Is Chapter 24 a sign of guilt?
Seeing that Qian's mother's eyes were darting around and she hesitated to move forward, Li Nanke puffed out her cheeks.
If it weren't for what she saw in her dream, she and her mother would have been fooled by Qian Mama's few words.
My mother's two shops are not nearly profitable at all, as Aunt Qian said.
On the contrary, both shops make a profit every month, though not much, but enough to cover the daily expenses of their family of three.
However, all the profits were transferred by Manager Liu and Mama Qian to the Song family and ended up in the pocket of Madam Zhang.
Manager Liu was in charge of falsifying the accounts, and Mama Qian was in charge of using the falsified accounts to fool her mother, telling her that business was bad and the shop was losing money.
Then they secretly delivered the real account books and the profits to Zhang's hands.
My mother knew nothing about household affairs or business, so she had been kept in the dark all these years.
Manager Liu and Mama Qian, these two people receive their mother's monthly allowance and eat her food, yet they treat their mother like a fool and make fun of her.
Li Nanke's face was stern, and she felt a surge of anger rising in her chest.
Mrs. Qian felt a chill run down her spine under her gaze and secretly pinched herself.
Then, slapping her thigh, she cried, "This morning I didn't help the young lady choose her clothes properly. You're angry with me, so you don't trust me anymore."
My poor, loyal servant has given so much, yet... Oh well, in the end, I'm too old and useless to help the young master's wife anymore.
"This servant should return to the Song family. I did serve my master for a time, and the master and mistress are kind; surely they will grant me a meal."
After saying that, she wiped away her tears and started to walk out.
"Oh, Aunt Qian."
Song Yi instinctively reached out to pull her.
Qian Mama was not only her steward mother, but also her wet nurse, who had served her since she was a child.
Logically, such a capable mother should be cared for in her old age by the family she works for.
If she were to return to the Song family, outsiders would inevitably accuse her of being heartless and cruel to her servants.
Song Yi coaxed Qian's mother with a few words.
Holding Qiao tightly, Qian's mother refused to turn around, only covering her face and repeatedly saying that she wanted to go back to the Song family.
"I have served the Crown Prince's wife for over twenty years, and I have always been devoted to her well-being. I was extremely worried when the Crown Prince was flogged."
I rushed here to help, only to be suspected by the young lady; I have no face to live with now.
While crying, she glared at Li Nanke, hoping that Song Yi would scold Li Nanke a few times.
Helpless, Song Yi could only murmur words of comfort, and had no intention of scolding Li Nanke at all.
Mrs. Qian was so angry that she almost ground her teeth to powder.
She was the headmistress of Fanghua Courtyard, and in the past, Song Yi and her daughter had always listened to her and let her do as she pleased.
What happened this morning was already an accident, and she absolutely cannot allow it to happen a second time.
Moreover, the lady had promised her that as long as she helped obtain all of the Crown Prince's wife's dowry, she could go back to retire.
The Crown Prince's wife only has these two shops left.
Mother Qian cried even louder, as if she had been wronged by a great injustice.
"This servant wanted to help sell the shop, also because I was eager to save the young master, but the young lady suspected me of having ulterior motives."
"The young lady is young, and I won't hold it against her. Does the Lady of the Heir Apparent also doubt my intentions?"
"Of course I believe it..."
Song Yi blurted out, but halfway through her sentence, she suddenly remembered the incident of changing clothes that morning.
I simply couldn't bring myself to say the words "I believe you."
Subconsciously, she turned to look at Li Nanke again.
Li Nanke jumped off the chair, put her hands behind her back, and looked at Qian's mother.
Suddenly, he raised his finger and pointed at her face, his voice crisp and loud.
“Mom, the bubbles on your face have all burst from crying and are oozing pus.”
Startled, Qian's mother subconsciously relaxed her face.
Li Nanke: "Why isn't there any tear on Qian's mother's face after crying for so long?"
"Oh, I know, Aunt Qian was faking her crying."
Mrs. Qian was stunned, only then realizing that she had been tricked.
That brat tricked her.
She secretly pinched her thigh, winced in pain, and tears immediately welled up in her eyes.
Just as the tears were about to flow, Li Nanke's crisp voice was heard again.
"Mom, why are you faking your tears? Is it because you feel guilty?"
Mrs. Qian choked, so angry she almost jumped up, the tears welling up in her eyes but unable to fall.
Li Nanke continued, "It's just selling a shop. Neither my mother nor I said we disagreed, so why are you pretending to cry?"
Song Yi also looked puzzled.
"Yes, Aunt Qian, why are you faking your tears?"
Mrs. Qian gritted her teeth, secretly regretting that she hadn't shed a single tear.
Now it's become difficult to explain, so all I can do is stammer and kneel on the ground, gritting my teeth as I try to explain.
“This servant angered you this morning, and when I saw you beckoning to me again just now, I was so scared that I cried.”
Song Yi frowned, looking displeased.
"Ke'er wouldn't scald you with hot tea for no reason."
Mrs. Qian looked embarrassed.
"Yes, I misunderstood. I apologize to the young lady and the lady of the house."
Since she was her own mother in charge, Song Yi couldn't bear to punish her and gently told her to get up.
Taking advantage of the situation, Madam Qian said, "Regarding selling the shop... we only have half a day tomorrow. If we don't pay the fine this afternoon, I'm afraid the young master will..."
Song Yi's eyes welled up with tears, which began to well up again.
Li Nanke said, "Before it gets dark, let's have Mama Qian go out and find a buyer."
Mrs. Qian was secretly delighted.
"This servant will go right away."
Watching Qian's mother's departing figure, Li Nanke smiled, but the smile seemed to have a sly quality to it.
My daughter makes this face whenever she wants to play a prank on someone.
Song Yi pressed a handkerchief to the corner of her eye and asked, puzzled, "Ke'er, is there something wrong with Aunt Qian?"
Looking at her mother's swollen and red eyes, Li Nanke felt heartbroken and went forward to hug her.
The little head rubbed against her chest.
For her mother, her aunt Song Hui, her maternal grandmother Zhang, and Qian Mama were all her relatives.
To expose the true colors of these so-called relatives and force my mother to face the bloody reality is tantamount to stabbing her heart with a knife.
It hurts a lot, but Mother has to face it.
This morning, with the changing of clothes, the events at the Song family's house, and Qian's mother's fake crying just now, Mother has already experienced a lot today.
She probably couldn't handle any more.
She looked up and kissed Song Yi, then hugged her neck, her voice becoming soft and sweet.
"With Ke'er here, no one will be allowed to hurt Mother. Mother, have a good night's sleep."
"Tomorrow, when Mom goes to sell the shop, you must take me with you when you sign the contract, okay? That way, after we sell the shop and get the money, we can go straight to pay the fine."
Song Yi looked worried.
"It's only been one night, I don't know if Aunt Qian and Manager Liu can find a buyer."
Li Nanke leaned on Song Yi's shoulder, a cold smile on his face.
Mom will definitely find a buyer.
After all, the real buyer behind it was her maternal grandmother, Madam Zhang.
They wanted to acquire their mother's last two shops, but it remained to be seen whether they had the ability.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
