Yu Shi and Song Mingyue exchanged glances, not quite understanding Qi Zhenzhen’s words.
“A group of people went to your house yesterday. Could they be here to take you away?” Yu Shi suddenly recalled yesterday’s events.
Qi Zhenzhen nodded, “Yes.”
“Who were they? What do they want with you? Are they going to harm you?” Yu Shi asked in quick succession.
“Didn’t the village rumors say we had wealthy relatives before?” Qi Zhenzhen gave a bitter smile. “It’s similar, except they aren’t distant relatives, but close kin. We have some wealthy family members.”
“Wealthy relatives? If you had wealthy relatives, why would you be in such a state…” Yu Shi couldn’t finish. She clearly remembered the kind of life the mother and her two children had lived. If they truly had wealthy relatives, why would they have fallen so low? This suggested those wealthy relatives were likely not good people.
“Auntie, please don’t judge them. They’ve sent people now, and my mother, my brother, and I have no choice but to go back,” Qi Zhenzhen said. “I want to entrust the matters of the apricot grove and the manor to you. After we leave, I’m afraid I won’t have any opportunities to go out.”
No opportunity to go out, Yu Shi thought of those households with strict rules.
“After you go back, will they treat you well?” Song Mingyue asked nervously.
Qi Zhenzhen smiled, “I will do my best to protect my mother and Brother Yi. Don’t worry, don’t you know me? I’m not someone who gets taken advantage of.”
Hearing her speak so casually, Yu Shi felt a pang of sadness. Those wealthy households had strict rules, and with all sorts of people, it wouldn’t be easy to stay. Moreover, if the mother and her two children were truly people of status and position, they likely wouldn’t have been living in isolation. This return, even if not a dragon’s pool or a tiger’s den, was unlikely to be a place where they could live as they pleased.
“Tell me, Auntie, what do I need to do?” Yu Shi suppressed her thoughts. Zhenzhen trusted her enough to hand over all the local affairs to her. She couldn’t help with their departure, so all she could do was handle the matters Zhenzhen entrusted to her, ensuring she had no worries.
“The apricot grove will take at least two years to bear fruit, so there’s not much to manage. Uncle Qian, Da Jiang, and Xiao He will stay here. What Auntie needs to help with is their daily necessities. After we leave, have Uncle Qian and the others move into our house; it will be livelier and prevent it from falling into disrepair. Also, Master Gu will be here for a while longer, so I’ll be relying on you for his meals.”
“Alright, these are minor matters. You can rest assured,” Yu Shi said.
“As for the kimchi business, it’s a significant source of income and cannot be abandoned. Auntie, you know the recipe. I’ll have someone deliver the seasonings later, and Auntie can continue to organize the village women to manage it. Also, the plan to have the villagers plant cabbage after the autumn harvest is still on. Our kimchi will have priority use of the village’s produce. I suspect it won’t be enough, so Auntie can ask people to collect from other villages. The general store will also have some stock,” Qi Zhenzhen explained. “If Auntie trusts it, you can clear some mountain land to plant. It’s always a good source of income.”
Yu Shi noted down everything Qi Zhenzhen said. “Then, how should I send the income to you?”
“Auntie, don’t worry about that. Once I’m settled back home, I’ll find a way to have someone contact you. One thing is very important: the accounts must be kept well. Mingyue can write and calculate, so this task will be hers. I won’t give her any separate compensation. After all, if the kimchi business is managed well, Mingyue’s annual share will increase. Consider it as you managing it for yourself,” Qi Zhenzhen said playfully.
Song Mingyue, who had been on the verge of tears, let out a laugh upon hearing Qi Zhenzhen’s words. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll falsify the accounts? Aren’t you afraid I’ll take all these things to my husband’s home when I get married?”
Qi Zhenzhen put on a look of confusion. “Who was it that said they wanted to take a son-in-law into the family last time?”
Song Mingyue glared fiercely at Qi Zhenzhen. “What’s wrong with taking a son-in-law? I’m going to take a son-in-law!”
Yu Shi was amused. “You two girls, at a time like this, you’re still joking around?”
Qi Zhenzhen took Yu Shi’s hand. “I don’t want to see Auntie looking sad. Don’t worry, it’s fine. Think of the bright side. I’m going back to be a young lady, wearing silk and satin, eating delicacies, and having a large retinue of servants. I won’t have to do anything myself. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Yu Shi sighed deeply at these words. “Don’t say these comforting things. Although Auntie doesn’t know exactly what it’s like in wealthy households, I’ve heard quite a bit. If it were truly as good as you say, why would you and your mother and Brother Yi end up in this remote corner? Listen to Auntie, when you go back, restrain your temperament. Endure what needs to be endured, and absolutely do not reveal your sharpness. You’ve been away for so long, you’re definitely no match for those who have always been in that household.”
Qi Zhenzhen nodded heavily, “I’ll remember everything Auntie says.”
Yu Shi gave a few more scattered instructions before letting Qi Zhenzhen go.
Two days later, with Granny Fang’s consent, Qi Zhenzhen went to the county town. She couldn’t keep it from Lin Ruixue and Zhang Erniu, and she also had to take Brother Yi back. Songhe Academy was no longer an option.
“Marquis Changping’s Estate?” Zhang Erniu gasped. “Zhenzhen, you’re a young lady from a Marquis’s estate?”
Qi Zhenzhen nodded, “I was a young lady who was driven out, but now I have to go back.”
Zhang Erniu and Lin Ruixue took a while to digest this news. “After you go back, will we not see you again?”
“Currently, yes,” Qi Zhenzhen nodded. “So, there are some things I need to explain.”
“Tell us.”
She explained everything she could think of, and Zhang Erniu nodded seriously. Finally, he said, “Zhenzhen, don’t worry, I’ve remembered all these things.”
Qi Zhenzhen then gave the kimchi seasoning recipe to Lin Ruixue and personally guided her through the preparation a few times. Seeing that Lin Ruixue’s preparations were correct, she said, “When we start making kimchi, Auntie, please prepare it regularly and send it back. It’s not that I don’t trust Aunt Yu, but she has many people around her, and who knows when someone might take advantage of a loophole.”
Lin Ruixue nodded in agreement, “Zhenzhen, don’t worry, I’ve noted this down.”
Having explained everything that needed to be said, Qi Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief. “Then I’ll go to the academy to pick up Brother Yi. After I get him, we’ll head straight back. I’m afraid I won’t have time to say goodbye to my maternal grandparents. Auntie, please take some time to tell them. Also, this contract will no longer be valid.”
Qi Zhenzhen tore up the contract they had signed earlier for the equal division of profits from the noodle shop. “From now on, ‘Mianmian Judao’ will belong to Auntie and…” Qi Zhenzhen paused before saying, “…and Uncle. Consider it my wedding gift to you. I won’t be able to attend your wedding to congratulate you. Uncle, if you ever treat my aunt poorly in the future, I won’t let you off!”