234 The Qin Family’s Eldest Brother
Li Yu came down from the slope and returned to the shop. The inn beside the shop had already been built. It was called the Happy Inn and was opened on June 19th.
Ruyi took out the account book and said to Li Yu with a smile, “Madam, the inn has been open for more than ten days. We don’t earn much. We can only earn one to two hundred copper coins a day. As for the two waiters we hired, one is from Uncle Dashui’s family and the other is from Ah Tai’s family. The two of them are quite smart. The ink shop is fine. We earn four to five taels of silver a month.”
“It’s fine. You’re better at business than me and Ah Wei is quite good at managing the manor now. I’ll just be a hands-off shopkeeper at home in the future.” Li Yu smiled and continued, “Ruyi, remember to tell the shop assistant to pay attention to the guests coming and going into the inn. Write down their actions or anything unusual they say. Go back and tell your master if you note anything suspicious.”
Ruyi thought for a moment and understood what Li Yu meant. She nodded and said, “I’ll remember and instruct those two fellows.”
Li Yu looked at the hot sun in the sky, put on her straw hat, picked up the whip on the counter, and said to Ruyi, “It’s so hot. I’ll go back to the city. Tell Ah Wei that the corn seeds have to be planted in the next few days. We can only harvest the second season of corn in October. If we miss the season, it will affect the harvest.” Ruyi nodded and sent Li Yu to the carriage to drive into the city.
Just as Li Yu returned to the entrance of the county office, she saw a tall man with a beard riding a horse pass by like a gust of wind. After passing through the alley, he pulled the horse to a stop. The horse neighed as it raised its front hooves to a stop. The man nimbly jumped off the horse and looked around before leading the horse into the Yu family. Li Yu recalled Madam Qin saying that her brother was coming and thought to herself, This should be Chief Escort Qin. As expected of the Chief Escort of the Big Escort Agency, he’s quite fierce.
When Uncle Liu saw Li Yu return, he hurriedly ran forward and said to Li Yu, “Madam, the sun is so hot. Hurry up and enter the courtyard to cool off. Leave the carriage to me.”
“Okay. You don’t have to guard the door. Go back to the house to cool off too.”
“Hey! Thank you, Madam!” Uncle Liu happily led the horse into the courtyard.
Li Yu went to take a look at Xiaoyu and Seven Pounds. Seven Pounds looked like he had grown a lot more and was sleeping soundly. Xiaoyu complained to Li Yu gloomily, “Madam, I smell sweat all over my body every day during confinement. This smell is even worse than when we fled.”
Li Yu took out a handkerchief and covered her nose. She touched Seven Pounds’ chubby face and smiled. “Seven Pounds. Your mother does smell quite bad! Like stinky tofu.”
“Madam, I want to wash up.” Xiaoyu pressed her palms together and begged Li Yu, “Madam, quietly bring me a basin of water and let me wipe myself.”
Li Yu thought about how women in the future could even shower after giving birth. It should be fine to get some warm water to wipe Xiaoyu on a hot day! She nodded and smiled. “I’ll serve it to you. You’re not allowed to betray me, or I’ll punish you!”
Xiaoyu smiled and raised her finger. “I swear I won’t betray you!”
Li Yu went to the kitchen to scoop a basin of warm water and brought it to Xiaoyu’s room. After Xiaoyu finished cleaning up, she said to Li Yu, “Madam, it’s too comfortable. It’s as if I’m alive again.”
“Then you owe me your life. You have to repay me in the future!”
“I’ll definitely repay you, but I’ll have to trouble you to help me destroy the evidence.”
“Alright, for your repayment, I’ll help you destroy the evidence.” Li Yu smiled and put down Seven Pounds before carrying the basin out.
Madam Qin’s brother was welcomed into the Yu family by Aunt Qin. When Brother Qin saw Madam Qin and her daughters sitting in the hall, he shouted, “Sister, Brother is here.”
Madam Qin turned around and saw her brother. Tears of grievance fell. “Brother, why are you only here now? I almost didn’t get to see you.”
Yu Hui and Yu Xin also cried, “Uncle.” Brother Qin looked at the mother and daughters who were crying and clenched his fists so hard that they cracked. “Was it really that bitch who poisoned you?”
Madam Qin told her what had happened and cried, “She bribed Old Madam Yang to poison me. I’ve got Old Madam Yang’s confession and the jewelry and money she was bribed with.” Brother Qin said to Madam Qin, “Take me to that bitch.” Madam Qin nodded and led Brother Qin towards the west wing.
Ever since Yang Meiniang realized that Madam Qin’s health was getting better, she knew that her plan had been exposed. Later, when she saw that although Madam Qin had locked up Old Madam Yang, she had never come to settle the score with her, she thought that Madam Qin was still the same as before. She thought Madam Qin was probably concerned about incurring the hatred of County Lieutenant Yu and decided to let her off. When she saw Aunt Qin bring Big Brother Qin in from the outer courtyard, she knew that something was amiss. She closed the door in trepidation and hid in her room. When she heard heavy footsteps approaching, she trembled in fear.
Big Brother Qin pushed the door open. Seeing that the door was locked from the inside, he kicked the door open. Aunt Qin walked in and dragged Yang Meiniang out of the inner room. Aunt Yang cried, “Let go of me. I want to find Master. Master won’t let you off.”
Big Brother Qin kicked Aunt Yang to the ground and raised his fist as he roared, “Bitch, how dare you poison my sister? You’re courting death.”
Madam Qin grabbed Brother Qin’s hand. “Brother, don’t dirty your hands. Send her and Old Madam Yang to the government office. I have something to discuss with you when you come back.”
Big Brother Qin obediently put down his hand. “Alright, I’ll do whatever you say.” Yu Yan and Yu Chengyi also heard Madam Yang’s cries and ran out of their rooms. They cried and went forward to pull Yang Meiniang. “Mother, what’s wrong?” Yu Yan cried and knelt in front of Madam Qin. She begged, “Madam, please spare my mother!”
Madam Qin said indifferently, “She wants my life, yet you still want me to spare her.”
“Sister, why are you talking to her? Go and bring Old Madam Yang out. I’ll send them to the government office.”
Li Yu carried the basin and walked out. Suddenly, she heard a woman crying outside, the sound of a child calling for help, and a man’s bell-like shout. Li Yu quickly walked to the door and saw Madam Qin’s brother dragging Yang Meiniang and an old woman towards the government office. Yang Meiniang’s two children were crying behind them, calling for County Lieutenant Yu to run towards the government office. It turned out that the eldest brother of the Qin family was here. He was sending Madam Yang to the government office.
County Lieutenant Yu looked at the two crying children and turned around to see Brother Qin hauling Yang Meiniang and Old Madam Yang. County Lieutenant Yu walked forward and ignored Yang Meiniang’s cries. He forced a smile and cupped his hands. “Brother, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you inform me to pick you up?”
234 The Qin Family’s Eldest Brother
Li Yu came down from the slope and returned to the shop. The inn beside the shop had already been built. It was called the Happy Inn and was opened on June 19th.
Ruyi took out the account book and said to Li Yu with a smile, “Madam, the inn has been open for more than ten days. We don’t earn much. We can only earn one to two hundred copper coins a day. As for the two waiters we hired, one is from Uncle Dashui’s family and the other is from Ah Tai’s family. The two of them are quite smart. The ink shop is fine. We earn four to five taels of silver a month.”
“It’s fine. You’re better at business than me and Ah Wei is quite good at managing the manor now. I’ll just be a hands-off shopkeeper at home in the future.” Li Yu smiled and continued, “Ruyi, remember to tell the shop assistant to pay attention to the guests coming and going into the inn. Write down their actions or anything unusual they say. Go back and tell your master if you note anything suspicious.”
Ruyi thought for a moment and understood what Li Yu meant. She nodded and said, “I’ll remember and instruct those two fellows.”
Li Yu looked at the hot sun in the sky, put on her straw hat, picked up the whip on the counter, and said to Ruyi, “It’s so hot. I’ll go back to the city. Tell Ah Wei that the corn seeds have to be planted in the next few days. We can only harvest the second season of corn in October. If we miss the season, it will affect the harvest.” Ruyi nodded and sent Li Yu to the carriage to drive into the city.
Just as Li Yu returned to the entrance of the county office, she saw a tall man with a beard riding a horse pass by like a gust of wind. After passing through the alley, he pulled the horse to a stop. The horse neighed as it raised its front hooves to a stop. The man nimbly jumped off the horse and looked around before leading the horse into the Yu family. Li Yu recalled Madam Qin saying that her brother was coming and thought to herself, This should be Chief Escort Qin. As expected of the Chief Escort of the Big Escort Agency, he’s quite fierce.
When Uncle Liu saw Li Yu return, he hurriedly ran forward and said to Li Yu, “Madam, the sun is so hot. Hurry up and enter the courtyard to cool off. Leave the carriage to me.”
“Okay. You don’t have to guard the door. Go back to the house to cool off too.”
“Hey! Thank you, Madam!” Uncle Liu happily led the horse into the courtyard.
Li Yu went to take a look at Xiaoyu and Seven Pounds. Seven Pounds looked like he had grown a lot more and was sleeping soundly. Xiaoyu complained to Li Yu gloomily, “Madam, I smell sweat all over my body every day during confinement. This smell is even worse than when we fled.”
Li Yu took out a handkerchief and covered her nose. She touched Seven Pounds’ chubby face and smiled. “Seven Pounds. Your mother does smell quite bad! Like stinky tofu.”
“Madam, I want to wash up.” Xiaoyu pressed her palms together and begged Li Yu, “Madam, quietly bring me a basin of water and let me wipe myself.”
Li Yu thought about how women in the future could even shower after giving birth. It should be fine to get some warm water to wipe Xiaoyu on a hot day! She nodded and smiled. “I’ll serve it to you. You’re not allowed to betray me, or I’ll punish you!”
Xiaoyu smiled and raised her finger. “I swear I won’t betray you!”
Li Yu went to the kitchen to scoop a basin of warm water and brought it to Xiaoyu’s room. After Xiaoyu finished cleaning up, she said to Li Yu, “Madam, it’s too comfortable. It’s as if I’m alive again.”
“Then you owe me your life. You have to repay me in the future!”
“I’ll definitely repay you, but I’ll have to trouble you to help me destroy the evidence.”
“Alright, for your repayment, I’ll help you destroy the evidence.” Li Yu smiled and put down Seven Pounds before carrying the basin out.
Madam Qin’s brother was welcomed into the Yu family by Aunt Qin. When Brother Qin saw Madam Qin and her daughters sitting in the hall, he shouted, “Sister, Brother is here.”
Madam Qin turned around and saw her brother. Tears of grievance fell. “Brother, why are you only here now? I almost didn’t get to see you.”
Yu Hui and Yu Xin also cried, “Uncle.” Brother Qin looked at the mother and daughters who were crying and clenched his fists so hard that they cracked. “Was it really that bitch who poisoned you?”
Madam Qin told her what had happened and cried, “She bribed Old Madam Yang to poison me. I’ve got Old Madam Yang’s confession and the jewelry and money she was bribed with.” Brother Qin said to Madam Qin, “Take me to that bitch.” Madam Qin nodded and led Brother Qin towards the west wing.
Ever since Yang Meiniang realized that Madam Qin’s health was getting better, she knew that her plan had been exposed. Later, when she saw that although Madam Qin had locked up Old Madam Yang, she had never come to settle the score with her, she thought that Madam Qin was still the same as before. She thought Madam Qin was probably concerned about incurring the hatred of County Lieutenant Yu and decided to let her off. When she saw Aunt Qin bring Big Brother Qin in from the outer courtyard, she knew that something was amiss. She closed the door in trepidation and hid in her room. When she heard heavy footsteps approaching, she trembled in fear.
Big Brother Qin pushed the door open. Seeing that the door was locked from the inside, he kicked the door open. Aunt Qin walked in and dragged Yang Meiniang out of the inner room. Aunt Yang cried, “Let go of me. I want to find Master. Master won’t let you off.”
Big Brother Qin kicked Aunt Yang to the ground and raised his fist as he roared, “Bitch, how dare you poison my sister? You’re courting death.”
Madam Qin grabbed Brother Qin’s hand. “Brother, don’t dirty your hands. Send her and Old Madam Yang to the government office. I have something to discuss with you when you come back.”
Big Brother Qin obediently put down his hand. “Alright, I’ll do whatever you say.” Yu Yan and Yu Chengyi also heard Madam Yang’s cries and ran out of their rooms. They cried and went forward to pull Yang Meiniang. “Mother, what’s wrong?” Yu Yan cried and knelt in front of Madam Qin. She begged, “Madam, please spare my mother!”
Madam Qin said indifferently, “She wants my life, yet you still want me to spare her.”
“Sister, why are you talking to her? Go and bring Old Madam Yang out. I’ll send them to the government office.”
Li Yu carried the basin and walked out. Suddenly, she heard a woman crying outside, the sound of a child calling for help, and a man’s bell-like shout. Li Yu quickly walked to the door and saw Madam Qin’s brother dragging Yang Meiniang and an old woman towards the government office. Yang Meiniang’s two children were crying behind them, calling for County Lieutenant Yu to run towards the government office. It turned out that the eldest brother of the Qin family was here. He was sending Madam Yang to the government office.
County Lieutenant Yu looked at the two crying children and turned around to see Brother Qin hauling Yang Meiniang and Old Madam Yang. County Lieutenant Yu walked forward and ignored Yang Meiniang’s cries. He forced a smile and cupped his hands. “Brother, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you inform me to pick you up?”
