Chapter 341: Chapter 342: Stirring up Trouble

Madam Huang immediately understood why Jin Qianqian had made a special stop to see her.

Besides, the second branch had gotten too full of themselves lately. They were holding banquets in the mansion without going through the communal household funds, a clear sign they didn’t respect her position as the managing madam.

And how they had gotten their hands on the mansion’s official invitations was something that really needed to be investigated thoroughly.

Now that leverage had been handed right to her, it was time to put them in their place.

* * *

Once she was out of the Huang Mansion’s main gate, Jin Qianqian got directly onto her carriage without a backward glance. "To the manor."

「Suburban Nameless Manor」

Jin Qianqian saw Xie Ermao, who was still covered in wounds.

It was unclear if Li Zhuangtou had given him special instructions beforehand, but the moment the boy saw her, he dropped to his knees.

Jin Qianqian said, "You’re still covered in injuries. Don’t bother with such empty formalities."

Li Qiu, at her side, immediately went to help him up. Upon getting a closer look at the ghastly scars on his face, even Jin Qianqian, who had prepared herself, gasped.

Xie Ermao knew what he looked like and raised a hand to cover his face.

"It’s not as terrifying as they say." Jin Qianqian thought of how this child had gone to such lengths to avenge his father and brother, and her tone softened. "Have you heard of General Zhou Zhengxiong, who guards the border? He has a scar on his face even longer than the ones on yours, yet not a single person fears him."

"I know. My father told me about him," Xie Ermao said, his face full of admiration. "He’s a great hero. My whole family respects him."

"You’re a little hero, too," Jin Qianqian said, slowly approaching the boy and squatting down to his eye level. "Though your methods may have been wrong, you avenged your father and brother. You defeated a pack of wolves all by yourself. I believe that with that same courage, you can build a life for yourself."

Xie Ermao lowered the hand covering his face and asked, lacking confidence, "Madam, can I really?"

Jin Qianqian said, "That’s not something you should ask me. You should ask yourself. Do you have confidence in yourself?"

Xie Ermao nodded firmly. From the moment his father and brother died, he had become the man of the house. He had to live on for their sake, and live a life worthy of them.

Looking at the child who remained kneeling rigidly before her, Jin Qianqian didn’t have anyone help him up this time. "I can give you an opportunity. Whether you can make something of yourself, however, is entirely up to you."

Looking at the boy’s steady expression, Jin Qianqian knew he was countless times more intelligent and mature than his peers. ’It’s such a shame about the scars on his face,’ she thought with a private sigh. ’If not for them, he might have become a prominent figure in a few decades.’

Jin Qianqian had Lichun draw up a work-for-debt agreement with him. The mansion would be responsible for his upbringing and training, and once he was grown, he would work to pay off his debt.

Xie Ermao had Li Zhuangtou come over to confirm that what was written on the agreement was the same as what Lichun had read aloud. Once confirmed, he immediately pressed his thumbprint onto it.

"From now on, serve the Master and Madam well. I’ll look after your family’s house and land for you. That way, you’ll have a place to come back to."

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Xie Ermao kowtowed to Li Zhuangtou. He understood that Uncle Li had already done more than enough for him. Any kindness his father and brother had shown Uncle Li in the past was now repaid.

Now, he was the one who owed a debt of gratitude. "Uncle, I will never forget your great kindness."

Jin Qianqian hadn’t come all this way just for Xie Ermao. The courtyard here had been rebuilt. While the place wasn’t large, it would at least serve as a place for her to stay when she visited in the future.

Arriving in the backyard, she saw an area specifically cleared for seedlings. The chili pepper and various vegetable seeds had already sprouted. In a little while, they could be transplanted into the fields.

"Madam, even after we plant all these seedlings, there will still be empty land on the manor. I was wondering what you plan to plant in the other areas?" asked an old farmer, who had been specially brought over from the estate in Dao City, speaking cautiously at her side.

"The dry fields and some of the sandy soil on the periphery will be used for fruit trees. The saplings will be delivered in a few days. In a moment, I’ll mark out the planting locations for you."

Jin Qianqian knew exactly how many seeds she had provided. Although this manor wasn’t large, it wasn’t far from Shangjing. She planned to develop it into a private estate for her family, a place from which they could get their own vegetables and fruits.

After making a few more arrangements, she took Xie Ermao and returned directly to her mansion.

&

「Minister Huang’s Mansion」

Madam Huang had never imagined that the third daughter-in-law of the second branch could cause so much trouble. She had been constantly welcoming people from her own family into the mansion, even ignoring the elders’ taboos by bringing in her half-sister, who was not only recently widowed but also in a period of mourning.

"What do you gatekeepers even do? So many people have been coming and going every day, and none of you thought to report it?" Madam Huang nearly threw the cup in her hand, but seeing her mother-in-law still sitting beside her, she restrained herself.

"The Third Young Master told us not to. He said there was no need to report such minor matters," a gatekeeper knelt trembling in the hall, knowing he was about to be made a scapegoat for the young master again.

"The Third Young Master told you not to speak, so you didn’t? Don’t you have brains of your own?" The moment Old Mrs. Huang spoke, the gatekeeper’s face turned ashen. "This is your own failing, yet you dare try to drag a young master of this family down with you. You deserve to die!"

’But Madam Huang wasn’t about to let the old madam brush this aside. If she hadn’t always favored the second branch, the entire Huang Mansion wouldn’t be in such chaos. To think that just anyone could take invitations from the study!’

"And what about these invitations? They’re supposed to be kept in the Master’s study. One must have your permission, Old Mrs. Huang, before going to the Master to retrieve them. I already asked the Master before I came, and he knew nothing about this. Perhaps the wife of the Third Young Master can give me an explanation?"

Xiao Shi Yu clenched her fists. "These invitations were leftovers from the last time the family sent them out. I saw they were just sitting there going to waste, so I used a few.

I don’t understand. We are both granddaughters-in-law of the Huang Mansion. Am I not allowed to entertain guests?"

Madam Huang smiled. "Of course you may. However, Old Mrs. Huang and your own mother-in-law are also in this residence. Even if you choose not to discuss it with me, the madam in charge of the household, you should have at least informed them!"

Xiao Shi Yu lowered her head and stood silently behind her mother-in-law.

Madam Huang, of course, had no intention of letting them drop the matter so quietly. "Speaking of which, that sister of yours has truly suffered a bitter fate, going from one period of mourning to another, and now a widow.

As her older sister, and with your mother as her legal mother, it’s natural for you to be anxious. We can even understand trying to find her a new match so soon into her mourning period.

However, there are still taboos to consider. You should have at least given us a heads-up about her coming and going. With so many old and young people in this mansion, what if she were to bring bad luck to someone? Wouldn’t your good intentions have led to disaster?"

Old Mrs. Huang immediately grew restless. She was the most superstitious of all when it came to such things. Besides, who ever heard of someone who was newly widowed and in mourning already looking to remarry? Wasn’t that the mark of an unfilial and disloyal person?

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