“Young Miss, my daughter’s name is Duoduo. Thanks to your kindness, she has been able to live a carefree and happy life at home for several years. I don’t know where she met a traveling doctor, but she gained his favor and learned some medical skills. She helps treat my wife and me when we are sick.” ”
Although the prescription is a bit unusual, it is quite effective. From now on, you can keep her by your side. If any of the maids or servants in the manor have headaches or fevers, you won’t need to spend money to call a doctor; just let this girl treat them.”
For his youngest daughter’s future, Manager Qian briefly mentioned Qian Duoduo’s merits, hoping that the young lady would give her an important role in the future.
Jiang Lanyue’s beautiful eyes brightened slightly as she retrieved relevant clues from her hazy memories. In the last days of her delirium, she seemed to smell herbs.
Thinking carefully, she had no money on her, and there was no extra money for Qian Duoduo to buy medicine.
It seemed that she had prescribed the medicine herself and gone up the mountain to pick the herbs herself.
Originally, he intended to keep her by his side and raise her well, so that when she came of age, he could free her from slavery and find her a good family to repay the kindness of his past life.
Unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise!
“Uncle Qian, I like Duoduo very much. May I let her stay with me for a few years? Don’t worry, when she comes of age, I will definitely find her a good place.”
Manager Qian smiled more beautifully than a flower, and after greeting him, he hurried home.
The shop assistants were puzzled by the manager’s exposed gums and silently continued with their work.
With nothing to do, Jiang Lanyue helped organize the bookshelves to pass the time. In less than an incense stick’s time, Manager Qian brought his thirteen-year-old daughter to the shop.
Qian Duoduo, having received instructions from her parents, respectfully kowtowed and said in a clear voice, “Greetings, Miss.”
At that time, Qian Duoduo was still a child who had not yet reached marriageable age, only reaching her shoulder in height, and her eyes still shone.
“Good child, get up! Duoduo, would you like to come with me?”
Jiang Lanyue helped Qian Duoduo up, her gaze lingering on her. The young lady was so gentle, and smelled so good…
“This servant swears to be loyal to the young lady to the death!” Qian Duoduo mimicked the words of a loyal servant from a play.
*Pfft*…All three present were amused by her. Qian Duoduo, bewildered, scratched her head awkwardly, a warm feeling washing over Jiang Lanyue.
If she hadn’t been imprisoned by Shen Jiaxue in her past life, this child would probably still be as vibrant as ever!
“From now on, you will be renamed Qian Ruyi.”
First, may your life be filled with happiness and fulfillment; second, may her path of revenge be smooth sailing.
The shopkeeper and his daughter thanked her happily. As expected of the young lady, Ruyi was a beautiful name.
After sharing a few amusing anecdotes, Jiang Lanyue informed them of the plan to convert the bookstore into a spice shop, to which the shopkeeper readily agreed.
“It needs replacing! This bookstore loses three or four hundred taels every year. Every now and then, Wei Chi’s classmates shamelessly borrow ink, paper, and inkstones on credit, and some even borrow books and refuse to pay them back.”
Manager Qian had menti oned this to Jiang Lanyue many times, but in her past life, she was considerate of Wei Chi’s reputation and silently suffered without causing trouble at the academy.
Suddenly, Jiang Lanyue had a brilliant idea. If she exposed Wei Chi’s classmates’ habit of not paying their debts, the students’ embarrassment would be attributed to Wei Chi.
Even if it didn’t cripple him, it would prevent these students from becoming his allies when they entered officialdom in the future.
“Uncle Qian, can you do me a favor…?”
…
On the way back, Jiang Lanyue kept smiling. Coral, curious and itching, wanted to ask but dared not, so she bluntly asked.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen Madam so happy.”
Ruyi ate a small bite of pastry, then turned her head and asked in confusion, “Sister Coral, doesn’t Miss usually smile?”
Coral was momentarily speechless, then stammered, “Not really.”
Since the divorce, although Madam hadn’t said anything, Coral had seen her often lost in thought, looking deeply worried.
Jiang Lanyue shook her head helplessly. If she didn’t speak, these two girls would probably imagine her to be some kind of resentful, lonely woman.
“I’m just looking forward to a good show!” The two girls, one big and one small, were eager to see what kind of play could make Jiang Lanyue so excited.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped abruptly, and the three people inside swayed precariously. Coral steadied Jiang Lanyue with one hand while angrily yelling at the coachman,
“Dazhuang, how do you drive this carriage? You almost hurt Madam! You’ll be punished!”
Dazhuang was Zhongbo’s adopted son, whom he had taken in during a famine. He was relatively reliable, and since Jiang Lanyue had moved to the estate, Zhongbo had assigned him to run errands and work as a coachman.
He was at a loss for words. He didn’t know why four or five carriages were parked fifty meters from the manor, and there was a corner there; only after crossing it did he find the road blocked.
“Madam, whose carriage is blocking the road? I’ll have someone move it
right away.” Jiang Lanyue frowned, thinking that it was only a few steps to home, and got out of the carriage to walk back.
“Hiss! Madam, it’s the Wei family’s carriage!” Shanhu’s heart skipped a beat; she had a feeling something was wrong. She glanced at Jiang Lanyue worriedly.
Jiang Lanyue’s eyes were dark as she glanced indifferently at the carriages and horses before her. There were quite a few carriages, and probably many people too.
“Something’s happened at the manor! Dazhuang, thank you for returning to the capital to report to the authorities. Tell them someone broke into a private residence with the intent to kill and rob!”
Shanhu panicked and, half-supporting Jiang Lanyue, advised, “The Wei family’s visitors are hostile. Perhaps Madam should return to the capital for the time being?”
Jiang Lanyue firmly shook her head: “They’re probably after me. If I back down this time, it will only embolden them.”
After saying this, she returned to the manor first, with Ruyi and Shanhu following closely behind. If anything happened, they would fight to the death to protect Madam.
Watching the three leave, Dazhuang hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and remounted his horse. He needed to find someone to rescue her as soon as possible to ensure Madam’s safety.
At the manor, Madam Wei looked down at the disheveled Zhongbo and his wife kneeling in the courtyard, her eyes filled with mockery and disdain.
Those two lowly servants dared to resist; she would sell them off when she got back.
It was infuriating that she had brought five or six guards, yet they had almost been no match for this lame old man, so it had taken them a long time to get into the courtyard.
Madam Wei rolled her eyes at the two women and ordered Wei Wan’er and Granny Wang beside her, “Go in and find what that bitch Jiang took, and put it all in the carriage.”
Wei Wan’er wrung her handkerchief, her eyes gleaming. She decided to take some jewelry while she was inside, since her mother wouldn’t know anyway.
The two women excitedly entered Jiang Lanyue’s bedroom and practically turned the room upside down. They grabbed whatever was valuable and threw the useless items on the ground and trampled them, quickly reaping a considerable amount.
When Jiang Lanyue entered, she was immediately enraged. She saw the filthy courtyard, and Uncle Zhong and Aunt Li, covered in blood, both bound and thrown in the center of the yard.
The rest of the open space was filled with Wei family guards, and Madam Wei sat on top of them, cursing her.
“Hit her again! You want to be that little bitch Jiang’s lackey? Don’t you know she’s worthy!” Madam Wei said fiercely.
Upon hearing this, the guards grabbed their clubs and began to strike Zhongbo and his companion, but Jiang Lanyue shouted to stop them, “Stop if you don’t want to die!”