The first thing Li Man'er did upon returning to her manor was to have Nanny Wu tell her about the Ning household.
"Nanny, I haven't visited my maternal grandparents' home in years, and my contact with them has been minimal. Do you think Grandfather will blame me?"
Nanny Wu's eyes brightened at this. "Miss, if I understand you correctly, you wish to reconnect with the Ning family?"
Li Man'er sighed dramatically. "It was my fault in the past, being young and foolish, and letting Madam Guo sow discord between me and my maternal family. Now that Madam Guo is dead, I believe Grandfather will not hold it against me."
"What are you saying, Miss?" Nanny Wu's expression was animated, her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes crinkling with a smile. "Old Master has never blamed you; he dotes on you. When your mother passed, Old Master wanted to take you back to the Ning family to raise you, but the Li family, for the sake of face, refused any such arrangement."
Nanny Wu spoke of this with lingering indignation.
"I, old servant, am well aware of all the tricks Madam Guo played. She claimed the second young lady was ill and that your birth characters clashed with hers, but in reality, she was a traitor within the household, coveting the marriage you were betrothed to since childhood!" Nanny Wu said. "Old Master himself said at the time that the marriage to the Tong family was never a perfect match. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's decree, he would never have agreed. With the Ning family's support, finding you a worry-free husband in the future would have been for the best."
Speaking of this, Nanny Wu's eyes welled up. "Originally, they intended to bring you back and not let you return. But the Li family truly had extraordinary means. Knowing they couldn't succeed while you were with your maternal family, they simply brought you back again. Truly..."
Didn't she know all of this?
"Nanny Wu, what is the situation in the household now?"
"Currently, Old Master is still quite robust, though Old Madam passed away a few years ago. The eldest and second masters both have many children and grandchildren. Second Master even gained a golden grandson the year before last, elevating his status to grandfather. Only the third master remains missing. For so many years, we've searched everywhere, but still, there is no news of Third Master." Nanny Wu's voice was tinged with sadness.
"Then, may I write a letter? Could you find a trustworthy person to deliver it for me?"
"Precisely so. It is best that Miss has come to this realization."
Li Man'er had someone bring her writing brush and ink and spread out the paper to draft a letter to Old Master Ning.
The letter had to strike a balance, neither too intimate nor too distant. After much thought, she decided to simply narrate the events that had transpired recently.
She wrote a full five pages before stopping, then sealed the letter and handed it to Nanny Wu. "I have explained everything in this letter. It is up to Grandfather to decide. Nanny, please ensure it is sent out as soon as possible."
Nanny Wu placed the letter in her embrace. "Rest assured, Miss. This old servant will attend to it immediately."
This letter was a great burden on Li Man'er's heart. She wondered how the Ning family would react upon receiving it. Would they ignore it, or would they overlook past grievances?
No matter. Thinking too much was useless. These were the sins of the original owner, and it was up to her, the newcomer, to rectify them.
Li Man'er sighed and lay back on the couch, no longer wanting to get up.
The weather was growing colder. Fortunately, the embroiderers had worked overtime and finally finished Li Man'er's new plain clothes, so she no longer had to wear last year's clothes that were a few inches too short.
Li Shu's first letter home also arrived.
In a few brief lines, he stated that the army was still on the march and would reach Mobei in about four to five days.
For this letter to reach the capital, even with a swift horse, would take about twenty days. This meant that Li Shu and his forces were already in Mobei.
There would likely be a confrontation with the Xiao family.
The Xiao family was entrenched there. Li Shu's arrival would undoubtedly be met with obstruction. The Emperor had played a clever hand, pitting these two against each other, lest they develop any goodwill and form an alliance.
Yes, quite clever.
However...
Li Man'er suddenly recalled that Prince Jiu, Qi Yihan, had mentioned some days ago that he was going out.
He had departed before Li Shu. Could he also have gone to Mobei?
With Prince Jiu's involvement, the situation would become even more complicated.
She wondered if his intention was to sow discord between the Li and Xiao families, or if there was a deeper purpose.
Li Man'er raised an eyebrow. None of this concerned her anymore. No matter how unlucky Li Shu became, he wouldn't lose his life.
This year's weather had been peculiar. The summer was scorching hot with little rain, leading to drought in the farmlands. By autumn, there was an abundance of rain instead. The grains couldn't be harvested in time, resulting in reduced yields in many areas.
With no one from her family attending court, she had no access to political affairs. However, she heard that the number of disaster and refugee victims was within a controllable range. She wondered if this was true or not.
Luyi collected her umbrella at the porch and handed it to a young maid beside her, shaking the moisture from her clothes before entering the inner room.
Li Man'er sat by the window, lost in thought as she watched the rain. She called out softly twice, bringing Li Man'er back to her senses.
"Miss, Miss."
"Yes?" Li Man'er looked at her in surprise. "What is it?"
"Shopkeeper Zeng has sent a letter."
"Bring it here for me to see."
Luyi handed over the letter from her embrace.
Li Man'er opened it and couldn't help but smile. "This Shopkeeper Zeng is truly interesting. He's so diligent that he's handled everything perfectly."
"Is that so?"
"He's hired staff, decorated the rooms, and is ready to replace furnishings. However, he's short on funds now and needs to request some money from me."
It was only two hundred taels, and with hiring people and decorating the rooms, it was indeed a tight squeeze.
"Luyi, you personally go there and temporarily give him eight hundred taels to keep in the shop." This money would last until the shop opened, totaling one thousand taels, which would serve as startup capital.
"Yes." Luyi said, "Master, don't you need to write him a reply?"
Li Man'er replied, "What reply? You can go in my stead and see how things are. Also, ask him if he's found a place to live yet."
"Yes." Luyi felt a bit uneasy. Eight hundred taels! She had to carry it personally to the teahouse. It was in the form of banknotes, but if it were silver, it would be a considerable amount.
After Luyi left, Muyun asked her with some confusion, "Miss, you met Shopkeeper Zeng for the first time. How can you be sure he is reliable? Furthermore, Elder Sister Luyi mentioned that he is quite unlucky. Are you not hesitant to employ someone like him?"
"Hesitant about what?" Li Man'er said. "Your young lady here can not only read pulses but also read faces! Just looking at his face, I can tell he is honest and dutiful. Who knows, he might achieve great success one day."
Muyun and Yin Zhu both covered their mouths and laughed. Their young lady was becoming more outlandish by the day, claiming to read faces? Who would believe that!
Li Man'er knew they wouldn't believe her and didn't want to explain. She then said, "I'm just curious about one thing now."
"What is it?" Even Ziyan's curiosity was piqued.