Yan Qingqing asked Ah Si in detail about the person who gave the gift, and after listening, she had a better understanding of the situation.
But they're practically nodding acquaintances, with maybe some business dealings at most. Isn't it inappropriate for her to give her such an expensive gift?
Seeing Yan Qingqing's worried expression, A Si cautiously asked, "Madam, is there something wrong with this gift? Should I take some men to chase after it and return it?"
Yan Qingqing composed herself and said, "No need. Since it's here, just leave it here for now. I'll go there myself when I have time."
Ah Si breathed a sigh of relief; it was good that everything was alright.
Their mistress had finally obtained an imperial title, and the eldest son had been appointed as an agricultural official, enjoying a life of great prosperity and honor. As servants, their status was also rising, so it was bound to cause some problems.
Yan Qingqing looked at A Si and smiled, "Ruyi, give A Si ten taels of silver. I'm very pleased that he's so vigilant."
Although there's nothing wrong with these things, many things go wrong because of carelessness. He did a very good job of noticing something was wrong immediately and reporting it to me.
Upon hearing this, Ah Si was overjoyed and quickly knelt down, saying, "Ah Si thanks Madam for the reward and wishes Madam a bright future."
The higher one's official rank rises, the sooner or later one will become a first-rank imperial consort.
Yan Qingqing laughed and said, "Alright, I appreciate your kind words. Get up now. If that day ever comes, I'll reward you with a generous red envelope."
Upon hearing this, Ah Si quickly said a few more auspicious words and got up from the ground.
Ruyi placed a ten-tael silver ingot into his hand and said with a smile, "This is a reward from your wife. You must do your job well and be conscientious in the future."
Upon hearing this, Ah Si quickly agreed and then left.
Many guests will be coming to her house today. Since it is to celebrate her being granted the title of Mingzhao Ren, she must wear the imperial robes bestowed upon her by the emperor.
To be honest, Yan Qingqing had never worn the official robes of a fifth-rank official before. She didn't even know if they would fit her.
Ruyi and Ruxue carefully took the clothes out of the specially made box.
Yan Qingqing looked at it and saw that it was a complete set, from head to toe.
At the very top is a crown, adorned with three pearl-embroidered pheasants, three pearl-embroidered peony blossoms, five pearl-embroidered half-open blossoms, and twenty-four jade cloud petals. It also features eighteen jade peony leaves and two gold-plated silver pheasants. It looks extremely magnificent.
There was also a jadeite necklace, adorned with gold and silver jewels and floral patterns.
Below that are the clothes, which have three layers. The outermost layer is somewhat like a Ming Dynasty shawl, embroidered with mandarin duck patterns.
Yan Qingqing's mouth twitched. Could it be that the old emperor did this on purpose, knowing she was a widow and deliberately using mandarin ducks to provoke her?
Furthermore, the accessories on the clothes are all very finely crafted.
Ruyi and Ruxue had never seen such complicated clothes before. They lowered their heads and studied them with Yan Qingqing for a long time before they figured out how to wear them.
Finally, Yan Qingqing put on the dignified outfit, and she really did look impressive.
Ruyi swallowed hard and said, "Madam, you are too imposing. I dare not look at you."
Ru Xue nodded in agreement, but neither of them could comprehend the pain Yan Qingqing was experiencing.
This crown on his bald head weighs several pounds, and it's summer now, so wearing such thick clothes will definitely cause prickly heat.
Thinking about this, Yan Qingqing wanted to take off the clothes, but then she thought she still had to learn to adapt.
In case of any unexpected situation that requires her to wear this outfit, she can't afford to embarrass herself.
So Yan Qingqing had no choice but to endure the discomfort, but she didn't show it on her face at all.
Fortunately, it's morning, so it's not too hot yet. It's not too uncomfortable to wear.
When Yan Qingqing arrived at the dining hall, she saw Li Xiangping dressed in a green official robe with a double-winged official hat on his head, and he looked more solemn.
At this hour, everyone in the household, including the servants, was in the dining hall. Upon seeing Yan Qingqing, they all knelt down and said, "Congratulations, Lady Mingzhao! Congratulations, Lady Mingzhao!"
Although Yan Qingqing's family had congratulated her many times since she was awarded the title, this was the first time they had gathered so neatly.
Yan Qingqing said with a smile, "Alright, everyone get up. Today is a good day, so each of you will be given two taels of silver."
Our family's life is clearly getting better. I'll discuss with your eldest daughter and mother about raising your monthly allowances.
Everyone was delighted to hear this, as servants like them who had signed a life-long contract usually didn't receive a monthly allowance, or if they did, it was only a token amount.
However, since they came to the Li family, Yan Qingqing has never treated them unfairly in this regard, and the wages she pays them are basically the same as those of the workers in the workshop.
Now, not only have they each received two taels of silver as a reward, but their monthly wages are also going to increase. Even ordinary farming families might not be as wealthy as they are. So everyone is overjoyed.
Customers arrived right after breakfast. The first to arrive was Manager Yun of Pinmingxuan. Although Yan Qingqing got a share of his teahouse's profits for nothing, the script she gave him was indeed excellent.
Especially the novel "Water Margin", which is full of heroes, each with a different personality.
The audiobook listening room at Pinmingxuan is packed with people every day; even the county magistrate has gone to listen a few times.
Even Manager Yun is a loyal fan of "Water Margin," and after listening to this chapter, he wanted to hear the next one.
Unfortunately, Yan Qingqing's manuscript was written too slowly, and he himself was suffering from the wait.
However, he dared not urge her, especially after Yan Qingqing received the imperial decree.
Manager Yun was both happy and worried. He was happy because he had been bold enough to choose to cooperate with Yan Qingqing, which gave him a powerful backer.
What worries him is that now that his patron has risen to prominence, he fears that Yan Qingqing's status has risen so high that she will no longer provide him with storybooks.
After Manager Yun bowed to Yan Qingqing, Yan Qingqing said with a smile, "We are business partners, Manager Yun, you don't need to be so polite. Don't forget to take the script I wrote when you leave."
Upon hearing this, Manager Yun's face immediately lit up with a smile like a chrysanthemum, and he quickly agreed. Then, accompanied by Li Xiangping, he went down to talk.
Then came Manager Xue of Yuelaiju, Manager Li of Tongpengzhai, and other business partners, as well as Master Ding and Chen Liufan, who had met Yan Qingqing before.
In addition, there were relatives from the Li family and the Yan family.
Fortunately, Yan Qingqing had a rank, so she didn't have to greet everyone who came.
Yan Qingqing had never known that her family had so many relatives. All sorts of people, whether she knew them or not, came.
Although Yan Qingqing didn't have to greet them, everyone who came had to pay their respects to her. Yan Qingqing's smile froze, and she felt numb.
I thought to myself, this is definitely not something a human being would do.
Someone shouted that Magistrate Ling had arrived, and Yan Qingqing resignedly stood up again. She could ignore others, but not Magistrate Ling.
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