Hongji, on his way back, had to conceal from Aunt Lai the purchase of shops, houses, and farmlands in Jingdong—these significant affairs—to avoid her causing trouble.
Moreover, the people brought back also had to remain tight-lipped.
Hongji met with his cousin’s old housekeeper during their visit to the Capital City.
Hongji’s father racked his brains, trying to think of which cousin had married into the Capital City.
At that moment, he couldn’t recall the cousin who had swapped her child.
Hongji merely mentioned relatives on his grandmother’s side without giving away too much detail.
He knew that the old housekeeper would definitely pay them a visit, and explanations could wait until then.
After a day of exhausting travel, he didn’t say much. They bathed and rested and allowed the workers to rest and settle down as well.
Hongji’s father and Aunt Lai were eager to know more, wanting to find out whom they visited in the Capital City.
How did they encounter relatives? There were many questions, but those would have to wait until tomorrow.
Suddenly, there were many more maids, and they couldn’t sleep in the Lady’s bed.
They were allocated separate quarters in the guest rooms. Aunt Lai, intent on staking a claim, wanted one of the maids to serve her.
The following morning, Aunt Lai brought up the old matter again, wanting a maid or a young boy, and was even more curious about what they had been up to in the Capital City over the past few days.
Hongji repeated his earlier statement—that these servants were not hired by them directly, and if Aunt Lai insisted on being served by them, she would have to ask the relatives. Whether the relatives would allow him to pay for the help was not within his control.
"Young Master, you have so many maids at your service. It’s one thing not to spare one for us, but expecting us to pay as well? The many estates earn so much money; surely you haven’t spent it all on houses in the Capital, have you?"
Hongji felt somewhat guilty, yet he maintained as he had the day before that he hadn’t bought a house. His daughter was still in the Capital, and he simply said they had rented a place.
"Oh, renting a place, huh? That must have cost a pretty penny too, didn’t it? The Capital is no cheap place to live in. Surely, her future in-laws didn’t offer them a place to stay?"
Aunt Lai’s probing was grating on Ye Fengqi’s ears and even more so on her mother’s!
"Aunt, we went to the Capital and Grandmother was taken away. You haven’t done something again, have you? As for whether my sisters and I rent a place or stay at someone else’s house, our parents have made arrangements. Do you not understand propriety? Is this something you should be asking?"
Ye Wenjie, following her elder sister’s retort, added, "An Aunt who works with us is one thing, but to question the Lady of the house’s affairs—that’s none of her concern, is it? Grandfather, wouldn’t you agree?"
Hongji’s father had always tacitly supported Aunt Lai in causing trouble, just as he had supported Mrs. Lai in the past, not taking a stance which made him seem honest and kindly.
But now, with the younger generation speaking up, he couldn’t save face.
"Aunt Lai, domestic arrangements are managed by my daughter-in-law; it’s not your place to interfere. Are we eating breakfast or should you return to your room?"
"Old Master...!" Aunt Lai, discontent, felt the old man was becoming ever more muddled. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel·fire·net
Mrs. Li had been dealing with the Old Master and this Aunt Lai for so long, she could understand a little about their characters.
Aunt Lai’s desire for them to assign her a maid was out of the question—as many maids as there were, they were all house slaves of the Ye Residence.
"Aunt, if you want a maid to serve you, go to the traffickers today and buy one. The maid will have to stay in a small house; we don’t have a place for a maid here."
"A bought maid could never compare to the ones brought back from the Capital. Young madam, are you unwilling to honor the Old Master with kindness? As for our side’s small house, is there enough room?"
Mrs. Li watched Aunt Lai with a smirk that was not quite a smile and said, "Isn’t our very own concubine also of peasant origins? Don’t forget your own family!"
"You..." Aunt Lai was rendered speechless and indignant, she turned to Hongji’s father and complained, "Old Master, the young madam herself comes from peasants, yet she says it’s bad that I do!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha, some people love to turn things around, looking down on purchased maids, yet after staying in our house for a few years, they start to think their status has become more noble. If a household had a good environment, who would sell their sons and daughters? I’ve heard that Aunt Lai was just like a daughter sold by her own family."
Ye Fengqi couldn’t stand Aunt Lai bullying her mother with words when her sisters and the younger members were not present. What status did this person have?
"Tsk, some people have no sense of propriety, daring to eat breakfast with me, the young master, and that would be fine, but they don’t stop singing opera, without even understanding the script.
Chattering like a sparrow, so annoying. This person talks nonstop, even causing me to lose my appetite. Who knows if their saliva is getting on the food."
Wenjie also felt it was quite mean-spirited.
"You all...", Aunt Lai sought support from the Old Master again with a huff.
Hongji’s father felt he couldn’t show his face after what his grandchildren had said; it was no secret that Aunt Lai had schemed against him back in the day.
Everyone kept silent about it out of respect for him as the grandfather.
His son wasn’t his own flesh and blood, and the grandchildren were even less close to him. His expression grew increasingly unpleasant—he couldn’t touch his daughter-in-law or his granddaughters’ maids.
So, buying a maid to become a concubine for him might be easier than taking one from his family’s side.
"Didn’t you hear the young madam mention buying one or two maids? What place do you have to be mouthing off? If the small rooms don’t have beds, we can arrange for two small beds, just follow the young madam’s arrangements!"
Aunt Lai twisted her body defiantly, feeling that the Old Master’s attitude implied allowing the purchased individuals to share with her.
Ye Fengqi burst into laughter.
Mrs. Li silently ate a few bites from the dessert on the table, had a bowl of millet porridge, and understood the message from her father-in-law: at least buy one maid, better yet two, no matter the cost, for the Old Master had issued his command.
It was probably a facade to get maids to serve, as the Old Master was likely considering taking another concubine!
Mrs. Li was not perturbed by the cost of buying maids, nor did she mind if the Old Master took concubines, as long as her husband didn’t. Everything else was negotiable.
Hongji couldn’t accompany his wife today to pick up her mother; it had been several days since he visited the factory or the estate, and he needed to know how operations were going these last few days.
Not keen on listening to their idle talk, he quickly finished his meal and rode off on his bicycle.
Mrs. Li left her youngest daughter at home to watch over the family and her little son. She arranged for a carriage to the county and departed with two maids.
When Ye Daidi woke up, she sought to play with her niece, and her relation never changed.
"Fourth Sister, why haven’t the other sisters come back? Is it really fun in the Capital City?"
At that moment, Ye Fengqi also missed the days spent playing in the Capital, longing for her sisters.
"Fun, but you can’t go!"
Little Ye Daidi sighed. Her father and Aunt Lai hadn’t gone to the Capital, nor had they taken her along. Inside, she blamed Aunt Lai for her ill-timed sickness—not going down earlier, nor later, but just when it mattered most.