Gu Wanping and Qin Chaochao's carriage slowly stopped in front of the gate of the Guangquan Prefecture.
"Ah, ma'am, we're here," said the driver.
Gu Wanping looked at Qin Chaochao, who nodded, "Very appropriate."
Gu Wanping felt relieved after hearing this. The maid reached out and pulled open the curtain, then got off the carriage first. The coachman put a small stool on the ground to make it easier for them to get off.
Gu Wanping slowly got off the carriage with the help of her maid.
Yao Wenyuan and He Huaixiu went to meet her, and Yao Wenyuan called out to Gu Wanping, "Mom."
Gu Wanping looked at her son, who had become tanned and thinner, and said with a look of heartache, "Wenyuan..."
He Huaixiu was a little at a loss behind Yao Wenyuan. Yao Wenyuan held He Huaixiu's hand and gently led her out, "Mom, this is Xiuxiu, He Huaixiu."
He Huaixiu blushed and politely called out, "Hello, Auntie!"
Gu Wanping's face was originally happy, but when she saw He Huaixiu, her expression suddenly became a little complicated. However, her years of upbringing as a noblewoman in Kyoto made her calm down quickly, and she said politely, "Hello too."
Qin Chaochao also got off the carriage with the girl, "Oh, it's so lively, let me take a look, let me take a look."
Qin Chaochao stretched his head out to watch the fun, and saw He Huaixiu, a tall, well-proportioned and sturdy girl. Qin Chaochao was very satisfied at first sight. She was not the kind of sickly daughter. Qin Chaochao did not like that kind of girl, the kind that looked lifeless and sickly. Qin Chaochao gently pushed Gu Wanping and said, "This girl is good. You can tell at a glance that she is in excellent health. This kind of girl can bear children and is full of energy, unlike those sickly girls who would fall down at the slightest breeze."
Upon hearing this, Gu Wanping looked at He Huaixiu carefully. She was dressed like a beautiful girl from a small family. Although fresh, she looked very capable. Her skin color was not as pink as porcelain, but a healthy wheat color.
He Huaixiu felt a little embarrassed when he heard Qin Chaochao say this.
Yao Wenyuan came to He Huaixiu's rescue, "My aunt is here too. Come on, come inside and talk. Don't stand outside."
Yao Wenyuan invited a few people into the mansion. Zhou Erni, who was not far away and had been pursued for money by the families of the guys from Lujia Village who lost their lives in Pianzhou, looked at this scene, rolled her eyes several times, and came up with an idea.
Gu Wanping and Qin Chaochao were escorted into the mansion by their maids. Although the mansion was not very large, it was not small either, with two or three courtyards. The other guesthouses were usually unoccupied and rarely visited. This time, when He Huaixiu heard that Gu Wanping and the others were coming, he took Dongfeng to clean the two courtyards in advance.
Yao Wenyuan lives in the main courtyard.
Gu Wanping saw that there were no maids or extra slaves in the mansion. There was only one servant, Dongfeng, who had followed Yao Wenyuan since childhood, and an old doorman, who was considered to be from the prefect's mansion. Together with Yao Wenyuan and He Huaixiu, there were only four people in the mansion, which was a bit shabby. Her son's job was even simpler than when he was at home.
"Son, why don't you hire a few maids and servants in your house? Otherwise, it will be inconvenient for you to eat and do other things, right?" Gu Wanping said.
"Mom, I'm busy with official duties. Before Xiuxiu came, I only had Dongfeng to serve me. I'm used to Dongfeng, and I'm not used to other people. Besides, keeping more people requires someone to take care of them, and it costs money. Most of my son's salary is used to subsidize the people, so I don't have any spare money to keep servants..." Yao Wenyuan didn't feel embarrassed to explain this in front of Qin Chaochao. Instead, he was quite frank.
"Before Xiuxiu came, Dongfeng and I often went there to have a quick meal. After Xiuxiu came, at least we had food to eat, and the house was kept in perfect order by Xiuxiu." Yao Wenyuan added.
Gu Wanping listened and nodded, but glanced at He Huaixiu.
He Huaixiu didn’t know what to say. She was not very good at dealing with this kind of Shura situation. Really, someone come and save her!
"Then I'll leave you a few servants, all of whom are family-born children. I'll pay their monthly salary, so you don't have to trouble Miss He." Gu Wanping said tentatively.
Qin Chaochao folded her hands and watched the fun from the side. When she saw He Huaixiu heard what was going on, she pinched the hem of her clothes tightly and patted her back quietly and gently.
He Huaixiu looked at Qin Chaochao with gratitude.
Qin Chaochao smiled back.
"Mom, don't say that. I don't treat Xiuxiu as a slave. In my heart, Xiuxiu is my wife. And without slaves, we just eat some simple home-cooked meals and keep each other company. During the heavy snowstorm during the New Year period, I think you all know how dangerous the situation was. I often go out to rescue and comfort the people. Many displaced people have nowhere to go. Xiuxiu took the initiative to propose that she could live in my house. She would be responsible for cooking for these people and helping me settle them. At that time, I was too busy to do anything else and could only take care of my head and not my butt. So Xiuxiu gave me a lot of help later. I think this is something that an ordinary official's daughter can't do." Yao Wenyuan said seriously.
Gu Wanping listened attentively. He Huaixiu didn't say anything when she saw that Gu Wanping didn't think highly of him. He quietly left the room, went to the kitchen to get some warm water, made some tea, and then arranged the snacks he had brought back from Yiji on a plate. He placed them on the table between Gu Wanping and Qin Chaochao, then said softly, "Aunts, you must have been traveling all the way here. Have some tea and some snacks to fill your stomach."
Gu Wanping originally wanted to refute Yao Wenyuan, saying that there were many women in Kyoto who were good at managing the household and could do what Yao Wenyuan said. However, when she saw He Huaixiu bringing her tea, she stopped talking for a moment.
"Oh, Xiuxiu, you are so thoughtful. I am thirsty." Qin Chaochao picked up the teacup with a smile.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
