Watching the old lady and the other woman limping their way back out, Si Jin coolly asked Manager Zhang to close the gates before turning around and heading back into the house.
…
Meanwhile, the spy from Yulong Gang had just arrived at Linquan Village that morning. They pretended to be passing by as they spread the news to Madam Li who lived next door to Qi Yuanxiu. They had even given Madam Li five taels of silver and instructed her on some things.
Madam Li was already a chatterbox to begin with and after receiving the silver, she was ecstatic. She could not help but rush to the Old Qi family home.
She relayed everything she had just heard to Madam Wu with flair.
“What??????”
Madam Wu listened with unparalleled astonishment. After eventually sending Madam Li off, she waited for Qi Boli and his family to return from their visit to their relative’s home before pulling the old codger to the side and saying to him.
“Someone said that that fool Qi Qingyao has actually won a large mansion in Qingzhou City!!!”
“How big is it for you to be this riled up?” Qi Boli sat down as he rubbed his waist. The old man’s wrinkled face was filled with irritation. He did not really want to hear anything about Qi Qingyao lately.
Madam Wu gulped and continued, not even daring to blink, “She won that humongous mansion in Qingzhou City from the richest man in Northern Liang.”
Qi Boli almost spat out the tea he had just taken a sip of. He forced it down strenuously, then looked at Madam Wu with shock. “Huh?”
Qi Yuanxiu and Madam Liang were standing at the side, eyes blinking. Neither of them dared say anything at first, their heads buzzing a little. Their minds were filled with only one thing—was what their mother said true?
“We, we…” Madam Wu looked at the old man, agitated.
Qi Boli could easily tell what his wife was thinking. The rush of excitement he felt earlier calmed down instantly.
He waved his hand.
“Don’t make a fuss out of this!” Madam Wu was about to interject, but Qi Boli fixed her with a sharp glare and said, “Have you forgotten our son’s death?”
“…” Madam Wu felt as if someone had just dumped a pail of freezing water over her.
Qi Yuanxiu and Madam Liang’s previous excitement was diminished equally quickly.
As the daughter-in-law, Madam Liang coughed lightly and said a little resentfully, “But… but father, Qi Qingyao is still part of the family. She won such a huge mansion now and all, I’m not saying she should let us live there together with her, but she should at least give us the small building in the village.” They were all family and there was no reason for them to be treating each other like outsiders. The small building in Hengshu Village was also vacant… there should not be a problem for her to give it to her blood family.
“You fool! How can you be so stupid?” Qi Boli got up, pointed at Madam Liang’s nose, and cursed.
Madam Liang instantly shrunk back like a quail, not daring to speak anymore. She could only hang her head in silence.
Qi Yuanxiu also quickly withdrew his presence and hid to the side, pretending to be nonexistent.
Madam Wu pursed her lips tightly as she held herself back from speaking for a moment.
Qi Boli cursed vehemently, “You lot are all useless!”
Qi Boli was a man who usually behaved as if he held no authority at home. However, the moment he got serious, no one in the house dared to say anything! Several of his little grandchildren had returned to their homes and were shocked when they heard their grandfather curse.
Qi Boli then asked Madam Wu to repeat what Madam Li from next door had said. Madam Wu looked at the old man’s face and did not dare to speak any nonsense. She silently repeated Madam Li’s words solemnly.
After hearing everything, Qi Boli said, “You’ve said it clearly, that she was with Heir Pei and this Lu-whatever. And this Lu fella is the richest young master in Northern Liang! Now that she has gotten close to these two, do you think that’s a societal class we dare or are even able to step into?”