Chapter 613: Chapter 395: Let’s Go Back
Ye Shiqi was worried amid her sisters’ silence… During her parents’ persuasions, would she choose to give up on the property she had finally managed to buy?
Had she just taken her first step, just arrived in the Capital City, to falter and return to a place she didn’t want to go, to become a turtle retracting its head in fear?
Would she do that? Could she?
“Housekeeper Grandpa, is it very difficult to buy food where your old masters are in the faraway place?”
Ye Shiqi asked, of course, she thought about the food she had stored in her space, which she initially planned to sell in the Capital City.
At this moment, she changed her mind, since doing business here would be very dangerous, and how much money she made would be known to others.
Then why not move this food? He also greatly respected those soldiers who protect the country and their homes. If they couldn’t eat well, how could they maintain peace in the region?
“Yes, the rice store we opened on the busiest street in the Capital City is also to divert attention. The important thing is that when collecting food from different places, most of the food is sent to the border city,” the housekeeper said with a sigh, worried that without his support, the old masters would quickly run out of food again.
Hongji seemed to guess something from his daughter’s question, and the housekeeper’s words also made him sympathize with those soldiers.
“Old housekeeper, don’t your old masters grow food? Isn’t it possible to collect food near the city?”
Mrs. Li and her daughters all watched them talk, the topic diverted, and so were their feelings.
“Ah, that place is mostly desert. There are some oases but they can’t produce much food, and there is a shortage of water, so the soldiers have a hard time there, steadfastly defending without allowing outsiders to cause disturbances,” he replied.
Ye Shiqi had never been to the desert, but she could guess from the housekeeper’s tone that conditions there were much harsher than in their hometown.
After all, their hometown had water sources, abundant mountains, and fertile land, much happier compared to places covered entirely by sandstorms.
In such harsh conditions of the desert, there must be indigenous people who live there and must have their own ways of survival.
In her previous life, Ye Shiqi had watched television shows about adventurous and intense war films, and she had great admiration for those soldiers.
At the moment, what she thought of was, since liberation, people had planted tree branches by every means, creating patch after patch of oasis trees.
“Housekeeper Grandpa, in a few days when my parents return to our old home, we sisters are planning to stay in the Capital City, will you be staying in the Capital City too, Housekeeper Grandpa?”
Ye Shiqi asked this, of course, because she had another idea in mind, planning to make a personal trip to the border city.
What the old housekeeper said, about her father and his old master being so similar, and about that elder concubine relative, how exactly were they living?
Her father’s relatives on the wet nurse’s side seemed to have stopped interacting with their family long ago, for reasons unknown. Their relatives were still in that village.
She heard that her grandparents didn’t allow her father and aunts to associate with the relatives on the wet nurse’s side.
Since they could remember, they had asked their mother why, if both grandparents had relatives, did the previous generation stop interacting?
The grandmother on her grandfather’s side should also have had her own family, but after several generations, family ties were not as close, which shouldn’t result in no interaction at all, unless there was some secret, or because some affairs had grown cold.
Ye Shiqi had heard her mother say that it might be because the older generation passed away, the younger generation grew distant, and besides significant events, they didn’t interact.
During festivals and holidays, every household was poor, and nobody wanted poor relatives showing up at their door.
In recent years, their family had become somewhat wealthier, and they hadn’t invited that family over for marriages and childbirths.
At this moment, with grandfather and grandmother not here, it was impossible to inquire about that side of the family.
“Lady, what do you think about the old housekeeper escorting the young Master back and then returning to the Capital City?”
The old housekeeper’s intentions were good-hearted; with so many ladies as delicate as flowers and as lovely as jade in the Capital City, how could he be at ease?
Yet, if he didn’t accompany the young Master to investigate, he felt he would have regrets even in death!
They must get to the bottom of this matter. If it really only involved the Young Master from the other branch of the family, that wouldn’t be an issue. The concubine had relatives, and the proprietors could also claim relations, even acknowledging someone as an honorary son would do.
These were all but the old housekeeper’s thoughts; he had no authority to make suggestions for the old master. He could only write a letter informing the old master of the situation, allowing him to make his own decisions. Once the reason was investigated, he would also inform the old master via letter.
Ye Shiqi fell silent for a moment, not sure for what reasons the old housekeeper acted, but it was better to have someone to escort her parents. The last encounter with the mountain bandits was due to her collecting their weapons and the large rocks and trees.
But this time, her parents would be returning with only a carriage and one or two guards, and Young Uncle had left some guards behind as well.
Not many people were returning, and even if Young Uncle accompanied them with protection, Ye Shiqi could not be entirely at ease. Travelling back and forth , sending people here and there, was not a solution.
With the old housekeeper around, all of them born this year were strong martial artists; the mountain bandits’ mediocre skills were certainly no match for them.
After contemplating this, Ye Shiqi agreed with the housekeeper’s approach, but said that with his age, he didn’t have to personally escort them; he could send more subordinates to ensure her parents and brother’s safe return.
Of course, the old housekeeper wouldn’t agree. He had his own thoughts and secrets, which naturally he would not share with them. The right moment had not yet come; it would not be too late to tell them after he had investigated thoroughly.
Seeing the housekeeper insisting, Hongji said nothing further. As the housekeeper had mentioned, danger lurked outside; could they avoid it on their return?
If they encountered mountain bandits on the road here, they could change course and take a different path. But the alternate route would be even more mountainous, possibly concealing more bandits!
Mrs. Li remained silent; the safety of the family was crucial. As a woman, she naturally could not object.
Having decided to leave in a few days, Mrs. Li prepared to help her daughter by training the staff here, to ease her daughter’s burden.
Ye Shiqi, however, believed that since her mother and elder sisters had come to the Capital City, they should go out, see the world, and buy some nice things to take back.
“There’s no need. Last time we went to the county and bought so many nice things, we’ve made so many clothes and bought so much jewelry. This time our parents-in-law also brought many gifts; let’s save some money instead!”
Mrs. Li worried they were spending too much and wondered how they would raise twenty thousand taels of silver within three months to repay if they spent all the pocket money her daughter had.
“Mother is right, if we don’t buy, then let’s not buy it!”
Ye Luoqi also joined in the conversation.
The other sisters who stayed in the Capital City did not speak up but felt the pressure of being without money.
Only Ye Fengqi’s lips moved slightly, yet she did not voice what was in her heart.
She wanted to say, “You all are staying in the Capital City, where you can see and buy nice things anytime; there’s no need to hurry out shopping. It’s different for me; I have to return with our parents.”
If her brother were here, he would probably have the same thoughts, right?
Having finally come to the Capital City, and only going out once today, not to explore the vast city would indeed be a wasted trip.