Yun Chu Ling

Chapter 192: Bringing Xie Shiwei Home

Yun Chu carefully examined the several plots of land selected by Chen Bo. Just looking at the drawings, she couldn't discern any significant differences.

The next morning, she traveled by carriage to the outskirts of the capital to inspect each plot in person. These were all poor, low-grade lands, quite inexpensive - the largest plot cost only one thousand taels of silver at most.

She chose a spacious sloping piece of land with an open view, featuring both mountains and water, with particularly beautiful scenery. A rough plan was already forming in her mind.

"Chen Bo, please expedite the land deed process," Yun Chu said with great satisfaction. "Within ten days at most, I'll have someone deliver the construction plans."

Chen Defu nodded: "Yes, Madam."

"Duo Xi," Yun Chu called out.

Duo Xi hurried forward, bowing slightly: "Madam, I'm here."

"Chen Bo, Duo Xi is a clever boy. If you need assistance, you can assign tasks to him," Yun Chu said with a smile. "I've been initiating so many projects at once - the ice shop, then the hot spring manor opening, followed by having you facilitate connections for shipbuilding, and now we need to construct a shelter. You've been truly overworked, Chen Bo."

"Madam, you flatter this old servant," Chen Defu said with bowed head. "Ting Shuang and Jiu'er are handling the hot spring manor matters, so I'm not needed there. The shipbuilding has been scheduled and we only need to wait for completion. Currently, I only have the shelter project at hand. With Duo Xi's future assistance, how could this old servant possibly be overworked?"

Yun Chu kept Chen Defu's contributions in her heart.

No matter what she offered him, Chen Defu would never accept it. She would repay his loyalty through his descendants.

On the return journey, Yun Chu deliberately lifted the carriage curtain to observe the streets. Even on the busiest avenues of the capital, she could see numerous children begging.

The weather was growing increasingly cold. Without shelter, these children might not survive the winter.

She needed to quickly complete the design drawings, spend generously to hire more workers for construction, and could decide on details as building progressed...

"To the indentured servant market."

Yun Chu was genuinely short-handed.

The people she currently employed were still those who came with her as dowry from the Yun family. She needed to cultivate some loyal servants of her own.

When the carriage arrived at the indentured servant market, she entered. Recognizing her demeanor, the market staff knew she was a serious customer and brought out their latest batch of people.

Over a dozen children stood before Yun Chu, the oldest no more than twenty, the youngest only three or four years old.

Yun Chu had plenty of maids suitable for inner courtyard duties, but only Duo Xi as an errand boy for external affairs. So she purchased eight boys for thirty taels of silver total, acquiring eight new indentured contracts.

"Qiutong, take these seven to the other courtyard and settle them in first," she said, then turned to the last slightly older child. "You come with me to another place."

She would have the seven trained first before sending them to assist Chen Bo.

As for this one...

Back at the market, she had noticed this child was more clever than the others, knowing how to present himself well.

She precisely needed intelligent people to handle affairs.

When the carriage reached the alley in the western city, Yun Chu brought the child to knock on the door of Xie Shiwei's residence.

Seeing Yun Chu arrive, Xie Shiwei was overjoyed, calling out loudly: "Mother!""Wei Ge'er, this is the servant boy I bought for you. From now on, he will attend to you." Yun Chu motioned for the person behind her to step forward. "Give him a name."

The boy immediately came forward: "This humble one greets the young master. I beg the young master to bestow a name!"

Xie Shiwei was stunned.

Ever since he had made a mistake and been sent away by his father, he had no one to serve him.

Now living alone in this courtyard, he had to light fires, chop wood, and cook—everything done by himself. He never imagined that his mother would arrange for someone to serve him again.

For a moment, he was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

"What are you standing there for?" Yun Chu said with a smile. "Don't know how to pick a name? Shall I do it then?"

Xie Shiwei immediately nodded: "Then I'll trouble you, Mother."

Yun Chu looked at the nervous child: "The slave trader said you've lived a life of hardship in the shadows. From now on, you won't suffer like that anymore. How about calling you Gan Lai?"

Gan Lai immediately knelt on the ground: "Gan Lai thanks the Madam for bestowing this name. I will forever remain loyal to the Madam and the young master. If I ever betray my masters, may I be struck by lightning..."

Yun Chu helped him up: "Go pack your things in the house. We're preparing to return."

Xie Shiwei hung his head: "Am I really going back?"

Yun Chu smiled and had him board the carriage. The horse-drawn cart slowly made its way toward the Xie residence.

They soon arrived at their destination. Xie Shiwei stepped down from the carriage and gazed at the Xie family's main gate, feeling an overwhelming sense of unreality.

Qiutong walked up the steps, opened the main gate, and entered. Seeing how desolate everything had become, Xie Shiwei suddenly felt a pang of sorrow—the Xie family had truly fallen.

"First, go see your grandmother."

Yun Chu brought Xie Shiwei to the courtyard where Yuan Shi resided.

Yuan Shi was feeding rice paste to Xie Shikang. Xie Shikang struggled even to drink milk, let alone eat rice paste, and was wailing without having swallowed a single mouthful.

Just as Yuan Shi was growing increasingly anxious, she looked up and saw a familiar figure enter.

It wasn't that she didn't recognize her own grandson, but Xie Shiwei had changed too much—he had become so thin that he was barely recognizable, with prominent cheekbones, as if he were a different person.

"Grandmother!"

Only when Xie Shiwei spoke did Yuan Shi realize she hadn't mistaken him.

"Wei Ge'er?" She quickly handed Kang Ge'er to the matron beside her and stumbled forward. "Is it really Wei Ge'er?"

"From now on, Wei Ge'er will be called Xie Wei, a child from the Xie family's ancestral home in Jizhou," Yun Chu interjected. "Make sure to inform everyone in the household about this to avoid any leaks. If word gets out, Wei Ge'er will be arrested by the authorities."

Last time, when the Old Madam passed away, some busybody reported it to the authorities, and the case was officially recorded. As a result, Xie Shiwei was a fugitive suspect in the eyes of the law.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Yuan Shi immediately instructed the matron to summon all members of the Xie family.

When Xie Shi'an arrived, his face showed no surprise, for he had known since yesterday that his mother would eventually bring Xie Shiwei back.

Nevertheless, he feigned just the right amount of delight: "Shiwei, I thought you... It's truly wonderful that you can return, truly wonderful!"

Xie Shiwei looked at his own flesh and blood, his elder brother. He had always been jealous of this brother and resented him for making him disabled... But now, the two brothers only had each other left. No matter how much hatred festered in his heart, he could only suppress it and ignore it.

He said, "Yes, I'm back. Together with Eldest Brother, we will support our Xie family.""Excellent, truly excellent!" Yuan Shi wept with joy. After so many misfortunes had befallen the Xie family, there was finally a joyous occasion. She looked at the two concubines and said, "Wei Ge'er will now be considered a child from a collateral branch of the Xie clan. Everyone must guard their tongues carefully. Yun Ge'er and Xian Jie'er, you should also remind each other frequently. The Xie family must unite with one heart to overcome our current difficulties. Have you all remembered this?"

Concubine Jiang immediately nodded in agreement.

Ting Yu actually felt somewhat troubled. Their daily life was already stretched thin, and supporting one more person might leave them without enough to eat.

But she also knew that Xie Shiwei's return would somewhat assist Xie Shi'an in repaying the government debts sooner, which was the most pressing matter.

For the greater good, her Yun Ge'er would just have to endure some hardship.

As they were speaking, Ting Yu noticed a stranger following behind Xie Shiwei and asked in confusion, "Who might this be?"