The argument in the disused second courtyard of the Yuan manor suddenly intensified, only to be suppressed shortly after.
Steward Hong’s neck veins bulged with anger. If it weren’t for the fact that this was the Yuan manor, he would have likely caused a scene by now. “Mama Cao, are you going back on your word and treating me like a fool?”
Liu Zhongren stood silently in the corner, watching the furious Steward Hong, who looked as if he were about to kill someone. He couldn’t help but think, “Serves him right.” The Mu Xiang Residence had already been sold for three thousand taels, but Steward Hong had broken the agreement. Now, everything had fallen apart.
Although she was an old wet nurse, Mama Cao’s hair was meticulously styled, adorned with two silver hairpins. Her long, wrinkled face was now stern, exuding an air of arrogant meanness. “Steward Hong, choose your words carefully. My mistress was indeed interested in the Mu Xiang Residence before, but she has no intention of buying it now. Are you trying to force a sale at the Yuan manor?”
“Mama Cao, you clearly said before that the Second Young Mistress wanted to move out and was willing to pay five thousand taels of silver for the Mu Xiang Residence!” Steward Hong’s voice trembled with rage. If this old woman hadn’t spoken so confidently, why would he have caused trouble so early this morning? Now that the previous buyer had backed out, and Mama Cao was also refusing, wouldn’t the Mu Xiang Residence remain unsold again?
Looking at the shouting Steward Hong with disgust, Mama Cao’s old face stiffened as she reprimanded him, “Then show me proof! Otherwise, don’t blame this old woman for reporting you to the yamen for slander!”
“I…” As if his throat were choked, Steward Hong, his face red and neck thick, was too angry to speak, wishing he could punch this old woman to death!
It was merely a verbal agreement before. How could Steward Hong have any evidence? Moreover, everyone in Minhe Prefecture knew that the Yuan manor had been in turmoil since the new year, all because of insufficient housing.
The second branch, with fewer masters but occupying over twenty rooms, was unwilling to even vacate a small courtyard for the first branch. In the end, the first branch had to hire craftsmen to dismantle the courtyard to the south and rebuild a two-story building.
Therefore, when Mama Cao said the Second Young Mistress fancied the Mu Xiang Residence and intended to buy it, Steward Hong immediately believed her. As for the five thousand taels of silver, it was no big deal in Steward Hong’s eyes. The Second Young Mistress was royalty, and even Prefect Yuan treated her with great respect. What was five thousand taels of silver?
“Enough. If you have no evidence, do not come to the Yuan manor to cause trouble. Today, we’ll let it slide. If there’s a next time, don’t blame this old woman for having you thrown out!” Mama Cao snorted arrogantly, then turned to the doorway. “Leave quickly, this old woman still has to attend to the Second Young Mistress!”
“You!” Steward Hong squeezed out a word through his teeth, but he could do nothing to Mama Cao. In the end, he could only walk out the door in a fury.
Seeing this, Liu Zhongren bowed to Mama Cao. “My apologies for the disturbance. I take my leave.”
After watching them leave, Mama Cao curled her lips. “Useless things, incapable of achieving anything but ruining things, and they dare to demand money. Bah!”
Outside the Yuan manor, Steward Hong kicked the manor’s wall in anger and looked back at Liu Zhongren, who was following him. “Brother Liu, I was mistaken to trust that old woman. Please do me a favor and go to the Dongsheng Inn.”
Steward Hong quickly pressed a five-tael silver ingot into Liu Zhongren’s hand, hoping that for the sake of the money, he would help mediate.
Although the five-tael gift was already quite generous, Liu Zhongren took two steps back and did not accept it. He sighed and said, “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but the scene this morning was too unpleasant. Although that young lady is young, her attendant is a skilled martial artist, and she made a move for three thousand taels. Her background is definitely not ordinary. If I go there, I might get beaten.”
Liu Zhongren was not foolish. The Yuan family’s Second Young Mistress’s reneging on the deal was not a genuine intention to buy the Mu Xiang Residence, but rather a deliberate act to provoke that young lady. If he went to the Dongsheng Inn and offended the Second Young Mistress, it would be troublesome.
Fiercely wiping his face, Steward Hong, though annoyed, could do nothing about Liu Zhongren. He glared at him unhappily. “Since that’s the case, I’ll go myself. Farewell!”
…
Dongsheng Inn.
After breakfast, Zhan Feiyu, who had started reading, did not see Steward Hong arrive.
He Nuan opened the door and looked at the innkeeper standing in the hallway. Her gaze shifted to the haughty Mama Cao. “Innkeeper, why are you knocking?”
Mama Cao’s critical gaze appraised He Nuan. She wore a three-pleated horse-face skirt inside and a round-collar, straight-placket, narrow-sleeved long gown outside. All were in plain colors, with no exquisite patterns on the cuffs, collars, or hems. This shabby attire made Mama Cao’s disdain even more apparent.
“Have your young lady come out to speak,” Mama Cao said coldly, her eyes half-closed, unwilling to bother with He Nuan, as if speaking to her lowered her status.
With her hand still on the door, He Nuan did not move aside. “My young lady is reading and does not receive guests.”
“Reading?” Mama Cao was taken aback, then let out a sarcastic laugh. She leaned forward, trying to look into the room, but He Nuan blocked her view too well.
However, the innkeeper beside them couldn’t help but show reverence. “All trades are inferior, only scholarship is supreme.” As a merchant, the innkeeper naturally held scholars in awe.
“Enough. Don’t feed me such nonsense. Reading?” Mama Cao’s wrinkled old face showed a mocking sneer. She clicked her tongue twice and shook her head, adopting an air of worldly wisdom.
“She’s just a country girl who’s already showing herself in public, and she claims to be reading? She probably only recognizes a few characters and can read a few storybooks. When I was serving noble ladies in the palace, even those noble young ladies who came to pay their respects were proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, yet they dared not claim to be educated.”
Upon hearing this, the innkeeper nodded in agreement. Families of status had strict rules. How could they allow a young girl to travel outside? Such disregard for rules suggested she was likely the daughter of a merchant family.
…
The argument in the disused second courtyard of the Yuan manor suddenly intensified, only to be suppressed shortly after.
Steward Hong’s neck veins bulged with anger. If it weren’t for the fact that this was the Yuan manor, he would have likely caused a scene by now. “Mama Cao, are you going back on your word and treating me like a fool?”
Liu Zhongren stood silently in the corner, watching the furious Steward Hong, who looked as if he were about to kill someone. He couldn’t help but think, “Serves him right.” The Mu Xiang Residence had already been sold for three thousand taels, but Steward Hong had broken the agreement. Now, everything had fallen apart.
Although she was an old wet nurse, Mama Cao’s hair was meticulously styled, adorned with two silver hairpins. Her long, wrinkled face was now stern, exuding an air of arrogant meanness. “Steward Hong, choose your words carefully. My mistress was indeed interested in the Mu Xiang Residence before, but she has no intention of buying it now. Are you trying to force a sale at the Yuan manor?”
“Mama Cao, you clearly said before that the Second Young Mistress wanted to move out and was willing to pay five thousand taels of silver for the Mu Xiang Residence!” Steward Hong’s voice trembled with rage. If this old woman hadn’t spoken so confidently, why would he have caused trouble so early this morning? Now that the previous buyer had backed out, and Mama Cao was also refusing, wouldn’t the Mu Xiang Residence remain unsold again?
Looking at the shouting Steward Hong with disgust, Mama Cao’s old face stiffened as she reprimanded him, “Then show me proof! Otherwise, don’t blame this old woman for reporting you to the yamen for slander!”
“I…” As if his throat were choked, Steward Hong, his face red and neck thick, was too angry to speak, wishing he could punch this old woman to death!
It was merely a verbal agreement before. How could Steward Hong have any evidence? Moreover, everyone in Minhe Prefecture knew that the Yuan manor had been in turmoil since the new year, all because of insufficient housing.
The second branch, with fewer masters but occupying over twenty rooms, was unwilling to even vacate a small courtyard for the first branch. In the end, the first branch had to hire craftsmen to dismantle the courtyard to the south and rebuild a two-story building.
Therefore, when Mama Cao said the Second Young Mistress fancied the Mu Xiang Residence and intended to buy it, Steward Hong immediately believed her. As for the five thousand taels of silver, it was no big deal in Steward Hong’s eyes. The Second Young Mistress was royalty, and even Prefect Yuan treated her with great respect. What was five thousand taels of silver?
“Enough. If you have no evidence, do not come to the Yuan manor to cause trouble. Today, we’ll let it slide. If there’s a next time, don’t blame this old woman for having you thrown out!” Mama Cao snorted arrogantly, then turned to the doorway. “Leave quickly, this old woman still has to attend to the Second Young Mistress!”