He knew it was irrational, that person had been dead for over a decade. He just suddenly wanted to press her, as if that would reveal something. Or maybe it was just a way to vent his emotions. It wasn't until Yi Ning passed away that day that he slowly calmed down.
...It's better to see less of her in the future.
As for Old Madam Wei, after Luo Yining had sent Lu Jiaxue away, Madam Xu spoke with some hesitation, "Old Madam, this is your family's business, so I'm not in a position to speak up... But I've noticed that Yining is the one calling the shots in the mansion. She's only a young girl, and she's so inexperienced, yet you're so confident in letting her run the place?"
Old Madam Wei leaned against her pillow and sighed, "Wei Ling hasn't married yet... I'm not feeling well now, and Yi Ning is doing well. I've also seen the account books she handled."
Mrs. Xu sighed and said, "Old lady, you are too careless!"
That morning, she was drinking tea in the front yard when she saw someone outside, hands behind their backs, peering in. Noticing her attention, the plump steward came in to greet her, grinning, "You must be the headmaster, right? I'm Li Gui, the steward of the farm. I've come specially to pay my respects to you!"
He was carrying a mallard duck and a basket of crabs, saying they were gifts for her.
When Xu saw him carrying something, she frowned. After asking, she found out that Manager Li came to talk about the rent of the farm.
"...The rent was originally decided by the young lady, so I can't interfere. But the rent for this land is already low, 30% isn't enough. This year's harvest was poor, yet the young lady insisted on not raising the rent. Other people's land is rented at 40% or 50%. It's good that the young lady is kind-hearted and cares about the tenants. But opening a farm is not a charity, so how can the young lady make such a haphazard decision? No amount of family fortune would be enough to squander it."
After hearing this, Xu felt that what Yi Ning did was not right and asked, "Is this really the case?"
"How could I have dared to deceive you?" said Manager Li. "It was all for the sake of the master! The young lady is really too young to be in charge. I and the others have been farming for over ten years and know more than she does. But she refused to listen to our advice. We are truly unconvinced."
Xu thought it made sense and took note of it. As for the mallard and crab, she let him take them back, as she didn't even care about them.
She told Old Lady Wei about this: "I'm not saying anything bad about her, but I'm afraid she's still not up to the task of housekeeping."
Now they were the only ones left in the mansion, and their son's life or death was uncertain. Old Madam Wei would not hurt her granddaughter's heart at this time. She thought for a moment and said, "Wait until I send someone to see if what the steward said is true."
*
After Yining met Lu Jiaxue, he was thinking about what he had said.
While the current emperor is considered a wise ruler, having reduced taxes and labor service since taking office and even dredged the canal, he suffers from a mercurial temper and favors eunuchs. What if he ever loses his temper again? Yi Ning had been practicing calligraphy to calm her mind, but after a long while, she crumpled up the paper and threw it away. After some thought, she decided to write a letter to Luo Shenyuan. It's better to consult officials when analyzing court affairs.
Yi Ning thought she would receive a reply from him soon, but unexpectedly, he came to her house in person the next day.
It was a day off today, so he wore casual clothes.
"Let me take you for a walk," he said. "It's a rare day off."
She had indeed been exhausted these past few days. She had been feeling depressed since Wei Ling's accident, so it was a good time to go out and take a look. Yi Ning didn't know where he was taking her. But since it was her third brother who was taking her out, there was nothing to worry about.
Luo Shenyuan went to pay his respects to Old Madam Wei before leading her out. Yi Ning sat in the carriage, lost in thought. She looked up and saw him pursing his lips in the dim light. He seemed to be lost in thought, too, and remained silent the entire way.
"Third brother." Yining suddenly called him, "What on earth... happened?"
She felt that Luo Shenyuan was a little abnormal.
Luo Shenyuan raised his head and looked at her. He kept looking at her without moving his eyes away. Yi Ning was a little suspicious, so Luo Shenyuan looked away and said, "The Sun family has canceled the engagement."
In reality, the two families hadn't engaged, but it wasn't considered a broken engagement either. However, Madam Sun spoke to the old lady of the Xue family, who had produced two ministers, and said that they probably wouldn't have any further contact.
Luo Yining thought that this day would come sooner or later. She didn't know what Luo Shenyuan meant by suddenly saying this. Was he trying to comfort him? She was thinking about what to say when a cold hand touched her and ruffled her hair: "Don't think too much, I don't mean anything else."
...It doesn't mean anything?
He continued, "There are several pleasure boats downstairs from the Xiangyun Restaurant in the east of the city. It's usually not very busy, but right now they're having a lotus viewing party. I'll take you there to see it."
Xiangyun Restaurant wasn't far from Yujing Hutong. Many pleasure boats were moored near the riverbank, linked by chains and leaning against the Xiangyun Restaurant's blue brick facade. The shimmering water reflected the boats. It was certainly bustling at that hour, and the boats were decorated with pots of various beautifully cultivated water lilies.
As soon as Yi Ning got off the carriage, he saw a few people standing there. After seeing Luo Shenyuan, he bowed to him and said, "Sir, everything is ready."
Luo Shenyuan nodded and took Yining down the stairs.
Yining was still wearing a cloak. She had been confined to her boudoir since childhood and rarely ventured out, so she found her surroundings somewhat strange. There were many gentlemen among the people passing by, but the women were all delicate and graceful, some wearing silk jackets or gauze gowns. When they saw her, they would glance at her curiously, but with good intentions.
She rarely comes to places like this!
Seeing the pleasure boat bobbing in the water, Yi Ning hesitated. She rarely rode a boat. As she hesitated, a hand reached out. His hand was outstretched, palm facing upward. His middle finger seemed much longer than the others, its pads covered in calluses. As she reached out, he grasped it, tightened his grip, and then led her over.
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