“Grandmother.” As soon as Qin Yining entered, seeing the roomful of female family members dressed in mourning, her eyes couldn’t help but redden.

Reality was so cruel – in just one night, the disaster of confiscation and extermination had become fact, separating the family between heaven and earth forever.

Seeing Qin Yining, Duke Dingguo’s wife’s tears welled up. “Yining, you’ve come. Is it safe for you to rush here like this?”

“It’s fine. I was very careful coming here. I didn’t attract attention.” Qin Yining bowed to her two aunts and female cousins, who all returned her courtesy. After sitting down, for a moment no one knew what to say.

Everyone was immersed in grief. Seeing anything reminded them of the men who had died tragically at home. Someone couldn’t help but sob, and that sorrowful cry was like wildfire that could spread everywhere, drawing out everyone’s tears.

Qin Yining embraced her grieving grandmother and aunts, crying together until Qin Yining’s eyes were red and swollen. Only then did Duke Dingguo’s wife wipe away her tears, take a deep breath, and say hoarsely:

“I’ve heard all the news from outside. Your grandfather and the others had common people secretly help with their burial. I know you arranged this. At the crucial moment, you didn’t just look out for yourself – you saved your Fifth Sister-in-law and Eighth Sister-in-law, rescued your cousin’s flesh and blood, and prevented your grandfather and the others from having their corpses exposed in the streets. I don’t know how to thank you, nor do I have anything to offer in gratitude.”

“What are you saying? We’re family! If something like this happened at home and I only looked out for myself without caring about you all, what kind of person would that make me?! Besides, the reason I now have the ability to help is entirely due to Grandmother’s generosity back then. If Grandmother hadn’t given me Zhaoyun Company and sent Steward Zhong to help me, I would have had the heart but no power to act alone.”

First Aunt wiped away her tears. “Yining, don’t say that. We all know your character, and we all remember your kindness. It’s just that your aunt truly has no way to repay you.”

“Please don’t say such things.” Qin Yining waved her hands repeatedly. “Actually, I couldn’t have accomplished these things alone – my father secretly helped too.” She then lowered her voice: “When the Emperor confiscated our manor, he actually intended to reclaim Zhaoyun Company for his own management, but didn’t expect that Grandmother had already given it to me.”

“Then you must be more careful in the future.” Duke Dingguo’s wife dried her tears with her sleeve and rubbed her throbbing temples.

With no servants around, Qin Yining stood up and positioned herself beside Duke Dingguo’s wife, massaging her with appropriate pressure while saying quietly, “Yes, I’ll be careful. But now the Emperor is nearly scared witless by Great Zhou, and there’s constant criticism and cursing among the people. He has no time to worry about Zhaoyun Company now. Rather, it’s the people from our manor…”

Qin Yining thought for a moment. “Grandmother should make a list shortly. In two days, the manor’s servants will be sold. I’ll go buy back whoever should be bought – you can’t do without people to serve you. Among those I’m familiar with, Nanny Bao is the first who must be brought back.”

Hearing this, tears welled up again in Duke Dingguo’s wife’s eyes as she gently patted Qin Yining’s hand.

The female cousins were all deeply grateful.

They hadn’t even spent one night in the brothel before seeing its dark and miserable aspects. Originally thinking that staying alive would only mean suffering, First Aunt, the aunts, and sisters-in-law had even considered dying to preserve their virtue for the Sun family. Unexpectedly, just as they had made this resolution but not yet acted, Qin Yining had already rented them out.

In the past, for a family of Duke Dingguo’s manor’s status, this amount of silver would have been nothing. But now they were penniless. For Zhaoyun Company to rent them out required considerable silver, and Qin Yining didn’t intend to have them work but wanted to support them here, and it seemed they wouldn’t lack for servants either.

Supporting so many people was no small expense.

Regardless, they felt this genuine affection and were infinitely grateful.

Duke Dingguo’s wife pulled Qin Yining’s hand to have her sit beside her. “I’ll discuss carefully with your aunts and sisters later about who to keep and who not to keep.”

Qin Yining nodded. “I specifically brought Bingtang, Song Lan, and Qiu Lu. They can stay here to serve for the next few days.”

Bingtang, Song Lan, and Qiu Lu immediately came forward to bow.

Qiu Lu was loyal and straightforward, while Bingtang and Song Lan had originally used Duke Dingguo’s manor’s influence to gain transcendent status when they returned to the Qin family, so naturally they had inseparable ties to Duke Dingguo’s family.

Duke Dingguo’s wife embraced Qin Yining, smoothing her long hair stroke by stroke. She had thousands of words of gratitude and emotion but couldn’t utter a single one at the moment.

After thinking for a long while, her expression gradually became determined, as if she had suddenly made up her mind about something.

“Yining, how is your mother?”

Qin Yining didn’t want to worry her grandmother and the others. Their hearts were already tormented enough – why add to their troubles by telling them about Sun Shi’s situation? Even if Grandmother was wiser than Bi Gan, at this time she would probably be physically and mentally exhausted. The future hopes of all these female family members rested on Grandmother’s shoulders, and Qin Yining didn’t want to add more complications.

“Mother heard the news from here and fell ill from excessive grief. She’s currently recuperating at Garden of Tranquil Peace. Miss Huining, Nanny Jin, Cai Ju and the others are all attending her. Father also summoned an imperial physician from the palace, and Bingtang examined her too. It’s just anger attacking her heart – nothing serious. She’ll recover after a few days of care. Then I’ll come with Mother to pay our respects to you.”

Duke Dingguo’s wife looked steadily at Qin Yining for a moment before slightly nodding.

“You’re a sensible child.” Her voice was nearly a sigh.

Qin Yining knew that someone as intelligent as Duke Dingguo’s wife understood everything in her heart. It was just that some things couldn’t be said, and saying some things was useless – it would only add to the sorrow.

No matter how many schemes one had, they were futile before absolute power.

No matter how many methods one possessed, one needed the capability to implement them.

Qin Yining went to see Fifth Sister-in-law, who was in confinement. The baby in swaddling clothes lay sleeping peacefully in her mother’s arms.

Fifth Sister-in-law lay in the canopied bed, covered with thick cotton quilts, with a blue cloth band tied around her forehead. Her long hair was disheveled, her eyes vacant, tears continuously sliding down from the corners of her eyes, soaking a large area of the pillow. Her cheeks had become pale and sunken overnight.

Seeing her like this, Qin Yining’s heart jumped in alarm. Fifth Sister-in-law and Fifth Cousin had been deeply in love – she probably harbored thoughts of death now.

She strode forward and grasped Fifth Sister-in-law’s hand: “Sister-in-law, Fifth Cousin has a message for you.”

Fifth Sister-in-law’s eyes suddenly widened.

Qin Yining said, “You had just given birth when I found a way to tell Fifth Cousin and Grandfather that you delivered a daughter and both mother and child were safe. Fifth Cousin wept with joy, saying it was good to have a daughter – daughters are their mother’s little cotton-padded jackets, unlike sons who only make their mothers cry. He said the daughter would surely be filial to you. Fifth Cousin also said for you to live on bravely and take good care of your child.”

Fifth Cousin had indeed said similar words. Actually, there was another message that Steward Zhong had conveyed, but she felt it wasn’t appropriate to tell Fifth Sister-in-law now.

Fifth Cousin had also said: “Shuang’er is still young. If there’s someone suitable, let her remarry. Don’t foolishly spend her whole life alone without support.”