Chapter 26

Because Qin Chu blurted out “Elder Brother,” the atmosphere fell into a strange silence for an instant.

Qiu Shou’an nodded noncommittally. “You must be tired after the bumpy journey. Let’s go inside first.”

His mother had mentioned a few things in her letter, saying that the Qin family’s eldest miss would accompany his younger sister to the capital. He hadn’t expected that not only had she followed them all the way, she had even followed them here. Could it be that she wanted to live with the siblings?

The courtyard he had rented was not large. His younger sister could stay there, but if Qin Chu and her servant also moved in, it would probably be inconvenient.

With such thoughts in mind, Qiu Shou’an pretended to be warm at the dining table. “Miss Qin has just arrived in the capital. Have you found a place to stay? Qiu has been in the capital for half a year and is fairly familiar with this area. I can help you see if there are any empty courtyards nearby.”

Although the Qin family was the richest family in Jiuqu County and Master Qin was generous and charitable, because both his son and daughter were reckless good-for-nothings, their reputation was only so-so. Qiu Shou’an did not think there was any need to associate with such people.

Especially since his younger sister was a famous beauty of Jiuqu County, known far and wide, and was both talented and beautiful. How could she live together with a woman who had kept a male concubine?

The noble families in the capital valued a woman’s reputation the most. For the sake of long-term considerations, they absolutely could not let Eldest Miss Qin stay.

Qin Chu hesitated for a moment. Where she lived was not important. The key was that Qiu Jinning had the love gu in her body, so they should not separate. Thinking this, she looked at Qiu Jinning, her eyes asking for her opinion.

The moment Qiu Jinning heard her elder brother’s words, she understood that he did not want Qin Chu to stay. She said faintly, “It is indeed inconvenient for Qin Chu and me to live here. After we eat, let us find a courtyard to rent, so we won’t make things difficult for Elder Brother.”

Qiu Shou’an froze. He did not want [Read on BaiLianTales]Qin Chu to stay, but he had not said his younger sister should move out too.

“Jinning, you don’t need to move out. If you stay here, we can look after each other.”

Qiu Jinning’s face did not reveal a thing. She said seriously, “Elder Brother came to the capital as a juren to prepare for the exam. The classmates and friends you receive and send off must mostly be men. It is better for me to find another place to stay. If I stay with Miss Qin, we can also look after each other.”

Her father had said that her elder brother was good in every way, except for one unsatisfactory point: he loved beauty.

Otherwise, he would not have insisted on marrying the eldest daughter of the Gu family despite their parents’ objections. The eldest daughter of the Gu family had a charming and seductive appearance.

Qiu Jinning glanced at Qin Chu. Although this person was not exactly stunningly beautiful, she was still refined and pleasing to the eye. It was unsuitable for her to live with her elder brother.

When one cared about a person, one would feel that every part of that person was good and want to keep them for oneself, afraid that others would discover that goodness too. In the end, she could not avoid vulgar feelings either. She could not even feel at ease with her own elder brother.

“You’ve considered it correctly.” Qiu Shou’an thought of the people he had befriended. With his younger sister’s appearance, it was indeed unsuitable for her to come into frequent contact with so many men.

Otherwise, she might attract covetous eyes. The capital was full of powerful people, and he did not have confidence that he could protect his younger sister well.

Thinking this way, there was nothing wrong with her staying with Eldest Miss Qin. At least two women keeping each other company would invite fewer disputes.

Nanny Ziyun, who was standing at the door, grew anxious. Eldest Young Master compromised too easily. She had watched Madam write that letter, and all those instructions had been said for nothing. He was agreeing just like that to let Miss live with Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing?

No. She had to speak properly with Eldest Young Master. If they did not [bailiantales.com]stop this now, they might not be able to stop it later.

She had lived half her life. What could she not see? Along the way, Miss’s behavior clearly showed that she was interested in Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing.

Just as Nanny Ziyun was about to enter, Luyao quickly grabbed her and mouthed: We servants should interfere less in the masters’ affairs.

How nice would it be for Miss to live with Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing? The pavilion closest to the water enjoys the moonlight first.

Nanny Ziyun paused. Looking at Qiu Jinning’s expression, she silently stepped back again.

She wanted to follow Madam’s instructions, but she also felt sorry for her young lady, whose love was unfulfilled. Forget it. She would observe more in the future. If Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing proved unreliable, it would not be too late to stop them then. She trusted that Qiu Jinning knew what she was doing.

After they agreed, Qiu Shou’an took them to look for a courtyard.

Qiu Shou’an lived on the west side of Zhuque Street. Housing prices in the capital were not cheap, and the main saying was that the east side was expensive while the west side was cheap.

He was not well-off, and thinking that his younger sister could not have brought much silver either, the courtyards he looked for were all in the western part of the capital.

After following him to see several places, Qin Chu more or less understood Qiu Shou’an’s considerations, so she pointed at the street farther east. “I think that street is rather good. The location is central, and it is rarely this quiet.”

She was pointing at the street east of Zhuque Street. Mainly, the houses on that street looked impressive, and the environment was also good.

Qiu Jinning naturally liked it too. Thinking of the silver she ​Read on BaiLianTales​had brought to the capital, she felt troubled.

Along the way, Qin Chu had paid for everything. Qiu Jinning had already decided early on that she would pay the rent for the house herself. But seeing Qin Chu’s face full of longing, she hesitated for a moment and said, “Then let’s go ask.”

The money for renting a house should be enough. In the future, she would inevitably have to tighten her belt. After settling down, she could find work copying books or the like, so she would not be short on money.

Seeing his sister nod, Qiu Shou’an glanced at Qin Chu and did not stop them. “This street is called Hou-Song Street. It is said that the imperial clan of the previous dynasty mostly lived here. Now, the people living here are all high officials and nobles. The housing prices are very high.”

Qin Chu wanted to find a good place to live, and silver was not something she had to worry about. Her cheap father had given her plenty. Most importantly, she wanted Qiu Jinning to live more comfortably.

By evening, they finally found a residence they liked. It was at the eastern end of Hou-Song Street and could be either rented or sold. The rent was one hundred taels a month, and the selling price was nine thousand taels.

When it came time to pay, Qiu Jinning signaled for Nanny Ziyun to step forward. In the end, she was still not faster than Guanzi.

Guanzi, rich and imposing, counted out nine large silver notes and handed them to the broker. “Nine thousand taels. Our Miss will buy it.”

Master had instructed that once they found a suitable residence in the capital, they should buy it. The location had to be good, and it had to be spacious enough.

In the future, the Qin family’s wine business could try expanding toward the capital. This was also why Master had given Qin Chu so many silver notes.

Qiu Shou’an could not help marveling inwardly at the Qin family’s wealth. Nine thousand taels. That was half a lifetime of his father’s salary, yet this little maid handed it over without blinking, as if she was used to seeing silver notes.

Looking at the spacious and impressive residence, he suddenly felt it was excellent for his sister to live with Eldest Miss Qin. At least she would live comfortably.

But in that case, were they not taking too much advantage of the Qin family? He could not help looking toward Qiu Jinning. Would his sister accept the Qin family’s kindness?

Qiu Jinning was weighed down with thoughts. She took the money pouch from Nanny Ziyun and counted out one hundred taels. “This is the rent. Miss Qin, please accept it.”

The residence had changed owners. Qin Chu was the owner, and she was the tenant. It was only proper for her to pay rent.

Qin Chu waved her hand. “No need. What is mine is yours. Miss Qiu, there is no need to be so distant.”

The moment her words fell, everyone froze.

Qiu Shou’an: His sister and Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing were far too close. Were they already close enough not to distinguish between yours and mine?

Nanny Ziyun: This good-for-nothing was actually using wealth to bewitch Miss. Miss had to hold steady.

Luyao: Qin the Great Good-for-Nothing was such a good person. Miss had not misjudged her.

Guanzi: Miss is domineering! Miss is mighty!

Qiu Jinning steadied her mind. “Miss Qin is joking. Jinning would feel ashamed to accept this. Please accept it.”

Perhaps Qin Chu was doing this because of the love gu. Although Qiu Jinning had been harmed by Qin Mo, Qin Chu had been helping her with all her strength these days. If she [stolen content]accepted even more favors, it would go against her principles.

Qin Chu froze for a moment, then her thoughts shifted. “How about this? The broker also said that this residence rents for one hundred taels a month. Since my servant and I will also be living here, it would be too unfair to calculate it as one hundred taels. Why not make it fifty taels?”

A slender fair hand held out the silver note. Qiu Jinning’s gaze was firm. “You took care of me along the way. It is only proper that I pay the rent.”

This was what she had already planned on the road. If she continued borrowing the love gu as an excuse to enjoy all of Qin Chu’s care, she could not accept it with peace of mind.

Qin Chu did not accept the silver note. She straightened her expression and said, “Miss Qiu, that is wrong. This residence will not only house me and Guanzi. Many people from the Qin family will move in here in the future. I can only wrong you by having you stay in the side courtyard. Therefore, fifty taels in rent is reasonable. If you continue insisting, then move out and don’t stay here.”

“Qin Chu…” Qiu Jinning pursed her lips, a trace of complexity flashing through her eyes.

Qin Chu remained unmoved and met her gaze.

The others exchanged looks and tacitly stayed silent.

Qiu Jinning sighed inwardly and slowly put away the silver note, leaving only fifty taels in her hand. “Then let it be so.”

Qin Chu immediately beamed and readily accepted the silver note. She had known Qiu Jinning would compromise. After all, the female lead was still troubled by the love gu and currently could not leave her. If she moved out, how could they often keep each other company?

“It should have been like this from the start. Why are you being so calculating with me?”

After they settled in, it was already late at night. [unauthorized copy]Seeing that Qin Chu seemed very attentive toward his sister, Qiu Shou’an returned home at ease.

Qin Chu then had Guanzi go buy a table full of good dishes and invited Qiu Jinning and her three attendants over.

“From now on, we’ll be living together. You can treat this place as your own home. There is no need to be polite. Miss Qiu, why don’t you stay in this courtyard with me? You can stay next door. This place is spacious enough.”

The residence had three entrances and three courtyards, and the main courtyard was very large. It was more than enough for all of them to live in.

The left and right side courtyards—one could be used for receiving guests, and the other could be kept as a spare. Qin Chu had already planned it out.

Qiu Jinning looked at the food on the table. There was only tea, no wine. The arrangements were very thoughtful.

She raised her eyes, and with one sentence, shattered Qin Chu’s fantasy. “We will stay in the side courtyard. Fifty taels is reasonable.”

Qin Chu paused, then sighed. “I’ll listen to you. Let’s eat first. Everyone is tired from the journey. Rest well tonight.”

The female lead was still distant with her. If not for the love gu, she might not have been willing to stay.

Qiu Jinning glanced faintly at her, picked up her bamboo chopsticks, and instructed Nanny Ziyun and Luyao to sit as well.

After dinner, Qin Chu tossed and turned on the bed, unable to sleep. She wanted to go to the side courtyard to check on Qiu Jinning, but did not know what excuse to use. At this moment, she even thought that if she had known, she should have instructed Guanzi to buy a pot of wine.

If Qiu Jinning smelled wine, then Qin Chu would have a reason to go to the side courtyard.

Letting out a long sigh, Qin Chu dismissed that little thought of hers. She had to pursue Qiu Jinning openly and honestly. She could not be like her disastrous elder brother and take the crooked path.

In the eastern side courtyard next door, Qiu Jinning was similarly tossing and turning, filled with countless thoughts.

Early the next morning, after washing and dressing, she came to the main courtyard and saw Qin Chu dressed in plain white. That person was stretching her legs and feet in the courtyard, seemingly doing morning exercises. Her figure was slender, and there was a hint of comedy in her movements.

After Qin Chu finished a set of modern radio calisthenics, she turned and saw Qiu Jinning. “Miss Qiu, good morning. Would you like to go out for a stroll and eat breakfast outside while we’re at it?”

There was nothing particularly inconvenient about all of them living there. The only thing they had not considered was that they had no cook. From masters to maids to nanny and coachmen, not a single one of them was good at cooking.

It seemed they had to find a cook.

Qiu Jinning nodded politely and distantly. That night, she had said those words asking Qin Chu to stay over too abruptly. Even now, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable in her heart.

Qin Chu’s expression remained normal, but while eating, she repeatedly thought: Why did it feel like after arriving in the capital, Qiu Jinning had grown even farther from her? Was it because of the rent?

Sigh. Not being one family really was inconvenient. Even wanting to treat someone well seemed somewhat inappropriate. When would they become one family?

“I plan to buy a winery first. What are Miss Qiu’s plans next?” Qin Chu remembered her father’s instructions and chatted casually with Qiu Jinning.

If the Qin family wanted to establish itself in the capital, they bailiantales.comdefinitely had to buy a winery. Beer also had to be brewed quickly. Seeing that the hot summer was approaching, it would be best to catch this season.

Qiu Jinning said faintly, “I plan to have Luyao notify Prince Xian’s residence in a while, and then find a cook. As for the cook’s monthly wages, do not argue with me over them. Otherwise, I will not feel at ease living here.”

The matter of entering the capital early could not be concealed from the Second Prince. The other party was powerful. They had to handle him carefully and should not make an enemy of him. Informing him was also for the sake of stabilizing him.

They had to find a cook quickly. Otherwise, always eating outside would cost too much.

Qin Chu disagreed. “You should just focus on preparing for the exam. Let Guanzi handle these matters. She has nothing to do anyway.”

“Qin Chu, one should not accept rewards without merit.” Qiu Jinning rejected Qin Chu’s kindness with one faint sentence.

She had thought for half the night and confirmed one thing: the Qin family did not lack money, and Qin Chu was willing to spend money on her. But none of this could become a reason for her to accept it peacefully. A woman should rely on herself to have a wide world.

Even if Qin Chu was different from others to her, she could not spend the Qin family’s silver without any scruples. Their relationship had not yet reached the point where yours and mine were indistinguishable. Once the love gu was removed, everything would still be uncertain.

“Then all right. No matter what, don’t treat me like an outsider. What I said yesterday was serious. What is mine is yours.” Qin Chu straightened her expression, her gaze earnest.

She wanted to treat Qiu Jinning well. She wanted to stay with Qiu Jinning forever. She also hoped Qiu Jinning would not treat her as an outsider.

Qiu Jinning lowered her head slightly, her voice lowering. “You… why are you treating me this way?”

So well that she could not help overthinking, wondering whether this person’s feelings were the same as hers…

“Hahaha, of course it’s because—because—anyway, I should treat you well.” Qin Chu laughed dryly and brushed it off. She wanted to say it was because of the love gu, but she also did not want to mention the love gu.

Some things were duties, but some things were desires. At this moment, it was not that she should treat Qiu Jinning well—it was that she wanted to treat Qiu Jinning well.

Qiu Jinning lowered her eyes and said no more, seeming to understand the words Qin Chu could not say aloud.

Because of the love gu.

After eating, Qin Chu instructed Guanzi, “Go make a trip to Prince Xian’s residence for Miss Qiu.”

Selfishly, she did not want Qiu Jinning to have any dealings with that Second Prince.

Guanzi looked hesitant. “Miss, the skinny maid can go for that kind of thing. I still have to follow you properly.”

Master had instructed her to protect Miss well and stay by her side at all times.

Qin Chu raised her brows. “I’m just walking around casually. I don’t need anyone with me. Besides, when dealing with an important person like Prince Xian, we definitely have to rely on you.”

The moment Guanzi heard this, she immediately puffed out her chest. “That’s right. Miss, don’t worry. This servant will definitely deliver the message.”

After receiving a compliment from her young lady, the little maid proudly glanced at Luyao. See? When it came to important matters, she was still the reliable one.

Luyao rolled her eyes and stared thoughtfully at Qin Chu and Guanzi. She seemed to have figured out how to deal with the plump maid. So she was a simple-minded donkey who responded to being stroked the right way.

After sending Guanzi to Prince Xian’s residence to pass on the message, Qin Chu wandered around the capital alone. Under the emperor’s feet, public order was naturally good. She walked around Zhuque Street and noted the locations of several shops, then headed toward the edge of the eastern district.

After finding a broker and asking around, she took a liking to a residence directly opposite Shuntian Prefecture.

The residence was very large and had been abandoned for many years. It was said to be the estate of a convicted official. Everyone thought it unlucky, so it had remained empty with no one buying it.

What Qin Chu liked was the residence’s location. First, it was large enough to brew beer. Second, the location was safe enough. She had no backers in the capital, so she could only borrow the authority of the government as much as possible. If she placed the winery directly across from the Shuntian yamen, who would dare come make trouble?

Thus, she bought it on the spot. Having acquired two residences in two days, a third of the silver notes in the box were gone. Qin Chu did not feel distressed at all spending it. She understood the principle that one had to give in order to gain.

Necessary expenses did not need to be saved.

Calculating that it was about time for lunch, Qin Chu returned to Hou-Song Street and saw Guanzi climbing a wooden ladder, changing the plaque. Written on it were the words: Qin Residence.

Luyao was holding the ladder below, her tone full of worship. “Plump maid, you’re so amazing. You hung it really straight.”

Guanzi raised her head on the wooden ladder, enduring her fear of standing high up, her face full of pride. “Of course. You should see whose maid I am.”

Luyao continued praising her repeatedly. “Exactly, exactly. As expected of Miss Qin’s personal head maid. Help me clean the Read on BaiLianTalesstudy in the eastern side courtyard later too. Your hands and feet are so nimble; you must work quickly.”

She seemed to have found the trick to making Guanzi work. Sweet words spilled out as if they cost nothing, changing patterns one after another.

Guanzi chuckled. “Leave it to me. I’ll definitely clean it spotless for Miss Qiu.”

Qin Chu’s teeth ached watching this. This little maid was far too simple. Compared to Qiu Jinning’s maid, she was practically missing a few brain cells.

At this moment, Qiu Jinning also happened to return from outside, holding paper, brushes, and several books in her arms.

Seeing this, Qin Chu hurriedly went to meet her. “Miss Qiu, let me help you carry those.”

“It is fine. I can carry them myself.”

“I’ll carry them. You check whether this plaque is hanging straight.”

Although Qiu Jinning politely refused, she still could not withstand Qin Chu’s enthusiasm. Once her hands were free, she looked at Qin Chu and smiled faintly. “Very good.”

Her tone was gentle, and her gaze rested on Qin Chu. It was unclear whether she was praising Qin Chu or the plaque.