Chapter 38: Testing
Wei Zhai nodded without hesitation, completely revealing the ambition in his eyes.
He got off the ox cart and bowed seriously.
"Could you please do me a favor, Miss Jiang? Uncle Fu was once a civil official who was exiled. He later lived in a foreign land and bought this ox cart by teaching for thirty years.
It was used to send us to the capital to take the imperial examination. Now that Ziyi and I have found our home, I beg you to reserve a place for Uncle Fu to stay in your mansion. Wei Zhai will be grateful.”
Jiang Qingning jumped off the ox cart and looked at Wei Zhai who was standing in front of him with neither arrogance nor servility.
"I've loved flowers since I was young, but I never had the time to buy and plant them. Now the mansion is still short of a gardener. Although the position is not important, it is enough to provide for my retirement. I wonder if Uncle Fu would be willing to take on the role?"
Jiang Qingning looked at Uncle Fu with a smile, his beautiful eyebrows hiding the tentative look in his eyes.
Uncle Fu retracted his gaze and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Miss. Being able to no longer live in the open air is the best destination for me. Naturally, I have no objection."
"In that case, everyone please follow me in."
Jiang Qingning smiled and said, "Ning Pavilion is managed by Aunt Zhang, and everyone obeys her orders. My personal maid is named Zi Su, but we'll have plenty of time to get to know her in the future."
"Miss, please go first." Uncle Fu took the initiative.
Suddenly several people ran out of the door.
Zi Su choked up and shouted, "Everyone, hurry up and follow me to find the young lady. She was captured by Madam Bai and drowned in the river."
Nanny Zhang cried out in grief, "Why is my young lady so miserable? Why does she always suffer such bitter consequences? When we find her, we will report her to the authorities! Let the Tongzhi seek justice for us!"
"You dare to hurt my sister? If I had known, I should have killed her directly!"
Jiang Qingxi walked out angrily with a sword in his hand. When he saw Jiang Qingning at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes instantly turned red.
"Sister?"
Jiang Qingning noticed the gazes of the three people, coughed helplessly, walked out from behind them, and walked up the stairs.
She looked at Jiang Qingxi with a smile on her face and raised her hand to pinch her cheek.
"Who are you going to kill?"
Jiang Qingning glanced sideways and bumped face to face with the servants who had rushed out.
"Miss?!" the concierge shouted in shock.
"Miss? Where is Miss?!" When Aunt Zhang heard the shouting, she ran out in shock.
Nanny Zhang and Zi Su rushed out almost side by side. They pounced on Jiang Qingning and quickly checked his condition from head to toe. They instantly breathed a sigh of relief and tears came down their eyes.
Zi Su burst into tears and hugged Jiang Qingning's arm and acted coquettishly.
"Miss, I'm glad you're okay. I scared Zisu to death. I'll never eat snacks again. I'll follow you wherever you go."
Jiang Qingning nodded at her forehead helplessly, knowing that this little girl must have made another oath.
"Just eat what you like. Bai Qingyi arrested me because she hated me. If you were there, she would have arrested you too. So this has nothing to do with whether you eat snacks or not." Jiang Qingning coaxed Zisu softly.
Nanny Zhang wiped away her tears and glanced at the three people at the bottom of the stairs. She looked at Jiang Qingning inquiringly.
Jiang Qingning nodded secretly: "This is Uncle Fu. The other two are Wei Zhai and Wen Ziyi. They will live in our house for a long time in the future. I plan to let them help with business and Uncle Fu will take care of the flowers and plants. It was the three of them who sent me back today."
Upon hearing this, Nanny Zhang immediately stepped forward, quickly walked down the steps, and bowed gratefully, saying, "Thank you all so much for saving my young lady. This old slave is filled with gratitude!"
Uncle Fu quickly dodged the salute and waved his hand, saying, "The young lady climbed up from the shore on her own. We were only escorting her back home, but we never imagined she would have a place to call home in the future. So, we should be the ones expressing our gratitude."
Wei Zhai took in the worried expressions of everyone, and his opinion of Jiang Qingning actually improved a little, and he trusted Yin Yue a little more.
He held Wen Ziyi's hand tightly, and actually fantasized in his heart that one day they might become a real couple, and maybe they could really open a teahouse in this huge capital city.
Jiang Qingning took Jiang Qingxi's hand and lectured her softly. When she heard Uncle Fu's words, she turned around with a smile.
"Everyone, stop chatting outside the door and come in."
"Madam Zhang, please prepare two rooms in the front yard for Uncle Fu and Wei Zhai first. Wen Ziyi will live in the back yard, next to Zi Su."
"As for what happened today, Zi Su will take a servant with her to report to the authorities and tell the Tongzhi everything that happened today. I want to see if Bai Qingyi has the courage to kill me."
Zi Su's eyes were filled with anger: "Don't worry, Miss, I will tell you everything!"
Before she finished speaking, she saluted everyone, pointed at a servant, and the two of them ran quickly towards the Jingzhao government office.
"Come in, take a shower and change clothes first, and get rid of this bad luck."
Jiang Qingning smiled and led Jiang Qingxi into the mansion first.
Aunt Zhang politely asked, "Please come in, the three of you. I'll take Uncle Fu and Mr. Wei to your rooms."
Uncle Fu waved his hand and said, "No need to be so polite. Wei Xiaoyou and I can just stay in the same room. We'll follow the rules of the mansion."
Wei Zhai nodded: "Uncle Fu is right, there is no need to be so reserved, Madam Zhang. We should treat everyone else in the mansion equally."
Nanny Zhang had no choice but to respond to the two men.
Jiang Qingning walked in front, listening to the two people behind him, with the corners of his lips slightly raised.
"Sister, I was so worried today." Jiang Qingning said fearfully.
"Don't be afraid, sister can do anything." Jiang Qingning comforted.
The two sisters walked into the room affectionately.
Wen Ziyi looked at the scene with envy as she saw it as soon as she entered the backyard door.
She said enviously, "The relationship between the eldest lady and the second lady is really good."
"The relationship between the eldest and second young ladies is indeed good, but according to the order of the main house in the mansion, the eldest young lady should be called the second young lady, and the second young lady should be called the third young lady, because they have a legitimate brother above them."
"But we don't have these requirements in our house. Now that the eldest daughter is in charge, everyone calls the second daughter the eldest daughter."
Aunt Zhang explained with a smile, her eyes full of happiness.
Wen Ziyi nodded in understanding, with an innocent expression.
"Then the master, mistress, and eldest son are not at home?"
The smile in Aunt Zhang's eyes faded by seven points. She glanced sideways at Wen Ziyi, who had an innocent look on her face but her words were full of inquiries.
She nodded and said, "The Master, the Madam, and the Eldest Young Master are all in the outer city protecting the people. Now that the women in the family are at home, it is natural that the Eldest Young Lady will be the head of the household."
"But you must not think that the eldest lady is too gentle just because she is the head of the family. The daughter of a military commander is only as brave as a man. Our eldest lady is even more strict than the wife of a female general."
Nanny Zhang changed the subject and said with a smile, "I just heard that Miss Wen and Mr. Wei are engaged. You two really look like a perfect match."
Wen Ziyi was surprised and said, "Mammy, do you think so too? Everyone in our village says so. They all say that I am white and look like a lady from the county town."
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