Li Man’er returned to Qingping Xuan, trying hard to recall the matter of the five shops.
These five shops were all left to her by Madam Ning: Guang Sheng Lou, Pin Ming Ju, Sheng Yue Lou, Bai Wei Lou, and Yu Shang.
Guang Sheng Lou was a restaurant, comparable in class to Zui Hu Lou. Pin Ming Ju was a teahouse. Sheng Yue Lou was a silver shop, specializing in jewelry and headwear, earning money from wealthy ladies. Bai Wei Xian sold all sorts of dried goods and seafood. Yu Shang was an embroidery shop that sold fabrics and ready-made garments.
All five shops were very upscale and earned Li Man’er considerable money each year. Had the original owner been truly foolish or just pretending, to simply hand over the shops like that?
Although the property deeds were still in her possession, the operational rights had been handed over to Madam Guo. Madam Guo was no fool; she wouldn't possibly keep the old staff from the shops. It was likely that everyone, from the shopkeepers to the assistants, had been replaced.
Now the shops were completely under Madam Guo’s control, but there was no need to fear. It would be easy for her to reclaim them.
Li Man’er pondered for a moment, then called for Nanny Wu to come in and asked her about the shops.
Upon hearing this, Nanny Wu couldn't help but clap her hands and sigh, "Miss, you've finally remembered this! It's been several years, and the shops haven't been returned to us, nor have we seen a single coin of the profits. Has Madam ever handled things like this? What's the difference between this and outright theft!"
Li Man’er said, "Nanny, please don't get agitated. I was young and ignorant back then, and she sweet-talked me into giving up the shops. But I'm not a child anymore. I will get back what belongs to me."
Hearing her say this, Nanny Wu became emotional, "What does Miss plan to do? This matter may not be easy. Madam has Old Madam protecting her, and Marquis supporting her. How can she possibly return the shops to you?"
"I have my own plans for this. Nanny, please rest assured! I asked you here to inquire about the whereabouts of the original shopkeepers and staff of these shops. Were they from the Ning family, or were they hired by my mother after she arrived in the capital?"
"There were two shopkeepers who came over from the Ning family, one surnamed Luo and the other surnamed Qin. One of these shopkeepers was responsible for Sheng Yue Lou, and the other for Bai Wei Xian. As far as this old servant knows, the shopkeepers of the other three shops and the staff in each shop were personally selected by Shopkeeper Qin and Shopkeeper Luo. After the shops fell into the hands of the Guo family, these people were all dismissed, and the two shopkeepers returned to the Ning family."
Nanny Wu hesitated to speak further.
"Nanny, if you have something to say, please speak your mind. Between us, what is there to hide?"
"Yes," Nanny Wu said, "Eldest Miss, this old servant speaks presumptuously, but the Ning family has actually been paying attention to you all these years. You really shouldn't have cut ties with the Ning family."
Li Man’er thought to herself, do you think I want to? I'm taking the blame for your mistress, aren't I?
"Nanny, you don't know..." Li Man’er deliberately sighed, then said, "If I had maintained contact with the Ning family, Madam Guo would have been even less likely to let me go. Think about it, am I easier to deal with when I'm alone, or when I have a powerful maternal family backing me? If I hadn't pretended to be foolish and lived according to Madam Guo's wishes, I'm afraid I would have already fallen victim to her schemes."
Nanny Wu's heart felt as if it were being squeezed, "Miss, you have suffered so much all these years."
"There's no such thing as suffering," Li Man’er said, her expression suddenly turning serious. "Nanny Wu, can you tell me about my mother? Especially her illness. Why was it so sudden, and why did she pass away so quickly? I've thought about it for so many years and still can't understand if she died of a sudden illness or was harmed."
Li Man’er was less than a year old when Madam Ning passed away. It seemed suspicious no matter how she thought about it. Her labor and delivery had gone smoothly and hadn't been too taxing, so why did she decline day by day after giving birth?
"Does Miss suspect that Madam's death was not simple?" Nanny Wu recalled and shook her head solemnly. "Madam's childbirth had some complications, but nothing life-threatening. She recovered well during her confinement month; in fact, she looked even plumper than when she was pregnant. When Madam fell ill, people from the Ning family also came. The eldest master brought several trusted attendants and specially sought renowned doctors from Jiangnan to treat Madam. They all said it was not murder, but a sudden illness."
"When did she start to feel unwell?"
"It was when Miss was a hundred days old. There were many guests that day, and Madam was busy entertaining them. She seemed a little tired, but her spirit was good. However, for some reason, she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood while eating?"
Li Man’er's eyebrows slightly rose, "Coughed up blood? That's a serious matter." The ancients believed that once blood was coughed up, it was bound to be life-threatening and difficult to recover from.
Such a serious matter, it was impossible not to call a doctor, right?
"Yes, everyone was startled. A Taiyi (imperial physician) happened to be present, so he was invited to the inner chambers to examine Madam's pulse. However, the doctor said Madam was merely suffering from qi deficiency and lung heat, coupled with lack of rest, which caused her to cough up blood. The problem was not serious," Nanny Wu said earnestly. "Madam did not cough up much blood at the time, nor did she have any other discomforts. After taking the medicine prescribed by the Taiyi, she never coughed up blood again."
"Later, another Taiyi was invited to examine her, and he said Madam's health had recovered by ninety percent and that she no longer needed medication. This old servant was also relieved!"
Nanny Wu seemed to be lost in memory and added, "From that day on, Madam's health improved day by day, as if she had returned to her condition before pregnancy. Not only was her health better, but her skin also improved day by day, and her figure returned to what it was. She looked radiant every day, not like someone who was ill."
In fact, the Ning family was the most difficult to deceive. If Madam had been murdered back then, the people brought by the eldest master would surely have noticed.
So, after much explanation, there was only one conclusion: Madam Ning truly died of a sudden illness.
"You said my mother's skin improved before she passed away? She looked radiant every day?"
Nanny Wu nodded. "When a woman is pregnant and gives birth, her figure changes suddenly, her skin can become dull and lusterless, some may develop pregnancy spots, and their skin darkens. I remember very clearly that Madam gained more than thirty pounds when she gave birth to Eldest Miss. Her hair also became very thick, and her complexion turned dark. But unexpectedly, these symptoms later disappeared, and Madam returned to her former self."
Hearing Nanny Wu's words, Li Man’er's expression turned solemn, appearing deeply worried.
"What's wrong, Miss?"
Li Man’er grabbed Nanny Wu's hand and said, "When my mother died, her complexion was sallow yellow, and she was so thin she was just skin and bones? Were her fingernails black?"
"You..." Nanny Wu was stunned. "Eldest Miss, how did you know that? When Madam passed away, her complexion was indeed sallow yellow, and she was emaciated to the point of being unrecognizable. However, this old servant did not pay attention to her fingernails."