20 Chapter Twenty
◎"Please...save me..."◎
Chapter Twenty
Unexpectedly, this time Mr. Ying was exceptionally accommodating, as if he really intended to send someone to deliver the order.
After delivering the list to Liu Qingqing, the person respectfully left without lingering.
An Shengdi was not in line with Xiao Ying's usual temperament.
Liu Qingqing was unaware that Xiao Ying's obedience was entirely due to Liu Xu's difficult situation in officialdom today.
Although Xie Lang pretended not to know in front of her, he secretly made her suffer a lot outside, and even Liu Qingqing's elder brother Liu Yuanzhou was not spared.
Even if Liu Xu was stupid, he knew what was going on after Liu Qingqing returned home and was taken away by Xie Lang with such a grand entourage.
Besides, how could a fourth-rank official in the court be truly stupid? He just didn't want to get involved normally.
Having suffered a setback outside, Liu Xu was not about to give Xiao Ying a good time. Xiao Ying had also been having a hard time lately. Not to mention, she was the only one in the mansion, but a few days ago, a colleague sent Liu Xu an untouched courtesan, as tender as a ripe peach.
Liu Xu has finally found his way there and has been staying there for the past few days.
With so many things going on and on, Xiao Ying was the most flexible and adaptable person, so how could she dare to displease Liu Qingqing again?
Another point is that there's a backstory.
Although Liu Qingqing was not favored by Liu Xu, Madam Daying had planned ahead and left her daughter a sufficient dowry. She also made two copies of the list and kept a backup copy at her parents' home.
Perhaps that's why Liu Xu hasn't managed to acquire Liu Qingqing's dowry over the years.
After all, the highest-ranking member of the Daying clan is now the military governor of Chongzhou, and there is also a general stationed in the northwest. When the Daying clan passed away like that, he married the Xiaoying clan, and he felt guilty and secretly interfered, which is why they didn't have the mind to deal with his affairs.
Not to mention that after Da Yingshi passed away, he was grabbed by the collar and beaten by his brother-in-law, so Liu Xu dared not provoke him again.
The list was as usual, with large items such as the thousand-work bed, the three-panel Luohan bed, the Luohan bed, the chaise longue, the rosewood top cabinet, the camphor wood chest, and the nanmu bookcase; smaller items such as the dressing box, the treasure bucket for descendants, the yellow tatami mat, the wooden furniture on the chaise longue, and the dragon and phoenix quilt, the mandarin duck pillows, and other such superficial items all being brought as part of the dowry.
The gold, silver, and valuables were all present, as shown in the list.
Following closely behind was a farm outside Beijing, hundreds of acres of fertile land, and several shops.
These land deeds have been handed over to her, but for the time being, they are still controlled by Xiao Ying's people.
People say it nicely, that she's probably too busy to take care of things since she's just gotten married, but her family will help her out. Anyway, the land deed has already been given over, so she won't be greedy for the shop.
Further down the list were a series of books and many small ornaments, which had not yet been returned to her.
This unexpected good news made Liu Qingqing overjoyed. She was unaware of Xie Lang's secret efforts and only thought that if the matter could be resolved so smoothly, it would be best if she didn't have to trouble Xie Lang.
In a good mood, she quickly put her slight longing for Xie Lang to the back of her mind. Xie Lang was good, but what could compare to a real estate or shop that brought her joy?
These are all hers!
Liu Qingqing's mood instantly brightened, and she quickly returned to her room to dress up carefully.
She chose the most dignified and respectable headdress from her dowry and put it on.
She learned her lesson and brought more people with her this time.
Not only did they bring Li Mama, Qingju, and Zhao Pansheng along, but the thin maid from last time also accompanied them. They had been busy the past few days and hadn't had time to chat with anyone. If you're going to use someone, you don't have to know them completely, but you should at least be 70% familiar with them.
Besides Xie Liu, who was lurking in the shadows, a strong groom was also sent out on the surface.
The procession was quite grand. Liu Qingqing specially sent someone to inform the old lady that she was going to check out the dowry shops.
The old lady had heard a little about the intricacies of the situation, but instead of saying anything, she assigned a steward to accompany her.
The group was fully prepared to depart, driving two carriages, the insignia of the Marquis's mansion on the carriage frames quite intimidating.
The estate was far away, but Liu Qingqing was patient, and today she only planned to look at the shops.
Even though he knew that Xiao Ying was difficult to deal with, he was still startled for a moment after entering the shop.
The first shop was a clinic, but there were very few patients, although quite a few people came in to buy medicinal herbs.
Liu Qingqing had the carriage stop a short distance away and lifted the curtain.
The steward was very perceptive. Without Liu Qingqing's prompting, he pretended to be a passerby and strolled by on his own, casually buying some food from the street.
Just then, a disheveled and thin scholar staggered out carrying medicine, his face contorted in misery and looking as if he were in a daze. He almost fell over because his toes caught on the threshold, but the steward helped him up.
Like withered weeds, their leaves have all turned yellow, as if they would die if the sun scorched them any longer.
Liu Qingqing felt a pang of pity upon seeing this and couldn't help but frown as she looked at him.
The scholar bowed his head and thanked him, then stood firm and prepared to leave.
The manager stopped him, bowed first, and then asked, "I see you came from the clinic, sir. You must know that I've been having stomach problems lately. Is this clinic any good?"
The scholar shook his head with a wry smile, tightened his sleeves to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, and said, "This family's prescription is good, but it's not something you can usually buy. I'm only asking for medicine for my mother..."
Steward: "But I see that you, sir, are also..."
The scholar waved his hand helplessly: "If the family can afford to feed one person, then so be it."
The steward remained silent for a long while after hearing this, then handed the food he was holding to the scholar. The scholar was shocked when he saw it and quickly took a step back, refusing to take it.
The manager said, "I told you I had an upset stomach. I was just helping out that old man who was selling things because he was having a hard time. If you don't want it, I'm all alone, and throwing it away would shorten my lifespan."
After hesitating for a long time, the scholar, knowing the steward's good intentions, finally bowed deeply and accepted the gift.
After the scholar had walked away and disappeared around the corner, the steward resumed his stroll, taking a look at the nearby shops that belonged to Liu Qingqing.
They were all incredibly lazy.
The people in the shop were all slouching and looking completely unserious.
These shops are still open, but they are barely surviving.
After the steward reported this, Liu Qingqing's interest in getting up vanished completely.
He then abandoned his intention to go inside.
She knew that Xiao Ying wouldn't let things go well, and that this matter needed to be considered carefully.
So they changed their route and went to another house.
Although she didn't know how to do business, she could observe.
The butler then took Liu Qingqing to the most popular restaurant in Kyoto at the time—Jialanju.
It's quite a coincidence that it's almost identical to the name of their college.
Upon entering the store, the waiter warmly greeted us.
"Greetings, would you like to go to the private room upstairs or listen to the storytelling downstairs?"
Liu Qingqing: "Downstairs is fine, we need two tables, not too close together."
After saying that, she explained to the surprised looks of the people behind her, "It's rare for us to come out, so you all should rest well for a while. I'll listen to the story with Granny Li in front."
For a moment, no one knew what to say, and they all stood there in astonishment.
A simple meal at Jialanju costs several taels of silver! Several taels of silver! That's a year's expenses for an ordinary family these days. They never even dreamed of eating here one day.
Even if you come with your master and stand at the back, being able to get some leftovers after the banquet is a great favor from your master.
The steward, being a man of the world, quickly stepped forward to thank the lady, and then led everyone to the round table at the back of the hall with the waiter.
Having been kept under the tight control of Madam Ying for the past ten years or so, this was Liu Qingqing's first time listening to storytelling outside. She looked around and found everything new and exciting.
Unexpectedly, as soon as I looked towards the door, I saw an acquaintance.
It's funny, she only has a few acquaintances.
Xie Wanyan was waving and winking at the waiter, sneaking inside. Xie Wanyan's eyes were sharp, and she spotted her sister-in-law in a glance. Without saying a word, she walked over to her and sat down with her back to the door.
Putting aside how surprised Liu Qingqing was when she bumped into Xie Wanyan again, after sitting down next to her and seeing that Xie Wanyan's face was rosy, she thought that the Commander's temperament was not as terrible as rumored.
Xie Wanyan, enduring her sister-in-law's curious gaze, pretended not to notice. Wanting to quickly divert her sister-in-law's attention, she handed her the flower tea and whispered mysteriously, "I've heard that this is the shop's secret flower tea recipe. It's excellent for women, replenishing qi and blood. Drinking it regularly can make you look several times younger than others."
As Xie Wanyan spoke, she deliberately turned to the side, which allowed Liu Qingqing to see the fine red marks in the seams of her clothes.
"elder sister……"
Liu Qingqing quickly pressed Xie Wanyan's wrist, pointed to her own neck, and asked worriedly, "Is sister ill?"
Xie Wanyan paused upon hearing this, then froze, quickly saying no.
But his expression looked strangely awkward, and his fair face gradually turned red, as if it were being bathed in the glow of the morning sun.
Ah, this...
Although Liu Qingqing was inexperienced in such matters, her knowledge from the storybooks she had read earlier, combined with the experience she had gained from Xie Lang's night with her, allowed her to understand instantly, and her face flushed red.
The two of them, their faces flushed, each looked to one side, ignoring the other.
I never expected the aloof commander to be so persistent behind closed doors.
Looking at those patches of snow-covered flowers, which resemble blooming red plum blossoms, I can hardly imagine what's underneath my clothes.
Thinking this, she suddenly remembered Xie Lang, and it was as if her longing had suddenly turned into fire, making her body feel as if it were being roasted by fire, about to melt into water. She quickly picked up her teacup and took a few mouthfuls.
The storyteller spoke with great passion, but the two men, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, remained silent and listened intently.
When they got to the funny parts, the two couldn't help but look at each other and laugh.
On the table, Xie Wanyan would push any fruit she liked towards Liu Qingqing, gesturing for her to try it.
When the storyteller left, Liu Qingqing still felt unsatisfied. Even before he left, he was already thinking about coming back the next day.
Seeing that Qingju and the others had finished eating, each looking satisfied after a hearty meal, Liu Qingqing smiled. Xie Wanyan followed her gaze, and when she looked away, their eyes met again, and she quickly looked away.
Liu Qingqing said softly, "Sister, I'll go first."
Xie Wanyan readily agreed: "Go ahead and do what you need to do, don't worry about me, I'll wait here for the next round."
Liu Qingqing asked in surprise, "There's a next act?"
Xie Wanyan: "I heard that the proprietress of this place likes to listen to storytelling, so the owner hired several storytellers, and the storytellers here take turns to come."
Liu Qingqing understood.
Even though she wanted to stay, she was still thinking about visiting the clinic, so she had to say goodbye to Xie Wanyan.
Just as she was about to leave, Liu Qingqing stopped and turned back, her eyes meeting Xie Wanyan's. Xie Wanyan smiled and waved to her, and Liu Qingqing smiled and nodded in return.
I've never experienced such leisure before, and I'm a little reluctant to leave. I wonder if other young ladies enjoy this kind of carefree time with their friends?
Concealing the complex emotions in her heart, just as she was about to step out of Jialan Residence and get into the carriage, Xie Liu, who was always as elusive as a ghost, appeared out of nowhere, took out a booklet from his pocket, threw it into the carriage, and then disappeared in a flash.
It was the account book from that shop!
Liu Qingqing quickly looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, she hid the account book in her bosom. She had no time to think about going to the clinic; she needed to figure out the ins and outs of this place as soon as possible.
From a distance, all of this was observed by Xie Wanyan, and her eyes flickered.
Liu Qingqing quickly got into the carriage and asked the coachman to turn into a quiet alley next door. Just as she was opening the account book, she suddenly heard the coachman's anxious voice calling her in a low voice.
"Master, please come and take a look."
A pitiful little beggar, looking about thirteen or fourteen years old, was writhing and groaning in agony, clutching his stomach by the roadside. Hearing voices, the little beggar struggled to open his eyes and reached out his hand to them, pleading, "Please...save me..."
After saying that, his head lolled to the side, he spat out blood and foam, and fainted.
[Author's Note]
Next chapter preview: "Do you think Xie Lang will be able to return to the capital alive this time?"
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