Chapter 53: My period is over.
Three days later at dusk, Li Juren's coffin was buried.
The next day, Li Yue'er and Teng Huang helped pack up the family's belongings and Lin Mu moved them onto the carriage, preparing to have her mother and sister move to the academy that morning.
The courtyard was rented. The money was paid at the beginning of the year, and now that a year has passed, they don't plan to continue renting it. After cleaning it up, Ming handed the courtyard key to Aunt Li, who would then give it to the landlord.
Aunt Li patted Ming's hand, "Don't worry, I'll take care of this little thing for you."
She then inquired in detail about the situation at the academy. Madam Ming smiled and said, "My aunt sent someone to say that everything is ready, so we can go there as soon as possible."
Aunt Li was genuinely happy for her, "That's good."
Li Yue'er carried the last bundle into the carriage and turned to look at her mother and Aunt Li.
Aunt Li said, "Alright, alright, stop wasting time and hurry up."
Only then did Madam Ming reluctantly bid farewell to Aunt Li and the neighbors behind her. Li Yue'er, standing by the carriage, also bowed to everyone in gratitude.
After Li Yue'er helped Ming Shi into the carriage, Lin Mu also carried Li Xing'er under his arm and into the carriage.
Li Xing'er looked around curiously with her big eyes, touched the inside of the carriage, and then lifted the curtain to look outside, her mouth agape in amazement.
She's never ridden in a horse-drawn carriage before.
After the initial excitement wore off, and seeing herself getting further and further away from home, and even losing sight of her house once she entered the alley, she became flustered and reserved. She sat next to her sister, clutching her sister's sleeve tightly, and buried her face in her sister's arm.
Li Yue'er hugged her younger sister tightly and whispered to her, "The academy is better than here. The headmaster's granddaughter is about your age. You can play with her when you get there. However, she is a few months older than you, so you have to call her 'sister'."
Li Xing'er nodded and looked up at us, "Then will you move in with us?"
Li Yue'er smiled and pinched her cheek, "I'll come and stay with you guys when I have time."
Li Xing'er was too young to understand the deeper meaning of her words. When she saw that her sister had agreed, she smiled and looked out the window again.
The carriage entered the academy through the back gate, and Li Xing'er's eyes were wide with curiosity as she looked around.
Li Yue'er looked up and saw that, like her mother, she felt mostly nostalgic and sentimental.
The headmaster's son came over to help move things, while his wife and daughter-in-law took Ming's arm and talked to her. When the headmaster's granddaughter saw Li Xing'er, she ran over and took Li Xing'er's hand, calling her "sister".
Li Yue'er and Teng Huang made up the bedding in the room together, ate lunch at the academy, and returned in the afternoon.
Before leaving, Madam Ming called Li Yue'er back, took something out of her bosom, and handed it to her while concealing it with her sleeve.
Li Yue'er laughed, "What are you talking about? You're being so mysterious."
She looked down and saw a light blue purse, which was quite heavy inside.
Just by touching it, it weighs more than eight or nine ounces.
Li Yue'er looked up at her mother in surprise, "Why did you give this to me again?"
Ming said, "I don't need it at the academy, so you might as well keep it for yourself."
The nine taels of silver that Li Yue'er had originally given her, along with the paper money received for the funeral and the three taels left over from the funeral expenses, were all put into this heavy purse.
"I can finally rest assured and cut out two new outfits for your sister with the fabric you sent last time." Madam Ming pushed the purse into Li Yue'er's arms. "Take it. If I need it, I'll ask your Aunt Qiu to ask the Qu family for it."
Ming gripped Li Yue'er's fingers tightly. "I know you have your own plans, but if you ever find it too difficult to stay in the Qu family, use this money to redeem yourself."
She smiled and said, "I think your mistress may look cold, but she's probably not a bad person. You should beg her properly, and maybe she'll let you leave."
Other matters are easy to discuss, but Li Yue'er is truly unsure about this one. After all, the mistress is waiting for her to complete her apprenticeship so that she can assist her in the future.
Moreover, the debt she owed to her mistress made it difficult for her to redeem herself and leave easily. Only if her mistress grew tired of her and had a new person by her side to kick her out would she be able to repay the debt and redeem herself.
Li Yue'er opened and closed her mouth, but in the end she didn't tell her mother these things and make her worry. She just obediently put the purse back.
Ming Shi led Li Xing'er to the back gate of the academy to see her off.
The carriage slowly departed from the academy gate. Teng Huang noticed that Li Yue'er was holding a heavy purse in her hands, but her mood was not good. He blinked twice and deliberately teased her, "You haven't been willing to throw away this purse given to you by the mistress yet?"
Li Yue'er lowered her head and gently wiped her purse with her sleeve. "The things were perfectly fine, why throw them away?"
Fujiwara chuckled, "Is it that you can't bear to throw away things that are in good condition, or that you can't bear to throw away people who are in good condition?"
She had heard from Dansha that the headmaster of the academy wanted to help Miss Yue'er redeem herself and return to the academy. Not only did she disagree, she also defended the mistress in front of the headmaster.
Li Yue'er pretended not to hear her teasing.
The curtains in the carriage fluttered in the wind, making a sound. Li Yue'er reached out and lifted them to look outside.
Although the weather had been sunny for three days, it was still very cold. The sky was overcast and the sun was nowhere to be seen, so only a little snow on the ground melted. Occasionally, when the north wind blew, small snowflakes would fall from the branches and roof tiles, still like light snow falling.
The curtains were barely lifted a corner when the wind began to pour in uncontrollably.
Instead of lowering the curtains, Li Yue'er lifted them even higher and turned to ask Teng Huang, "Is this house beautiful?"
It's right next to the academy.
Gambo peeked out, covering his face with his hands to shield it from the wind, and squinted as he looked. "It looks quite old, but it's very elegant. The owner must have put a lot of thought into decorating it."
Li Yue'er was delighted, "This is my home."
Gambo took a breath and turned to look at her.
Li Yue'er stared intently at the house, full of anticipation. "Once I've saved enough money, I'll redeem it."
She now receives two monthly stipends from the mansion, and it seems that in less than ten years, she will be able to get the land deed back into her possession.
Even if she loses her beauty and leaves the Qu family, she will still have a place to shelter from the wind and rain.
It was too cold, so once the carriage had gone far away, Li Yue'er pulled down the thick curtains.
Gambo rubbed his cheeks and cleared his throat twice. "Um—"
Li Yue'er put away her purse and looked at her suspiciously, "Did you get cold?"
Garcinia said, “No, I mean I’ve saved up some money over the years. If you need it, I can lend it to you interest-free.”
Li Yue'er was stunned.
Teng Huang reached out and poked her cheek, looking smug. "You're so touched, aren't you?"
Li Yue'er, "..."
Li Yue'er pondered, "I was so touched, but now all I feel is 'frozen'."
Li Yue'er rubbed her tanned cheeks with both hands and sighed softly, "How can you be so kind?"
Over the past few days, the two of them have become like sisters.
Li Yue'er deliberately asked, "If I need money to redeem myself, can you lend me some?"
Teng Huang's face immediately wrinkled up. He thought about it carefully and reluctantly nodded, "It's possible, but you can't tell the mistress. If the mistress finds out that the money to redeem you was from me, she'll flatten me and put me in the ledger."
Li Yue'er couldn't help but laugh, "She wouldn't do that."
Gamboge drew out the "yo" sound.
Li Yue'er felt that Teng Huang must have misunderstood. She wasn't speaking up for the mistress, but compared to Teng Huang and Dan Sha, the two of them definitely held more weight in the mistress's heart.
To use an imperfect analogy, if gamboge and cinnabar are the wife's right-hand women, then she is at most...
Concubine, perhaps.
Currently, the concubine's beauty outweighs her value, and she also offers a sense of novelty.
Li Yue'er lowered her eyes and noticed that her hands, which had been dry and peeling from doing rough work these past few days, were starting to get dry again. She quickly took out some face cream, and with a pained expression, scooped out a piece and carefully rubbed it on her hands several times.
When she looked up again, she felt that Teng Huang was living up to his name, looking at her with a strange smile.
Li Yue'er, "..."
How could Teng Huang possibly understand the hardships these concubines endured!
On their way back, the two passed through the main street, and Li Yue'er took out her wallet and bought two packs of dried meat and some pastries.
The dried meat was to thank Teng Huang for his help these past few days, and the pastries were for Aunt Qiu and Xiao Xiao. They couldn't come from the manor, but they must be thinking of her. Li Yue'er also wanted to tell Aunt Qiu about her mother moving to the academy.
It's far more intimate for Lin Mu to tell her this than for me to tell her myself.
When Li Yue'er got into the carriage and headed towards the Qu residence, another carriage entered the residence a step earlier than her.
It was the old lady who had come back from burning incense and praying to Buddha.
She had originally planned to return two days ago, but the weather was still not clearing up and the snow on the mountain steps was difficult to melt. She could only go down the mountain after the monks in the temple had cleaned it up.
At her age, she naturally couldn't climb the mountain herself; the strong men carried her up and down.
The old lady was very afraid of death. Even though the strong men repeatedly assured her that they would not throw her off, she dared not try it easily. Whether it was intentional or accidental, if any of the strong men slipped, it would not matter if she died, but it would be fatal if the Qu family's business fell into the hands of others.
Although the old lady had had enough of staying on the mountain, she had no choice but to patiently wait for the snow to be cleared before coming down.
Upon returning home today, the old lady first glanced around the yard and asked, "Where is Li Yue'er?"
She sneered, "Does she become lazy and negligent just because I'm not in the manor?"
Qu Rong was already sitting in Shouhe Hall waiting for her. When she heard her ask this question, she put down her teacup and said to her, "Li Yue'er has gone home."
The old lady's face instantly darkened. "Have you forgotten your place too? You're in charge of the Qu family, and you just let her go back like that? Once or twice is one thing, but in just a month or two, she's been going back more freely than if she were a married woman."
Once a woman marries into her husband's family, she becomes part of that family and has no freedom to return to her parents' home at will. Even if her husband's family agrees, people outside will still gossip about her when they see her return.
Moreover, Li Yue'er was a concubine sold to the Qu family by indenture, a servant of the Qu family, and had no right to go out or return home.
Qu Rong didn't bother to explain, and only said, "Grandmother has been living on the mountain for many days. Have you heard that Scholar Li has passed away?"
Is Li Juren gone?
The old woman tightened her grip on her cane and instinctively asked, "How could such a perfectly healthy person just disappear?"
The topic was also shifted away from Li Yue'er's return home.
Qu Rong said, "A few days ago, when the snow was heaviest, he went out drinking with Zheng Er and got drunk. After leaving Yingkelai, he passed out in the snowy alley and froze to death."
The old lady's sharp eyes fell on Qu Rong. She gripped the armrest of the chair and slowly sat down in the main seat of the hall, her expression meaningful. "Oh? Did he freeze to death on his own, or did someone else want him to freeze to death?"
With Li Juren dead, she lost her leverage over Li Yue'er. Besides, this matter also involved Zheng Er, so it was obvious who was behind it.
Qu Rong met the old lady's gaze with a calm expression, letting her scrutinize and speculate, "How would I know about this?"
She looked back at the old lady and said, "Anyone who privately contacts Scholar Li is not one of my people."
The old lady looked at her with a somber expression.
Qu Rong smiled faintly and brushed the wrinkles off her clothes. "Instead of suspecting me, Grandmother, you should think about how to clean this up completely. The yamen has dropped the matter, but do you think Zheng Er will continue to investigate?"
Zheng Er was determined to find out who was using Li Juren's death to frame him. Even if the Qu family had nothing to do with it, he had to find some connection. If the Qu family got involved in a murder case, then the Qu family's business would have to be taken over by him, their in-law.
Only then did the old lady understand Qu Rong's scheme. Her withered, vine-like fingers gripped her phoenix-headed cane tightly, and she warned in a deep voice, "Qu Rong, don't go too far in your actions."
Qu Rong said, “Grandmother knows what I want. I can’t do everything myself without any real power. If Grandmother doesn’t relinquish power, then I don’t want to work for nothing. Starting tomorrow, I will go to the hot springs at the estate outside the city and come back after the New Year.”
She said, "After being busy for more than a month, my grandmother was able to go up the mountain to worship Buddha and enjoy some leisure time, so it's time for me to take a good rest too."
The old lady's hands were trembling. "Are you going to abandon us halfway through? Fine, fine, Qu Rong, you were just putting on an act for me. You're leaving halfway through the work. Don't you want the Qu family to have a smooth New Year?"
It's only when something is halfway through that someone else can't take over, that you can use it as leverage to negotiate.
Qu Rong was relaxed and casual, and even showed a genuine smile to the old lady, which was rare for her. "How the Qu family celebrates the New Year is none of my business. Didn't Grandmother say that I am not a member of the Qu family? I am just an illegitimate child whose father is unknown. How dare I associate with the Qu family?"
The old lady was so angry that she stood up abruptly, staring at her with a fierce gaze that could kill.
Qu Rong didn't look at her, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Dan Sha standing outside nodding to her, and she knew that Li Yue'er had returned.
Qu Rong immediately lost the patience to continue arguing with the old lady. She got up and walked out, her steps unwavering, but her tone was calm and unhurried, revealing no impatience.
"Grandmother, please think it over carefully. I hope that when I return after the New Year, I will receive a satisfactory answer from you."
“It doesn’t matter if we don’t have it,” Qu Rong turned to look at her. “It’s not like I haven’t experienced hardship before. Even if the Qu family is gone, I can still live a good life.”
Anyway, she won't be buried in the Qu family ancestral hall after she dies, so she won't have to face the Qu family ancestors.
As for the old lady's earlier verbal threats, they were effective when she was willing to cooperate, but when she flipped the table and refused to cooperate, they were less effective than the cold wind blowing on her face.
After Qu Rong finished speaking, she left Shouhe Hall immediately.
The old lady was furious with her, slamming her cane heavily on the ground. "Does she think I can't do anything about her? Or does she think the Qu family can't function without her?"
Mrs. Wu lowered her head and dared not speak.
The old lady said, "Let her leave, let her leave if she wants! I don't believe that all those managers can't sort out the accounts she has!"
The old lady thought that Qu Rong was just joking about giving up on the accounts, that she was just trying to scare her and force her to give in.
In fact, Qu Rong really intended to go to the hot springs, and even had Dan Sha prepare everything she needed in advance. After Li Yue'er returned, she would take her and set off the next day.
With the Lunar New Year just around the corner, instead of staying at home to have New Year's Eve dinner with the old lady, it would be better to take Li Yue'er out to broaden her horizons.
When Qu Rong arrived at Songlan Hall, she didn't see Li Yue'er, but she did see Teng Huang.
Her expression instantly turned blank.
Gamboge, "..."
Even though the mistress didn't ask, Teng Huang knew who she was looking for, and quickly said, "Miss Yue'er went to deliver things to Aunt Qiu and Miss Xiaoxiao. Look, she also brought you some pastries, including your favorite almond tofu. Please try it while it's cool."
Qu Rong glanced at her coldly.
Gambo puffed out his cheeks and silently retreated.
By the time Li Yue'er returned, it was already quite dark, and the sky was almost completely dark.
Apart from that, the mistress's complexion was almost the same as the sky outside.
He acted as if she didn't exist, having Dansha bring him water for a bath while he sat at the table reading "The Art of War".
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the mistress removed her indenture from the military manual, placed it on the table, and then went into the purification room.
Li Yue'er always felt that the indenture on the table was bait thrown by the mistress.
If she dares to bite, I can forget about sleeping tonight.
Li Yue'er tore her gaze away from the contract, opened the wardrobe, found her nightgown, picked it up, and followed the mistress toward the purification room.
The fact that the mistress takes a bath indicates that her period has ended.
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Moonlight: Is she taking a bath at this time a hint to me? [Peeking while covering face]
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