Chapter 011: Liu Zhiyan goes to the Qin family
The girl who always arrived early in the past didn't arrive at the appointed time today. Liu Zhiyan couldn't sit still and walked out.
Just as he stepped out of the backyard, he was bumped into by someone coming towards him. He subconsciously reached out to hug him and turned his head to look outside. "What are you looking at so hard? You bumped into someone, you know?"
The familiar incense made Qin Xue feel relieved. "No one is chasing us, right?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiyan's expression instantly became serious, "Is someone pursuing you?"
Qin Xue told Liu Zhiyan what had just happened, "My father warned me a long time ago to stay away from men from the Wang family."
Although Liu Zhiyan had only been in Yangzhou Prefecture for a short time, his style of doing things was to get to know the local officials and local gentry in advance no matter where he went. He was familiar with the general situation of Yangzhou Prefecture.
When he heard the surname Wang, and that men were not particular about women's affairs, he knew that they were talking about the local big salt merchants - the Wang family.
After straightening up the man who had already collapsed unconsciously and whose entire weight was leaning on him, Liu Zhiyan said, "Stand still. I'll go see if there's anyone else outside."
Qin Xue stood up straight and then whispered, "Do it quietly. Don't let him find out, or he'll hold a grudge against you."
Liu Zhiyan paused and wanted to tell her that he was just the son of a salt merchant and there was nothing to be afraid of.
Thinking that he was just a dessert shop owner who only knew how to make desserts, and indeed could not afford to offend the wealthy salt merchant, he finally nodded.
However, he did not do as Qin Xue said. Instead, he turned back to the backyard, took a broom, and walked out of Fang's Dessert Shop openly.
Fang's Dessert Shop was at the intersection of an alley. He looked carefully in all four directions but did not see any carriage.
It seems that the person has left.
When she walked back to the shop, Qin Xue had already entered the bakery room.
Liu Zhiyan told Qin Xue the results of his inspection, and then said seriously, "From now on, in addition to the coachman, ask a maid to accompany you to and from work, and make sure they see you enter the kitchen before leaving."
Qin Xue nodded obediently, then told Liu Zhiyan about the recent rumors and expressed her suspicions. "This man didn't show up earlier or later, but he appeared in front of me right after the rumor spread that my father betrothed me to him to solve family problems. I suspect those rumors are related to him."
At this point, Qin Xue mentioned her family's situation. "My family is the same as the Wang family, both are salt merchants."
"The head of the Wang family, although she has no sons, has always trained her eldest daughter to be the heir to the Wang family business. The previous head of the Wang family, without asking for her opinion, brought this illegitimate son back home to recognize his ancestral roots and began to let him take over the Wang family business. The head of the Wang family was forced to accept him, but secretly she would never give in."
"He spread this rumor probably because he wanted to get my father's support through marriage with my family, so that he could fight against the mistress of the Wang family."
"My father only has me as his daughter. Marrying me means he owns everything in the Qin family."
Because she is the only daughter in the family, Qin Laicai has always been afraid that she will be cheated by some bad guys with ulterior motives.
He indulged her in other aspects, but when it came to marriage, he instilled in her all kinds of weird stories about men eating out their wives.
Over time, Qin Xue has always been particularly agile when facing men with ulterior motives.
Only those who are not as good as the Qin family, or those who need the Qin family's help, will care about everything about the Qin family.
Liu Zhiyan did not belong to either of these two categories, so he did not take these words to heart at all.
He was thinking that if the so-called Wang Xingsheng really had such thoughts, he might have other actions later.
The world has always been harsh on women, and he can't let such a scheming person plot against the person he likes.
Thinking of this, he felt that he needed to meet the future old Tarzan.
With a plan in mind, he stopped talking and only reminded her again, "Your suspicion is correct, so no matter where you go in the future, you must have someone by your side to avoid being tricked by him."
"I know." In this regard, Qin Xue was still very receptive to advice.
But at night, when she saw the man getting into the carriage behind her, she asked him, "Why did you get into my carriage?"
The other person said, "Didn't I tell you this morning that you need someone to accompany you wherever you go now?"
"Isn't the driver a human being?"
"He's so focused on catching the bus that he can't think of you."
“…”
Before this, he had only looked at the appearance of Qin Xue's carriage. Apart from the fact that the carvings on the carriage had more styles and rare patterns, there was nothing special about it.
Now that I'm in the carriage, I realize there's a whole other world inside.
Directly opposite the door was a couch for resting, fully furnished with bedding and pillows. Two armchairs sat on either side, and between them sat a small table of matching height. A vase of flowers sat on one side, while teacups and snacks were placed on the other. A fine Persian blue carpet lay beneath, and Shu brocade in the same shade hung on all sides.
Being in it, you feel like you are in the ocean, and you will feel relaxed unconsciously.
Liu Zhiyan didn't feel the slightest bit shy about intruding into someone else's place. He sat down on the armchair near the carriage door and said, "You really know how to enjoy yourself!"
Normally, Qin Xue would have taken off her embroidered shoes and rolled over on the couch.
There was an extra person in the carriage now, a person who seemed to fill the entire carriage. She unconsciously became reserved and sat down on the armchair on the other side of Liu Zhiyan with her hands and feet properly. "I always use the best for food, clothing and daily necessities."
He reached out and picked up the Doucai teapot on the small table, poured a cup of tea for each of them, and said, "I see."
The teapot and teacup in his hands are thin and light, with a lustrous glaze and rich colors. You can tell at a glance that they are very expensive.
In addition, the carriage is filled with the smell of golden nanmu. Without thinking too much, you can tell that the entire carriage must be made of golden nanmu.
Except for her father, no other man had ever entered her carriage.
Qin Xue never knew that her carriage was so small that she couldn't even move her hands and feet.
When she was riding with her father, she was like a monkey, jumping up and down, and everything was going smoothly.
Liu Zhiyan was there, also sitting on a chair, but she felt so restrained that she didn't know where to put her hands and feet.
Liu Zhiyan noticed her reservedness and simply took a book she had placed on the small table and flipped through it. "I'll take a look at the book. Remind me when it's time."
Seeing that he finished speaking and focused his attention on the book, Qin Xue breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking at the book "Records of Western Foreign Countries" in his hand, she was even more grateful that since she learned foreign languages, she had changed her habit of reading storybooks to reading books about foreign living habits, customs, etiquette and social production.
Thinking of the countries mentioned in the book and the products of those countries, Qin Xue's tone was full of envy. "I really envy Lord Ye for being able to travel to various countries frequently and taste the food of various countries."
To be honest, Liu Zhiyan was surprised when he saw the title of the book he picked up casually.
Just like what this little girl said, when she came to Fang's Dessert to learn desserts and foreign languages from him, she was just a little girl who only knew how to eat, drink and have fun.
He thought that a girl like this would at most read romance books.
She never expected that there would be such a book about foreign customs and culture in her carriage.
Just when he was thinking that he had underestimated this little girl, she suddenly said this to him, which made him suddenly feel that he might have overthought. "So you read this book to see the delicious food inside?"
"What else is there to see?" She wasn't going to those countries, so what else could she see besides looking at the delicious food and satisfying herself?
And with her level, she can barely understand the food, but nothing else, okay?!
"..." Liu Zhiyan was speechless for a moment after being blocked by her. Then he thought of his mother's high hopes for this girl. "You said you wanted to learn from Master Ye, and now you are also learning foreign languages. Haven't you ever thought that one day in the future you can also travel to various countries like her?"
"Is it possible?"
Although Qin Xue boasted about her background, which was no worse than Ye Qinghan's, there was no reason why she couldn't be as capable as her.
But she actually knew very well that there was only one Lord Ye, and she would never be able to reach his level in her lifetime.
"As long as you dare to think, it is possible." Liu Zhiyan said affirmatively.
Of course, this may refer to his ability in foreign languages. As for other aspects, his mother's extraordinary abilities are so extraordinary that he dares to say that no one in the world can surpass his mother.
Qin Xue felt a little embarrassed after hearing him speak so decisively. "Actually, I've never been a person with big ambitions."
In the past, she thought that life was pretty good, just like what her father said, 'When you are young, rely on your father; when you are old, rely on your son.' She really just ate and drank every day and didn't think about anything else.
"I never thought that if I learned foreign languages well, I could go abroad like Master Ye."
"Are you satisfied with your current life?"
Speaking of which, Liu Zhiyan is not a man with much ambition, otherwise he would not have come to Yangzhou Prefecture to open a shop.
Compared to being an official in the court, with endless official duties every day, Liu Zhiyan prefers the current situation, running a shop and living in peace in a corner. "If you are satisfied with the current situation and continue to live like this, there is nothing wrong with it."
Qin Xue asked herself if she was satisfied?
She must have been satisfied in the past.
Now, she actually doesn't know whether she is satisfied or not. "I don't know."
"Let's just go along and see." He doesn't think life needs to be planned in advance. "Right now, you like learning a foreign language, so study it diligently. As for whether you'll find it useful after you learn it, and what you'll use it for, you probably will slowly find the answers through day-to-day study."
"What if we don't find the answer in the end?"
"Then at least the learning process is enjoyable, isn't it?"
Liu Zhiyan never thought about what life had to be like. He felt that the most important thing was to be satisfied and comfortable.
Qin Xue thought carefully about what Liu Zhiyan said and felt that it made a lot of sense, so she nodded seriously in agreement, "You are right."
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