Lu Yan was very excited every day, and she would go to that mansion two or three times a day.
When she returned that day, she scratched her head and found Qin Xiaozhou. "Sister-in-law, the new plaque on that house says 'Lu Mansion'. That house was given to you by Miss Zhu, shouldn't it say 'Qin Mansion'? I asked Qiushi to change it, but he wouldn't listen."
Lu Yan couldn't understand why Qiu Shi would give the house a surname that didn't belong to him.
Lu Yunfeng came in from the doorway. "Tell him to go and change it again. Just say it's your sister-in-law's idea. If he doesn't listen to you, take the indenture and send him away. We don't need a disobedient and self-willed servant."
"Mmm." Lu Yan nodded repeatedly and ran away.
Qin Xiaozhou felt uncomfortable. She had clearly stated that she was the owner of that mansion that day, so how could someone not recognize her?
Lu Yunfeng chuckled and squeezed her hand to relax her. "Don't be angry. We'll move in tomorrow, and you can set some rules to let them know that you're in charge in our family."
"Hmph. You're the only one who knows how to sweet-talk me."
When Manager Qin moved, many people came upon hearing the news.
There were already quite a few people at the entrance early in the morning, all of them business associates or people who wanted to make friends. Qin Xiaozhou waved his hand and ordered a grand banquet.
Visitors only need to look up to see the two large characters on the plaque – 'Qin Mansion'.
Everyone shook their heads and whispered among themselves, "I didn't expect it to be the Qin family? Shouldn't it be the Lu family?"
"What kind of woman establishes a household using her own surname? Where does that leave her husband?"
"Outrageous! Outrageous! Violating the husband's authority and disregarding ethics."
Some people countered, "Manager Qin is a heroine among women. The clothes in her embroidery shop and the fabrics from her textile factory are sold far and wide to the capital and Nanjing. She supports more than 400 women and runs a school. Why should such a woman have to hide behind her husband to be considered to be following the rules?"
"That's right, Manager Qin is the guiding light for so many women. You men just can't stand seeing women who are more capable than you, and you don't dare to admit that any woman is more capable than you!"
"Also, Manager Qin is a good woman. Don't use your filthy thoughts to speculate about her. She is virtuous and upright. If you can't find anything to attack her for, are you going to spread rumors about her?"
Many people were red in the face from the argument, and the courtyard was divided into two factions, arguing fiercely.
Lu Yan was about to go up and argue with them from the crowd.
Qin Jinxiu pulled her back, "These are all low-class people who judge others by their gender. There's no need to waste time with them."
Lu Yan snorted and pulled Qin Jinxiu to the side hall. "Come on, I'll take you to eat. This time, the dishes were prepared and delivered by Chen Haiping Restaurant. The braised pork knuckle and pork intestines are especially delicious."
Qin Xiaozhou could hear the commotion in the courtyard from afar while she was in the main hall. She and Lu Yunfeng were sitting in the main seats, and she did not go to the flower hall to entertain the female guests because of the taboo against men and women touching each other. At this moment, she ignored the comments outside and just lowered her head to drink tea.
Shen Baishan personally delivered the congratulatory gift, feeling he was being very generous. Leaning back in his chair, he smiled maliciously, "Isn't Manager Qin going to do something about this?"
"People can say whatever they want; their words and actions reflect their upbringing and knowledge. What does it have to do with me?" Qin Xiaozhou said calmly. "Does saying that Mr. Shen is into homosexuality mean you actually are into homosexuality?"
"You, you..." Shen Baishan's face turned pale and then red, "You're so quick-witted."
Qin Xiaozhou chuckled, "You flatter me, you flatter me. I'm no match for those gossipy people outside."
Someone entered the main hall and overheard this conversation, leaving them feeling incredibly awkward.
Qin Xiaozhou remained calm and composed. "Thank you all for coming to give our congratulatory gifts and for putting on this show. Consider it a way to entertain us."
The people who were arguing just moments before suddenly turned red in the face, lowered their heads, and awkwardly sat down in small groups at the table, no longer mentioning the name of the mansion.
Chen Haiping was in the courtyard calling for the restaurant staff to bring over the dishes when he overheard these rumors. He took the opportunity to quietly ask Qin Xiaozhou, "Manager Qin, aren't you afraid of offending people?"
"Tch, those people are so petty, their minds are as small as the eye of a needle. How much can they achieve?" Gu Yunyao interjected.
She brought her child and presented a gift, saying to Qin Xiaozhou, "I really like the plaque on your gate."
Chen Haiping cupped his hands in farewell and took his leave.
Qin Xiaozhou patted the two children's heads and said, "You've come at the right time. We're just about to start the feast. Please take your seats."
Qin Xiaozhou arranged for the mother and her two children to sit at the main table. Zhao Fang and Wang Lan, who had to take care of their children, sat down early and did not greet the guests. Lu Yan led Qin Jinxiu to greet the relatives from the village and have them seated.
Only Li Fengxian's family and Wang Li with his son and daughter-in-law came from Wangjia Village, followed by Lu Yu's family of three and Zhao's family.
As for other relatives, we had already become estranged in the past two years, and even if we get closer this year, it's not the same.
The rest of the guests were merchants who had business dealings with the county town, as well as a few of Lu Yunxing's classmates and teachers. It was the county magistrate's advisor who came to personally deliver the congratulatory gift, which made Qin Xiaozhou feel flattered.
Not only her, but everyone present began to pay more and more attention to Qin Xiaozhou.
The housewarming banquet ended in a lively atmosphere, and after the guests left, Zhao's two uncles went back to the Lu family home to continue looking after the chickens, ducks, and geese, and also to guard the house. The rest of the Zhao family also left together.
As the sun set, Li Changpu took his wife, children, and master home, while Zhao Fang and Wang Lan stayed with their child.
Lu Yan darted around the backyard veranda like a little swallow, saying, "Grandma, Mom, come quick! There are so many houses here. My sister-in-law said we can choose whichever we want to live in."
Wang Lan followed behind her, dumbfounded, staring at the covered walkway, artificial hill, and koi in front of her. "You can build a pond at home? And raise fish there?"
Lu Yan was overjoyed. "Grandma, there are fish in the pond in our embroidery building now. I'll take you to see them tomorrow."
Although Zhao Fang had been to the embroidery building before, she still found it unbelievable to see such a large house again. "Such a big place is actually our home. This house is really beautiful."
Xiao Si leaned on the railing of the veranda, pointing at the fish in the water, "Eat, eat fish."
"Oh, you silly child, these are such beautiful fish, why do you only think about eating them?" Wang Lan said with a smile, pulling her grandson along.
"The old folks say that the brighter the color of something, the less you should eat it. This fish is so beautiful, with red, yellow and white colors, it's definitely not edible. It's better to raise a few edible fish so you don't have to spend money to buy them."
"Haha, my sister-in-law said this one costs seven or eight taels of silver. Grandma, if you want to eat one, just scoop one up and see if you can eat it."
Wang Lan was shocked. "Oh my! What kind of fish is this? It's so expensive!"
Seven or eight taels of silver is enough for a farmer to eat for a year.
Lu Yan teased the fish with a small bamboo pole, saying, "This fish is called a koi. It's for looking at. My sister-in-law said that raising one will bring good luck. Rich people all like this kind of thing. Some koi can cost over a hundred taels of silver."
Lu Yunxing was in a good mood today and drank two cups of wine with his teacher and classmates. He couldn't hold his liquor, so his face was flushed and he grinned foolishly, "Sister-in-law said, sister-in-law said, Xiao Yan, you're going to become sister-in-law's little shadow."
"Second brother, I'm just my sister-in-law's little shadow, hmph."
A few people playing and laughing on the veranda instantly brought life to the quiet courtyard, making it more lively.
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