Since arriving in the capital, Qin Yining had experienced much. Although no one had mistreated her while at Pang Xiao’s residence, and she had gained the companionship of Qianyun and Lian Xiaozhou, her economic lifeline had ultimately slipped from her control. She never doubted Manager Zhong’s loyalty, but with mountains high and roads distant, her reach was limited.
Now that Manager Zhong was by her side, she had confidence in whatever she wanted to accomplish. Moreover, not having seen him for so long, seeing this elder who was utterly loyal to her again—how could Qin Yining not be delighted?
“The journey was truly beyond words. I’ll tell you about it slowly later.” Qin Yining looked at the two people behind Manager Zhong and couldn’t help but smile: “Miss Ninth, Brother Lu, you’ve come as well.”
Liu Jiu’er and Lu Dehan were precisely the refugees Qin Yining had taken in at Ning Garden back then.
“Our benefactor.”
When Lu Dehan and Liu Jiu’er saw that Qin Yining actually remembered their names, they couldn’t help but become excited and immediately knelt to bow.
Qin Yining quickly helped them up, laughing: “What are you doing? Quickly get up.”
Back when they had taken refuge at Ning Garden, they had suffered hunger together and endured hardship together. Those refugees were deeply grateful to Qin Yining for saving their lives. Lu Dehan and Liu Jiu’er, being among the more influential ones who had more contact with Qin Yining, were naturally closer to her.
Liu Jiu’er stood up and laughed heartily: “Benefactor, when Manager Zhong’s family said they were coming to seek you out, we two discussed it and came along. We may not have great abilities, but our loyalty to our benefactor is certain. If you have any orders, just speak freely—please don’t be polite with us two.”
Lu Dehan also smiled honestly and nodded continuously.
Qin Yining smiled: “That’s wonderful. I’m precisely in need of help right now. Having your assistance puts me at ease. By the way, why didn’t Master Ni come along?”
Seeing that Qin Yining actually still remembered Scholar Ni, the two couldn’t help but smile.
Lu Dehan said: “Scholar Ni is getting on in years. He said his old bones couldn’t withstand the hardship and wouldn’t come along to serve our benefactor. Manager Zhong, following our benefactor’s instructions, arranged work for all of us people from Ning Garden. Now everyone has land to farm, houses to live in, and food to eat. The manager, being compassionate toward the elderly and poor, found a place on the estate to settle Scholar Ni and those other solitary elders. Scholar Ni is in his little courtyard teaching orphans to read. With our benefactor’s support, they’re all living well.”
“That’s good, that’s good.” Qin Yining laughed joyfully. “Those who survive great disasters are destined for good fortune—our good days ahead are still long.”
Liu Jiu’er smiled: “Being able to follow our benefactor is indeed our blessing.”
Qin Yining looked at Manager Zhong with a smile and said: “This isn’t a place for talking. Let me tidy up, then we’ll go out to find a restaurant to eat and discuss things properly.”
“Yes.” Manager Zhong, Lu Dehan, and Liu Jiu’er all respectfully agreed.
Qin Yining then returned to change her clothes.
How large could the guest lodge be? The commotion here immediately alerted the Old Dowager.
Upon hearing that Qin Yining’s capable manager from Great Yan had arrived, the Old Dowager’s eyes lit up.
“Quickly, quickly! Go call Fourth Girl over!”
Hearing this, Nanny Qin had to go personally.
Qin Yining had just finished changing clothes when she saw Nanny Qin at her door. She immediately understood, her eyes twinkling with a smile as she went forward, laughing: “Nanny Qin has come. Does the Old Dowager have some instructions?”
Nanny Qin’s face showed some embarrassment as she sighed: “The Old Dowager heard that Fourth Miss’s former manager had come, so she instructed this old slave to invite Miss over for a chat.”
What the Old Dowager wanted to discuss with Qin Yining was already obvious.
The Qin family’s possessions had been lost in the looting. Second Master was waiting for His Majesty to arrange an official position for him. Third Master’s business was all on Great Yan’s territory—with mountains high and roads distant, they couldn’t contact him for the time being. The womenfolk all had to do needlework to supplement the household income.
At this time, Third Master’s manager hadn’t come, but Qin Yining’s manager had arrived first—wasn’t this delivering living expenses to the family?
Qin Yining smiled slightly: “If that’s the case, I’ll go see the Old Dowager first.”
Nanny Qin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid Qin Yining might act stubbornly due to disapproval of the Old Dowager’s conduct. The family was already in chaos and couldn’t withstand more turmoil. Not only would their own days become difficult, but if there was more trouble, wouldn’t it provide entertainment for the Li and Gu families across the way?
The Old Dowager, who usually felt stifled just seeing Qin Yining, today craned her neck in eager anticipation.
As soon as Qin Yining lifted the door curtain to enter, the Old Dowager couldn’t wait to ask: “Yining, has the manager from your business come?”
Qin Yining approached to curtsy, then smiled bitterly: “Old Dowager jests. What business do I have left by now?”
The Old Dowager was immediately stunned.
Qin Yining said in a low voice: “Great Yan has fallen, and there is no more Zhaoyun Department. The Zhaoyun Department’s former income has long been confiscated by officials sent by Great Zhou, and the inns, taverns, and properties have all been taken over.”
“What!” The Old Dowager roared in shocked fury: “Are you trying to fool this old woman! If he didn’t come with business assets, why would they come to see you! You are, after all, a daughter of the Qin family—surely you don’t intend to ignore your family’s survival! We’re now living under others’ roofs and can barely make ends meet, yet you’re being stingy! Truly, daughters are raised for others—we raised you for fifteen years for nothing!”
In her rage, the Old Dowager truly spoke without choosing her words.
Second Madam, Han Second Mistress, and Eighth Miss all looked extremely embarrassed. They all wanted to say that Qin Yining had only been back home for how long? For the first fourteen years, she hadn’t been supported by the Qin family at all. After returning for one year, she had suffered many hardships along with them—she was truly the most unlucky one!
But Qin Yining wasn’t angry, only sighing: “Old Dowager, please calm your anger. Why would I deceive you? How much have I sacrificed for this family—has Old Dowager forgotten it all?”
The Old Dowager thought of various past events, remembering how Qin Yining had been sent for peace negotiations, then sent into the palace, later forced into religious seclusion, and even nearly entering the palace again after arriving in Great Zhou. Through all these events, she had contributed greatly to the family.
The Old Dowager could no longer be so righteously indignant.
Qin Yining continued: “The Great Yan dynasty has fallen. Even the national treasury and Prince Yan’s private funds now belong to Great Zhou. The Zhaoyun Department was a business the former imperial family granted to my maternal grandfather’s family—it’s recorded in the Yan dynasty’s imperial accounts. How could Manager Zhong have grounds to object? When Great Zhou officials reached out to take over, Manager Zhong could only transfer authority and accounts, otherwise it would be treason.”
“This… while that may be so, surely after managing for so long, you must have saved some private funds?”
“Private funds? Your granddaughter did indeed have some private funds, but we encountered bandits on the way here. In our hasty escape, we lost our bundles. Didn’t Old Dowager find any bundles in your granddaughter’s carriage at that time?”
The Old Dowager frowned tightly: “Do you think I would covet those few things of yours? The private funds I speak of are the silver in your accounts!”
Qin Yining raised her eyebrows and laughed lightly: “I understand what Old Dowager means. Your granddaughter also knows the family’s current situation is tight. But the officials Great Zhou sent out aren’t fools—when they took over the accounts, they collected all the silver as well. Manager Zhong isn’t your granddaughter’s house slave, just a manager I employed. Now that the Zhaoyun Department no longer exists, Manager Zhong and I are no longer in a master-servant relationship. How much silver his family has is no concern of your granddaughter’s.”
Qin Yining’s words were completely reasonable, and the Old Dowager truly couldn’t find grounds to argue.
The Old Dowager didn’t believe Qin Yining had no private money at all. But she was, after all, the grandmother and had to maintain her dignity—she couldn’t very well search her granddaughter personally, could she? Moreover, if she really searched Qin Yining, wouldn’t others need to be searched too?
The Old Dowager irritably waved her hand: “If you’re no longer related to Manager Zhong, why are you meeting with him?”
Qin Yining felt the Old Dowager might be confused from anger or desperate from lack of money—otherwise, how could she say something so full of holes that left her vulnerable to criticism?
“Surely Old Dowager is joking? Even if we’re no longer in a master-servant relationship, we’re still acquainted. Now that we’re both in Great Zhou, we can be considered fellow townspeople. Meeting once is appropriate. Father often taught me about proper conduct—I never dare forget this.” She curtsied and added: “I still need to attend to guests, so I won’t disturb your rest.”
Qin Yining performed proper courtesy to Second Madam, Han Second Mistress, and the others before leaving the Old Dowager’s room.
The Old Dowager’s face alternated between pale and flushed. Thinking of how such a large sum of silver was no longer the Qin family’s due to Great Yan’s fall, she felt a fire burning in her chest. Money is most precious when needed—now that the Qin family was strapped for cash, with the eldest son missing and them living in the guest lodge under constant supervision, they didn’t even have their own home in the capital. How could the Old Dowager not feel anxious?
Second Madam and Han Second Mistress exchanged glances and both slipped out along the wall.
Only Nanny Qin, Qin Huining, and Eighth Miss remained in the room to attend, and for a moment the atmosphere was so oppressive it seemed to solidify.
Here, Qin Yining left Lian Xiaozhou in the care of Qianyun and Qiu Lu, then took Bingtang and Ji Yun with Manager Zhong’s group and left the guest lodge.
Having no familiar places in the capital, Manager Zhong simply said: “If Master doesn’t mind, why not come to the small courtyard I’ve rented? My wife and sons’ wives are all there. We can drink at home where conversation is more convenient.”
“That would naturally be good, though I fear troubling Madam and the brothers and sisters-in-law.”
“Not at all! Master’s willingness to come would be their honor.” Manager Zhong was very pleased with Qin Yining’s familiar way of addressing his family members.
Qin Yining then followed them to a single-courtyard residence in the western part of the city.
“Having just arrived in the capital without establishing ourselves yet, I first sent someone to the capital to rent this place, thinking that when the family came, we’d have somewhere to settle.”
Standing before the gate with its mottled black paint, Manager Zhong explained to Qin Yining with a smile.
Qin Yining nodded with a smile: “Manager Zhong’s work has always been meticulous.”
The group entered while chatting and laughing. Qin Yining first went to meet the Zhong family women, properly observing courtesies with Mrs. Zhong and the young wives, then went to the study to talk with Manager Zhong.
“Master, I’ve arranged everything clearly regarding Great Yan’s properties. Although we no longer have the Zhaoyun Department, the farmland you purchased from the people out of great kindness has now proved invaluable! Without exaggeration, the grain and crops produced annually from the farmland you now possess could feed one-third of all the common people in our former Great Yan nation.”