Qin Yining lowered her head. She didn't want to argue with old madam, so she simply replied, "Yes."
Old madam saw that Qin Yining was so obedient, and her mood became much better. She turned and said, "Even so, don't forget to learn what you need to learn as soon as possible. In two days, Sister Jia will be of marriageable age. Next year, you and Sister Hui will also be of marriageable age. During this period, I will pay attention to the matter of finding a suitable husband for you. If you are incompetent and are disliked by others, your marriage may not be good. I can't be bothered to care about you."
Qin Yining pursed her lips. When she raised her head, there was a well-behaved smile on her face, "Old madam's advice is right. I will definitely learn seriously and not disappoint your expectations."
Her face was originally like a sculpture. Although she had a soul-stirring appearance, her eyes were as pure as a clear spring. When she smiled, the small dimples on her cheeks made her look very cute. Old madam almost softened by her lovable smile and obedient attitude.
She waved her hand with a straight face and said, "You can go."
"Yes, granddaughter will take her leave." Qin Yining bowed and retreated.
Old madam unnaturally added, "If you have any problems, go and find Mammy Qin."
Qin Yining immediately revealed an appropriate smile of being overwhelmed by favor, "Yes, many thanks, old madam."
Seeing Qin Yining obediently leave, old madam said, "Lujuan, what do you think of this child?"
Lujuan was Mammy Qin's small name.
Mammy Qin smiled and came forward to hand old madam a brass hand-warmer with a moderate temperature. She smiled and said, "Old madam has a good eye, so you want to carve this piece of unpolished jade, right? No matter what, she is still the eldest master's biological daughter. Her aptitude can't be wrong. Moreover, this old servant feels that she must be a tenacious and intelligent person to be able to survive to this day after experiencing so many hardships. "
If she wasn't tenacious, she wouldn't have been able to survive for six years at such a young age. If she wasn't intelligent, she wouldn't have been able to survive to this day in the city where danger lurked everywhere.
Madam Dowager sighed. "My feelings towards her are also complicated. Perhaps it's because we are related by blood … Have you settled Sister Hui's matters? Be careful, don't make my Sister Hui feel wronged. "
Mammy Qin saw that old madam didn't take her words to heart, so it wasn't good for her to say more. She just smiled and agreed.
When Qin Yining left the main room and walked into the courtyard, he felt a venomous gaze fall on his back. He turned around abruptly, but all he saw was the half-closed window of the room. He didn't see anyone.
Anyway, she was not afraid of being bitten by mosquitoes. There were many people in this house who hated her, so she did not care who they were. Therefore, he didn't mind and quickly walked through the hall and left Ci Xiao Garden.
Only after Qin Yining had walked far away did Qin Huining throw down the handkerchief that had been twisted like a fried dough twist. The head maidservant, Bi Tong, immediately delivered a cup of warm honey water. "Miss, don't be angry. She's just a wild girl with an unstable foundation."
Qin Huining drank the honey water in one gulp. The sweet taste made her feel much better. She calmed down and said, "Mammy."
Madam Cai immediately smiled and said, "Miss, what are your orders?"
"I remember that you said a few words to Mother Jin, who was by Mother's side."
Madam Cai was Mother Jin's niece.
"Of course. What orders does Miss have?"
"Come here." Qin Huining called Madam Cai over and whispered a few words in her ear.
Qin Yining walked out of Ci Xiao Garden. Before she could see the surroundings clearly, the girl who had reminded her just now took the initiative to come forward and salute. She smiled and said, "Fourth Sister, I'm Baoning, the eighth in the family. My father is Third Master. Oh, the one who was scolded away by Madam Dowager is my brother."
Qin Yining had a good impression of Qin Baoning because Qin Baoning had helped her just now, and Qin Han had taken care of her all the way and defended her just now.
Qin Yining copied Qin Baoning's salute and returned the salute, "Sister Baoning, nice to meet you."
Qin Baoning smiled brightly, "Fourth Sister, you just came back. You don't know everything in the house yet. If you have any problems, you can come to me. I live in Cuiwei Building with Third Sister." She pulled Qin Jianing aside and introduced her, "This is Third Sister."
Qin Jianing pulled her hand out of Qin Baoning's hand and said, "You're so talkative. Aren't you afraid that your fourth sister will be annoyed?"
Qin Baoning stuck out her tongue but didn't say anything else.
Qin Jianing smiled and said, "This girl insisted on making me wait for you here. I told her that we'll go and disturb you after you've settled down. Wouldn't that be better? But she refused to listen and said a few words in such a hurry. Isn't she saying goodbye to you temporarily? Mother Jin is still waiting for you. Let's meet again after Fourth Sister has settled down. "
"Third Sister is right. After I've settled down, I'll definitely go and disturb you." Qin Yining spoke slowly because she needed to think. Her mellow voice had a special charm to it.
"Fourth Sister, you don't have to be so polite. Maybe I won't be able to resist coming to disturb you first!" Qin Baoning smiled and pulled her hand.
Qin Yining couldn't help but smile when she heard this.
Qin Jianing and Qin Baoning said goodbye to Qin Yining together.
Mother Jin saw that the two of them had left. She smiled and walked up to them, "Miss, let's go?"
Qin Yining hurriedly smiled and said, "I've made Mother wait for a long time."
"Serving Miss is this servant's duty. Miss, you don't have to be so polite."
Mother Jin led Qin Yining in the direction of Snow Pear Courtyard.
The Prime Minister's residence was a large courtyard with four entrances. Old Madam's Ci Xiao Garden was located in the southwest. It occupied the largest courtyard in the inner residence. After exiting Ci Xiao Garden, they turned left and walked along an alley paved with limestone bricks. On their right was Chuihua Gate.
Mother Jin pointed at the gate and said, "Usually, Miss is not allowed to leave this gate. If there's anything you need to do, you can assign a servant to do it. The gate is locked at the hour of the evening and opens at a quarter of the morning. If you need to buy something or find someone, Miss should be very careful."
"Thank you, Mother Jin, for your guidance."
Mother Jin smiled and led Qin Yining along the long limestone path. Along the way, she pointed out the third branch's Guang Bo Yuan and the second branch's Chang Ning Yuan.
On the way, they passed by the back garden. In the garden, there was a large pond with a white stone arch bridge over it. The remaining lotuses in the pond were rustling. One couldn't help but think of a summer day. The clear waves of the weeping willows and the endless green color would be beautiful. Upon closer inspection, there was flowing water. It was actually water from outside the residence. From afar, Qin Yining looked at the vermilion railings and white stones. The eaves were high. Up close, she looked at the flowers and trees, and the ground was covered in light. This garden was exquisite and luxurious.
The fondness on Qin Yining's face made Mother Jin look askance. After passing by the back garden, Mother Jin casually pointed, "That's Cui Wei Lou. Turn around and you'll see Chang Ning Yuan, where Eldest Master and Eldest Madam live." She led Qin Yining in the opposite direction.
The further they walked, the more remote it became. They walked along an alley until they reached the end. In front of them was the courtyard wall of the Prime Minister's residence. Only then did she push open a vermilion lacquered courtyard door and said, "This is Snow Pear Courtyard."
Behind the vermilion lacquered door was a small courtyard. The gravel path wound to the corridor. In the courtyard, there were a few bamboos, a few pear trees, and a thick and tall old locust tree. There were three main rooms, two east and west wing rooms, and three back rooms. The courtyard was small and exquisite. It looked somewhat desolate.
"This courtyard is fresh and elegant. It's most suitable for Miss. Because Old Madam's arrangements were sudden, we didn't have time to order someone to clean it up. This servant will order someone to come and bring the servant girl that Eldest Madam arranged for you. You can rest here for a while."
Mother Jin spoke extremely politely.
Qin Yining only nodded her head in thanks.
However, she understood that if Eldest Madam truly valued her, she wouldn't have let an unmarried girl live in a courtyard that was so close to the courtyard wall. She also wouldn't have brought her in without cleaning it up and even locked the door.
This was just to show her who was in charge.
Even so, to be able to live in this kind of courtyard was much better than the cave and grass hut she had lived in in the mountains.
Qin Yining found a stone stool next to the bamboo and sat down to wait.
Who would have thought that this wait would go on for two hours, and the sky was about to turn dark. Qin Yining wanted to call for someone. However, she didn't know who to look for in such a large courtyard. Fortunately, she had trained her patience from hunting for many years. Fortunately, she just quietly sat on the stone stool.
A cold wind blew, and scattered bamboo leaves fluttered down. The young girl's light yellow dress and the color of the green bamboo behind her back softened into a picture scroll under the bright and beautiful noon sun. The young girl lowered her head, and her long black hair fell to the side of her neck. It made her neck look even more white and slender, and the side of her face was beautiful.
This scene was completely captured in the eyes of the two people who were quietly sitting on the roof.
The person in the lead was dressed in green. His face was delicate and flawless, and his two long eyebrows were slanted to his temples. His pair of phoenix eyes were cold and deep, like the stars in the cold night. His thin lips were lightly pursed, and his face was expressionless. His temperament was graceful and noble, like an unsheathed sharp blade. It made people who looked at him want to lower their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.
He quietly watched Qin Yining in the courtyard for a moment, then quietly left the Family Qin with his accompanying bodyguard.
His bodyguard was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth. He was dressed in a dark blue outfit, and his long hair was tied up in a ponytail behind his head. He looked extremely energetic.
After leaving the Family Qin, the youth hurriedly asked curiously, "Master, is that girl the person you are looking for?"
"Yes."
"She actually survived. She is really lucky! Mr. Zheng said that the last time you saw her, she was only seven years old. "
"Yes."
"The Family Qin is really a good-for-nothing. They told her to wait outside on such a cold day, and didn't even give her warm clothes. It must have been hard on her patience!"
"Yes."
"But who told her to be Qin Meng's daughter? Serves her right! Mr. Zheng said that you gave her money and told her to treat her foster mother's illness? Master, it's not that I want to say this, but you are too kind. Why do you care if the child of your enemy is dead or alive? If she dies, she will pay for her despicable father's life. Why do you care so much about her? "
The man's footsteps paused, and he looked at the youth expressionlessly. The youth's hair stood on end, and he didn't dare to say anything else.
His Wang Ye was good at everything, but he was too cold. He had followed his master for several years, but he had never seen his master smile sincerely. Even last year, when the Emperor rehabilitated General Yu and conferred him the title of "Prince Zhongshun", and his master succeeded to the throne, he didn't see him happy.
Perhaps in the future, when he got his revenge, he would truly be able to relax?
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
