Chapter 57 : Saving Life

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On the way back, Mama Fang and Yuxi shared a carriage.

 

Inside the carriage, Mama Fang grimaced and said, “Miss, I can’t read.
So, how can I create an account book?” If it was before, she would only calculate the monthly expenses of the shop and by the end of each month, she would count how much money was left.
When she added or subtract those two amounts, she then could figure out how much income the shop earned every month.

 

Yuxi smiled and replied, “Then, please hire a bookkeeper.
However, mama must not let this person stay in the shop every day.
As a bookkeeper, this person merely come and write down the account every few days.”

 

Mama Fang was somewhat embarrassed as she asked, “How about this person salary?”

 

Yuxi answered, “It is enough to give a salary of two taels of silver per month.” According to the modern term, it was the same as finding a part-time accountant.

 

Mama Fang somehow felt that this money had been spent unfairly.

 

Yuxi shook her head and said, “Mama, if there are no rules, there will be no standard.
The baozi shop business is so good.
Now after the two new people you taught finally managed to master it, I’m going to open another branch shop.
When the time comes, if the accounts are not clear, it will be easy for bad people to fish in troubled waters.” Mama Fang now had two apprentices, both of whom had personal contracts with them, so Yuxi was not worried.

 

Mama Fang felt Yuxi’s words were reasonable, thus, she no longer opposed it.

 

Yuxi said, “Mama, the nurturing momo will come to the residence in a couple of days.
By that time, it will be very difficult for me to go out again.
If mama has something to do, ask Hongshan’s sister-in-law to help deliver the message.
If there is something especially important, you can come to the residence by yourself.“

 

Mama Fang was somewhat relieved and said, “Miss, you should learn from Teacher Song and the nurturing momo.” If Yuxi learned well from them, she would be able to marry into a good family in the future.

 

After entering the city, Yuxi and Mama Fang separated.
Only then did Hongshan begin to say, “Miss, if we open another baozi shop, can my sister-in-law go to the shop to help you?” The monthly wage of the baozi shop assistant was eight hundred copper coins, which also included breakfast since the assistant would be quite busy with preparation in the early morning.
This kind of treatment was actually really good.
Compared to her, a first-class maid, whose monthly allowance only nearing that figure.

 

Yuxi smiled, “Wait until the shop opens.
It’s still too early to talk about this now.”

 

While they were talking, the carriage came to a sudden stop.
In the event of an emergency, Yuxi reacted quickly.
Both her hands immediately grabbed the edge of the carriage, stopping herself from crashing onto the wall of the carriage.
Hongshan did not react as fast as her.
She bumped her forehead on the wall and got herself a big bruise.

 

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Hongshan angrily lifted the curtain of the carriage.
Before she could ask the driver what was going on, the driver hurriedly explained, “Miss Hongshan, a girl suddenly rushed onto the road.
I was afraid of hitting her, so I immediately stopped the carriage.” It was a person, not an animal, and luckily, with the driver’s conditioned reflex, he managed to stop.

 

When Hongshan heard this, she saw a girl on the ground, two steps away in front of the horse.
The girl was not very old, roughly around the age of ten years old.
She lied on the ground with a pale face.
Furthermore, there was blood on her clothes and her body.
She looked like a ghost.

 

Hongshan was so frightened that she sat back into the carriage.

 

Seeing Hongshan’s manner piqued Yuxi’s curiosity.
She tried to peek outside by lifting the curtain.
Before she had any idea what was happening outside, she saw two men running towards her.

 

The two men who came running were both tall and big.
One of the men who had a mole on his face saw the girl lying on the ground and shouted, “Here she is!”

 

After saying that, the man took a big stride forwards, and just like an eagle, he easily grabbed the girl lying on the ground like a chick.
Then he snorted, “You ran away.
Why didn't you continue running? Can you run anymore?”

 

The girl's eyes were filled with despair.

 

Yuxi looked at the despair in the girl’s eyes and remembered how she died in the thatched hut.
At that time, she was also so desperate.
She felt a quiver in her heart and shouted at the man with the mole, “Put her down!”

 

Hongshan immediately put down the carriage curtain and said to Yuxi, “Miss, there is no way for you to save her.
If you look at these men, you know that they are not good people!” That girl was probably a runaway slave.

 

The man with the mole turned his head and saw Yuxi’s carriage with a few retainers.
This made him realise that they were from a rich family.
Since both of them were now in the capital city, they somehow managed to attract someone eyesight whom they did not dare to offend, so the speaker said, “Miss, this girl is from our Chunxiang Building.
She had taken an opportunity to escape, so we’re here now to bring her back.”

 

Hongshan’s face changed when she heard the name Chunxiang Building.
“Miss, this is beyond our control.” Chunxiang Building was a brothel! How could a girl get herself involved with a brothel?

 

Contrary to Hongshan, Yuxi was relieved to hear that the other party was from Chunxiang Building.
The people of Chunxiang Building were easy to deal with.
As long as you could work out a starting price, even the Queen of Flowers could be bought, not to mention a teenage girl.
“How much is she? I will buy her.“

 

A different colour flashed on the face of the man with the mole, “I can’t decide on this matter.
You have to ask our boss if you want to buy her.”

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Yuxi ignored the man with the mole and asked the girl who was caught by him instead, “What is your price?” For the girl to escape from Chunxiang Building showed that she was courageous and unafraid of death.

 

There was a glimmer of hope in the girl’s eyes.
With a hopeful voice, she answered, “Twenty taels.”

 

Yuxi said to the man with the mole, “I’ll pay five times her original price.
What do you think?”

 

The man with the mole hesitated a little when he heard this.

 

Hopes for survival sprang up in the little girl’s heart.
She said as she stared at the man with the mole, “If you must catch me back, I won’t live.” She would rather die than follow what these people wanted her to do.

 

The man with the mole knew that the dead girl was stubborn.
No matter how many times he hit her, she never wanted to bow her head.
This time she escaped because of their negligence.
“Smelly wench, count your luck.” This dead girl did not eat hard or soft.
He couldn’t be sure if they brought her back, she wouldn’t commit suicide.
At any rate, she was not a national grace, divine fragrance either.
It was better for them to sell her.
At least they could gain a small profit from it.

 

There was a gleam of light in the little girl’s eyes, as she knew the man had decided to sell her.
Thinking of this, she eagerly looked at Yuxi.
No one wanted to die if one was given a chance to live.

 

The man with the mole shouted at Yuxi, “I’m going to have someone fetch her deed.
Between us, one hand exchanges the cash, the other the goods.”

 

The Chunxiang Building was not far from their current place, so the girl’s deed was soon taken.
Yuxi asked the girl, “Can you see if that is really yours?”

 

After reading it, the little girl nodded and said, “It’s my deed.”

 

After Yuxi paid for the deed, she did not return directly to the State Residence but went to Shangyuan Street instead.
As for the girl’s current ghost appearance, she did not dare to bring her back, otherwise, she would definitely get a scolding.

 

Yuxi looked at the girl lying in the car who was covered with wounds and asked, “Who are you? How can you be sold to Chunxiang Building?”

 

The little girl said, “My name is Ling Qi.
My father is Counsellor Ling of Hexia Town and he died of illness six months ago.”

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Hongshan hastily asked, “Then why are you in the brothel? Where are your relatives? “

 

When Ling Qi heard these questions, her eyes burst out with hatred, “I was sold by my stepmother.
Originally, I was sleeping peacefully at home and somehow, the next day, I woke up in the brothel.”

 

Yuxi looked at Ling Qi’s face and asked, “Are you not in a good term with your stepmother?” Since Ling Qi’s father was a counsellor, her family circumstances must have been pretty good.
Ling Qi wasn’t a national grace, divine fragrance either.
The only reason left was Ling Qi had enmity with her stepmother.

 

Ling Qi nodded and said, “If she wasn’t around, my mother would not have died.”

 

Yuxi did not need to ask anymore to know that with this girl’s temper and the enemy who killed her mother, they could not coexist peacefully.
Her stepmother sold her to the brothel not for money but for revenge, “Do you have any relatives in your family? If there is, I will send you back when you are cured.“

 

Ling Qi shook her head and said, “Miss has saved me, so my life belongs to Miss.”

 

Ling Qi had repeatedly tried to escape from Chunxiang Building regardless of life and death, even when her body was covered all over with cuts and bruises, she still wouldn’t give up.
Her visible temperament was very resolute.
This kind of person, if she could sincerely submit to her, she would be a really big help.
Yuxi said, “You have to think it over.
If you want to be with me, you will be a maid, and you will have to be a servant.
If you go back, you will still be a daughter from a good family.“

 

Ling Qi said sincerely, “Miss, there are no relatives in my family.
Furthermore, I don’t know where to go even if I go back.” There was a way to live if she really followed Miss.
It was better to follow Miss than to follow a man who had no idea what he wanted, even if she had to be a maid.
At least, her life and personal safety were guaranteed.

 

Seeing that Ling Qi was not acting on impulse, Yuxi nodded and said, “You should first go to Mama Fang’s baozi shop to recuperate, and wait until the rest of the wounds are completely healed.”

 

Ling Qi nodded and said, “Okay.”

 

Mama Fang had a soft heart.
She was very sympathetic when she heard Ling Qi’s experience.
She helped Ling Qi got to the backyard, then hurriedly searched for a physician ¹.

 

Mama Shen looked at the sky and said, “Miss, you have to go back.
If you don’t go back now, the Old Lady will scold you.” The day was almost dark, and the Old Lady already reminded her to bring Yuxi back home before nightfall.

 

Yuxi said, “Mama Shen, you should first send someone to the Hexia Town to find out if there is such a person named Ling Qi.” An employer had to find out the details of the other party before an employer employed a person.
If the person lied and used the identity of a person of unknown origin, there would be no telling what would happen in the future.

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When they went back to the residence, it was already at the beginning of xushi period.
Yuxi was severely reprimanded by Old Lady Han for returning late.

 

Yuxi stood obediently, with her head down, while she being reprimanded by the Old Lady.

 

Looking at Yuxi this way, the Old Lady could not help but think of Yuxi’s birth mother, Ning Shi.
Every time she scolded Ning Shi, she also had such a look.
Thinking till here, the Old Lady’s heart was filled with panic, “You withdraw!” People really needed fate between people.
Even if Yuxi’s performance was getting better over time, with such a birth mother, how could the Old Lady forget that she had never liked Yuxi?

 

Yuxi respectfully withdrew.

 

The only one who left in the main room was Mama Luo, the person whom the Old Lady spoke her true words, “I’m afraid, I’m not familiar with this child.” Respectful on the surface but in fact was actually very guarded against her.
Otherwise, Yuxi wouldn’t be guarded against Hongshan and Mama Shen in everything she did.
Even if Hongshan had already crossed over, she still could not manage to get Yuxi’s trust.

 

Mama Luo smiled and said, “What did the Old Lady say? Fourth Miss is your legitimate granddaughter.
How can she be unfamiliar to you?”

 

If it weren’t for Yuxi being her granddaughter, the Old Lady wouldn’t have allowed such nonsense.
“I’m afraid she has bad blood with her father too,” she said.
If Yuxi was really not close with her father and resented the family, even if Yuxi was getting more excellent, she would have to cut off her wings.

 

Mama Luo carefully said, “Old Lady, if you will excuse this servant, the Fourth Miss is not actually that cold-hearted person.
You can see that she is very close to the First Lady and Second Young Master.” The Old Lady and Fourth Miss never saw each other more than once a month.
As for Third Lord, he had ignored Fourth Miss too much over the three years he had been away.
So how could they expect her to be closed with both of them in these situations? How could they also expect Fourth Miss to be the bigger person?

 

Mama Luo was very loyal to the Old Lady and often analysed her problems from the standpoint of an onlooker.
Her suggestions were also heard by the Old Lady.
Old Lady Han sighed and said, “Wu Shi was not a peaceful one.” Wu Shi’s manner made Yuxi more alienated from the Third Lord.
As it happened, the Third Lord also didn’t really care about Yuxi, this daughter of his.

 

Mama Luo also felt that Wu Shi’s view was too shallow, and her means were poor.
Before she even returned to the state residence, she had already offended a lot of people, “When she comes back, the Old Lady will teach her well.”

 

Old Lady Han shook her head, “I’m too old already, so I don’t have that much energy.
As soon as Ming-er takes a wife, I will let this responsibility go, and enjoy two years of happiness.” Qiu Shi as her housekeeper was good at managing, but very bad in the aspect of being calculating.
That was why she felt not at ease to completely entrust her home to Qiu Shi.
Now, her only hope fell on her grandson’s future wife.

 

Mama Luo smiled and said, “When Master Shizi marries, the Old Lady will then worry about Third Miss’ marriage.
Where can Old Lady really find any leisure?”

 

Old Lady Han sighed, “Yes, as the saying aptly puts it, children live for one hundred years and keep making their parents worry for ninety-nine years.
I somehow thought I could have a leisure time.”