Qi Qingyao had never thought that she would be able to earn a few million taels just from coming to a hot spring. How lucky!
Everyone else had stayed back and continued with their meals.
Qi Qingyao packed up the money happily before taking the kids’ already full hands and hurriedly leaving Furong Waterside Pavilion.
Lu Yan also left together with her.
When they returned to their rooms, Lu Yan realized that she was packing up her simple luggage. She looked as if she wanted to hurry back home.
“You want to leave already?”
“I’ve bathed in the hot springs, I’ve also earned some money. This has been a fruitful trip to the mountain hot springs!”
Qi Qingyao snickered and said, “If we stay, something will probably happen, so it’s best if we leave soon.”
Lu Yan replied, “Then, I’ll leave together with you.”
Qi Qingyao asked, “You’re not going to discuss business with the others?”
“Discussions are done,” Lu Yan replied.
Qi Qingyao, “???”
She had no clue when that happened.
However, this was not Qi Qingyao’s concern.
After she packed up her simple luggage, she had Si Jin lead Dabao and Xiaobao by the hand, while she walked with Erniu. They quickly walked out of the hot mountain springs villa. Lu Yan was following behind them. As the party was briskly walking to the gates, Jiang Yeqian came over.
“Qi Qingyao.”
Qi Qingyao turned around. Realizing who it was, her guard was raised on the spot.
This guy…
Squinting, she stared at Jiang Yeqian for a beat before saying, “Do you plan to extort me because I made money?”
Jiang Yeqian, “…”
Qi Qingyao did not wait for him to reply before continuing, “While I did fall on you the last time, you already extorted a hundred taels from me. I won’t let you extort me a second time.”
Jiang Yeqian shot back, “Am I that kind of person?”
Was he not?
If he was not…
“Then, why do you come to me?”
This question rooted Jiang Yeqian to the spot.
Why had he come here and stopped her? Looking at that annoying yet adorable face, Jiang Yeqian felt himself filled with both love and loathing. His emotions were extremely complicated.
This rendered him speechless for a moment.
After surprising even himself for a bit.
He finally spat out.
“It’s nothing!”
“Oh.”
Qi Qingyao turned around. Without another word, she left the hot mountain springs villa together with Lu Yan and others.
She did not even turn back to look.
There was not the slightest bit of hesitation.
Jiang Yeqian stood at the gate, watching her as she entered the carriage.
…
Jin Residence.
Qi Boli and Madam Wu had stayed two nights and had not been idle during the day. They went everywhere asking about Qi Qingyao’s whereabouts. They had not wormed out a single clue initially but that did not stop the old lady from running her mouth and letting the Jin family learn of the situation. Anyhow, the Jin family ran a coffin business and had connections in Qingzhou City. After spending a dozen taels of silver, they bought the information from the Yulong Gang.
After the Jin family passed the information to the old lady, they urged the old lady to hurry to the Qi Residence.
This time, the old lady brought someone from the Jin family, along with Qi Boli and Madam Wu, and went forward with vigor to the gates of the Qi Residence.
The Jin family and Qi Qingyao were relatives who were not in any way related to one another by blood. However… they were still relatives! As long as the third child of the old Qi family had gotten rich, this could also help them set foot into the upper circles of Qingzhou City.
What was there to lose in a situation where there was everything to gain?
That was why the old master of the Jin family and his wife had set their hearts on this.
After they arrived at the gates of the Qi Residence.
Old Master Jin then said to the old lady excitedly, “I asked the others and found out that the owner of this house is indeed Qi Qingyao! She even has three children!”
The old lady, of course, knew of this house.
She had been here previously.
Qi Boli and Madam Wu looked at the three beast-headed gates and somehow did not dare say anything.
The way the gates were slammed shut in their faces the last time was still fresh in their minds.
Besides, they came here only to tell Qi Qingyao the truth.
The old lady, having gained confidence and gotten some backing, was much firmer this time and immediately knocked for a young male servant.
Not long after the young male servant told the guards the purpose of their visit…
Steward Zhang came out.
The old lady clenched her jaw and walked in front of Steward Zhang, saying delightedly, “Steward, I am her grandmother! Her blood-related grandmother! If you’re not willing to let me through the door, don’t regret that I’ll have you fired when she comes home!”
This old lady again?
Steward Zhang was silent for a moment.
The Jin family came forward and began talking at once about the old lady’s identity. They also clearly stated that they had checked things thoroughly and warned him to watch out for himself if he did not allow them to enter.
Steward Zhang actually knew about Qi Qingyao’s detailed background.
He was just a steward and could not bear the responsibility; considering the old lady was so overbearing, he had no choice but to let the old lady in.
After the old lady and the people from the Jin family entered, they were immediately overwhelmed by the new environment. One by one, they craned their necks to observe this beautiful big house curiously. The entire house was spotless and they realized that even the servants were wearing very dignified clothes.
This made them all jealous.
Qi Boli and Madam Wu’s feelings had become much more complicated.
Their third child… actually had the luxury of living in such a beautiful house.
Was she not nervous at all? Did she not find the house too big?
They were already almost getting lost just from walking one round around the house.
The people from the Jin family could not help muttering to themselves.
“This house definitely isn’t bad.”
“It’s so big.”
When they got to the courtyard where Qi Qingyao was staying, the old lady looked as though she had just seen some precious treasure and asked agitatedly.
“Is this the main courtyard?”
“Apologies, this is the hostess’s courtyard,” Steward Zhang answered expressionlessly.
The old lady thought of the little fool Qi Qingyao and suddenly grew furious.
How could this little girl deserve to live in such a luxurious courtyard house?
“What hostess? I’ll be the hostess of this house in the future!”
The old lady pointed at the house unreasonably and said to Steward Zhang, “Clean this house up. I’ll be living here in the future and Qi Qingyao can live in another compound.”
Steward Zhang was stunned. “…”
Seeing that Steward Zhang was unresponsive, the old lady became even more furious.
She announced loudly, “I’m her grandmother! The grandmother will naturally live in the best compound. She is younger, so it doesn’t matter where she lives.”
“…”
Steward Zhang still said nothing.
Since the old lady was Qi Qingyao’s actual grandmother, he could not neglect her orders.
According to the master’s intelligence report, there was nothing mentioned about her having a grandmother, but what if the young mistress was actually fond of this grandmother? What would happen if they did not properly serve them? If the young mistress wanted to settle the score with the staff when the time came…
He would be the first to bear the brunt of it.
The servants looked at the old lady who was blatantly seizing another’s home, and each of them felt gloomy.
They also saw how the few people from the Jin family also looked like they had just decided to move in.
They all questioned Steward Zhang.
“Steward Zhang, what should we do?”
“In the end, she is the mistress’s grandmother. We’ll listen to her first and wait for the young mistress to return and deal with this.”
“But it was said in the master’s report that the mistress had severed all ties with her family.”
“The report only states that she severed ties with her birth parents. This grandmother was not part of it. If we do not deal with this properly, I fear that the young mistress might throw a tantrum when she returns.”
The people from the Jin family walked to one of the compounds and shamelessly said to Steward Zhang in a boastful manner, “We’re relatives of the Madam. We’ll be staying in this compound in the future!”
“Apologies, this compound belongs to Master Lu, we cannot allow it,” Steward Zhang answered, his tone extremely cold.
Some guards had already stopped them in front of that compound, looking as if they would not hesitate to strike them down.
“Master Lu? Who is this Master Lu?” asked the old master of the Jin family with some uncertainty.
“Lu Yan.”
“…”
Lu Yan. Once this name fell from Steward Zhang’s mouth…
The group from the Jin family no longer dared stake a claim to this compound, running away immediately.
