"Since you'll need to go to Yunyang City every month for follow-up consultations, wouldn't it be inconvenient for you to return to the mine?" Ren Yaoqi asked with a smile.
Zhu Ruomei scratched his head, then suddenly realizing the gesture was somewhat uncouth, immediately lowered his hand again: "I can plead with the mine's overseer, I'll do more work on ordinary days..."
Ren Yaoqi shook her head: "You should focus on caring for your mother. Although your sister is capable, she's only ten years old and likely can't manage everything. Moreover, last time my father already instructed the overseer to return your indenture contract to you. With your abilities, finding better work in Yunyang City shouldn't be difficult. Why don't you settle in Yunyang City with your mother and sister? That would make medical consultations much smoother."
Ren Yaoqi knew that those who voluntarily indentured themselves to work in coal mines were either refugees from other regions or people from extremely poor families urgently needing money. Zhu Ruomei had worked in the Ren Family's coal mine precisely because he desperately needed silver to treat his mother's illness. For a robust young man like Zhu Ruomei, the Ren Family would pay a lump sum of twenty to thirty taels of silver, essentially buying out his labor.
Given a choice, few were truly willing to work in the mines. There had even been several escape incidents at the Ren Family's coal mine in the past, causing the family heads considerable distress.
Zhu Ruomei remained silent for a moment before looking up and saying: "Then this humble one will repay the thirty taels of silver the Ren Family gave me back then."
Ren Yaoqi tilted her head thoughtfully: "How about this instead. I happen to need someone to handle an important matter for me, one I cannot easily entrust to others. If you feel uneasy about the debt, consider helping me settle this matter properly as repayment for those thirty taels. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ruomei immediately responded: "If Fifth Young Miss has a task, just give this humble one the order. How could I possibly ask you for silver? These matters shouldn't be conflated."
Ren Yaoqi showed a disappointed expression: "If that's the case, then I cannot ask you to help me either. I'll have to find someone else. It's just that this matter is somewhat urgent, and I'm not sure if I can find a suitable and reliable person."
Zhu Ruomei thought for a moment before conceding: "Then please give your instructions, Fifth Young Miss. This humble one will certainly handle the matter properly for you and will absolutely keep it confidential."
Seeing him agree, Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but smile slightly.
At this time, she and Zhu Ruomei were in the pavilion, while maids like Pingguo and Sangshen stood outside.
Although matrons and maids occasionally passed by the surroundings, seeing a young mistress resting here, they dared not look too closely, quickly paying their respects before moving on.
When Ren Yaoqi spoke with Zhu Ruomei, if they lowered their voices, those outside couldn't hear clearly.
Ren Yaoqi explained everything to Zhu Ruomei in detail. Worried he might forget, she repeated several important names, places, and events.
"Have you remembered everything?" Ren Yaoqi asked, still concerned.
Zhu Ruomei slightly furrowed his brows, silently reciting Ren Yaoqi's words twice in his mind, then nodded: "Fifth Young Miss, rest assured. This humble one has remembered everything clearly. The places you described are detailed, and the people all have clear names—none will be difficult to find. When the time comes, I'll disguise myself so thoroughly even my own mother wouldn't recognize me."However, he was somewhat puzzled about why Ren Yaoqi had asked him to do such a thing. Yet, he also knew that wealthy households often had matters that could not be disclosed to outsiders, so it was not appropriate to ask too many questions. In his mind, he simply resolved to do his best to help Ren Yaoqi accomplish this task.
Seeing that he had truly remembered, Ren Yaoqi felt reassured.
If this Zhu Ruomei was indeed the same Zhu Ruomei she had heard of in her previous life, then he must possess some genuine ability. Otherwise, Xiao Jingxi, who was known as "unerring in his calculations," would not have entrusted his escape route to him.
She just didn’t know whether, with her interference in this lifetime, Zhu Ruomei would still achieve the same success he had in his previous life. Many things depended on fate and circumstance. If her meddling caused him to lead an ordinary and unremarkable life, it would truly be a pity.
Thinking this, Ren Yaoqi smiled and nodded, saying, "In that case, you may return for now. However, this matter will likely take a day or two to arrange. Will you be able to manage things on your mother’s end?"
"This humble one will hurry back to Yunyang City to inform my family. Please rest assured, Fifth Miss."
"If there is anything at home that I can help with, have Sister-in-law Yuan come and let me know," Ren Yaoqi instructed.
Zhu Ruomei thanked her earnestly once more before taking his leave and departing from the estate.
Ren Yaoqi sat alone in the Yiran Pavilion for a while, seemingly lost in thought or simply daydreaming. The maids outside the pavilion noticed but hesitated to enter.
It was only when Ren Yaoqi gently smoothed her skirt and stood up, saying softly, "The wind is picking up, let’s go back," that they finally stirred.
That afternoon, Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua were both in Madam Li’s room, listening to Nanny Zhou teach them the principles of managing a household. Madam Li sat on the heated kang nearby, sewing soft boots for Ren Shimin.
Suddenly, Xier rushed in from outside.
Nanny Zhou frowned and scolded sternly, "What’s the hurry? Have you forgotten all your manners?"
Xier hurriedly replied, "This servant just heard from the gatekeeper that the Han Family, the Han Family is quarreling."
Upon hearing it was about the Han Family, Madam Li immediately looked up and asked in surprise, "What? The Han Family? What are they quarreling about?"
Knowing that Madam Li was very satisfied with the marriage arrangement with the Han Family, Nanny Zhou set aside her lesson on manners and also looked at Xier, waiting for her to continue.
"This noon, a group of ten to twenty people arrived from Jizhou and went straight to the Han Family’s residence. The Han Family has been living in our town for a year now, and they’ve always kept a low profile. They’ve never had any visitors, so everyone found it strange. Moreover, those people were making a commotion along the way, so some curious onlookers followed them to see what was happening."
"The twenty or so people were invited into the Han residence by the Han Family’s steward, who told outsiders they were relatives from Jizhou. Unexpectedly, shortly after these relatives entered, loud quarreling could be heard from inside, and the commotion grew quite intense. Later, even the Han Family’s elderly master and the young master, who had been out, were urgently called back."
Since Madam Li did not ask Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua to leave, the two sisters remained seated and listened.
Hearing this, Ren Yaohua frowned and asked, "If they are relatives from the Jizhou hometown and were invited in by the Han Family’s steward, then they must truly be relatives. What could have caused the Han Family to quarrel so fiercely with their hometown relatives?"Xier said, "Some people say, judging from the shouts of those Jizhou men earlier, it seems Old Master Han secretly sold off some of the Han Family's assets. The Han clansmen were kept in the dark before, but now that they know, they've come to make trouble."
Madam Li set aside the half-finished shoe sole she was working on into the sewing basket beside her, somewhat surprised. "How could that be?"
"How could the Han clan not know how much property their own family has? Only speaking up after it's been sold?" Nanny Zhou also found it strange.
"It seems many years ago, a lady from the Han Family married a maritime merchant. After her husband and son died in a shipwreck, she returned to the Han Family seeking refuge. It's said this lady had accumulated many priceless treasures. Since she had no children, after her death, she left her property to the clansmen who cared for her in her old age, making it communal property of the Han clan. But soon after, the Liao people invaded our Yanbei, and those valuable treasures were all looted by the Liao people. So later generations of the Han clan never actually saw those treasures. Only some elders in the Han clan occasionally tell the younger generation stories about how wealthy this lady was and what priceless treasures she possessed. Everyone originally treated it as just stories and didn't take them seriously."
Nanny Zhou shook her head with a smile. "Such talk shouldn't be taken seriously. I once heard some down-and-out family boast that their ancestors used gold bricks to pave roads and even their chamber pots were made of pure gold, but unfortunately, they were all looted by the Liao people. No one believes such talk, but the younger generations love hearing it, and in the end, the stories become more and more exaggerated."
Xier, however, shook her head. "The Han family originally also treated it as a joke and didn't take it seriously. But a few days ago, someone in the Han family learned that a certain treasure, which had only appeared in legends, was recently secretly sold by Old Master Han to an outsider. That's why the Han clan erupted, saying the legend was actually true. It's just that the lady's wealth wasn't taken by the Liao people but was instead hidden by the Han clan leader at the time and appropriated for himself. It was later passed down by the previous clan leader, Han Jianping, to his daughter and son-in-law."
Everyone exchanged glances upon hearing this. Madam Li said, "This... this can't be possible, can it?"
"Oh, they were also discussing on the road that it's no wonder Old Master Han accumulated so much wealth in just a few decades. They originally thought it was because Old Master Han was capable and worked hard, but now it seems he benefited from the Han family ancestors. They came this time to demand an explanation from Old Master Han." Xier lowered her voice slightly.
"What do you think?" Ren Yaohua remained silent for a moment before suddenly turning to ask Ren Yaoqi, who was sitting nearby listening with great interest but hadn't expressed an opinion.
Ren Yaoqi smiled back at Ren Yaohua and shook her head. "After so many years, whether it's true or not is impossible to clarify. After all, no one has actually seen that lady's treasures... well, perhaps except for a few people?"
Ren Yaohua couldn't help but frown slightly upon hearing this. "Do you believe it too?"
Of course Ren Yaoqi didn't believe it—it would be strange if she did.
But she still replied, "Whether I believe it, or whether we believe it, isn't important at all. What matters is that some people in the Han clan believe it."Perhaps not all of those people truly believed it, but believing it brought them considerable benefits, so they all coincidentally chose to believe.
"And I wonder if Grandfather and Grandmother believe it or not," Ren Yaoqi added, tilting her head slightly.
"What does it matter whether Grandfather and Grandmother believe it or not to those people from the Han Family?" Ren Yaohua asked, puzzled.
Stopping here seems a bit unfair...
So this lazy author will keep writing, though the pace is a bit slow. Everyone, please don’t wait—just check back tomorrow morning.
(To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
OpenNovel