The constant chatter around her made Chen Lishu's face show a hint of impatience. She then said, "If you've come here today to talk about these things, then I don't mind. I can arrange for the driver to send you back directly."
Li Na opened her mouth, trying to say something, but Li Xiu Li grabbed her and gave her a look. It wasn't the time to discuss these matters.
Chen Lishu, that damned woman, was difficult to deal with, but Li Xiu Lan was easygoing. If she could just play the victim a little, and Li Xiu Lan agreed, how could a daughter-in-law interfere with her mother-in-law's affairs?
With that thought, Li Xiu Li and Li Na turned and left the living room to pick out rooms to their satisfaction.
Chen Lishu had other matters to attend to and didn't pay attention to the two of them. Little did she know that as they wandered, they came across two rather large master bedrooms.
Li Na's eyes lit up as she looked at the room's layout. She then heavily threw herself onto the soft, large bed and said, "Mom, this room has such good natural light! Waking up here, we can see the entire view outside! I want to stay in this room."
Li Xiu Li glanced around and nodded in agreement. Then, she frowned and said, "This seems to be the master bedroom, and there are things placed inside. We probably can't live here. Why don't we choose a more comfortable, smaller room? As long as we have a place to stay!"
Upon hearing Li Xiu Li's words, Li Na's expression instantly furrowed. She then noticed something amiss and grabbed Li Xiu Li's arm, saying, "Mom, don't you think the things in this room are a bit unfamiliar? They don't look like something Chen Lishu and Li Xiu Lan would use. Look at the face cream. How could Li Xiu Lan, a rough woman from the countryside, use such things? We've been to her room before, and it was extremely simple. It's obvious this room isn't where she lives. And if you say it's Chen Lishu's, but there are so many clothes for elderly people in this room..."
"So, you're implying that this courtyard house might not belong to Li Xiu Lan and the others?" Li Xiu Li voiced her guess, and for some reason, she felt a hidden surge of satisfaction.
Li Na shook her head and guessed, "I don't think so. Don't you remember when we entered the courtyard house, the maids treated Chen Lishu so courteously? They clearly recognized her! This means that Chen Lishu isn't giving this house to us, but has likely given it to someone else. We are her relatives! How can this child not know what's good for her? No, I have to go and ask!"
With that, Li Na stomped out indignantly.
Li Xiu Lan stared at her retreating back, stunned for a moment, then realized, why should such a nice house be given to others and not to them, mother and daughter? They were relatives, and those people were outsiders!
With that thought, Li Xiu Lan, her face grim, followed Li娜 out.
----
"Remember to clean the hygiene well. Madam He and Miss Chen weren't living here at the time, so we could occasionally slack off. Now that we're back, we must be fully focused!"
"It's good to be rich. Kyoto has one house after another. I heard the He family made a big business deal this time. Miss Chen is so lucky to have recognized the He family as her godparents."
"I think Miss Chen's capabilities are not bad either. She started from scratch, from a small vendor to the current CEO of a company. If I were part of the He family, I'd be eager to recognize such an outstanding girl as my goddaughter!"
"Hush! You two are truly bold with your conversation. Don't forget there are people in the house. If Miss Chen hears you gossiping, you'll be kicked out of the courtyard. Once you leave this place, it's not easy to find another job with good benefits and high pay."
As soon as these words were spoken, the little maids who were cleaning instantly fell silent, not daring to make a sound. They thought everything they were doing was undetectable, not realizing their conversation had already been overheard.
"Mom, I now suspect that the person living in that room just now is the He family they were talking about!"
"He family? Which He family?" Li Xiu Li's mind raced, but she couldn't recall which He family it was.
Having worked at Qin Lan's company for so long, Li Na had heard about some major corporations. This He family was the wealthiest in Kyoto! Their family operated in real estate, and their properties were reportedly spread across the country, even having their brands abroad!
However, how could such an excellent person be related to Chen Lishu and the others? Li Na dismissed this thought. After a moment of hesitation, she continued, "I think these little maids know quite a lot. Why don't I go and gather some information? Perhaps Chen Lishu's progress is due to the help of noble patrons. If this He family is a noble patron, we can seize this opportunity to curry favor with them. Then, wouldn't our good days be in sight?"
Li Xiu Li nodded, "It's good that you have your own ideas. Should I go gather information, or should you?"
"I'll go," Li Na said. After saying this, she immediately left the corner.
The little maid who was diligently working saw Li Na's appearance and immediately became vigilant. Unaware of the conflict between her and Chen Lishu, she assumed Li Na was a distinguished guest brought by Chen Lishu and politely stepped forward to ask, "Miss, would you like some water?"
Li Na sat on the sofa and then showed them a gentle smile, saying gracefully, "No need for water. Such a large house, your cleaning must be quite strenuous. Why don't I get you some water, and you can sit down and rest?"
Seeing Li Na's composed and elegant demeanor, the little maids thought she was also a young lady from a prominent family. Upon hearing that Li娜 wanted to get them water, these people immediately panicked and hurriedly advised, "Miss, we're not thirsty. This is relatively easy work for us. We only clean the rooms occasionally, not every day."
"Yes, yes, Miss Chen is very lenient with us. We haven't encountered any problems working here. You don't need to worry about us."
"..."
Li Na nodded upon hearing their words, then patted the sofa seat next to her and said, "It's quite tiring to clean such a large house. There's no need to rush. Sit down and take a break. I happen to have some things I want to ask you."
The little maids hesitated upon hearing Li Na's words, then exchanged glances, trying to find a signal in their companions' eyes to tell them what to do next.