Yunling was puzzled as to how this difficult problem had somehow circled back to her. She scratched her head, looking completely innocent, and said:
"Oh, I don't remember our house being this small. How come it looks so small now?"
Zhang and Granny Yun both scoffed at her, then began to worry about how to accommodate so many people crammed into the house.
“Madam, old lady, the weather is scorching hot right now. We all wish we could sleep in the yard. I see your woodshed is quite big. If you lay a long plank in there, five people can sleep there.”
“You have four rooms here. You can choose to make a makeshift bed in front of the young lady’s room. Three people can sleep in one row. As for the remaining two people, they can make a makeshift bed here by the entrance after closing the door. That will make them settled.”
Yunling turned around, wanting to see who the speaker was, but unexpectedly it was the person she felt an affinity with at first sight. This kind of fate is strange, she always felt that this person had a kind face and made her feel reliable and trustworthy, so she chose her without hesitation.
"May I have your name?"
"Replying to your question, young lady, my name is Tang Ling. I used to work for the Tang family in Bianjing. After the new emperor's death, my master's household underwent a sudden change, and all the servants in the house were sold off. After several twists and turns, I was finally sold to Pingcheng."
How old are you?
"I am twenty-nine years old."
Yunling nodded. This was similar in age to her second aunt, and she spoke and acted so appropriately. No wonder she came from a wealthy family.
Tang Lingben still harbored doubts about Yun Ling, and as he walked from the county town to the village, the more remote and desolate it seemed, it didn't look like a family that could run a big business and spend hundreds of strings of cash.
But when she got off the carriage, she saw that a house was under construction, cotton was being fluffed in the yard, and she could hear the buzzing of bees. She knew that they were really doing business.
The business was indeed small, and she wasn't sure if it could support them all. But after seeing Zhang Shi and Old Lady Yun, her heart settled down.
For no other reason than that I know they are a kind family, and I imagine being with them would be even better than with wealthy families.
All she wanted was a roof over her head, and for no one to beat or scold her; that would be the best she could hope for.
Tang Ling had this thought, and so did the others who accompanied her. They all felt that Yun Ling's family was very simple and honest, and they would be happy even if life was a little hard and difficult.
Zhang and Granny Yun's thoughts drifted a bit.
If they heard correctly, they were just called "Madam" or "Old Lady".
Good heavens! Isn't that a title reserved for wealthy families? How could they possibly deserve such a title in their current state?
Zhang quickly declined, saying, "You're too kind. We shouldn't call you 'Madam.' If the other people in the village heard us, they would laugh at us."
Grandma Yun chimed in, "That's right, that's right. Just be casual. There are plenty of gossipy women in the village. One person's spittle could drown us all."
“Madam, the old lady is mistaken. Young lady is determined to expand the business. If she brings us out and spreads rumors, it will bring shame to our family and also tarnish the young lady’s reputation in business negotiations.”
"Secondly, I see that your family is destined for great wealth and prosperity, and you will move into a large mansion sooner or later. We will benefit from that, so we should start cultivating your manners from now on, so that if we break the rules at the beginning, it will be difficult to change them later."
Tang Ling's words were so reasonable that even someone as quick-witted as Granny Yun was momentarily speechless, especially the phrase "a life of great wealth and honor," which struck a chord with her.
Who doesn't like to be praised, especially with auspicious words? The speaker is happy, and the listener is also pleased. It's a win-win situation, so why not?
Yunling had no objections, not for any other reason than that she felt that addressing someone was the most difficult thing for her. If Tang Ling and the others didn't call Zhang Shi and Yun Laoniang "Madam" or "Old Lady," how should they address them?
She was genuinely baffled, so she simply let them fend for themselves. However, the accommodations could still be adjusted.
Yunling pondered for a moment, then spoke:
"Just put a long plank in the woodshed as you said, so five people can sleep there. The remaining five people shouldn't sleep on the floor outside. Although it's hot in the summer, there's always some mist at night. If it gets on you, you'll easily get damp, and it's not worth getting sick."
Yun Ling then looked at Yun Ruoxia, ignoring her panicked expression, and opened her mouth first.
"Auntie, why don't you come and rest with us? Let's make room for the remaining five people."
Yun Ruoxia wanted to jump up and give Yun Ling a good whack on the head. What was this nonsense? Oh, she had to spend money to buy someone and then feed, drink and house her properly. She might as well be a maid.
Yun Ruoxia inwardly complained about Yun Ling. She was living a perfectly good life, so why did she have to attract such a servant for no reason? It was painful to cut off her heart, but it was also painful not to cut off her body. She felt uncomfortable no matter what.
Despite her complaints, Yun Ruoxia chose to back down for the sake of her future money-making plans. After all, she loved money, but money didn't love her. However, she'd better dig out all the hidden coins in the room.
She couldn't let someone else benefit from it. One shouldn't have the heart to harm others, but one must be wary of others. She wasn't familiar with these people; if her money was stolen, who could she complain to? Yunling? In the end, she'd just have to swallow her anger and keep quiet.
"Okay, I'll tidy up and give you the room, but it's just your things, sister..."
“Chun’er’s things can be moved to my room.”
After Grandma Yun finished speaking, everyone got busy with their tasks, and they didn't stop what they were doing until dinner time, when they gathered in the courtyard.
Yunling and Tangling borrowed a table and four benches from the Fan family. As they were carrying their things home, they saw Old Man Yun, Yun Shenghua, and Yun Chu standing at the door, looking at each other, none of them daring to go inside.
Only after seeing Yunling did the three of them breathe a sigh of relief.
"Ling-jie, is this still our home? Has our home been seized by some other wealthy family?"
"Grandpa, you always boasted about your good eyesight. Look, isn't that Grandma? If someone came to rob our house, would Grandma be smiling like that? It would be a miracle if she didn't grab a knife in one hand and a broom in the other and kick them out of the house."
Old Man Yun squinted and looked closely. The person was indeed his wife, but who were the others?
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