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nChapter 57 : Saving Life

nOn the way back, Mama Fang and Yuxi shared a carriage.

nInside the carriage, Mama Fang grimaced and said, “Miss, I can’t read. So, how can I create an account book?” Before, she only calculated the monthly expenses of the shop and by the end of each month, she would count how much money was left. When she added or subtract those two amounts, she then could figure out how much income the shop earned every month.

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nYuxi smiled and said, “Then, please hire a bookkeeper. However, mama must not let this person stay in the shop every day. As a bookkeeper, this person merely come and write down the account every few days.”

nMama Fang was somewhat embarrassed as she asked, “How about this person salary?”

nYuxi answered, “It is enough to give a salary of two taels of silver per month.” According to modern term, it was the same as finding a part-time accountant.

nMama Fang somehow felt that this money had been spent unfairly.

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nYuxi shook her head and said, “Mama, if there is no rules, there will be no standard. The baozi (steamed stuffed bun) shop business is so good now that when the two new people you taught finally managed to master it, I’m going to open another branch shop. When the time comes, if the accounts are not clear, it will be easy for bad people to fish in troubled waters (Chinese idiom : to take advantage of a crisis for personal gain).“ Mama Fang now had two apprentices, both of whom had personal contracts with them, so, Yuxi was not worried.

nMama Fang felt Yuxi’s words was reasonable, thus, she no longer opposed it.

nYuxi said, “Mama, the nurturing momo (wet nurse) will come to the residence in a couple of days. By that time, it will be very difficult for me to go out again. If mama has something to do, ask Hongshan’s sister-in-law to help deliver the message. If there is something especially important, you can come to the residence by yourself.“

nMama Fang was somewhat relieved and said, “Miss, you should learn from Teacher Song and the nurturing momo.” If Yuxi learnt well from them, she would be able to marry into a good family in the future.

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nAfter entering the city, Yuxi and Mama Fang separated. Only then did Hongshan begin to say, “Miss, if we open another baozi shop, can my sister-in-law go to the shop to help you?” The monthly wage of the baozi shop assistant was eight hundred copper coins, which also included breakfast since the assistant would be quite busy with preparation in the early morning. This kind of treatment was actually really good. Compared to her, a first-class maid servant, whose monthly allowance only nearing that figure.

nYuxi smiled, “Wait until the shop opens. It’s still too early to talk about this now.”

nWhile they were talking, the carriage came to a sudden stop. In an event of emergency, Yuxi reacted quickly. Both her hands immediately grabbed the edge of the carriage, stopping herself from crashing onto the wall of the carriage. Hongshan did not react as quick as her. She bumped her forehead on the wall and got herself a big bruise.

nHongshan angrily lifted the curtain of the carriage. Before she could ask the driver what was going on, the driver hurriedly explained, “Miss Hongshan, a girl suddenly rushed to the road. I was afraid of hitting her, so I immediately stopped the carriage.” It was a person, not an animal, and luckily, with the driver’s conditioned reflex, he managed to stop.

nWhen Hongshan heard this, she saw a girl on the ground, two steps away in front of the horse. The girl was not very old, roughly around the age of ten years old. She lied on the ground with a pale face. Furthermore, there were bloods on her clothes and her body. She looked like a ghost.

nHongshan was so frightened that she sat back into the carriage.

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nSeeing Hongshan’s manner piqued Yuxi’s curiosity. She tried to peek outside by lifting the curtain. Before she had any idea what was happening outside, she saw two men running towards her.

nThe two men who came running were both tall and big. One of the men who had a mole on his face saw the girl lying on the ground and shouted, “Here she is!”

nAfter saying that, the man took a big stride forwards, and just like an eagle, he easily grabbed the girl lying on the ground like a chick. Then he snorted, “You ran away. Why didn’t you continue running? Can you run anymore? ”

nThe girl’s eyes were filled with despair.

nYuxi looked at the despair in the girl’s eyes and remembered how she died in the thatched hut. At that time, she was also so desperate. She felt a quiver in her heart and shouted at the man with the mole, “Put her down!”

nHongshan immediately put down the carriage curtain and said to Yuxi, “Miss, there is no way for you to save her. If you look at these men, you know that they are not a good people!” That girl was probably a runaway slave.

nThe man with the mole turned his head and saw Yuxi’s carriage with a few retainers, made him realised that they were from a rich family. Since both of them were in the capital city, they somehow managed to attract someone eyesight whom they did not dare to offend, so the speaker said, “Miss, this girl is from our Chunxiang (spring fragrance) Building. She had taken an opportunity to escape, so, we’re here now to bring her back.”

nHongshan’s face changed when she heard the name Chunxiang Building. “Miss, this is beyond our control.” Chunxiang Building was a brothel! How could a girl get herself involved with a brothel?

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nContrary to Hongshan, Yuxi was relieved to hear that the other party was from Chunxiang Building. The people of Chunxiang Building were easy to deal with it. As long as you could work out a starting price, even the Queen of Flowers (花魁 huakui – nickname for a famous beauty or courtesan) could be bought, not to mention a teenage girl. “How much is she? I will buy her.“

nA different colour flashed on the face of the man with the mole, “I can’t decide on this matter. You have to ask our boss if you want to buy her.”

nYuxi ignored the man with the mole and asked the girl who was caught by him instead, “What is your price?” For the girl to escape from Chunxiang Building showed that she was courageous and unafraid of death.

nThere was a glimmer of hope in the girl’s eyes. With a hopeful voice, she answered, “Twenty taels.”

nYuxi said to the man with the mole, “I’ll pay five times her original price. What do you think?”

nThe man with the mole hesitated a little when he heard this.

nHopes for survival sprang up in the little girl’s heart. She said as she stared at the man with the mole, “If you must catch me back, I won’t live.” She would rather die than followed what these people wanted her to do.

nThe man with the mole knew that the dead girl was stubborn. No matter how many times he hit her, she never wanted to bow her head. This time she escaped because of their negligence. “Smelly wench, count your luck.” This dead girl did not eat hard or soft (Chinese idiom : yield neither to persuasion nor to coercion). He couldn’t be sure if they brought her back, she wouldn’t commit suicide. At any rate, she was not national grace, divine fragrance (Chinese idiom : an outstanding beauty) either. It was better for them to sell her. At least they could gain a small profit from it.

nThere was a gleam of light in the little girl’s eyes, as she knew the man had decided to sell her. Thinking of this, she eagerly looked at Yuxi. No one wanted to die if one was given a chance to live.

nThe man with the mole shouted at Yuxi, “I’m going to have someone fetches her deed. Between us, one hand exchanges the cash, the other the goods (Chinese idiom : to pay for what you want in cash).”

nThe Chunxiang Building was not far from their current place, so, the girl’s deed was soon taken. Yuxi asked the girl, “Can you see if that is really yours?”

nAfter reading it, the little girl nodded and said, “It’s my deed.”

nAfter Yuxi paid for the deed, she did not return directly to the state residence but went to Shangyuan Street instead. As for the girl’s current ghost appearance, she did not dare to bring her back, otherwise she would definitely get a scolding.

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nYuxi looked at the girl lying in the car who was covered with wounds and asked, “Who are you? How can you be sold to Chunxiang Building?”

nThe little girl said, “My name is Ling Qi. My father is Counsellor Ling of Hexia Town and he died of illness six months ago.”

nHongshan hastily asked, “Then why are you in the brothel? Where are your relatives? “

nWhen Ling Qi heard these questions, her eyes burst out with hatred, “I was sold by my stepmother. Originally, I was sleeping peacefully at home and somehow, the next day, I woke up in the brothel.”

nYuxi looked at Ling Qi’s face and asked, “Are you not in a good term with your stepmother?” Since Ling Qi’s father was a counsellor, her family circumstances must have been pretty good. Ling Qi wasn’t a national grace, divine fragrance either. The only reason left was Ling Qi had enmity with her stepmother.

nLing Qi nodded and said, “If she wasn’t around, my mother would not have died.”

nYuxi did not need to ask anymore to know that with this girl’s temper and the enemy who killed her mother, they could not coexist peacefully. Her stepmother sold her to the brothel not for money but for revenge, “Do you have any relatives in your family? If there is, I will send you back when you are cured.“

nLing Qi shook her head and said, “Miss has saved me, so my life belongs to Miss.”

nFor Ling Qi to repeatedly escaped from Chunxiang building regardless of life and death, even when her body was covered all over with cuts and bruises, she still won’t give up. Her visible temperament was very resolute. This kind of person, if cshe ould sincerely submit to her, she would be a really big help. Yuxi said, “You have to think it over. If you want to be with me, you will be a maid, and you will have to be a servant. If you go back, you will still be a daughter from a good family.“

nLing Qi said sincerely, “Miss, there are no relatives in my family. Furthermore, I don’t know where to go even if I go back.” There was a way to live if she really followed Miss. It was better to follow Miss than to follow a man who had no idea what he wanted, even if she had to be a maid. At least, her life and personal safety were guaranteed.

nSeeing that Ling Qi was not acting on impulse, Yuxi nodded and said, “You should first go to Mama Fang’s baozi shop to recuperate, and wait until the rest of the wounds are completely healed.”

nLing Qi nodded and said, “Okay.”

nMama Fang had a soft heart. She was very sympathetic when she heard Ling Qi’s experience. She helped Ling Qi got to the backyard, then hurriedly searched for a doctor.

nMama Shen looked at the sky and said, “Miss, you have to go back. If you don’t go back now, the Old Madam will scold you.” The day was almost dark, and the Old Madam already reminded her to bring Yuxi back home before nightfall.

nYuxi said, “Mama Shen, you should first send someone to the Hexia Town to find out if there is such a person named Ling Qi.” An employer had to find out the details of the other party before he

/she employed a person. If that person lied and used the identity of a person of unknown origin, there would be no telling what would happen in the future.

nWhen they went back to the residence, it was already at the beginning of xushi (7pm to 9pm) period. Yuxi was severely reprimanded by Old Madam Han for returning late.

nYuxi stood obediently, with her head down, while she being reprimanded by the Old Madam.

nLooking at Yuxi this way, the Old Madam could not help but thought of Yuxi’s birth mother, Ning Shi. Every time she scolded Ning Shi, she also had such a look. Thinking till here, the Old Madam’s heart was filled with panic, “You withdraw!” People really needed fate between people. Even if Yuxi’s performance was getting better over time, with such a birth mother, how could the Old Madam forget that she had never like Yuxi?

nYuxi respectfully withdrew.

nAll that left in the main room was Mama Luo, the person whom the Old Madam spoke her true words, “I’m afraid, I’m not familiar with this child.” Respectful on the surface but in fact was actually very guarded against her. Otherwise, Yuxi wouldn’t be guarded against Hongshan and Mama Shen in everything she dis. Even if Hongshan had already crossed over, she still could not manage to get Yuxi’s trust.

nMama Luo smiled and said, “What did Old Madam say? Fourth Miss is your legitimate granddaughter. How can she be unfamiliar to you?”

nIf it weren’t for Yuxi being her granddaughter, the Old Madam wouldn’t have allowed such nonsense. “I’m afraid she has bad blood with her father too,” she said. If Yuxi was really not close with her father and resented the family, even if Yuxi was getting more excellent, she would have to cut off her wings.

nMama Luo carefully said, “Old Madam, if you will excuse this servant, the Fourth Miss is not actually cold-hearted person like that. You can see that she is very close to Eldest Masam and Second Young Master.” The Old Madam and Fourth Miss never saw each other more than once a month. As for Third Master, he had ignored Fourth Miss too much over the three years he had been away. So how could they expect her to be closed with both of them in these situations? How could they also expect Fourth Miss to be the bigger person?

nMama Luo was very loyal to the Old Madam and often analysed her problems from the standpoint of an onlooker. Her suggestions were also heard by the Old Masam. Old Madam Han sighed and said, “Wu Shi, was not a peaceful one.” Wu Shi’s manner made Yuxi became more alienated from the Third Master. As it happened, the Third Master also didn’t really care about Yuxi, this daughter of his.

nMama Luo also felt that Wu Shi’s view was too shallow, and her means were poor. Before she even returned to the state residence, she had already offended a lot people, “When she comes back, the Old Madam will teach her well.”

nOld Madam Han shook her head, “I’m too old already, so, I don’t have that much energy. As soon as Ming-er takes a wife, I will let this responsibility go, and enjoy two years of happiness.” Qiu Shi and her housekeeper was good at managing, but very bad in the aspect of being calculating. That was why she felt not at ease to completely entrust her home to Qiu Shi. Now, her only hope fell on her grandson’s future wife.

nMama Luo smiled and said, “When Master Heir marries, the Old Madam will then worry about Third Miss’ marriage. Where can Old Madam really find leisure?”

nOld Madam Han sighed, “Yes, as the saying aptly puts it, children live for one hundred years and keep making their parents worry for ninety-nine years. I somehow thought I could have a leisure time.”

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