When Min Yueqing returned to Hejing Courtyard, it was already late. She casually entered an empty room, removed the disguise from her face, and then headed towards her bedroom.
As soon as she entered, she bumped into Amei face to face. Amei saw that Min Yueqing was dressed in men's clothing and knew that her young lady must have gone out of the manor again. She did not dare to question her young lady's behavior, so she could only silently look at Min Yueqing with disapproval.
Min Yueqing... naturally pretended not to see it. Not only that, Min Yueqing also naturally greeted her, "Was the journey smooth?"
Ah Mei was helpless.
On the one hand, she was very pleased with the fact that her daughter's personality had become so strong and decisive, which was much better than her previous sickly and easily manipulated behavior. On the other hand, she was often worried that her daughter's behavior was too unconventional and disregarded the restrictions imposed on women by social norms.
However, Amei could only share these worries with Azhu in private; she dared not utter a word about them in public, let alone in front of Min Yueqing. Therefore, she had no choice but to obediently answer Min Yueqing's questions.
"It went very smoothly. When Old Li heard that we were coming back today, he not only instructed his family yesterday to make a lot of long-lasting dry food according to Miss's instructions, but also called people from the village to help us pick most of the seasonal vegetables in the village, and also picked several baskets of persimmons and dates, all of which were loaded onto the cart for us to bring."
The load was so large that it couldn't fit in two carriages, so they temporarily requisitioned Min Yueqing's, Pei Ji's, and Shi Tou's horses to help transport it.
Min Yueqing nodded slightly after hearing this, and then asked, "Where is A-Mo?"
Amei replied, "Amo was overjoyed to hear that Miss was taking the young master to the southwest, and so soon. He went straight to organize the books the young master wanted as soon as he got back to the manor, and he's probably still in the study now."
Min Yueqing couldn't help but chuckle, then asked, "Did anyone come to the main courtyard today?"
Given Liu's personality, she shouldn't have kept it so quiet. Knowing they were coming back, she didn't send anyone to inquire about the news or express her condolences, thus failing to make her presence as the housekeeper felt. It's truly strange.
Amei arrived a little earlier than Min Yueqing and was unaware of the main courtyard's movements. She looked at the maid behind her, who replied, "I haven't seen anyone from the main courtyard come over."
Min Yueqing pondered that it might be related to the medicine that Liu had deliberately given them. However, judging from the current situation, Liu was at least not in mortal danger, otherwise the main courtyard would have been in an uproar long ago.
Min Yueqing had little interest in the Liu family.
Since Liu Shi wasn't actively causing trouble, Min Yueqing was happy to relax. She really didn't have time to play any domestic power struggles with Liu Shi right now.
As they were talking, a series of "thump-thump-thump" footsteps suddenly came from outside the door. Min Yueqing couldn't help but smile. These lively footsteps were obviously those of Xiaozaizai and Shitou.
Sure enough, two figures, one large and one small, soon appeared at the door.
Pei Ji ran up to Min Yueqing in a flash, pouted her little lips, and said in a wronged tone, "Mommy, you're finally back."
This time, the little one wasn't covered in sweat; instead, he was clean and refreshed, and you could even smell the scent of soap if you got close, indicating he had just taken a bath. Min Yueqing comfortably embraced the little one's soft little body and quickly changed the subject, "Did you exercise well today?"
Pei Ji said proudly, "Yes, I did practice the horse stance for half an incense stick's time longer today than before!"
Min Yueqing patted his little head as a reward, then turned to Shi Tou and asked, "How do you feel about exercising now? Is it different from before when you were in the manor?"
Stone honestly replied, "It feels much easier than before, and I feel like I can work a little longer."
Min Yueqing nodded slightly. This was the benefit of practicing martial arts. As long as you could persevere, the most obvious improvement would be in physical fitness and stamina.
The next morning, Min Yueqing was sitting in the courtyard watching her two children exercise when she heard a servant come from the courtyard: "Madam, Steward Liu has arrived."
Min Yueqing told him to bring the people over directly.
Manager Liu didn't come alone this time; he brought several carriages and more than a dozen employees. Judging from Manager Liu's expression, Min Yueqing knew that all the items on her order must have been purchased.
Sure enough, after paying his respects, Steward Liu's first words were, "Madam, everything has been prepared. Here is a detailed list of the goods carried by each carriage."
Manager Liu was not only capable but also meticulous. This was like giving Min Yueqing a catalog; she could simply take out the catalog, flip through it, and find the corresponding item on the carriage. It was extremely convenient.
Min Yueqing nodded approvingly and said, "You're so thoughtful. This list makes things much easier."
Steward Liu added, "These servants are all trained by our household. They are reliable and of suitable age. It won't do for Madam to go to such a far place with only maids by her side. Let them go with her. At least they can help watch the luggage along the way."
Min Yueqing agreed, which saved her the trouble of going out to find someone again tomorrow. Besides, in terms of reliability, people found outside are naturally not as reliable as those brought from the original owner's family.
Min Yueqing said, "Once I leave, all these estates and shops will fall on your shoulders, and you'll have to put in a lot of effort. From now on, your salary will be doubled. If you're too busy, you can take on a few apprentices to help out, but don't overwork yourself."
Manager Liu responded with a look of satisfaction. He silently marveled at how his young mistress had truly grown up, becoming more and more sensible, and even remembering to care about them, these old folks.
Amei and her companion have been working non-stop since they got up today. They are still in the house with the maids packing up their valuables and luggage. They are so busy that their feet barely touch the ground. Min Yueqing asked Pei Ji and Shi Tou to help guide the workers to settle the carriages and horses. The goods on the carriages do not need to be unloaded. They can be directly harnessed to horses and transported away tomorrow.
Min Yueqing stood up and led Steward Liu into the empty east wing alone. This was thanks to Amei and the other woman; all the maids had been assigned to work as servants and were too busy to guard the room.
Min Yueqing first asked Steward Liu to sit down, then pretended to go back to her bedroom to get something, but in reality she took out a small sealed box from her spatial storage.
Min Yueqing returned to the east wing and handed the small box to Steward Liu, instructing him: "Be sure to find a trustworthy person to personally deliver it to my parents or brother after I leave the capital."
The box wasn't large, and Steward Liu carefully put it away close to his body, replying, "Madam, rest assured, I have someone who frequently interacts with the household. His whole family are old servants of our household, so entrusting this matter to him will definitely not go wrong."
Min Yueqing nodded. "I'm at ease leaving this to you. You've worked hard these past two days, go back and get some rest."
Knowing that his young mistress was about to travel and must be busy with many matters, Steward Liu agreed to go.
Min Yueqing breathed a sigh of relief. This was the last major concern on her mind before she left. Now that everything was mostly resolved, they should leave early tomorrow morning.
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