the eldest among her grandchildren. She was the first child, and the family hadn't had a baby for a long time before she was born. So, she was pampered from the moment she was born, and everyone in the family revolved around her. Everyone respected her temperament, and respect became a habit. Her sisters couldn't steal her affection, and neither could her brothers. No one could compete with her for it.

Qin Xu forbade her younger siblings from going to the Liu family; she had to have all of her great-aunt's affection for her.

Qin Xu loved his great-aunt's house. It was spacious, clean, and bright. The moon seemed rounder in his great-aunt's courtyard, and the wind was softer, blowing on people's faces and melting their hearts.

Qin Xu's own home had walls painted a stark white, covered in years of moss. From afar, it looked drab and unappealing; even up close, it wasn't much better. The flowers in the house never bloomed well, sparse and with drooping leaves. Perhaps it was due to the poor soil, or perhaps the house was too cramped, allowing little sunlight in. It was too crowded; except at night, there was never a quiet moment. The noise and shouting disturbed everyone's peace and quiet, making it impossible to embroider or study… Meanwhile, her great-aunt's family always seemed to enjoy a joyful life, gentle, soothing, and carefree…

"How can I continue to live at my great-aunt's house?" Qin Xu asked his mother.

Her mother happily told her, "Silly child, all you have to do is marry him."

Marry Reese and become his wife, so that you can live in your great-aunt's house forever.

Qin Xu didn't really like her cousin Lian Si because he wasn't under her control. She could never get him to listen to her, and her great-aunt liked him more and wouldn't even look at him twice, so how could she marry him? But if she married him, she could have a better life. Everything her great-aunt had now would be hers in the future.

She couldn't help but be moved.

Even if she doesn't like Lian Si, she still has to marry him.

She thought this way when she was ten years old. Now she is thirteen and is smarter and more practical than before.

She now understands that even though they are cousins ​​who grew up together, their futures are very different. When she was young and didn't understand, she actually thought that marrying him was a disservice.

He is now the only son of the Grand Secretary's son-in-law, and he will be the Grand Secretary's only son in the future.

Such an opportunity is unlikely to come again, so we must do everything in our power to seize it.

Any stumbling block must be swept away.

She hasn't achieved her goal yet, how can she allow someone else to be by his side?

Qin Xu was familiar with the Liu family and was willing to put in the effort, so she naturally cultivated several confidants. Among them, the one she valued most was Yunping.

Although the Qin family is not what it used to be, its foundation is still intact. Qin Xu is a young lady from a prominent family, and a favored one at that, so her standards are very high. To put it bluntly, she's snobbish. Even if she has ulterior motives, ordinary people won't catch her eye. Not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry is worth her time and effort. She's a young lady, and she absolutely cannot lose her status. If she loses her status, she becomes worthless. Yunping is certainly worth it.

Yunping was the most prominent maid in the Liu household, and very clever. Most importantly, she was greedy. Ruhui was also clever, but too clever, so she neither reached out nor did anything to offend anyone, making her slippery and easy to manipulate. Qin Xu disliked her and secretly taught her a few lessons. Being clever, Yunping obediently accepted the punishment, doing so willingly and without complaint. Her tact and understanding made Qin Xu feel somewhat embarrassed, so he stopped bothering her. Yunping was different from Ruhui; she was bold, dared to take bribes, and was extremely self-important. When her mistress gave her a kind look, she became arrogant and thought she was on equal footing with her mistress. Therefore, Qin Xu didn't really think much of her and held her in contempt. However, Yunping did have her merits; she was the kind of person who would do anything for money.

“A beautiful young maid has recently arrived in the manor. She is highly regarded by the old lady. Miss Yunping dares not neglect her and has been busy with her affairs these days. She only managed to finish the things in her spare time. As soon as she finished, she sent this old servant over.”

"The old lady values ​​him highly? How much does she value him?"

"The old lady spent five hundred taels! Everyone says..."

"say what?"

"It was all made up by our subordinates. We dare not let our masters know. Please forgive me, Miss."

"What is Mom afraid of? Would I possibly harm Mom?"

"Oh dear, this old servant doesn't have that kind of courage, Miss, please forgive me this time! If you really want to know, Miss, why don't you come to the manor? It's been a long time since you've been there, and the old lady is really thinking about it..."

After the old woman left, Qin Xu asked someone to prepare a carriage, packed a few things, and headed to the Liu residence.

Upon arriving at the Liu residence and meeting Old Madam Qin, they naturally had endless pleasantries to exchange. While talking with Old Madam Qin, Qin Xu's eyes darted around the crowd, but she didn't see any unfamiliar faces. She had come for the beautiful new maid, and not seeing her was understandably anxious, but she couldn't ask. Otherwise, how would she answer if people asked her how she knew of such a person? Blaming the maids wasn't out of the question; the maids were talkative, and as soon as they saw her, they brought up the matter. It was only natural for her to take note and want to see her, but as a young lady, asking a maid about something would be too beneath her dignity. Therefore, she could only feel anxious inwardly. Fortunately, her anxiety didn't last long.

Qin Xu only gleaned a few words about Shan Lai from the old woman who delivered the goods: five hundred taels of silver, and a little maidservant, how beautiful could she be?

Qin Xu herself was a beauty; among the girls in her family, she was the most beautiful. When she went out to visit, people would praise her, first and foremost for her beauty, saying that she would surely have a great future just based on her looks. Hearing such compliments so often, Qin Xu inevitably became extremely concerned about her appearance. Whenever she met a woman of similar age, she would compare herself to her, seeing who was superior. She believed she had never lost to her so far. But in front of this little maid worth five hundred taels of silver, for the first time, she felt inferior.

Her face seemed a bit too wide, her eyes weren't big enough or bright enough, her nose wasn't delicate enough, and her lips were too thick. Her head was very big, making her look clumsy, and her neck was short... She was utterly useless.

Qin Xu wanted to marry Liu Min, and the only way to do that was to make Liu Min fall in love with her. Ultimately, her family background was too poor. If it weren't for her kinship with the Liu family and their past transgressions, she wouldn't even have had the chance to meet someone of Liu Min's status, let alone become his bride. Heaven had given her this opportunity, and she certainly couldn't let it slip away. She considered every young woman around Liu Min her rival. It wasn't that she was lowering herself; she was, after all, a pragmatic person. If Liu Min had more attention on others, he would have less on her. If she couldn't make him completely devoted to her, how could she expect him to marry her?

Although Yunping Ruhui is beautiful, her beauty is limited, so there is no need for her to worry.

But this one is different.

She's too beautiful, and she's also won the master's favor. Five hundred taels—such a high honor—couldn't be used for something else. Didn't that old woman say that everyone thinks so?

We have to come up with a solution.