Chapter 73 Asked for It
When Qin Zhi said “suicide”, his glance stayed on Qin Yunuan’s face deliberately for a long time. After confirming that the surprise and resentment on Qin Yunuan’s face were real, he slowly withdrew his glance. It seemed that this daughter of a concubine still assured him.
“Father,” Qin Yunuan opened her mouth, but held her words back abruptly. She lowered her head and simply said, “Don’t be overly mournful, father. You were married to each other after all. Even though what Concubine Li did was wrong, Yunuan knows that father must feel bad about it.”
Qin Zhi lowered his head in coordination, and sighed, “It’s alright. You can leave now.”
Qin Yunuan went out of the study and saw that the cypresses planted in the yard had become more lush. The tender green buds exuded the vitality and strength of the early summer, forming a sharp contrast with Qin Yunuan’s rather heavy mood.
She knew exactly how Li Qiqi died. Suicide? How ridiculous was that? How could a person like Li Qiqi be stupid enough to die silently in the prison? Even she confessed her sins, she would live till the last moment of her life to hear that Qin Yunzhuang could not attend the princess selection, to see the Qin Family in chaos.
In order to preserve the reputation of the Qin Family and Qin Yuzhuang, Qin Zhi had really invested heavily this time that he even took a life. She just didn’t know whether the rumored strict rumor Yan Chengbing would investigate it thoroughly.
When Qin Yunuan returned to the Fuxi Courtyard, nurse Liao told her that Maner was able to open her eyes and get up this morning. Qin Yunuan was very pleased with the news and she hurried to the wood-shed where Maner was rehabilitated. Compared to the tattered courtyard, the wood-shed was very neatly packed. The seat benches and ondol mattresses were all new. To help Maner rehabilitate better, Qin Yunuan also specifically let Huang Dashi open a small window on the south wall for easy ventilation.
The renovated wood-shed was more like a girl’s room. It was very elegant.
“You’re up! Are you feeling better?” Qin Yunuan pushed open the door and entered the wood-shed, and could not help but whimpered like an old nanny, “Do you have enough quilts? Is your food alright? You have been in a coma and I don’t know whether have you felt hot or cold. Nurse Liao had arranged it all. If you don’t like it, just tell her.”
“Third Miss, Maner is all good. You have already done everything you could to Maner, and I am very grateful for that.” Maner was leaning on a soft pillow. Her face was still pale, and the clothes on her shoulders were half open. She probably just had her medicine replaced, as there was a fragrance of herbal medicine on her.
“But I still feel sorry for you,” Qin Yunuan sat on Maner’s bedside and took away the medicine bowl for Maner, “In order to cover the fact, I could only said that you were punished for mistakes at work to be locked up in the wood-shed. Hence, it was inappropriate for me to come to visit you. It was Tong and Ting Xue who were taking care of you, and I felt guilty in my heart.”
Maner was flustered and she quickly said, “Third Miss, what are you talking about? You have already treated me very well. Ting Xue had already told me that you went to Prince Ning’s Mansion to ask for the snow lotus for me from General Leng. It’s said that General Leng has a strange temper and violent personality. Third Miss, you have suffered all because of me.”
Qin Yunuan was stunned.
Strange temper? — “Since you know it, you should already know that in fact. If you come to me for anything, as long as I have it, I will give it to you.”
Violent personality? — “If I don’t have it, I will take someone else’s and give it to you.”
Well, Maner was not totally wrong after all. Qin Yunuan gathered the quilt for Maner, lowered her head and said, “Actually, he’s alright.”
Suddenly, Qin Yunuan found that there was a hand stitched needlework under the bedding of Maner. It was in a nice silk material, with a black background and yellow thread. It was apparently for a man.
“Now, why are you doing needlework all of a sudden?” Qin Yunuan smiled and put away the needle thread and embroidered stretchers hidden by Man’er, and put them behind her back. Looking at Maner wanting to get them back anxiously but didn’t dare to speak, Qin Yunuan tilted her head slightly and said, “If you tell me who do you make it for, I’ll give it back to you.”
Maner lowered her head. Her face seemed to be stained with two red glows. For the first time since she got injured, her pale white face blushed, “What are you talking about, Third Miss? I was just doing it myself as I had been quite free lately.”
Qin Yunuan smiled and touched the material, “I think this silk is very good. Are you planning to give it to brother Dashi? Nurse Liao had praised you earlier, saying that you are capable and you can take good care of the house. She said that she won’t be worried for the rest of her life if brother Dashi marries someone like you. That’s a good thing.”
Stimulated by Qin Yunuan, Maner’s face became more blushed, and she even wanted to get up to take the needlework back, “Who said that it was for brother Dashi? I’ve given him one in the New Year, the knee pads are actually for….”
Maner was half through her words but she covered her mouth and stopped abruptly.
“Hey, so it’s a knee pad.” Qin Yunuan smiled happily and shrugged Maner’s arms, “so, he is a man who practices martial arts.”
In fact, Qin Yunuan knew the answer in her heart. She just looked at Maner with a smile. Qin Yunuan’s always treated emotions naturally, whether for others or for herself.
Suddenly, there was a clear sound from the newly made small window to the south. There was a pear flower appeared out of nowhere. The white petals were as white as snow in a small porcelain bottle, equally white. It was at the edge of the window sill. You could see the fresh luster of the pear flower under the sun from the bed.
When Maner saw the pear flower, her face was filled with joy and shyness of a girl.
When Qin Yunuan saw it, she knew it more clearly, but she said, for no reason, “Wow, who just put a pear blossom on the window still? Isn’t he afraid of it being smashed? Why doesn’t he just deliver it into the room next time?”
Maner was embarrassed, and she only dragged Qin Yunuan’s sleeve and whispered, “Third Miss, actually….”
“Okay, okay, I won’t make fun of you anymore,” Qin Yunuan stopped teasing Maner and returned the embroidered stretcher to her. She smiled and said, “I had made an appointment with sister Fang to go shopping today. It’s time for me to go now. You need to take a good rest. I’ll come to see you later.”
Before leaving, Qin Yunuan couldn’t help but looked back at the pear flower on the window sill. She pursed her lips and smiled, as she took out the medicine bowl that Maner had drunk up.
She said that she was going shopping with Fang Ziying. In fact, she also wanted to use it as an excuse to pay a visit to the Golden Butterfly Embroidery House branch that had been opened in the Royal City for quite some time. It was the result of the cooperation between her and Boss Shen, Shen Xun. She gained forty percent of the profit in it.
The carriage stopped at the alley of the street of Golden Butterfly Embroidery House. The crowd in front of Golden Butterfly Embroidery House could be seen from afar. Recently, in the early summer, Golden Butterfly Embroidery House had launched a new set of refreshing lotus flowers and apricot flowers pattern. They looked comfortable either on clothes, handkerchiefs or fans. The other embroidery houses wanted to copy them, but just a few days later, Golden Butterfly Embroidery House launched another new set of patterns. The other embroidery houses could not keep up with the speed of Golden Butterfly Embroidery House, and were left far behind.
As they entered the embroidery house, the shopkeeper in charge recognized Qin Yunuan at first sight. He didn’t make it big. Instead, he simply took Qin Yunuan and Fang Ziying to the inner hall directly, and he asked the staffs to deliver them some of the best and latest garments.
Fang Ziying was wearing a lake green flower skirt embroidered with a bunch of flowers, with a silver hairpin on her head tipped with a lifelike begonia flower, and a tassel hanging on one of the petals. She looked refreshing and lively. For this reason, the clothing fabrics Qin Yunuan selected for her were mainly in bright colors. However, they were not too gorgeous and they fitted the temperament of Fang Ziying very well.
Sure enough, Fang Ziying loved these garments as soon as she saw them and she couldn’t let them go.
Fang Ziying was picking the garments while Qin Yunuan was looking at the account books on the side. She didn’t hide her joint business with Shen Xun from Fang Ziying. One of the reasons was that Fang Ziying was trustworthy, the other was that Fang Ziying’s uncle Xu Xianghuai was in charge of the canal section from the Royal City to the regions south of the River. The Dou Family was in charge of the overall transportation rights of the Canal from the Royal City to Hangzhou. Only with Xu Xianghuai’s help could Golden Butterfly Embroidery House develops so quickly in the Royal City and along the canal.
“Alright, I’ll just choose these.” Fang Ziying decided happily. Fang Ziying only kept two satin and a sky blue shirt among dozens of garments and fabrics.
“Why have you just picked these?” Qin Yunuan put down the account books, raised her eyebrows, and said to the shopkeeper in charge, “Bring more, the good ones.”
“It’s alright, I’m done,” Fang Ziying took Qin Yunuan’s hand and sat down, drinking a cup of warm tea, “I just like these pieces, don’t bother to bring any more.” Then she added seriously, “If I take too much, it would be on you after all. It’s not easy for you to start a business in the competitive world, and it bothers you a lot. You should save money whenever you can. I understand how you feel.”
“It’s okay to take a few more for your aunt perhaps. I can’t thank Officer Xu personally, only you can deliver my gratitude to him.”
“It’s okay,” Fang Ziying waved her hand generously, “My uncle always loves me the most. It’s just a trivial matter.”
The two chatted for a while longer. The recent death of Shangguan Rang and the entanglement between the Shangguan Family and the Qin Family have made several large families in the government gloomy for a while. It was said that even the emperor was aware of it. Consequently, Fang Ziying had not been so happy and carefree at home for a while.
If Shangguan Rang hadn’t died, it would have been likely that the Fang Family would become relatives with the Shangguan Family. As Qin Yuwan would also marry Shangguan Rang as a concubine, it would be chaotic. It was better now that the situation was still good in general.
The little servant girl in the shop came in to add tea for them. Just when she opened the flower curtain, they heard a noise outside. Among it was a woman’s sharp voice which was extremely harsh.
“What’s wrong in the lobby?” Qin Yunuan asked, putting down the teacup.