After leaving the main courtyard, Zhu Jiayu returned to Chunshan Residence for breakfast, and then knelt before the old lady's spirit tablet with several young masters and ladies from the Qiu family.
According to the customs of Heling, they had to kneel before the old lady's spirit for a day to comfort her spirit in heaven and pray that she would bless the Qiu family to prosper.
The old lady treated her grandchildren very well. She was seventy years old this year and passed away with a smile on her face. According to the doctor, this was a peaceful death. The old lady was blessed with good fortune, which allowed her to leave so calmly when her time came.
But the young masters and ladies of the Qiu family still cried until their eyes were red.
Zhu Jiayu was the only one kneeling in the corner, her expression indifferent, appearing almost cold-hearted.
To avoid criticism, she secretly pinched her arm, forcing herself to feel the pain until her eyes reddened.
On this day, almost half of the prominent people in Heling City came to the mourning hall to pay their respects to the old lady. The three ladies of the Qiu family entertained them and led them to the front hall to sit down and eat.
At noon, Gu Zhongyi, the heir of Prince Jing's mansion, also arrived, bringing lavish gifts. Anyone with eyes could see that a young man in his early twenties like him would have no connection with the highly respected matriarch of the Qiu family; his visit was likely for the sake of Qiu's cousin, Zhu Jiayu.
However, due to his high status, in order to curry favor with him, half of the remaining important figures in Heling City also packed up and went to the Qiu family to comfort the masters and offer incense to the old lady Qiu in front of the coffin.
For a time, the mourning hall was quite lively.
The day after the funeral banquet, Madam Qiu was escorted out of the city by members of the Qiu family and buried in the Qiu family cemetery alongside the old man.
As Zhu Jiayu stood in the procession, watching the white paper money fluttering in the sky, the river sobbing, and the mountains sharp as blades, he inevitably recalled the scene of his own death.
During the battle, she and the princess were captured on the city wall. The rebels ordered Rong Heng to choose only one to save. She loved Rong Heng deeply and could not bear to see him in such a predicament, so she deliberately ran into the drawn sword of a guard and committed suicide.
Her tragic death greatly boosted morale, and in the end, Rong Heng led his army to break through the enemy's city with unstoppable momentum and rescued the princess.
However, after the battle, her body remained lying beneath the city wall, unburied.
The soldiers of Daye were busy celebrating their victory, and Rong Heng was busy marrying the princess; everyone forgot about her.
She closed her eyes, two lines of clear tears hanging down her face, which were quickly dried by the wind.
Meanwhile, on a hilltop not far away, someone stood holding an eagle, watching from afar a young girl in plain clothes, wearing a silk flower in her hair, standing straight in the group.
He looked at the girl in the group with interest and asked his attendant with a smile, "Is it her? She's on good terms with Gu Zhongyi, and even persuaded him to embarrass Song Qingzhang when he first came to Heling?"
The attendant looked up at the girl in the crowd, then bowed his head and said respectfully, "Young master, this is the girl."
He never expected that the girl who had met the young master once in the ghost market and even exchanged a few words with him would be so cunning and ruthless, managing to trick Song Qingzhang without him even realizing it.
What's worse, Song Qingzhang probably still doesn't know who is secretly trying to harm him.
Indeed, the man standing with the eagle in his arms is Rong Heng.
Rong Heng nodded slightly and then asked, "Have you found out why she's targeting Song Qingzhang?"
The attendant lowered his head even further: "I am incompetent and failed to find out."
Zhu Jiayu's malice towards Song Qingzhang seemed to come out of nowhere, which was something he couldn't understand.
What puzzled him even more was why his young master would take a liking to Song Qingzhang, intending to cooperate with him and even asking him to investigate Song Qingzhang's past life.
"Continue the investigation, check the people around her." After saying that, Rong Heng turned around and raised his hand. The eagle flapped its wings and took off, letting out a loud cry as it circled and flew into the sky. He then mounted his horse and rode swiftly away on the mountain road.
Upon seeing this, the attendants quickly spurred their horses to follow, startling a flock of birds in the forest.
Meanwhile, Zhu Jiayu had already returned to the city with the group, and soon she received good news.
In the first three days after Yuchaifeng reopened following its restructuring, it made a net profit of five hundred taels of silver.
Although a decline in profits was inevitable afterward, at least a good foundation had been laid, proving that the Zhu Family Embroidery Workshop's business was also thriving in Heling. Zhu Jiayu no longer needed to worry about the rest; with Gu Heguang around, everything would be taken care of.
After telling Zhu Jiayu the news, Gu Heguang hesitated for a moment, then said, "I've been busy with the opening of Yuchaifeng these past few days and haven't been able to come and pay my respects to Old Madam Qiu. You...you shouldn't be too sad; the deceased is gone..."
Zhu Jiayu shook her head: "I know, I know you've had a hard time these past few days."
After they parted, Zhu Jiayu changed into simple clothes and went out for a walk outside the city.
...
Qiu Zhuqing and Qiu Songdao have already asked for leave from the academy, planning to return after the mourning period. The eldest and second masters are also spending their days idly at home, at least outwardly they must live a quiet and leisurely life.
Only the Third Master, Qiu Weicha, was extremely busy and overwhelmed.
In the past, when the eldest and second masters were serving as officials outside the capital, they not only received salaries but also tributes from their subordinates. They kept some for themselves and sent the rest back to the family. In addition, the third master managed the shops, which was enough to support the entire family.
Now that the two have returned home to observe mourning, although they still receive their salaries, they can forget about paying respects to their parents. As for Qiu Weichai's business ventures... he was never cut out for it, and over the years he has failed to expand or improve the Qiu family's business, managing only a meager profit. However, such a small profit is far from enough to support the entire Qiu family.
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