Yueying followed Yuebing over, and upon entering the room, she said to Yueyao, "Third younger sister, I really don’t know why there are such rumors in the mansion. Third younger sister, it really has nothing to do with me."
Yueyao, with a look of surprise, asked, "Elder sister, what happened?" She was too lazy to argue with Yueying over such trivial matters.
Yueying was immediately at a loss for words.
Yuebing, of course, knew about the mansion’s rumors. Seeing Yueyao playing dumb, she thought that perhaps the third younger sister’s schemes were deeper than she had imagined.
Since Lian Dongfang had declared that her expenses would be paid by the mansion and she no longer needed to pay out of her own pocket, Yueyao unapologetically listed a long list for Lady family. The list mostly included tonics and also many good medicinal ingredients, which would cost a lot to buy all. Lady family, wanting or not, had no choice but to reluctantly send someone to the accounting room to report the expenses.
Every year at year’s end, the shops and Tian Zhuang were required to settle accounts. The Shopkeeper from the shops included in Madam Ma’s dowry sent word asking Yueyao when she would settle the accounts, but Yueyao, claiming illness, did not meet with them.
Nanny Hao was a bit worried: "Miss, the servants are overriding their master." Since the lady does not handle the accounts, these people will inevitably feel tempted to defraud, and corruption is certain. What worries her the most is that they might end up ruining the shops.
Yueyao smiled faintly: "Don’t worry, they can’t escape." When servants override their masters, it is usually because the master is incompetent or too young to manage affairs, but she was not in such a situation. If these shopkeepers dared to embezzle money, she would make them spit it all out when the time came.
On the twenty-seventh of the twelfth lunar month, Tingzheng came back. Yueyao had an accident, and Tingzheng didn’t know about it. Everyone around him had kept it from him, and it was only after Tingzheng returned to Lian Mansion that he found out about the accident with Yueyao’s carriage.
Tingzheng, furious, his eyes rimmed red, demanded, "Sister, how could you not tell me about such a big matter? What would I do if anything happened to you?" The more Tingzheng thought about it, the sadder he became. He only had this one relative left; what would he do if his sister suffered a mishap and left him alone? No matter how good the Li family was, it was still someone else’s home.
Tingzheng cried heartbreakingly, and Yueyao could not calm him down no matter how she tried. Finally, Yueyao helplessly said, "Tingzheng, this time sister was wrong. From now on, no matter what happens, sister will not hide it from you. I’ll tell you immediately. Okay? Stop crying, or you’ll really look terrible."
Looking at Tingzheng, whose face was covered in tears, Yueyao felt strangely. Normally, a child’s tear-streaked face would look like a blotchy mess, but her brother Tingzheng still looked good!
Tingzheng stopped crying, but considering Yueyao’s previous record, Tingzheng still reminded her, "Sister, you must keep your word. If this happens again, don’t blame me for not believing in you anymore."
Yueyao couldn’t help but laugh; the child, having been around Li Han, that clever ghost, had also become clever. Tingzheng, often teased by Li Han in Li Mansion, had naturally learned some countermeasures over time. No doubt, he had also been influenced by Li Han.
Before they knew it, it was New Year’s Eve. Because the Lian Mansion was observing a mourning period, the New Year’s celebration was not as grand as in previous years. All the household did was have a reunion dinner together, and after that, they dispersed.
Yueyao first escorted Tingzheng to Changqing Courtyard, then returned to Lanxi Courtyard. The weather in the twelfth lunar month was very cold, but Yueyao was robust, and she was wearing a thick brocade wolf fur Large Cloak outside, with both hands tucked into an enameled cloisonné bat-shaped hand warmer, keeping her entirely warm.
Xi Juan and Xi Yu took turns holding the lantern because the weather was too cold; if one person held the lantern until they returned to Lanxi Courtyard, their hand would be ruined. Yueyao was generous to them, providing them with the finest clothes, but even so, the cold was unbearable.
Yueyao smiled and handed the hand warmer to Xi Juan, who was continuously rubbing her hands, "Warm your hands too." She did not ask for Xi Juan’s opinion and directly placed it in her hands, while she tucked her own hands into her sleeves.
Xi Juan dared not accept it. Yueyao, pointing to the sweat on her forehead, laughed and said, "I’m not cold." She was dressed too warmly, and after walking so much, she felt entirely warm.
Yueyao rested for a while then took a bath. After coming out, she practiced calligraphy for half an hour before going to bed. However, lying in bed, she couldn’t fall asleep. She had Xi Yu light a candle and read a book, and eventually, she fell asleep while reading.
Xi Juan knew about Yueyao’s habit and did not dare go over to remove the book from Yueyao’s hands or dare to cover her with a blanket. But luckily, Yueyao’s room was heated from beneath the floor, so there was no worry about her catching cold.
On New Year’s Eve, it snowed heavily.
A heavy snow promises a bountiful year; snowfall on the first day of the New Year is seen as a good omen for the year. The slowly falling snowflakes, accompanied by the sound of firecrackers, added an endless festive atmosphere.