Ruan Jiu and the others had been back from the capital for several days, but Jiang Jibai hadn't seen Su Wan's figure.
He was absent - minded all day long.
Even the simplest accounts in the silk store, Jiang Jibai miscalculated several times.
"Shopkeeper Jiang?" Ruan Jiu asked suspiciously.
Ruan Jiu called out several times in a row before Jiang Jibai came to his senses. "Wh...what?"
Noticing that Jiang Jibai looked strange, Ruan Jiu closed the account book, propped her head up, and looked at Jiang Jibai with great interest. "Shopkeeper Jiang, are you ill?"
Jiang Jibai immediately shook his head and replied, "No."
"I thought you were lovesick," Ruan Jiu joked.
Hearing this, Jiang Jibai immediately shook his head and denied, "I definitely didn't miss Miss Su!"
Hearing this, Ruan Jiu couldn't help laughing. "I didn't say you were thinking about Wanwan."
It seemed like a self - confession.
After being exposed by Ruan Jiu, Jiang Jibai lowered his head, his ears blushing, and even began to stutter. "I...I'll go and calculate again."
After saying that, Jiang Jibai immediately turned around and walked out.
But after taking only a few steps, he suddenly stopped.
He turned around, hesitated for a long time, and then asked, "Cousin girl, Miss Su...didn't she come back with you?"
After hearing this, Ruan Jiu rolled her eyes and said, "Wanwan stayed in the capital to look for a marriage partner."
After hearing this, Jiang Jibai's mind instantly became a mess, and he stood there stunned.
Ruan Jiu then said, "I don't know who will be so lucky to marry Wanwan in the future."
Seeing Jiang Jibai looking so dejected, Ruan Jiu became even more excited. "If everything goes smoothly, maybe I can become an aunt this year. What do you think, Shopkeeper Jiang?"
Looking for a marriage partner.
Getting married.
Becoming an aunt.
Every word of Ruan Jiu's hit Jiang Jibai right in the heart.
Jiang Jibai had never felt so scared before.
It was as if a very precious thing was about to slip away from his hands, and he couldn't hold on to it no matter what.
That sense of powerlessness instantly filled his whole body, and his heart felt like it was being pressed by a big rock, making it hard to breathe.
Jiang Jibai suppressed the pain in his heart and forced a bitter smile on his face. "Miss Su is so good. I'm sure her future husband will also be excellent..."
Ruan Jiu saw Jiang Jibai being so timid and looked at him with a look of hatred for his lack of ambition.
However, this matter couldn't be rushed.
Suddenly, an idea came to her mind.
She picked up a pen and wrote a few lines on the paper boldly. Then she put it in a letter and handed it to Jiang Jibai. "Shopkeeper Jiang, there are still many things in the salt business that you need to go to the capital for. By the way, take this letter to Wanwan."
Seeing Jiang Jibai looking hesitant, Ruan Jiu continued, "I can only trust you with the accounts of the salt business."
The implication was that he had to go to the capital.
Seeing Ruan Jiu looking so serious, Jiang Jibai had no choice but to agree.
Watching Jiang Jibai's departing figure, Ruan Jiu showed a meaningful smile.
What was written on the paper was, 'Sister, this is all I can do for you. Come on!'
-
That night, it poured down rain.
The street was empty, but there were two familiar figures kneeling in front of the Xie Mansion. One of them was holding a weak child in his arms.
It was Xie Xiu and his wife.
It turned out that not long after they left the Xie Mansion, Xie Yanzhou fell seriously ill, and his high fever didn't subside for a long time.
But they left the Xie Mansion empty - handed. They didn't even take extra clothes, let alone have silver to treat Xie Yanzhou.
They had no choice but to kneel in front of the Xie Mansion.
When Xie Xiu saw Xie Jing appear at the door, hope rose in his eyes. He pleaded loudly, "Elder brother, please save Zhou'er!"
After saying that, Xie Xiu knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing.
The blood on his forehead mixed with the rainwater and slid down his temples.
Xie Jing snorted coldly after hearing this. "Don't call me elder brother. I can't bear it."
"Elder brother, it's all my fault! But Zhou'er is still young. He's your nephew with the same bloodline!" Xie Xiu was in tears.
As long as he could save Xie Yanzhou, he was willing to die!
But when Xie Jing heard this, he got even angrier. "When you stepped on Yan'er that day, did you ever think that he was also your nephew with the same bloodline!"
Xie Xiu crawled on his knees to Xie Jing's feet and grabbed the corner of Xie Jing's clothes tightly with pleading eyes.
He cried, "Elder brother! I was wrong! I'm really wrong! Please save Zhou'er! Please!"
Xie Jing frowned and looked at Xie Xiu kneeling at his feet with disgust in his eyes.
Then he kicked Xie Xiu away hard. "You reap what you sow."
Leaving this sentence behind, Xie Jing turned around and left.
He ordered his servants to close the big door tightly and not to disturb the old master.
Seeing this, the last glimmer of hope in Xie Xiu's eyes was shattered.
He raised his head and let out a long howl.
"Karma! It's all karma!"
Just then, a carriage stopped at the door.
The person who got out of the carriage was Ruan Jiu, who had just finished her work in the silk store and was on her way back to the mansion.
Ruan Jiu saw Xie Yanzhou in Shen Tang's arms with his eyes closed tightly, and instantly understood what was going on.
She frowned tightly and turned to Chuntao and ordered, "Let them get in the carriage."
Ruan Jiu took them to Huichuntang. The doctor said that it was lucky they came in time. If they had been a moment later, Xie Yanzhou would have died.
It was not until Xie Yanzhou fell asleep after drinking the medicine that Xie Xiu and his wife finally felt relieved.
Then, the couple knelt down in front of Ruan Jiu together.
"Cousin girl, I will never forget your great kindness!" Xie Xiu's eyes were full of gratitude.
Ruan Jiu pursed her lips. "You don't have to be like this. I just can't bear to see Zhou'er suffer."
Although Xie Xiu and his wife had done many evil things, Xie Yanzhou had never done anything wrong.
Moreover, that child Xie Yanzhou had always been close to her.
Then she looked at Xie Yanzhou lying on the bed. His little face was pale and bloodless.
This poor child!
Finally, she couldn't bear it in her heart. After sighing deeply, she said, "Zhou'er is a good child. I will hire a good tutor for him. I hope you can raise him well in the future and don't let him go astray."
Hearing this, Xie Xiu and Shen Tang looked at each other.
They couldn't believe what they had heard.
Xie Xiu asked cautiously, "Why are you still willing to help us?"
Even the old master Xie had mercilessly removed them from the family genealogy.
"You almost harmed the entire Xie family because of your own self - interest. This is indeed hateful! But all this shouldn't be borne by a child," Ruan Jiu paused for a moment and then continued, "Zhou'er is a good child. Moreover, kinship is not only defined by blood relationship."
Back then, Xie Xiu was gloomy and paranoid because of his hatred in his heart.
As a result, he made more and more mistakes.
She didn't want Xie Yanzhou to follow in Xie Xiu's footsteps.
She hoped that Xie Yanzhou could live a confident and bright life in the future.
After saying that, Ruan Jiu took out a money bag from her bosom and put it on the table. "You should take good care of yourselves from now on."
Xie Xiu stared blankly at the money bag on the table and couldn't come to his senses for a long time.
Ruan Jiu's words kept echoing in his mind.
He didn't expect that Ruan Jiu, whom he had always looked down on, was actually so insightful.
At this moment, he really knew he was wrong.
Completely wrong.