Chapter 65 Unauthorized Men Breaking In
Granny Pei sighed, “Every family has its own troubles. In most of these wealthy families, several generations live together, with parents, children, brothers, and sisters-in-law all crammed into one big house. Everyone schemes against each other, and even when there’s nothing to do, something will happen every day.”
"It's nothing like back in our hometown of Youyang, when it was just the Earl and his wife in a huge mansion with the young master and his family, so comfortable. Young mistress, we can only adapt slowly."
Yu Qingci naturally understood this principle, and without dwelling on it, she slowly said:
“Wang, the old lady’s maid, seems to be a sensible person. Spend more time with her. Also, tell Steward Lu from the outer courtyard that my eldest cousin bought charcoal for the estate. Have Steward Lu keep an eye on things and report back to the old lady if he finds anything suspicious.”
Granny Pei: "Yes, this old servant has noted it all down."
Lying in bed that night, Yu Qingci couldn't sleep.
I felt a little depressed. Isn't it said that a widow's life is the most lonely and difficult to endure? How come she's been so busy almost every day since she married into the family that she barely has time for herself?
I had to get up before dawn to pay my respects at Songbai Hall, then learn how to manage the household from my mother-in-law. After lunch, I would accompany her for a short rest before returning with a pile of account books. I also had to deal with some trivial matters that would pop up from time to time, which was extremely annoying.
It seems far removed from the carefree days she imagined, where she could shut herself in peace and quiet, enjoying the company of flowers and the moon.
When will this end?
She's a widow!
Remembering the old lady's instructions, Yu Qingci decided to go to the back garden to see if the servants had tidied up the several warm pavilions in the garden.
Winter is approaching, and many areas of the mansion need to be prepared in advance. Although there will be fewer opportunities to stroll through the garden when it gets cold, necessary repairs still need to be done ahead of time.
So he took Tong'er and Lianqiao to the back garden.
After inspecting the two pavilions along the way, Yu Qingci found that the servants were quite efficient and had tidied up the necessary areas well. Satisfied, she continued walking forward.
As the group approached the artificial hill by the lake, they heard a woman's anxious voice from afar: "Cousin Yang, don't come any closer, don't go any further."
There was even a young man's laughter mixed in, and the voice sounded like Yun Chu. Yu Qingci's heart tightened and she took a few quick steps forward.
Soon they saw Lu Yun Chu standing on the stone bridge ahead with two maids. Opposite them stood a person wearing a royal blue brocade cloak. Judging from the back, he looked like a young man. At this moment, he was blocking Lu Yun Chu and the others' way with his arms outstretched.
Although only the person's back can be seen, it is not difficult to see that his behavior is frivolous and that he is obviously trying to make things difficult for them.
At this moment, the man was pressing closer and closer to Lu Yun Chu and the other women. Lu Yun Chu was so anxious that she kept retreating onto the bridge, but she slipped and almost fell.
Two maids quickly supported her, and one of them, seeing the young master still trying to move forward, stood up straight and blocked him, loudly proclaiming:
"Young Master, please wait. This is the inner quarters. You really shouldn't be here."
Then the young master raised his arm as if he was about to make a move.
Upon seeing this, Yu Qingci's pretty face immediately darkened, while Lian Qiao behind her raised her voice and called out, "Seventh Miss, our young mistress has arrived."
The young master's outstretched hand stopped, and he turned around at the sound. Yu Qingci recognized him as Yang Qi, the youngest son of her third aunt. No wonder Yun Chu had called him "cousin Yang" earlier.
The third great-aunt had three sons and one daughter. This time, she came back to stay with her grandsons, as well as her eldest son Yang Yong and youngest son Yang Qi.
Yu Qingci hadn't met them many times, but from the few times they did, she could tell that the eldest son, Yang Yong, was clearly a dull, honest, and steady person, while Yang Qi was different. He was tall and thin, spoke and acted frivolously, and had shifty eyes. He was obviously not a steady and reliable person.
Yang Qi was already past twenty. At such a young age, he neither studied for the imperial examinations nor did he do anything serious. He spent his days either holed up in his third aunt's courtyard or going out with his servant for the entire day. He was an absolute idler. I never expected to run into him here today.
Yang Qi noticed the women approaching from behind, and his bright eyes lit up with a smile. He stepped forward, tilted his head, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Cousin-in-law."
Lu Yun Chu had already been helped up by the maid. Upon seeing that it was her sister-in-law, she hurriedly ran over and hid behind Yu Qing Ci and the others.
Yu Qingci comforted her for a few moments, then turned to Yang Qi and asked, "Why is my cousin Yang here?"
Yang Qi stared intently at the woman before him. She was graceful and slender, and her unadorned face was more beautiful than any flower.
He couldn't help but laugh even more frivolously, saying in a carefree manner, "I had nothing to do today, so I decided to take a stroll in the garden, and unexpectedly I ran into my cousin's wife."
"Yes, and my cousin too. Looks like I made the right choice coming to the garden today. I was so excited to see her that I wanted to talk to her, but I didn't expect her to be so timid. My apologies, my apologies."
Despite saying it was rude, his eyes still brazenly swept over the two women, making them feel very uncomfortable.
Yu Qingci's expression grew even colder: "Although my cousin is a relative, this is still the inner quarters. It would be best for him to avoid suspicion, otherwise it would indeed be impolite. Should I call a servant to show him the way?"
Although Yang Qi usually resides in the mansion, he is still considered an outsider and cannot enter the inner quarters without an escort. Judging from the fact that he did not bring any attendants with him, he must have sneaked in on his own.
"No need, no need to trouble your sister-in-law, I'll leave now. My cousin, you're so easily frightened by just a joke. How boring."
Yang Qi chuckled casually, said a few more bland words, and then took his leave.
Lu Yun Chu and the others breathed a sigh of relief after walking away: "Luckily, my sister-in-law came. We were just walking peacefully in the garden when he suddenly jumped out and came close to us. I said a few words to him but he wouldn't listen. He even said that he wanted to walk around the garden with me. I was so scared. If my sister-in-law hadn't appeared, I really wouldn't know what to do."
Yu Qingci frowned as she watched Yang Qi leave. She couldn't believe that an outsider could so easily break into the General's Mansion's back garden. She couldn't help but ask:
"Why did you decide to go for a stroll in the park? Why didn't you bring a few more people with you?"
Lu Yunchu: "My mother told us yesterday to take some time to come to the garden to see the warm pavilion and the flower room that need to be cleaned up in the next few days, so I thought I'd come and take a look first."
I didn't think much about it in my own garden, so I only brought my two maids, Dongyue and Xiahe, out. I never expected to run into my cousin from the Yang family.
I originally wanted to avoid them, but I never expected my cousin from the Yang family to be so rude and bother me, constantly moving closer to me. It scared me to death.
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