Yinhua had never had any interaction with Qu Fulan. She had always been quietly washing dishes. Previously, because of the incident where Lianhua and her mother were expelled, Yinhua’s impression of Qu Fulan was that she was harsh. Now, she also witnessed her indifference to Lianhua’s suicide.
In her heart, Yinhua feared Qu Fulan, yet she also had strong objections toward her, mixed with anger, anger at her indifference to life.
Now, seeing her calling herself over, Yinhua’s instinctive reaction was to wonder if she had done sothing wrong and was about to be held accountable. But then she thought, she had always been diligently washing dishes and had done nothing wrong.
Then what did she want from her?
However, no matter what it was, at this mont, Yinhua’s prejudices and anger toward Qu Fulan overshadowed her timidity, and she bit her lip and followed Qu Fulan.
Following her into the accounting room, Qu Fulan directly went to the point, "You’ve been corresponding with Lianhua all along?"
Yinhua was montarily stunned, then instinctively retorted, "Can’t I correspond with Lianhua?"
Is it necessary that because Lianhua was expelled, she must sever all ties with her, never to communicate again?
Even though she had a weak character, when it ca to matters of principle, she would also muster the courage to refute.
Qu Fulan looked at Yinhua’s stubborn expression and was montarily at a loss for words, after a pause, she finally spoke.
"Given the nature of Lianhua and her mother, the manor is the best place for them. In the future, you should not correspond with her anymore, and I will also instruct those who transport vegetables to the manor every day not to deliver ssages for you anymore."
Many of the vegetables and fruits in the restaurant are transported daily from the manor to ensure freshness. Yinhua maintained correspondence with Lianhua by building relationships with the transporters.
Yinhua never thought Qu Fulan would say this. She was shocked for a long while before incredulously asking, "Why? Why can’t I correspond with Lianhua? I have a very good relationship with her. Is it not even allowed for to know her situation?"
Qu Fulan found it amusing, "What can you do after knowing her situation? Now she feels she is suffering. Can you help her escape her predicant, or help her share her workload?"
Yinhua was once again stumped by the question, and after a mont, she bit her lip and said, "Even though I can’t help her much, our mutual confiding can serve as consolation."
"Oh? Confiding about what? About what happens every day at the restaurant under my managent?" Qu Fulan coldly laughed and asked in return.
This blunt exposure caught Yinhua off guard. Her face turned red with sha and guilt, unable to speak for a mont.
If it was soone a bit smarter, they might have imdiately asked Qu Fulan on what basis she was reading her letters.
Yinhua couldn’t. She clearly knew that discussing those matters in the letters was inappropriate, but in Lianhua’s letters, she asked about these things, and Yinhua thought it wouldn’t have any impact, so she shared them.
However, having such personal letters read by others made her instinctively feel ashad.
"These were letters found in Lianhua’s room. Because she behaved foolishly and caused a suicide attempt yesterday, the manager, fearing responsibility, brought all her suspicious items, including the letters, here for my judgnt." Qu Fulan pulled open the drawer, which was filled with letters.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the ti to supervise what others wrote in their letters.
However, after reading the correspondence between the two, she finally understood why soone like Lianhua would choose to commit suicide.
"Because you told Lianhua that nothing happened under my managent at the restaurant, especially since an incident where guests nearly got into a fight was quickly stopped, it was evident I was soone afraid of trouble. So she ca up with the idea of using suicide to cause a scene, thinking that if the situation escalated, I might be scared and let her co back." Qu Fulan said lightly.
Yinhua was so terrified by what Qu Fulan said that she shivered. Is that so? If this is true, wouldn’t it an she hard Lianhua? But did she have any proof for saying such things? Was she simply using these letters to speculate on Lianhua’s thoughts?
Yinhua wanted to refute Miss Qu, but she couldn’t help but feel that what she said made sense. Lianhua always wanted to co back, but no one could help. There was a day or two when Lianhua ignored her letters, and it was only when she suddenly talked about so interesting things at the restaurant that Lianhua resud contact and kept asking about Miss Qu in her letters.
In the end, Yinhua agreed with Qu Fulan’s viewpoint, but she felt that Lianhua’s actions were understandable, so she looked at Qu Fulan and pleaded, "Miss Qu, Lianhua and her mother just want to co back. They truly wish to work for the restaurant. It was just a mont of confusion that led to so small mistakes in the past. Can’t you make an exception and let them return?"
Xiao Family.
Ji Nishang personally prepared so pastries and paired them with milk tea, asking a maid to carry them to the study. Seeing two guards stationed far away, she approached with a smile.
"You two have worked hard. These are snacks I made. If you don’t mind, please accept them."
After saying this, one of the maids handed the snacks to the guards, who accepted them, feeling flattered, and repeatedly thanked her.
Ji Nishang smiled, "Auntie feels bad for my cousin studying hard, so she asked to bring so snacks."
With this gesture, the guards naturally had no reason to stop her, especially after accepting her kindness, and allowed her to enter.
Ji Nishang proceeded to the door and gently knocked, "Cousin, Auntie asked to bring you so snacks."
Xiao Shiqing, who was reading so letters, frowned slightly at the words, then placed the letters back in his bookcase and walked to the door to open it.
The guards were nowhere to be seen, and Xiao Shiqing stepped aside, allowing the maid to carry the items inside, placing them on a nearby table.
"Thank you for making the journey, cousin. Next ti, just let the servants handle such matters," Xiao Shiqing said politely.
Ji Nishang gave a respectful bow, "I’m sorry to disturb cousin while you work, it’s my fault. It’s just that when I delivered snacks to Auntie earlier, she specifically instructed to bring so for cousin as well. Having co a long way, I hope to do sothing for Auntie and cousin, otherwise I’d feel uneasy staying here."
Xiao Shiqing said, "We’re all family, cousin worries too much. It’s a busy ti, so forgive for not being a proper host."
The subtle dismissal didn’t disappoint Ji Nishang, and she gracefully and politely said, "Then I won’t disturb cousin any longer. Just hope cousin won’t mind the snacks I personally made."
After Ji Nishang left, Xiao Shiqing did not eat those snacks; he had just eaten and was not hungry, nor did he have the habit of eating post-al snacks.
He picked up the letters he had been reading earlier.
They were inquiries he sent after the Li Family was confiscated, tracking population movents.
Following the confiscation, male mbers of the Li Family were exiled, and females beca slaves.
And Mr. Li had already died on the way to exile, while Mrs. Li died in prison from illness.
Leaving only Li Jirou.
His agents discovered the first slave market she was taken to after her release.
However, slave markets had many loopholes at that ti; rchants often concealed slave information to sell at a good price.
Her criminal slave information had clearly been wiped out, with no trace of its origins.
Yet, through persistent efforts, his agents managed to glean from many rchants a rough idea of where that batch of slaves had gone.
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