Chapter 472: Chapter 441, Smart_1
After returning to the courtyard, Daohua took another close look at the Mountain Deed, and thinking of the hot springs on the mountain, she felt very delighted, “I must build a Hot Springs Villa on the mountain.”
After pondering for a while, she became troubled again.
The mountain was located in Beijing, while she was in Zhongzhou, which was too far away for her to manage. How was she to take care of it?
“I must first send someone to see what the mountain is really like.” Only then would she know how to plan.
Thinking of manpower, Daohua felt a headache coming on.
She didn’t have many people under her, and the only one who could handle things on their own outside was Xiaoliu. The affairs in Beijing were complicated, and whoever she sent needed to be clever and smooth.
At the moment, she really had no one to choose from.
“Truly, you never know how short-handed you are until you need people!”
The end of the year was approaching, and when the heads of the estates and shops came to do the accounts, she would have to see if there was anyone she could train.
Daohua pondered for a moment and had Wang Manman call Xiaoliu over.
Not long after, Daohua met with Xiaoliu in the outer room, “Brother Xiaoliu, I need to trouble you to make a trip to Beijing for me.”
Xiaoliu looked stunned, then blurted out, “Miss, are you going to Beijing to buy fields and estates?” The miss loved to buy land and estates; other than that, he couldn’t think of any reason for her to send him to Beijing.
Daohua couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing this, “My reach isn’t that far yet, but… it does have something to do with it.” She said this and passed the paper with the mountain’s address to Xiaoliu.
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“This is a new mountain peak I’ve acquired, and I need you to help me inspect it. It would be best if you could draw a map of it to bring back to me.”
Xiaoliu took the paper and did not ask where it came from, nodding, “Miss, rest assured, I will find out everything about the mountain peak.”
Daohua smiled, “When you return from Beijing, go home for a visit too. You’ve been with my family for so many years, but you haven’t gone back yet.”
Upon hearing this, Xiaoliu’s expression immediately brightened, “Thank you, Miss.”
Daohua gave a smile and told Manman to escort Xiaoliu.
Wang Manman curtseyed and led Xiaoliu out.
After the two had left, Daohua walked over to the bedside and took out the Carved Sandalwood Lacquer Box from the secret compartment, and placed the Mountain Deed inside it.
Looking at the silver notes, land deeds, and shop deeds in the box, Daohua’s face showed a content smile.
Although the past few years had been busy, they also allowed her to accumulate a considerable fortune.
Being reborn in ancient times, although she had relatives who cared for her, the sense of security that silver brought could not be replaced by anything else.
Elsewhere, Wang Manman, after escorting Xiaoliu to Chuihua Gate, was ready to go back, but just as she turned around, she was called back by Xiaoliu.
“Manman, I have something to tell you.”
Wang Manman looked at him with a smile, “Go ahead, I’m listening.”
Xiaoliu hesitated for a moment, “These years with the miss, I’ve saved up some fortune. This time going home, I plan to fetch my parents and siblings as well.”
Wang Manman responded with a smile, “That’s good. If your parents come, you won’t be homesick all the time. In my opinion, you should have followed along when Brother Qin five brought his family over last year.”
Xiaoliu hesitated, then awkwardly said, “Not long ago, my mother wrote to me again, asking when I would get married; if they come, they’ll surely arrange it for me. You… what do you think?”
On hearing this, Wang Manman’s face turned red, “What do I think? In any case… I’m going to stay with the miss.” After saying this, she left as if fleeing.
Watching Wang Manman run away, Xiaoliu felt anxious. He was already twenty-two this year, and his parents were pressuring him; but Manman attended to the miss, and none of the miss’s maids were ever mentioned as having a husband.
If he wanted to marry Manman, he would either have to wait until the miss was married off, but the miss was only thirteen this year, and there were still several years before she left home; or he would have to beg the miss to let Manman go, but it was clear Manman was not willing to do so.
Alas, it seemed he would have to have a proper talk with his parents when they arrived.
Daohua Pavilion.
Seeing Wang Manman returning with a red face, Guyu immediately went up to her teasingly, “What’s the matter with Sister Manman? Did Brother Xiaoliu say something to make sister get drunk without even drinking?”
Wang Manman, upon hearing this, pretended to attack, “You little vixen, what nonsense are you talking about?”
Neither dared to make too much noise, and after a bit of playful chasing, they stopped.
As always attentive, Guyu noticed a hint of worry between Wang Manman’s brows and asked, puzzled, “What’s wrong? Did Brother Xiaoliu upset you, sister?”
Wang Manman shook her head: “No.”
Guyu: “Then you…?”
After hesitating for a moment, Wang Manman still spoke, “Brother Xiaoliu said he wants to bring his parents here this year.” The girls’ courtyard wasn’t full of gossip, and over the years, she had gotten along quite well with Guyu and Lixia. They weren’t sisters by blood, but they might as well have been, sharing their troubles with each other.
Guyu smiled and said, “Isn’t that a good thing?”
Wang Manman sighed deeply, “Once Brother Xiaoliu’s parents are here, they’ll start arranging his marriage.”
Guyu pursed her lips and smiled, “I thought it was something serious. What’s the problem with that? You and Brother Xiaoliu both serve Miss, and she’s a kind person. If you ask her, she will certainly agree.”
Wang Manman: “I know Miss will agree, but I don’t wish to leave her.”
Guyu fell silent. Of course, as Miss had not yet left the family through marriage, she shouldn’t have a married woman by her side.
Wang Manman continued, talking to herself, “Everything I have was given by Miss. In this life, wherever Miss goes, I will follow.” Following Miss these years, she increasingly realized that to live well and comfortably, one needed a backbone.
Her backbone came from Miss.
Without Miss, she’d be an orphan without parents or any support. How could someone like her gain a foothold in her husband’s family?
Brother Xiaoliu was a good person, but who could guarantee he would always be good to her?
To marry him and leave Miss, she couldn’t and didn’t want to do it.
Guyu thought for a moment, “Even if you marry Brother Xiaoliu, you will still have the chance to come back and serve Miss later.”
Wang Manman smiled and shook her head, “Let’s not talk about this. I’m going to serve Miss.”
Watching Wang Manman’s retreating figure, Guyu’s eyes flickered, ready to get to work, only to see Bi Wei walking out from the adjacent room.
Bi Wei looked timidly at Guyu, “Sister Guyu, I didn’t mean to…”
Guyu raised her hand to interrupt Bi Wei, “It doesn’t matter, but if I hear even a whisper of our conversation elsewhere, I’ll know it was you who spread it.”
In a wealthy family, reputation is of utmost importance. If it were rumored that a maid was involved with a young manservant, it would surely harm the Miss’s reputation.
Bi Wei quickly replied, “Sister Guyu, rest assured, I will never speak of it to anyone.”
Guyu smiled faintly, “Good, I believe you.”
As Guyu was about to leave, Bi Wei added, “Actually, I think Sister Manman could marry Brother Xiaoliu first, and when Miss is married, she could return as a maid to serve once again. What do you think, Sister Guyu?”
Guyu looked at Bi Wei, her smile tinged with irony, “You needn’t trouble yourself with this.” Then, pausing, she continued, “You and Bi Shi were personally chosen by Miss. Do you know why Bi Shi can now accompany Miss on outings, while you are still doing menial tasks like pouring tea and water?”
Bi Wei’s complexion changed, and she respectfully bowed, “Please enlighten me, sister.”
Guyu chuckled, “You see, our Miss is extremely decisive and values sincerity. You, on the other hand, have too many schemes.” With that, she sauntered away.
Meanwhile, Bi Wei stood rooted to the spot, her face cycling through various expressions.
As Guyu approached the main hall’s porch, she saw Lixia lift the curtain and walk out with an embroidered screen, “What were you and Bi Wei whispering about?”
Guyu smiled, “She’s fixating on something she shouldn’t; I gave her a piece of my mind.” Relying on a bit of cunning, she dared to speak about Manman.
One must know that Manman was one of the first to serve Miss, and having followed Miss all these years, even if she hadn’t learned all of Miss’s savvy, she had certainly picked up a bit. Did she need Bi Wei’s instruction?
As long as Manman stayed by Miss’s side, not to mention their own courtyard, even among all the Yan Residence’s servants, who would dare to underestimate her?
Indeed, marrying Brother Xiaoliu might offer a chance to return to Miss’s side, but then, could she still be the closest to Miss?
Choosing to stay by Miss’s side was truly wise.
One must realize that whether it was Brother Xiaoliu or Manman, everything they had now was given by Miss.