Jiang Yuwei sneered upon hearing this.
"Ha, the Li family is really determined to oppose me. I thought that since your marriage to the young master has been called off, we should just leave each other alone. But now that you've acted like this, I don't want to let you off so easily."
Jiang Yuwei waved her hand and said, "Let's go. Now that we've finished dealing with things here, let's go to the General's Mansion."
After saying that, he had Xia Yue lock the door and then left with her and Yun Qing.
The shop was very close to the general's mansion. The three of them walked for a short while and arrived at the mansion. Before they even got close, they saw Lin Hu pacing back and forth at the entrance.
Jiang Yuwei frowned, stepped forward, and asked:
What are you doing here?
When Lin Hu saw that it was Jiang Yuwei, he quickly greeted her with a smile.
"I was just wondering why Aunt Zhou's family hadn't been setting up their stall lately, so I thought I'd come and check on them. But when I knocked on the door, no one answered, so I was worried something might have happened inside. I was thinking of whether I should just barge in and see."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei frowned and looked at Lin Hu coldly, saying:
"Didn't you just ask this yesterday? Why are you asking again today? Did Ning Wu not explain it clearly to you?"
Lin Hu's face turned slightly embarrassed upon hearing this, then he looked towards the door, touched his nose, and said:
"I'm just worried that something might happen to them. The young master personally contacted me about that stall, so I have to take good care of it. If they stop setting up their stall because of me, then I won't be able to explain myself."
Jiang Yuwei smiled faintly.
"Then I must thank you for your concern. But don't worry, as long as we keep to ourselves, the young master won't cause you any trouble. With us occupying that stall, you'll collect far less protection money. Now that we're gone, you should be happy."
Upon hearing this, Lin Hu quickly smiled apologetically and said:
“Madam Jiang, what are you saying? Do you think I, Lin Hu, am that kind of person? I would rather not make any money than not leave that stall for you. I’ve developed a good relationship with Aunt Zhou and the others. I’ve really felt a bit out of place not seeing them for the past few days.”
Perhaps Lin Hu realized that his words were somewhat insincere, so he touched his nose and continued to laugh:
"For example, many of my regular customers have been asking me why Aunt Zhou and her family no longer set up their stall. It's a real shame that we can't eat the snacks they make anymore."
Jiang Yuwei smiled when she heard Lin Hu say that:
"Thank you for your trouble. We won't be setting up a stall there anymore. Now that we've bought our own shop, we'll be doing business there, so we won't need to set up a stall anymore. You won't need to come all this way to check on Aunt Zhou and the others anymore."
Lin Hu blushed slightly upon hearing Jiang Yuwei's words; he hadn't expected her to be so blunt.
Moreover, she just said that she would no longer set up a stall on her own territory, so she had even less reason to linger at the entrance of the General's Mansion.
Thinking this through, Lin Hu gritted his teeth and said:
“Madam Jiang, it’s a good thing that you bought the shop, but I really can’t bear to part with Aunt Zhou and the others. I think I’ll see them again and have a chat with them, and then I’ll feel at ease.”
Jiang Yuwei's lips curled slightly.
“I didn’t expect you to be such a loyal and affectionate person. But Aunt Zhou and the others told me that they don’t have much of a relationship with you. If you insist on saying goodbye to them, that’s fine.”
As she spoke, Jiang Yuwei turned to Xia Yue and instructed her:
"Xia Yue, go in and call Aunt Zhou and the others out. Say goodbye to Lin Hu, and that will fulfill their wish."
Seeing this, Lin Hu hurriedly said:
"No need for that trouble. You don't need to send this girl inside. I'll just go with you into the mansion and say a few words to Aunt Zhou and the others."
Jiang Yuwei didn't speak, but Xia Yue smiled faintly at Lin Hu:
"No trouble at all, please wait outside for a moment."
As she spoke, Xia Yue opened the door, first letting Jiang Yuwei go in before following her in.
Yun Qing stood guard outside the door, fearing that Lin Hu might do something bad again in desperation.
Xia Yue entered the mansion and, finding no one in the front, hurriedly ran to the backyard.
"Aunt Zhou, Uncle Cai, you two need to come out quickly. Lin Hu has been making excuses to loiter around the entrance of our General's Mansion these past few days. Madam wants you all to go out and say goodbye to him so that he won't have to bother coming over again."
Aunt Zhou and Uncle Youcai exchanged glances after hearing this, both feeling a bit strange. After all, their family didn't really have any connection with Lin Hu. But since Jiang Yuwei had spoken, they could only call everyone to go out and say a few words to Lin Hu.
Jiang Yuwei strolled around the mansion and, seeing that all the traps and mechanisms were in place, felt somewhat relieved. She then went to find Cheng Yi.
"Cheng Yi, from now on you will be guards of the General's Mansion when you come to the mansion. The General said you are a capable person and know how to coordinate people, so we plan to make you the steward of the General's Mansion. In the future, you will be in charge of managing the veterans under your command."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Yi immediately bowed respectfully to Jiang Yuwei to express his gratitude.
"From now on, the guards will have to patrol the entire courtyard day and night in shifts. This matter must not be taken lightly. Two guards must be stationed at both the front and back gates to prevent strangers from entering the mansion."
Jiang Yuwei paused for a moment, then continued:
"We have set up many traps in this courtyard right now, and I'm sure Steward Cheng is aware of that. So we must not let our guard down when it comes to protecting the courtyard, or it could easily lead to a disaster."
Although Ning Huaizhi didn't make his intentions very clear when he asked Cheng Yi to contact these former subordinates, Cheng Yi naturally knew that a general's mansion would not need so many guards.
The reason he has gathered so many people is partly because General Ning cherishes old friendships and wants these former subordinates to enjoy a peaceful retirement with him.
But the general didn't say the more important reason. Although Cheng Yi couldn't ask, he still had to keep this in mind at all times.
Thinking this, Cheng Yi spoke up:
"Don't worry, Madam, I will keep a close eye on them."
Jiang Yuwei nodded.
"But using so many people as guards is indeed a bit too much. You can select a few people from your group to work in the kitchen, working with Uncle Youcai. He is another steward in our household. You will have different roles, so you need to communicate more and coordinate well."
Cheng Yi nodded upon hearing this:
"Alright, I understand, Madam. I'll pick a few suitable ones and send them over for Butler Ning to train them."
Jiang Yuwei smiled and continued:
"Well, don't think that sending them to the kitchen is a waste of their talents. Their official roles are to work with Aunt Zhou in the store as waiters and sellers. More importantly, they will be responsible for maintaining the store's security and protecting Aunt Zhou and the others."
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