Lian Qiao held a small paper packet in her hand and walked briskly. Thinking of the expression on her young lady's face when she handed this thing to her, she couldn't help but feel a bit amused.
Young Master Song Huaizhi had been on close terms with the young lady in recent years. They were cousins in public, but as one of the people who had witnessed the incident back then, Lian Qiao naturally knew their real relationship well.
Young Master Song had saved the young lady's life. They were not siblings but closer than siblings. Their interactions were natural. Occasionally, they would have a little tiff, but they would soon make up.
Thinking like this, Lian Qiao soon stood in front of Song Huaizhi's small courtyard gate. She gently knocked on the door and said to the inside, "Is Young Master Song in?"
Song Huaizhi was sitting at the table reading a letter. When he heard the voice outside the door, he was a bit surprised. He quickly put down the letter and replied to the outside, "I'm in."
After saying that, he got up to open the door for Lian Qiao.
Song Huaizhi didn't like anyone staying around him, so few people ever entered his yard. Even when the servants came to clean the yard, they were absolutely not allowed to enter his room. They had to finish the cleaning quickly and then leave.
Lian Qiao knew this, so after the door opened, she just stood at the door and handed the paper packet to Song Huaizhi. "Young Master Song, this is something the young lady sent for you."
"It's already late at night. I'll go back to attend to the young lady now. If you have anything to tell the young lady, you can tell me now."
"Nothing." Seeing the expression on Lian Qiao's face, Song Huaizhi said, "You can go back."
Since the incident a few years ago, Lian Qiao had been a bit afraid of Song Huaizhi. Hearing this, she immediately bowed and took her leave without staying for a moment longer.
Song Huaizhi closed the door and opened the small paper packet.
Inside the paper packet was an even smaller one. When he picked it up, there was also a small note under it.
Song Huaizhi paused for a moment, picked up the note, and read the words on it by the candlelight.
After reading it, the gloom on Song Huaizhi's face disappeared, leaving only a bit of indescribable smile.
...
Meng Ruyi woke up when it was still not dawn.
After hesitating for a while, she still got up to wash up. She put on a dark - gray cloth shirt and stepped out of the room.
There was nothing to do today, but Meng Ruyi still planned to go to the shop with Xu Fanglian. Xu Fanglian had left a message yesterday, saying that if Meng Ruyi wanted to go today, she should send someone to tell her.
But Meng Ruyi came back too late, so she didn't send anyone to tell her for fear of disturbing Xu Fanglian's rest. Since she got up early today, instead of resting here, it would be better to go and have a look.
So after waiting in front of Xu Fanglian's door for a while, she saw her mother push the door out, looking a bit tired.
"Yuyu?" Xu Fanglian was a bit sleepy and thought she was still dreaming. When she saw her daughter, she couldn't help smiling. She walked quickly towards Meng Ruyi and said softly, "Yuyu has really grown up. She looks good in anything."
"Mother!"
Meng Ruyi felt a bit embarrassed. This made Xu Fanglian find it funny. She rubbed her daughter's face and continued, "Okay, okay, I won't say anymore."
"Come on, let's go have breakfast first, and then we'll go out."
Xu Fanglian naturally took her daughter's hand and walked slowly with her.
Both she and Meng Chengliang were busy, so they rarely had time alone with their daughter on weekdays. Xu Fanglian always cherished these moments, so she walked even more slowly and gently asked Meng Ruyi about what had happened to her these days.
After breakfast, Xu Fanglian forced the already - ready - to - go Meng Ruyi to sit for a while before taking her out.
Walking side by side with her, Xu Fanglian only noticed by chance that her daughter was almost as tall as herself. Now when looking at her, she no longer had to look up.
It was as if in the blink of an eye, the little girl who used to hold on to her sleeve and follow her around had grown up. Overnight, she had become the graceful young lady in front of her.
Xu Fanglian felt a bit melancholy for no reason. Thinking that her daughter might have to go to the capital next year, she felt even more sad.
She had thought about keeping her daughter, but this town was too small. Compared with the capital, it was like a speck of dust.
She couldn't stop Meng Ruyi from going to a better place and having a bright future. Moreover, since the incident four years ago, Meng Ruyi seemed to have set a goal and had been working hard.
Xu Fanglian could see the uneasiness in Meng Ruyi's heart, so she didn't ask. But how could a daughter's thoughts be hidden from her mother?
Thinking like this, Xu Fanglian sighed deeply in her heart.
All she and her husband could do was to hold on to what the Meng family had and earn as much as possible. When Ruyi went to the capital, she would have less to worry about in terms of money.
When they arrived in front of the shop, before Xu Fanglian could say anything, Meng Ruyi turned to her and said, "Mother, can I go and have a look?"
Xu Fanglian naturally wouldn't refuse. So she stood aside smiling and motioned for Meng Ruyi to have a try.
The shopkeeper was surprised to see the young lady pick up the ledger herself. Standing aside, he couldn't help feeling emotional. He said to Xu Fanglian, "Madam is really blessed. The young lady can already handle things independently. She will surely be remarkable in the future."
Xu Fanglian smiled. Seeing that this old shopkeeper who had been with her for many years had no resistance to Meng Ruyi, she was also happy. She said, "You're being polite. When she can really take over, I will definitely invite you to have a good gathering."
"By then, my husband and I can also feel at ease and enjoy a leisurely life."
While they were chatting, Meng Ruyi glanced at the ledger. She only found a few minor mistakes. After pointing them out, she said to Xu Fanglian, "Mother, it's all done."
"Okay, then let's go first. Shopkeeper, I'll trouble you here."
The shopkeeper was still surprised, but he didn't show it on his face. He took his leave from Xu Fanglian.
It seemed that the madam trusted the young lady's ability quite a lot. She didn't even double - check and just left straight away.
They came to the next shop, an antique shop. Meng Ruyi had never been here before. She only knew that the business here was average and could barely make ends meet.
The shopkeeper here was different from the previous one. When he saw Meng Ruyi trying to pick up the ledger, he even turned around and asked Xu Fanglian again and again, as if he was worried that she would run away with the ledger.
Meng Ruyi ignored him and continued to flip through it.
Xu Fanglian didn't expect the situation here to be like this. She immediately felt a bit unhappy and gave the shopkeeper a cold look.
Seeing this, the shopkeeper reluctantly shut up, looking a bit embarrassed.
He didn't believe it! Could this little girl really find something out!
As Meng Ruyi was looking, her expression remained unchanged. In the shopkeeper's eyes, it just seemed like she was pretending.
He felt proud in his heart, so the unhappy look on his face gradually disappeared and was replaced by a smile. He folded his arms and watched Meng Ruyi.
While looking, Meng Ruyi also noted down those positions. After looking for a long time, she closed the ledger and looked up at her mother, asking, "Mother, what's the relationship between the shopkeeper and the accountant of this shop? Are they still relatives of the Meng family?"
"Hey!" The shopkeeper standing beside had been there for too long. Hearing this, he was a bit stunned. He quickly spoke up before Xu Fanglian, "Miss, you're young. It's normal that you don't understand these things."