After the two entered the room, members of the Qiu Clan sneaked around the back wall and pressed their ears against it to eavesdrop.
When Yu Siyu saw that she refused to admit it, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and chuckled. "Younger Sister, you don't have to play dumb with me. I've known about you for a long time. I've been waiting for you to come back all these years! It's so pitiful that you went to that kind of family and suffered so much. Quickly tell Older Sister about it. "
She picked up the girl's slightly rough and scarred hand and gently patted it.
Yu Miaoqi forcefully pulled her hand back and forced a smile. "Older Sister, what nonsense are you saying? I've always been fostered at Shuiyue Nunnery, so how could I have any other family? I haven't seen my mother in a long time and miss her very much, so I'm going back to accompany her. When I have time in the future, I'll visit Older Sister again. "After she finished speaking, she quickly left, ignoring Yu Siyu's pleas to stay.
When she was far away, members of the Qiu Clan crept out from behind the wall and pushed open the door. They advised, "Eldest Miss, you're really muddle-headed! It's one thing for you to know such a secret, but why did you have to bring it up in front of her? Are you afraid that she won't miss you? You'll be able to get married after this period of time, so don't cause any more trouble. "
"You old dog, you're eavesdropping on me again. Sooner or later, the heavens will send down a bolt of divine lightning to strike you to death! Why don't you go to Yu Xiang and tell her about her family background if you have the ability? If you dare, I'll give you five hundred taels of silver! "Yu Siyu pointed at her nose and scolded angrily.
The Qiu Clan member lowered her voice and said, "Even if Young Miss gave me fifty thousand taels of silver, I wouldn't dare to ask for it, let alone five hundred taels of silver. If this matter were to blow up, Master Hou would skin me alive and chop me into minced meat, and that would be considered light punishment. Who knows, he might even kill my entire family. Young Miss, why do you want to send me to my death in vain? "
When she thought about how her older brother doted on Yu Xiang, Yu Siyu fell silent and tore her handkerchief to vent her anger.
The Qiu Clan continued to persuade her. "Miss, you really made a mistake today. You think that by revealing Second Miss's identity, you're trying to form an alliance with someone who knows you well, but in fact, it's the exact opposite. It's fine if you don't say anything, but once you do, she'll definitely hate you. Think about it, if you ask the merchant to take Miss Xiang 'er away, wouldn't her past be exposed? Being fourteen years old in the Shang Family and being fourteen years old in the Marquis Household were completely different. Now that this matter had blown up, the one who found it most difficult to maintain her standing was not Miss Xiang'er, but her. How could she still have the face to meet others in the future? Don't you think she'll be afraid and hate you if you rashly expose it in front of her? Who knows how he'll deal with you in the future. "
Yu Siyu carefully digested her words. The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. She put on a strong front and sneered, "Don't be an alarmist. His younger sister looked like a gentle person. She was different from Yu Xiang, who was a shrew. Moreover, even if she hated me, what could she do to me? She and the Lin Clan's status in the Marquis Household isn't even as high as mine. "
Just as they were speaking, Yu Miaoqi's head maidservant, Bao Sheng, reported from outside the door, "Eldest Miss, Second Miss sent this servant to deliver something to you. She said that she left in a hurry this time and is truly sorry. She wants you to visit her more often in the future. You're all sisters, so you should be of one mind. "
Yu Siyu opened the brocade box that Bao Sheng had delivered and discovered a set of exquisitely crafted eight-treasure jadeite head ornaments inlaid with gold. It felt heavy in her hands and was a bit dazzling.
She happily sent away Bao Sheng and smugly looked towards the Qiu Clan. "Look, she's trying to win me over. As expected, she has a soft personality and is easy to manipulate. With her as my tool, Yu Xiang's going to suffer in the future. "
Soft personality? The Qiu Clan shook their heads as they lifted the curtain and left. Although that Yu Miaoqi's face was gentle and clean, her eyes were very cloudy and emitted a sinister aura. If Yu Siyu were to mix with her, Eldest Miss wouldn't even know how she died. Forget it, since Eldest Miss doesn't believe me, I'll just say less.
Yu Miaoqi walked on a dimly lit path with towering trees on both sides. The Family Shen used to be a tycoon. There were pavilions and pagodas everywhere in the house, and it was a dazzling sight. She originally thought that the Family Shen's status was only a bit lower than other families', but after returning to the Marquis Household, she realized that the difference between the two families was like heaven and earth.
The Marquis Household didn't have any exquisitely carved beams or painted rafters. It was the most rigid and orthodox square building. The colors weren't the usual gold, green, red, and blue of wealthy families, but a dull green. Even the plants in the courtyard were mostly giant trees instead of flowering trees.
However, it was such a simple structure that gave off a grandiose aura that could swallow everything. Inside it, one would feel especially small. Yu Miaoqi walked to the front of the Lin Clan's house and raised her head to look at the beast-shaped roof on the porch. Its big mouth looked as if it wanted to swallow her whole.
She shook her head. She was both shocked and happy. So this was the so-called prestigious family, a century-old family. And from now on, she would be the legitimate daughter of this family. She would have an even greater and more glorious future. If anyone tried to stop her, they would be her enemy and she would do everything in her power to get rid of them.
After standing still for a long time, she calmed down. She ordered Bao Sheng to deliver something to Yu Siyu as she walked towards the Lin Clan's house.
"My child, you're back. Here are some bolts of cloth. Come and take a look. After matching the colors, I'll have the tailor make some spring clothes for you." Seeing that their daughter had returned, the Lin Clan happily welcomed her.
Yu Miaoqi walked over to inspect the cloth. It was all expensive Sichuan brocade, but the colors were somewhat old-fashioned. She couldn't help but frown.
The Lin Clan felt something and hurriedly explained, "These are the satin that Mother saved up a few years ago. They're all tributes and are very precious. Although the colors are no longer fashionable, they're still good enough to make a few gowns." After saying that, she waved to Mama Kim, "Go and call the shopkeeper of Splendid Pavilion over. Tell her to only bring the most expensive jewelry and cloth. My daughter wants to choose."
Mama Kim obeyed the order and left. The Lin Clan pulled open a bolt of cloth and placed it on their daughter's body.
Yu Miaoqi dismissed all the maidservants in the house and asked in a low voice, "Mother, how did Yu Siyu know about my background?"
"Ah, if you didn't mention it, I would have forgotten about it!" The Lin Clan's expression changed greatly, "That year, your grandmother and I were discussing how to send Yu Xiang away, and she happened to overhear it."
"Mother, she even asked me today why I didn't let the Family Shen take Yu Xiang away. I was so shocked that I couldn't find the words to reply to her for a moment. Mother, what if she spreads the news about me? How will I face people in the future? "Yu Miaoqi took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears. After thinking for a long time, she finally decided to tell the Lin Clan and let the Lin Clan deal with Yu Siyu. She had just returned home and hadn't yet found her footing. It would be extremely difficult for her to get rid of Yu Siyu. It would be cheaper for the Lin Clan to do it.
She also wanted to get rid of Yu Xiang, but the premise was that her background couldn't be exposed. Now, she had no way to deal with Yu Xiang. She had nowhere to vent the grievances and resentment in her heart, but Yu Siyu had to bump into her and bring her bad luck!
The Lin Clan was also furious and cursed in a low voice, "That lowly wench isn't easy to deal with. She wants to use you as a tool to deal with Yu Xiang. Don't worry, Mother will definitely think of a way to get rid of her! It's too bad that your older brother and Old Ancestor didn't agree to let Yu Xiang live alone in the farmstead. Son, bear with it for a few days. Mother will think of another way. "
When Yu Miaoqi heard this, her heart trembled. She hurriedly said, "Mother, what did you say to Grandmother and Older Brother?" She was afraid that the Lin Clan would push this matter onto her and cause her older brother and grandmother to dislike her.
"I said that keeping her in the manor would be an eyesore, so it would be better to send her away. My son, I know what I'm saying. Don't worry. "The Lin Clan wasn't stupid. They just didn't want to be clear-headed. She knew very well what to do to make her daughter happy and satisfied.
Yu Miaoqi breathed a sigh of relief. She threw herself into the Lin Clan's arms and cried softly. Prefecture Yu was completely different from what she had imagined. She had thought that her family, whom she hadn't seen in years, would welcome her home in the most enthusiastic way, but in the end, they were even more indifferent than the last. Only the Lin Clan treated her wholeheartedly. No matter how cold her heart was, it warmed up a little.
The Lin Clan patted her back and promised again, "Mother is here, so don't worry. Mother will definitely think of a way to get Yu Siyu far away so that she won't get in your way again. As for Yu Xiang, let's take it slow. She's not a child of the Marquis Household, yet she still wants to occupy the Marquis Household's territory. She's not afraid of shortening her life! "
The mother and daughter hugged and chatted for a while. Mama Kim led the shopkeeper of Splendid Pavilion over, followed by many maidservants carrying boxes.
When the red lacquered boxes were opened, there were all kinds of precious jewels and fabrics. When the sun shone, the entire room was filled with sparkling colors. It was so dazzling that they couldn't open their eyes.
"Madam, feel free to choose whatever you like. These are all the latest jewels and fabrics this year. They're treasures at the bottom of the box. If it were any other store, I wouldn't be willing to take them out. "The shopkeeper smiled very flatteringly.
The Lin Clan led Yu Miaoqi forward to choose. She wore this hairpin and that gauze draped over her shoulders. She simply couldn't bear to part with them. After choosing for more than an hour, the Lin Clan pointed to several boxes and slowly said, "How much are these worth? Calculate it for me. I'll take them all."
The shopkeeper adhered to the principle of doing more and talking less. Although he was very curious about Yu Miaoqi's identity, he didn't take another look. He picked up the little golden abacus hanging in front of his chest and fiddled with it for a while. He smiled flatteringly and said, "Madam, the total is three thousand five hundred and sixty-eight taels. Please give me a matching tile so that I can withdraw the money from the accounts."
"Matching tile? What matching tile?" The Lin Clan was stunned.
"This is the fu's rule. You actually don't know? Miss Xiang 'er said that anyone who spends more than a hundred taels has to write a note and go to her place to get a matching tile. The accounts will only withdraw the money if they have a matching tile. Towards the end of the year, Miss Xiang 'er has an account book, this commoner has an account book, and the accounts master has an account book. These three account books all need to be accounted for. Not a single cent can be wrong. "The shopkeeper was speechless as he explained. When it came to managing a household, Miss Xiang 'er was the only one in the entire capital who had such skills.
There was a saying that when the water was too clear, there would be no fish. The mistress of the household usually turned a blind eye to the corruption of the servants and pretended not to see it. However, Miss Xiang 'er couldn't tolerate sand in her eyes. She formulated a set of extremely strict accounting methods that made it difficult for anyone to steal a needle.
Miss Xiang 'er had a good saying — — you eat my food, wear my clothes, and use my things. Your entire family depends on me to support you, yet you still steal my things behind my back. You have the heart of a wolf and lungs of a dog, so why should I indulge you? It's not like I'm a saint!
This sentence simply struck a chord in the shopkeeper's heart. She secretly asked Miss Xiang 'er for advice, and the accounts of the several branches all followed this list. Since then, the atmosphere had become much clearer, and she felt very comfortable.
The shopkeeper was full of praise for Yu Xiang, but the Lin Clan exploded in anger. She questioned, "Since when do I need to report to her when I buy things? Who does she think she is … "Realizing that she had misspoken, the Lin Clan hurriedly covered her mouth with a handkerchief.
The shopkeeper pretended that he didn't hear anything and said with a smile, "Miss Xiang 'er has been managing this household for four years. She set this rule early on, so this commoner has no choice. You don't want to let this commoner have a matching tile, but you can't let this commoner go to the accounts room and rob it, right? The fu's patrolling guards would chop this commoner up! Madam, you can send someone to ask Miss Xiang 'er. It'll only take half a cup of tea's time. "
The Lin Clan had no choice but to send Mama Kim to get a matching tile.