Chapter 25 All or Nothing
As the sun gradually set, Li Qu, sitting by the window, was slowly enveloped by the night.
She held a rubbing of Wang Xizhi's cursive script "Seventeen Letters" in her hand, gazing intently at the deep blue sky dotted with two stars.
Xiao Cong once said of her: "Your handwriting is always as proper and orderly as you are."
What Xiao Cong didn't know was that before she met him, she had already been practicing Yan style calligraphy patiently for half a year under Wu Xubai's guidance.
She never liked anything conventional; she preferred to be unrestrained, and she pursued unrestrainedness.
But Xiao Cong only liked people who were well-behaved and orderly.
During her years in Yan, she didn't even dare to write wildly in private.
She feared that Xiao Cong would discover her hypocrisy, and she feared that without Xiao Cong's protection, she would fall into an even deeper abyss.
Now, I can write whatever I want. So what...
It's kind of funny.
"Where has that Cuiguo girl gone again? It's getting dark, why isn't there a lamp? She's getting more and more unruly!"
Granny Xu and Hongguo were exhausted from taking stock of the things Li Qu had taken from Zhou Jin's storeroom that day.
The red fruit lit up the candles in the room. Granny Xu, holding the account book, found Li Qu sitting under the window in a daze.
"Auntie, look, this is the list we're going to take to Jishui Lane tomorrow, and this is the ledger for our Fanghua Garden warehouse."
"This old servant will clean up the two rooms on the southeast corner near the magnolia tree and use them as storerooms for our Fanghua Garden."
"That place isn't far from the main house, so it's convenient to come and go."
"From now on, when Aunt gets something good, she'll have a place to store it."
She beamed with joy.
She thought to herself: I knew my aunt, who was so good at social maneuvering, could win over the Third Master's heart.
Having witnessed firsthand the way Third Master looked at his concubine, she was full of confidence in the future of Fanghua Garden.
"Should we go take another look at the shops tomorrow? The food shops are fine, but the cosmetics shop is just what Auntie likes."
Li Qu got up and walked to the desk, putting down the calligraphy copybook in his hand.
Granny Xu noticed this and said with a smile, "I heard from Cuiguo that while you were in the storeroom, Miss Huaixiang was on Master's orders to deliver a fine calligraphy book to you. I suppose this is the one?"
"Oh, are these inkstones and brushes also newly delivered?"
“Auntie, am I right? The days with the Third Master’s favor are worlds apart from the days without his favor.”
"This is just the beginning. Third Master's marriage is still undecided, and Aunt's good days are yet to come."
If one can dominate the inner quarters until the new mistress enters the household, the new mistress will also give the concubine some face.
"Let's register it. I have enough stuff on my desk," Li Qu said, taking the form to take to Jishui Lane the next day.
Two more lines were added: "Double the snacks and pastries."
Her second sister and mother are both people who can't stop talking.
Granny Xu quickly agreed.
Cui Guo, beaming with pride, returned with Granny Tian and the others who had brought the dishes from the kitchen. She directed Granny Tian and the others to serve the food, her smugness written all over her face: "Be careful, don't spill anything. Our aunt has a good temper, but Third Master doesn't!"
Look at them, they even dare to use Zhou Jin's name to scare people.
Hongguo laughed.
Xu Mama pulled her ear: "Don't listen to her nonsense. She's just badmouthing your reputation outside. You're back so late. Did you go out and go gossip again?"
Cui Guo cried out in pain, "Granny, I only said a few extra words to someone, please forgive me!"
There were also curious little maids in the courtyard, craning their necks to look around.
A scene of vitality and prosperity.
Li Qu smiled at everything.
That night, the autumn rain came again, pattering and bringing a chill.
Under the cover of night, Li Qu got out of bed and went to the back window, then opened it.
Instantly, the sound of rain became clear.
She leaned against the window, thinking about all the little things she had done with Zhou Jin over the past two days.
The issue of leaving the residence has now been resolved.
The next step is to find an opportunity to escape from the mansion.
She thought that it would be too passive to leave once Zhou Jin no longer cared about her.
If Zhou Jin lusts after her for ten or eight years, does she want to be trapped by his side for ten or eight years?
It's been too long.
Since it's not difficult to seduce him.
Why couldn't she use the same method she used on Xiao Cong to deal with him?
"A good general is one whose strength cannot be broken and whose flexibility cannot be bent; therefore, he uses the weak to control the strong and the soft to control the hard."
Women are inherently gentle, and gentleness can overcome strength. Thus, even the hardest steel can be softened by the touch of a finger.
She's probably found a way to control Zhou Jin...
Li Qu chuckled, reaching out to grab the broken raindrops as if trying to grasp her own destiny, making a desperate gamble.
A sound came from behind. Hongguo, who was on night watch, rubbed her eyes, lit the oil lamp, and took it from the outer room to enter.
Seeing Li Qu wearing a bathrobe and exposed to the wind, he exclaimed in surprise and tried to stop her. Ignoring Li Qu's refusal, he woke up Cui Guo and together they soaked Li Qu's feet and warmed her body. Only after making sure that Li Qu had not caught a cold or gotten sick did they feel at ease.
Meanwhile, a carrier pigeon was traveling day and night from Yan to Hezhou in the autumn night.
The rain stopped before dawn.
Xu Mama had arranged everything early in the morning.
Li Qu went to the second wife's house early in the morning to pay her respects and return the waist token that Yao had given her earlier.
The concubines of the second wife went on strike, and the second master had been staying in Yao's room these days. Yao was a little overwhelmed and looked a little tired.
"There are empty carriages today, so I'll take one back."
"The Third Miss's face is much cleaner now. Yesterday, when she attended the banquet, someone inquired about her marriage. I suppose Aunt Hu will be coming to thank you soon."
"In addition, there are many things to do in autumn, and I did not have time to visit you two elders. So I asked Hongyu to prepare some small gifts to express my feelings. I hope you will not find them offensive."
Li Qu quickly rose, curtsied, and thanked her, saying, "This concubine dares not accept such praise."
"Auntie, there's no need to refuse."
Just then, Yao's trusted nanny, Qiaogu, entered the room: "Madam, the carriage and manpower have been arranged, and we will ensure the safety of Concubine Li."
Madam Yao nodded: "In that case, go and come back as soon as possible, so as not to delay Aunt's time to reunite with her family."
Li Qu thanked him again and then took his leave.
Qiaogu watched Li Qu's departing figure and smiled at Yao Shi: "It's too little for Madam to have only one boy by her side. If Madam is fortunate enough to conceive this time, she will surely remember Li Shi's favor."
The Second Master was a womanizer. If it weren't for the Second Madam's good looks, illustrious family background, and impeccable character, she wouldn't have been able to keep him.
Madam Yao touched her lower abdomen: "She is so clear-headed, it's a pity she's from the third wife's family."
Qiaogu chuckled: "This old servant dares to presume to say something, but Second Master has no way to control Concubine Li."
"The day before, she had coaxed the old lady so much that she held her hand and wished she were her own child. The next day, she stopped the governor's carriage and accused Zhou of abducting a woman..."
Madam Yao took a sip of tea and put down the cup: "Well, I just hope she can settle down and serve the third son properly, otherwise she'll have to suffer a bit."
"Go get the account books I didn't finish looking at last night. After finishing at the shop, it's time to go to the estate to check the harvest."
On the other side, Li Qu left the second wife's house and went straight to Jishui Lane.
The Li family in Jishui Lane received a notice yesterday that Li Qu was coming home. They waited all day but no one came. Today, they finally saw Li Qu return.
Li Rong was the most excited. She stepped forward, pushed aside Xu Mama who was next to Li Qu, and whispered in Li Qu's ear: "Don't worry, the coordinating of the testimony has been completed."
Li Qu secretly gave her a thumbs up.
Then she saw that Li Rong hadn't noticed her movements at all, her eyes kept glancing at the servants carrying things.
Not only Li Rong, but even Li's mother was unable to move, her eyes following the servants' back-and-forth movements.
You don't need to look at her expression; just by looking at her hands that she can't help rubbing together, you can tell how excited she is.
The only abnormal person, Li's father, actually seemed like a normal person, sitting on the woodpile with a blank expression.
Li Qu was speechless.
If she remembered correctly, she had just given her family a hundred taels of silver not long ago!
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