The man before her was named Qu Zhongjie. Half a month ago, his grandmother had fallen gravely ill, and he had found no way to seek medical help.
By chance, she had encountered him and, moved by his sorrowful appearance, felt compassion. She then stepped forward to administer acupuncture to save his grandmother.
While she was treating and saving the patient, Jiang Tan’er stood beside her, comforting Qu Zhongjie. Many people witnessed her considerate demeanor. When his grandmother awoke from her coma, Qu Zhongjie immediately knelt before Jiang Tan’er, kowtowing and vowing to repay this kindness!
As for her, who had worked tirelessly for half the day and was utterly exhausted…
Hah! A maid?
“Are your brains filled with rocks? Can you not even tell who your savior is? Young Master Qu, shouldn’t you open your eyes and see clearly who your true benefactor is?” Songyin said with a poor attitude.
Qu Zhongjie flushed red: “You… how can you speak like this… If it weren’t for Miss Jiang that day…”
Qu Zhongjie paused mid-sentence.
His grandmother had been ill for a long time. That day, she suddenly fell into a coma, her breathing growing weaker and weaker. Even taking her to the medical clinic had been useless. At that moment, his mind went blank, and he felt it was all over.
Just then, someone knelt beside his grandmother and began administering acupuncture. Before he could even see the healer’s face clearly, Miss Jiang appeared before him. Like a celestial fairy, her voice was so enchanting that it made him forget his anxiety without even realizing it.
Sure enough, just as Miss Jiang had said, his grandmother awoke shortly after.
Later, she even left his address and had medicine delivered for ten days…
“You were employed by Miss Jiang, so it’s not wrong for me to call her my benefactor…” Qu Zhongjie said, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
“Jiang Tan’er and I were merely traveling together by chance; I am not her maid. Before, you didn’t know the truth, so it was understandable. But now that I’ve made it clear to you, shouldn’t your benefactor be someone else? You’re so filial—surely you wouldn’t attribute the life-saving grace to someone else, would you?” Songyin shamelessly continued.
Ever since she met Jiang Tan’er, not a single person she had saved had ever remembered her.
Jiang Tan’er seemed to radiate a dazzling light, and anyone standing beside her would be overshadowed in the darkness.
It was clear that Qu Zhongjie was struggling internally.
This man was stubborn by nature. Having accepted Jiang Tan’er’s kindness, it was extremely difficult for him to suddenly withdraw his admiration and respect.
So Songyin brought him along directly. Whether he was willing or not, today he had to repay the life-saving grace. She didn’t possess Jiang Tan’er’s powerful and unique charisma, so she decided to be more forceful and straightforward, using the most direct method to get what she wanted.
“Ah Jie… isn’t this the young lady who saved me that day? Thanks to her excellent medical skills, your grandmother would have lost her life…” The old lady finally opened her eyes, and upon seeing Songyin, her cloudy gaze brightened considerably.
Songyin smiled: “See, your grandmother may be old, but her eyes see more clearly than yours.”
“Young… young lady… thank you for saving my grandmother’s life… I wonder what brings you to my humble home…” Qu Zhongjie cared most about his grandmother, so he didn’t persist in his stubbornness and stammered out his words.
“Naturally, it’s for an important matter. Young Master Qu, how do you intend to repay the life-saving grace?”
“…” Qu Zhongjie grew anxious. “As long as it’s something I can do, just tell me.”
He had intended to repay the kindness!
It was just that the object of his gratitude was originally Miss Jiang…
“With those words, I’m satisfied. I heard that several months ago, your father passed away on his way back from a trading trip, leaving you some items. In exchange for saving your life, I’ll take those. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Songyin continued.
Qu Zhongjie’s face showed surprise: “That… those were left by my father… they’re extremely important.”
When his father died during the trading trip, most of the goods were lost, leaving the family with many debts, even unable to pay for medicine. The only remaining goods, which were some shelled seeds no one had seen before, weren’t taken to settle debts… He had recently peeled open a few and tasted them, finding them non-toxic, so he had planned to give them to Miss Jiang as a token of gratitude.
Songyin stared at him, her eyes seeming to see right through him.
Qu Zhongjie felt a bit flustered, not daring to speak the whole truth.
“If it’s those red beans you want, Ah Jie, just give them all to our benefactor. They’ll be gone after a few meals anyway, what’s so important about them…” The old woman, bent over, quickly instructed.
Though somewhat unwilling, Qu Zhongjie could only nod and go fetch them with his head down.
Soon, he brought out half a small sack.
The quantity wasn’t right.
It was much less than what he had given Jiang Tan’er in his previous life.
“I want all of them, Master Qu. Your gratitude isn’t pure,” Songyin said coldly, looking at him.
Xie Jiling was shocked—this fake sister had actually come to rob them…
“This child!” The old woman was also a bit angry. She stood up, patted her bottom, and went to the woodshed herself. Soon, she brought the rest in a basket and placed it at Songyin’s feet. The old woman’s rough hands grasped Songyin’s: “Young lady, don’t be angry with this child. My grandson is a bit confused, but I understand clearly!”
The day she opened her eyes, it was this young lady she saw before her.
The girl was different from today—she seemed gentler, her expression serious but her movements exceptionally gentle. She knew this girl had saved her life, while her grandson had been profusely thanking Miss Jiang at the time, which was indeed inappropriate.
Perhaps because her grandson was already twenty and still unmarried, he couldn’t help but be captivated by any flashy woman he saw.
“Has your health improved recently, grandmother?” Songyin’s attitude softened considerably.
“Much better! Look, I can even carry things now, all thanks to you!” The old woman smiled brightly.
“I heard your family owes quite a few debts, and soon someone will come to seize your house. By then, you and your grandson might not even have a place to stay. Why not take temporary refuge at my family’s estate? I’ll find you a scenic, lively place where you won’t need to work—I’ll cover all your food, drink, and expenses. How does that sound?” Songyin continued.
“Alright then, let my grandson assist you in return. He’s young and strong—as long as he’s not made a servant, he can do anything…” The old woman understood the situation.
Bringing so many people meant there were surely demands.
With the debt of gratitude owed, it was best to comply.
Even without the gratitude, confronting this young lady head-on clearly wasn’t a wise choice.
“Then please pack your things, and we’ll leave now. Rest assured, I’m only interested in these seeds because of their unusual origin. They were transported from thousands of miles away—they must be useful for something. I’ll take them back to plant. After all, they belong to you, so it wouldn’t be right not to let you see them,” Songyin added.
As soon as these words were spoken, the old lady completely understood and no longer had any reservations in her heart.
Since the grandmother and grandson were already planning to move, there wasn’t much to pack. With the help of the Xie family’s servants, the process moved even faster.
Qu Zhongjie was filled with reluctance, but he had no grounds to object.
Songyin looked at this sack of seeds, her gaze more determined than ever before.
Her methods might not have been gentle, but that didn’t matter—achieving her goal was enough.