amaotonovel Chapter 484: The Son Does Not Teach
Chapter 484: The Son Does Not Teach
Chapter 484
Niu Jiaojiao was also shocked by the majestic atmosphere of the city gate. Looking through the open city gate at the bustling scene in the capital, an inexplicable courage suddenly rose in her heart, and her expectations for the future also increased.
After entering the capital, they split into two groups: Ye Yunzhou needed to go to the palace to report, so he left Ye Yi behind to take Luo Shuiyao and others to Luo's house.
The Luo residence is located at the head of Guihua Lane. It is not very eye-catching in Beijing, but for Luo and Niu Jiaojiao, it is a rare and good place - even though the house is not luxurious, it makes them very happy.
Looking at the elegant scenery in the house, Mrs. Luo subconsciously squeezed Luo Shuiyao's hand. Luo Shuiyao gently patted her shoulder to comfort her and led her into the door.
Hearing the noise, Chuntao and Aunt Zhang hurried over to greet them. Although they had never met the Luo mother and daughter, they had heard of this aunt and cousin from Luo Shuiyao. They immediately greeted them and welcomed them into the courtyard.
Luo Shi followed closely beside Luo Shuiyao, feeling somewhat timid. After entering the house, Luo Shuiyao personally introduced them: "This is Madam Zhang, the housekeeper; this is Chuntao, who is about the same age as my cousin, smart and lovely."
Then she changed the subject, her tone serious: "This is my aunt, and this is my cousin. They will also be the owners of this house in the future. You must treat them with the same dedication as you treat me. Don't slack off in the slightest. Remember?"
Hearing that their niece was supporting them and trying to reassure them, Luo and Niu Jiaojiao subconsciously stood up straight.
Chun Tao, Aunt Zhang, and Chun Xing beside them immediately bowed and respectfully called out, "Madam, Second Miss."
Luo Shuiyao nodded in satisfaction and waved them off. Before leaving, she instructed, "Go and select two smart maids to come and serve my aunt and cousin."
Nanny Zhang bowed in agreement and then stepped back to make arrangements.
Long before Luo Shuiyao went to Qingshui Town, she had asked Aunt Zhang to clean up the room for Luo and Niu Jiaojiao. The room was fully equipped with tables, chairs, bedding and other items, so there was no need to add anything else.
Niu Jiaojiao walked into her own room and looked at the exquisite and elegant furnishings, her eyes full of novelty and joy. She walked shyly to Luo Shuiyao and whispered, "Thank you, cousin."
Luo Shi, who was standing aside, frowned slightly, looking a little solemn.
Seeing this, Luo Shuiyao thought she was dissatisfied with the room and quickly asked, "Aunt, if there is anything that doesn't suit your taste, please tell Aunt Zhang and let her make some additions or changes."
Luo shook her head, reached out and took her hand, and earnestly and carefully warned her, "Aunt knows you're smart and capable, but we have no roots or connections in the capital, and our money will eventually run out. Don't waste the money you have—your cousin and I can find some work to help out. You're going to get married someday, and Mr. Ye is a very generous man. If your dowry is too little, what will happen if word gets to your future mother-in-law and she gets upset? Don't be so extravagant anymore."
Although she had known that Luo Shi always considered herself in everything, Luo Shuiyao still felt warm in her heart when she heard these words.
She smiled and leaned closer to Luo, softly soothing her, "Aunt, I know you're doing this for my own good, but don't worry. I've found some ways to make money in the capital and opened a shop. Business is pretty good, enough to support our living expenses, so you can relax."
She deliberately skipped the topics of "getting married" and "mother-in-law" and quietly changed the subject.
Sure enough, when Mrs. Luo heard that she had opened a shop, she immediately became interested and asked for details with curiosity, not noticing the subtle thoughts behind her words at all.
On the other hand, Niu Jiaojiao looked at Luo Shuiyao thoughtfully, but she didn't ask any more questions. She just stood quietly by and listened to the conversation between the aunt and niece.
After Luo Shuiyao repeatedly emphasized this, the Luo family finally felt completely relieved.
She was delighted that her niece had found a stable livelihood in Beijing, but she still had some disapproval of her previous extravagance. However, she finally relented, "If that's the case, then that's fine. But don't buy things so carelessly in the future—money is easy to spend but hard to earn, so it's always good for a girl to save some money."
Luo Shuiyao didn't argue, but nodded repeatedly in agreement, and then arranged for Luo's mother and daughter to rest. Luo was already exhausted from the journey, so she ate the meal sent by Nanny Zhang, washed up, and went to bed early.
Luo Shuiyao originally wanted to take the opportunity to leave - she had been in Qingshui Town for a long time and had a lot of matters waiting to be dealt with.
But just as she reached the gate, she was stopped by Niu Jiaojiao: "Cousin."
Luo Shuiyao was puzzled and turned around to look back.
Niu Jiaojiao strode forward and stood in front of her. Because she was a little shorter, she had to look up at her slightly, but her eyes were particularly firm: "I will fight for my honor and work hard. Don't be sad."
After saying that, she turned around and went back to her room without waiting for Luo Shuiyao's response.
Luo Shuiyao was left standing alone in the courtyard, feeling lost. Was she sad? When had she been sad? And what was she sad about?
Niu Jiaojiao rushed back into the house as if fleeing, slamming the door shut and leaning her back against it before she breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes were no longer filled with the usual timidity, instead revealing a bright, determined look.
She silently calculated: If her cousin's future mother-in-law didn't approve of her, it must be because her dowry wasn't enough. Her embroidery, even praised by the embroiderers at the Qingshui Town Velvet Embroidery Workshop, would surely fetch a good sum of money in Beijing. As long as she embroidered more and saved more for her cousin's dowry, the mother-in-law would surely agree to the marriage—after all, her cousin was so kind, no one could dislike her.
Having made up her mind, Niu Jiaojiao tiptoed to bed. She needed to rest well. From tomorrow on, she would work hard to save up a dowry for her cousin.
.........
Luo Shuiyao, unaware of her cousin's thoughts, returned to her room and began leafing through the pile of account books. While most of the capital's affairs had already been handled, she still had to go through each page to understand the current state of Qingyu Tower's operations. After all, this was her business, and if she didn't understand her own business, mistakes would inevitably arise.
Turning to the end, she discovered that the business of Qingyulou was booming. Although there were some imitators, she, with the business strategies she had accumulated in her previous life, was far ahead of the curve. Those imitators could only learn superficially, failing to divert customers. Instead, they only served to highlight the uniqueness of Qingyulou, and her business subsequently soared to new heights.
…………
The palace was ablaze with candlelight. Eunuch Su stood in a corner with his head bowed, trying his best to minimize his presence, not daring to look up. From within the palace rang the emperor's furious roar: "You unfilial son! I have loved you dearly since you were young, and this is how you repay me?"
The Third Prince knelt on the ground in a state of dismay, but his face showed no fear, instead it was filled with sarcasm: "I am your son, you should love me. If you truly loved me, you would pass the throne of the world to me! If you were not so ungrateful, why would I force my way into the abdication?"
He paused, his voice becoming increasingly distorted. "If a son is not well-disciplined, it is the fault of the father. I am now in this situation, all because of you!"
The third prince has already gone mad.
Now disabled, all his hopes dashed, how could he, with his once-indulgent nature, accept such a fate? Had Ye Yunzhou not sent someone to keep a close eye on him, he would have committed suicide long ago. Now, being brought to the palace, facing his father, whom he believed had "harmed him to this point," he naturally targeted the most painful areas—every word pierced the emperor's heart.