Xiao Jinshen remained gentle, but his eyes revealed an undeniable firmness: "There's no rush, Mother, you should go and rest first!"
Madam Lu wanted to say more, but when her gaze fell on Huanyue who had just entered, she suddenly changed her mind and replied, "Yes."
She obediently followed Huanyue away, and Xiao Jin saw her off at the door.
Xiao Jin didn't want to recount those events to Madam Lu one by one; perhaps hearing them from Huan Yue would be more convincing! What Xiao Jin wanted was for Madam Lu to treat her as an equal adult, not as an naive little girl…
There's still so much to do! Mom Lu needs to adapt quickly...
******************
When Lu's mother stood in front of Xiao Jin again, the way she looked at Xiao Jin was different.
She listened as Huanyue recounted in detail all of Xiao Jin's actions since Luo Shi's death, especially Xiao Jin's instigation of infighting among the concubines to reap the benefits, which Huanyue described vividly with added embellishments.
Lu's mother's impression of Xiao Jin immediately changed.
While happy, Lu's mother couldn't help but feel heartbroken when she thought about the reason for Xiao Jin's change.
Xiao Jin instructed Ziwan, Cuizhu, and others to play with Xiao Ye in the east side room, and also had Zisu and Huanyue stand guard outside the curtain of the warm pavilion before she sat down and talked with Mama Lu in the warm pavilion.
"There's something I want to ask Mother." Xiao Jin looked at Mother Lu seriously and said slowly, "Do Ye'er and I have any other relatives? You've been with Mother for the past few years, and Mother trusts you the most. You must know something."
Lu's mother was stunned by Xiao Jin's question.
Xiao Jin must know that her mother, Madam Luo, being the only daughter in the family, used all of the family's wealth to prepare her dowry, which later enabled Madam Luo to support Xiao Ji's education, and so on. Why would Xiao Jin ask such a question?
Miss, are you implying something?
“If Madam had relatives within the fifth degree of kinship, they would surely have come to seek refuge with her as soon as she entered the capital,” Madam Lu said cautiously. “There has been no news for the past few years, so perhaps she has distant relatives who are not in the capital…”
Xiao Jin knew that Madam Lu hadn't understood her meaning. She smiled slightly, not in a hurry, and said slowly, "Mother, Ye'er and I are weak and alone in the mansion. It would be better to have a relative from the maternal side, wouldn't you say? If we search diligently, finding a cousin wouldn't be difficult, right?" Xiao Jin deliberately emphasized the word "diligently".
Searching intently... In a flash, Madam Lu suddenly realized. But her gaze towards Xiao Jin still held a hint of disbelief. When did her young mistress become so quick-witted?
"Miss, why did you think of all this?" Mrs. Lu couldn't help but ask.
Xiao Jin's lips curled slightly, but a hint of bitterness flashed in her eyes as she smiled. "My eldest sister's aunt came over the other day and gave me a pearl hairpin, which is both simple and exquisite. It's better that Father didn't remarry these past two years. If he had, where would Ye'er and I have a place to stand?"
Xiao Jin's two seemingly incoherent sentences filled Lu's mother with a mixture of anger and sadness.
She was originally a wife in a wealthy family, and she knew very well that those concubines were nothing more than half-servants at home, and their relatives were not even real relatives! In the scholar's mansion, both concubines had surpassed the madam and become proper masters!
How dare the aunt's relatives act like elders in front of the young lady?
Although the young lady devised a plan to temporarily prevent the master from remarrying, it was ultimately not a long-term solution. At that time, the young lady would reach marriageable age, and her marriage would naturally be decided by her stepmother. If she were to encounter a heartless man… this would affect the young lady's happiness for the rest of her life! Readers, you can search for "" to find this site immediately.
Chapter 72
"Don't worry, Miss!" In an instant, Madam Lu felt a great responsibility. She would do her best to protect Miss and Fourth Master, so as not to fail Madam's trust!
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“There’s a reason why Madam asked me to leave the manor…” Mama Lu made up her mind. She had never known that her young mistress was so gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. It was time for her to be involved in some things! Although Madam had instructed her to tell her when her young mistress got married, that was because of her young mistress’s previous personality. Telling her these things would only harm her.
"My daughter was rescued long ago. I only used this as an excuse to leave the manor," Mama Lu confessed. "I went out to manage the properties that Madam had arranged for Miss!"
This time it was Xiao Jin's turn to be stunned. She asked in slight surprise, "The property that Mother acquired?"
How could this be? This body has no memory of this matter! Xiao Jin was in a state of utter confusion. She tried her best to find information about this matter in those fragments of memory, her head was already throbbing, but she still couldn't remember!
Seeing the concerned look in Lu's mother's eyes, Xiao Jin forced herself to calm down. Although things had gone wrong in this life, it was still good news!
“Madam didn’t want me to say anything before.” Madam Lu’s eyes reddened slightly. Madam, the proper mistress of the scholar’s mansion, had hardly had a good day… “Madam has her concerns, please don’t take them to heart, Miss.”
Xiao Jin shook her head, her expression slightly bitter. "I know, Mother's life... has been difficult!"
She harbored no resentment. After all, it was better for Xiao Jin not to know these things.
Seeing that Xiao Jin didn't seem to be faking it, Madam Lu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, her young lady was completely different from before! She had taken responsibility!
“Since I serve by Madam’s side, I naturally cannot look after those businesses all the time. It is Li Rui and his wife who manage the businesses for Miss.” Madam Lu added, “Miss, you have no doubt about their loyalty. Madam saved their lives.”
Xiao Jin listened silently, nodding slightly. Although her face remained calm, her heart was in turmoil. Li Rui… she remembered that one of the maids' wives in this body's previous life was named Li Rui!
Is it just a coincidence of names or is it the same person?
She remembered that Li Rui and his wife were very loyal and quite capable. They managed Xiao Jin's two shops very well and the income was very good.
Coincidence or something went wrong in her past life? Lu's mother had very little memory of Luo Shi after her death, and she didn't know that Luo Shi had secretly prepared a dowry for her, or that Li Rui and his wife were actually Luo Shi's people. Just how many things were still unknown to her?
Xiao Jin felt herself slowly becoming anxious... but she had to be patient and figure everything out!
"Mom, can you think of a way for me to meet them?" Xiao Jin calmed herself down. She needed to see them first before deciding whether to use the two of them. After all, recognizing relatives was for her future contact with the outside world and to facilitate the management of her own business, so she had to be extremely careful!
Whether her ideas can be realized depends heavily on her "relative".
Madam Lu naturally understood the crux of the matter. Although she looked troubled, she gritted her teeth and agreed, "Don't worry, Miss, I will certainly not let you down!"
Ever since Lu's mother agreed to Xiao Jin's request, she had been looking for an opportunity to bring Li Rui and his wife in for Xiao Jin to see without anyone noticing.
After all, letting Xiao Jin leave was unrealistic. Madam Lu had been searching for a solution for several days, but still couldn't find a way to satisfy both. If the Jinrong Courtyard caused too much trouble, it wouldn't benefit the Second Miss and the Fourth Master.
“Miss, I have a plan, but you'll have to wait a few more days!” Mama Lu’s tone was tinged with embarrassment. “Two of the servants on duty at the main gate and the second gate are acquainted with me and have no connection to those two courtyards. We’ll bring Li Rui and his wife in when they’re on duty on the same day!”
"Thank you for your concern, Mother! I'm not in a hurry." Xiao Jin smiled slightly, showing no impatience. Instead, she comforted Mother Lu, saying, "Mother, there's no need to rush. It's always better to be safe than sorry. I trust your people, Mother, but I'm not familiar with them, which is why I wanted to meet them."