At the intersection of Changqing Street not far from the Qian family’s home, Baiweilou, the largest restaurant in East City, has begun welcoming guests.
The East Market is mostly populated by common people and peddlers. The restaurants are much more lively than those in the West Market, and you can hear the voices of diners inside at the door.
Mr. Qian stood at the door, took a look, then walked up the stairs and went in.
The waiter saw that although Mr. Qian's clothes were not expensive, they were clean and tidy, and he had the demeanor of a scholar.
He went up to her and said, "Sir, are you alone? There is a private room upstairs."
Mr. Qian nodded at the waiter and said, "My friend is already here. I'll go up by myself."
As he spoke, he walked towards the private room on the second floor.
Turn left on the second floor and you'll find a maid guarding the door. Mr. Qian approached and recognized her as the head maidservant of the Third Madam, and was a little surprised.
Pearl made a gesture of invitation, "Sir, please come in. Our master has been waiting for you for a long time."
Mr. Qian didn't want to go in for selfish reasons. He had already decided to go back to his hometown and didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the Shen family's inner house anymore.
But remembering the words on the note, and knowing that they were already at the door, the little girl stared at him hungrily.
He knew that the Third Madam would not let him not go in.
Mr. Qian pushed open the door and walked in. Su Qingyu was sitting by the window drinking tea, with Feicui standing behind her.
Seeing him come in, Su Qingyu greeted him, "Mr. Qian is here, please sit down."
"Pay your respects to the Third Madam." After paying his respects, Mr. Qian sat down opposite Su Qingyu.
Su Qingyu pushed a cup of tea over and asked, "Mr. Qian, when do you plan to leave? Have you packed everything?"
The tone of their speech was calm and gentle, and if you didn't know them, you would think they were old friends.
Mr. Qian's expression changed. Did the Third Madam know that he was going back to his hometown?
Then he thought again, since the third lady was able to find his house and send him a note, it’s not surprising that she knew all these things.
He didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "The Third Madam's note said I have another set of account books. What does that mean?"
"I've been managing the accounts for the Shen family for many years. Although I can't say I've worked hard, I've been conscientious. I won't do anything that would betray my master."
Mr. Qian's face turned red and his beard stood up after hearing what he said.
Others might think he was angry because he was wronged, but Su Qingyu knew that he was extremely guilty and could only hide it with anger.
Su Qingyu smiled faintly, "Don't worry, Mr. Qian. If there really isn't anything, how can I wrongly accuse you?"
"Whether I believe this or not is irrelevant. The previous accounts have nothing to do with me. What matters most is what the Madam thinks. That's not just an account book, that's... the Madam's life."
When she spoke the last sentence, Su Qingyu even deliberately prolonged her tone. Mr. Qian felt a little flustered when he heard it.
But he still pretended to be calm, "I don't understand what Third Madam said. Did you hear some gossip? If Third Madam has evidence, you can investigate it thoroughly. If you don't have evidence, don't accuse me wrongly."
With that, Mr. Qian was about to get up and leave. Actually, the two of them were testing each other. If Su Qingyu had evidence, she would have spoken out now.
He had just taken two steps when Su Qingyu spoke, but what she said was not quite what he expected.
"On the seventh day after Mr. Qian's family's death, I will have people burn more paper money for you."
Mr. Qian stopped and turned to look at Su Qingyu, "What do you mean, Madam?"
He didn't believe that the Third Lady of the Shen family called him here just to curse his entire family to die early.
Su Qingyu glanced at the chair and Mr. Qian sat down again.
"Sir, you are confused. How could the Madam leave behind such a big hidden danger?"
"I know you still have a set of account books, and they contain evidence of the old man's death, right?"
Mr. Qian's expression changed drastically. How did the Third Madam know these secret matters?
Yesterday, when he went to see the eldest lady, he thought twice and didn't tell her about the old master's past. He was afraid that the third lady, who was now the housekeeper, might have ears.
Mr. Qian was stunned for a moment, unsure what to say. He had no idea how the Third Madam knew, much less how much she knew. He was afraid that if he said too much, he would end up making more mistakes.
Seeing that he didn't say anything, Su Qingyu could probably guess what he was thinking.
If I don’t see the coffin, I’m always afraid it’s too early to cry.
When people like this really see a coffin, they won't be able to cry in any tune.
Su Qingyu continued, "How about we make a bet? If I help Mr. Qian and his family escape death, you hand over those account books to me. And tell me everything you know."
Mr. Qian pondered for a moment, "What exactly is this doom that Third Madam is talking about? How do I know if it's true?"
Su Qingyu smiled and poured herself another cup of tea.
"That's easy, sir. Just follow my instructions today. If everything goes well with your house tomorrow morning, I'll personally escort you out of the capital. I won't mention the account book anymore."
"It's okay if Mr. Qian doesn't listen to me. On the road to the underworld, the family is reunited."
After saying that, Su Qingyu began to drink her tea quietly, as if she didn't care whether Mr. Qian agreed or not.
The more she acted like this, the more panicked Mr. Qian became. With more than a dozen people in his family, he couldn't afford to be careless.
After a long while, Mr. Qian said, "Everything is subject to the Third Madam's instructions."
Su Qingyu was very satisfied with his reaction, which was also within her expectations.
Putting down the teacup in her hand, Su Qingyu said, "Go back later and pretend to go in and out to buy something, and bring your family out quietly. I bought the empty yard next to your house, and you can go to the next yard through the back door."
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