Chapter 71: Simple Deduction
Li Xiaonan got out of the carriage at the Cai Lian Lane Entrance, entered the courtyard gate, and stuffed two oiled paper packets into her third sister’s arms. She and her third sister entered the kitchen one after the other.
Li Yin Zhu placed the oiled paper packets on the dining table and carefully unwrapped them, exclaiming in surprise, “What is this? It smells so good, sweet and fragrant! This is mutton, I’ve eaten it once, it’s very delicious!”
Li Yin Zhu licked her lips.
“That’s called peanut cake. Their family’s cooking is delicious, try some,” Li Xiaonan said, sitting on a small stool by the stove.
“Let’s eat together when Eldest Sister and the others get back!” Li Yin Zhu carefully re-wrapped the oiled paper packets and placed them on a dish. “There’s mutton and peanut cake, so we don’t need to stir-fry eggs today, but I’ve already cut the leeks.”
Li Yin Zhu frowned, looking at the large bunch of leeks she had just cut.
Ever since she had eaten leeks stir-fried with eggs, Li Yin Zhu felt that leeks stir-fried without eggs were simply too unpalatable.
“How about we make leek pancakes!” Li Yin Zhu said with a smile, looking at Li Xiaonan.
“Okay, but we need to add two eggs, otherwise it won’t taste good,” Li Xiaonan replied, somewhat distracted.
“One is enough, just to season it, and there’s so much mutton,” Li Yin Zhu quickly started kneading the dough.
To make pancakes or leek pancakes, you need to use leavened dough. It’s not just to save flour; Li Yin Zhu felt that leavened dough made for softer and tastier pancakes than unleavened dough, and Eldest Sister also said so.
“Light a fire,” Li Yin Zhu said, adding two scoops of water to the pot and gesturing to Li Xiaonan.
It would be dark in another hour and a half. For the dough to rise, it needed to be placed in hot water to speed up the process.
Li Xiaonan lit the fire, picked out two thin pieces of firewood for Li Yin Zhu to inspect, and put them into the stove. By the time the two pieces of firewood burned out, the water was perfectly heated.
Li Yin Zhu had also finished kneading the dough. She covered the basin and placed it in the pot, then covered the pot and began to trim the leeks.
Li Xiaonan rested her chin on her hand, her gaze unfocused as she watched Li Yin Zhu trim the leeks, slowly and bit by bit, replaying the events of the journey.
That Young Lord knew that her brother had secretly given her eggs to eat. Even Eldest Sister and the others weren’t fully aware of this matter; how did he know?
That Young Lord had also asked her: “Where has your poetic inspiration gone!”
Li Xiaonan shivered slightly.
There was only one possibility: that Young Lord knew the former A Nan.
If she hadn’t come, A Nan would still be the same A Nan, her brother definitely wouldn’t have been able to become a Xiucai Scholar, they would still be in Xiao Li Village, and Third Uncle’s family might have already found an opportunity to kill her brother.
If her brother died, the sisters would have to follow the clan’s arrangements, meaning they would fall into Third Uncle’s hands…
Third Aunt had already had someone look into A Nan for a marriage arrangement…
A Nan would only have the chance to meet a noble like that Young Lord if she were sold into servitude.
After all, A Nan, who possessed such poetic inspiration, could be considered a rare commodity.
Li Xiaonan’s heart clenched into a ball.
What had happened between the former A Nan and that Young Lord?
Regardless of what happened, the former A Nan and that Young Lord must have been extremely close, so close that A Nan had even told that Young Lord about her eating her brother’s eggs!
Li Xiaonan subconsciously touched her nose.
Before he said he would help her find a business that could rival the wealth of the nation, he seemed to have said a few words. What had he said?
Li Xiaonan slapped her own face.
She had been so stunned by his words that she hadn’t even heard what he said afterward!
“A Nan, are you alright?” Li Yin Zhu asked with concern, looking at Li Xiaonan who was slapping her own face.
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing, I was just thinking about an arithmetic problem,” Li Xiaonan quickly lowered her hands and forced a smile.
Li Yin Zhu leaned forward and looked, then didn’t ask further.
She had asked, and A Nan hadn’t told her. If she asked again, A Nan still wouldn’t tell. When Eldest Sister returned, she would have Eldest Sister ask her.
Li Jin Zhu and Li Yu Zhu returned home. The five siblings ate their meal. Li Jin Zhu had originally planned to put the peanut cake away first, as it was close to the New Year and perfect for entertaining guests.
However, Li Xiaonan said that peanut cake was best eaten fresh and might grow mold if left overnight.
Such a good thing, if it molded and spoiled, it would be heartbreaking!
Li Jin Zhu quickly brewed a pot of light tea and served two pieces to each person.
Li Yin Zhu ate to her heart’s content and went to the kitchen to wash pots and bowls. Li Yu Zhu was busily weaving. Li Jin Zhu called Li Xiaonan out and went into the side room. She looked closely at Li Xiaonan’s expression and asked with a frown, “Your third sister said you’ve been a bit off since you got back today. What happened?”
“Nothing…” Li Xiaonan lowered her head, picking at her fingernails.
“Did that noble person bully you?” Li Jin Zhu lifted Li Xiaonan’s face.
“Eldest Sister, what are you thinking!” Li Xiaonan pushed Li Jin Zhu’s hand away. “It’s something I shouldn’t say, something that needs to be kept secret. Sigh, alright, I won’t say anything at all, but Eldest Sister will definitely worry if she doesn’t know. Eldest Sister just needs to know, and you can’t tell anyone else.”
“Okay, tell me,” Li Jin Zhu said, her brows tightly furrowed.
“That Young Lord fancies my good arithmetic skills. He wants me to teach his people arithmetic, saying he needs to investigate the taxes at sea and on the canals. He said the court has been receiving significantly less tax, and he wants to find out why.”
Li Xiaonan spoke while watching Li Jin Zhu.
Li Jin Zhu knitted her brows and concentrated, listening intently. After a moment of stunned silence, she let out a soft gasp.
“On the day your third sister got engaged, I heard Eldest Uncle and Old Master Hong talking about the taxes at sea, saying the silver flowed like a river,” Li Jin Zhu said in a very low voice. “A Nan, don’t go. This matter is too big.”
“It’s fine, I’m just teaching an old gentleman named Qian. I’m not involved in anything else. I think that Young Lord is quite capable, so there should be no problem.”
Li Jin Zhu pursed her lips tightly. Just as she was about to speak, Li Xiaonan interjected, “Eldest Sister, if I don’t go, I might offend that Young Lord. That Young Lord is quite petty, so it’s better to go. I’m just teaching arithmetic, nothing else.”
Li Jin Zhu swallowed and looked at Li Xiaonan. After a long while, she said, “A Nan, I’ve told you, don’t think too much, don’t aim too high. We…”
Li Jin Zhu’s words caught in her throat.
Their current sixty percent capital in the preserved egg business was from the courtyard of eggs gifted by that Young Lord. The preserved egg business was doing so well that, according to Sister-in-law Yin, it was all thanks to the Prince’s Estate villa.
And then there was Yin Zhu’s marriage. Eldest Uncle had mentioned it once. The first time that Young Lord came to find A Nan, Old Master Hong happened to see it.
Their current good life was at least half thanks to that Young Lord.
“Eldest Sister, it’s fine, it will be fine!” Li Xiaonan said, linking her arm with Eldest Sister’s.
“Eldest Sister also thinks it will be fine. If anything happens, no matter what, Eldest Sister will be with you,” Li Jin Zhu took a deep breath.
Since things had come to this, they would just face it. If something truly happened, even if it meant losing their heads, she would face it with A Nan.
At night, Li Xiaonan lay in her thick, soft quilt, using mathematical methods to re-examine: what would happen to this family if A Nan had remained the former A Nan, and what about the words that Young Lord had spoken!
Alas, no matter how she analyzed it, there was only one possibility: the fate that Young Lord spoke of happened in the past future, between that Young Lord and the former A Nan. That Young Lord knew she wasn’t the former A Nan. He came to find her, what did he want to do?
The former A Nan even told that Young Lord about eating eggs, their relationship with that Young Lord…
Alas, she couldn’t think too much about it.
Now, that Young Lord had found her, what was his purpose?
Li Xiaonan turned over and curled into a ball.
Whatever she thought, that Young Lord’s purpose was nothing good!
She would never be a concubine or a slave! Even if that Young Lord was impossibly handsome!
From now on, she had to be constantly vigilant and strictly defensive!
There’s one more chapter to be posted tomorrow morning. I don’t know what I was busy with all day today. Oh well, I’ll summarize what I was busy with tomorrow morning too.
