Chapter 269: No One Can Help
Kunshan County Li Family Market.
Li Shikuan saw A Wu off, and as soon as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, he shouted at the top of his lungs: “Wenhua! Cui Ye! Cui Ye!”
“Yes! Yes!” Cui Ye rushed out from the courtyard across the way.
“You slowpoke! Where is your father? Go quickly and call him back! Tell him to come back quickly!”
Cui Ye turned and ran towards the fields.
Li Shikuan turned back and, facing his worried old wife, Old Aunt Tang, waved his hand and ordered: “Get me that new shirt, the silk one.”
“Are you going out?” Old Aunt Tang asked as she hurried into the house.
“Give me the clothes, and you go pack that old ginseng.” Li Shikuan took the clothes.
“Where are you going? What did A Wu say? Is our A Nan in trouble?” Old Aunt Tang became worried.
“How could our A Nan be in trouble! Don’t overthink it! I’m going to the county town, and I’ll tell you when I get back.” Li Shikuan unbuttoned his shirt.
“Alright!” Old Aunt Tang hurried into the back room to get the old ginseng.
Li Wenhua ran back, changed into clean clothes, hitched up the cart, and set off for Kunshan County Town with Li Shikuan.
Old Master Hong welcomed Li Shikuan in. Seeing Li Shikuan’s expression and taking the old ginseng, he asked in surprise: “What happened?”
“It can’t be called trouble, let’s go inside and talk.” Li Shikuan frowned.
Old Master Hong watched his old servant serve tea, then waved him away, leaned forward, and looked closely at Li Shikuan, “What is it?”
“Just now, A Nan sent a message back through A Wu, saying that she will set off for Jianle City in the next few days, accompanied by the Educational Commissioner Wei’s eldest daughter, Fourth Mistress Wei.” Li Shikuan said directly.
Old Master Hong’s eyes widened, “What happened? Why?”
“A Wu said: A Nan said she’s fine, told me not to worry, and that the Young Lord is also going back, but the Young Lord will leave a few days later due to official duties.” Li Shikuan’s frown deepened.
“Then don’t worry.” Old Master Hong sighed, “I don’t even know where to start worrying.”
“I’m not worried, I came to you for advice: how should we arrange things?” Li Shikuan looked at Old Master Hong.
“Alas!” Old Master Hong sighed deeply, “From… not counting before, but from the time you asked me to keep an eye on good wood, I’ve been thinking about how to arrange things, and I’ve been thinking about it until now.”
“Have you thought of it? How to arrange it?” Li Shikuan leaned forward, looking at Old Master Hong expectantly.
“Next spring, let Zhenye and Yinzhu take the children to Jianle City. From now on, they will settle their family there. Yinzhu and A Nan can visit often, and perhaps the children of both families can grow up together.” Old Master Hong said.
Li Shikuan glared at Old Master Hong, “That’s not the plan I’m talking about! A Nan’s trip to Jianle City is of great importance! I, not just me, but us! How should we arrange things?”
“Haven’t you thought about it? How do you think it should be arranged?” Old Master Hong retorted.
“I don’t know, that’s why I came to ask you!” Li Shikuan said irritably.
“Am I any better than you? Even if I am a little better, it’s only because I live in this Kunshan County Town. This county town is so much better than your Li Family Market, so I’m only that much better than you. How much better can I be? Now you’re asking me about Jianle City, you don’t know, and I don’t know either.” Old Master Hong said.
Li Shikuan glared at Old Master Hong.
“The person A Nan is going to marry is too high, too high to the heavens, so high that we can’t even see. How can we help? We can’t help her.” Old Master Hong patted Li Shikuan’s shoulder.
“What are you saying! A Nan is so young, going to Jianle City alone, all that way, just her, how can that be!” Li Shikuan slapped Old Master Hong’s hand away.
“Then what do you suggest we do?” Old Master Hong asked.
“I don’t know, that’s why I came to ask you!” Li Shikuan said irritably.
“You ask me, and I tell you, but you don’t listen!” Old Master Hong said impolitely.
“You old scoundrel! What kind of words are those? How can I listen?” Li Shikuan’s voice was getting rough.
“Then what do you say we should do?” Old Master Hong also glared.
“I!” Li Shikuan glared at Old Master Hong, “You! Alas!”
“It’s that we truly don’t know, that we truly have no way! A Nan told you not to worry, so you should rest assured. A Nan is no ordinary person, and besides, the Young Lord is there. Having Fourth Mistress Wei accompany her to Jianle City is definitely the Young Lord’s arrangement. The Young Lord is there.” Old Master Hong patted Li Shikuan.
“Are we supposed to rely entirely on the Young Lord?” Li Shikuan slapped Old Master Hong’s hand away again.
“We can only rely on the Young Lord, and on A Nan herself! Otherwise, who do you think we should rely on? You? Me? What ability do you have? What ability do I have?” Old Master Hong retorted impolitely.
“You old scoundrel!” Li Shikuan slammed his palm on the tea table.
“You look after your Li family, and I’ll look after our Hong family. Don’t cause trouble, don’t add to the chaos. That’s all we can do. Anything else, we can’t do anything! We are too far from Jianle City, too far from the Young Lord!” Old Master Hong patted Li Shikuan’s shoulder again. This time, Li Shikuan did not slap Old Master Hong’s hand away.
“Alas! A Nan is alone, I really… Alas! Our family, the whole clan, is counting on her, relying on her. For her, a little girl, to go to such a distant place, the task she has to undertake must be so difficult, and we can’t help her at all!” Li Shikuan wiped his face forcefully.
“Is A Nan leaving directly from Hangcheng, or from our Pingjiang City? I’ll accompany you there to ask A Nan what she needs to bring. From now on, we must listen to A Nan’s arrangements.” Old Master Hong stood up.
“She said she’s leaving from Hangcheng, but will stop by Pingjiang City.” Li Shikuan stood up as well.
“Then let’s go to Hangcheng, let’s leave now.” Old Master Hong and Li Shikuan walked out one after the other.
………………
Wan Jing stood at the door for a long time before lifting the curtain and entering the room. Seeing Li Xiaonan sitting upright and writing, she was stunned again: she shouldn’t have come in directly, she should have asked…
“Who are you looking for?” Li Xiaonan asked without looking up.
“Shi Gun.”
After saying “Shi Gun,” Wan Jing almost bit her tongue. She was so stupid, how could she answer like that! She should have said “Miss” first…
“What’s wrong?” Li Xiaonan sensed something was off and looked at Wan Jing.
“Returning to Miss…” Wan Jing blurted out “Returning to Miss,” but the rest of her words got stuck.
“Did Shi Gun tell you? Did they deduct your monthly allowance again? Did the Young Lord scold you?” Li Xiaonan put down her brush and stood up to examine Wan Jing.
“Returning to Miss…”
“Speak properly.” Li Xiaonan interrupted Wan Jing’s “Returning to Miss.”
“Alright, this is the last time!” Wan Jing flicked her handkerchief. “Shi Gun said the Young Lord wants to marry you? Are you going to marry our Young Lord?”
“The Young Lord said he wants to marry me, and I agreed. But your Prince and Princess Consort don’t know yet, so it might not happen.” Li Xiaonan said truthfully.
“Our Prince and Princess Consort can’t control the Young Lord! After you marry the Young Lord, not even after, but now, Shi Gun said that from now on, I have to treat you like the former Miss Shi, but I’m not me, it’s you, and it’s not you, it’s… alas!” Wan Jing was in a mess.
“After Fourth Mistress Wei is ready, the day after tomorrow, we will set off for Jianle City. I’m very scared. It was me who told the Young Lord to have you accompany me.” Li Xiaonan sat next to Wan Jing and said softly.
“Don’t be afraid, I’ll accompany you!” Wan Jing said, then sighed, “I can’t help you. You, why did you have to marry our Young Lord? No, that’s not what I mean, I mean, you alone, just you alone, in our Prince’s Estate, alas, you!”
“I know what you mean, I’m alone, no family, no help, marrying into the Prince’s Estate alone, it’s too difficult.” Li Xiaonan looked at Wan Jing, who nodded continuously, “That’s exactly it, you!”
“Let’s not think that far ahead for now. Let’s think about what’s in front of us. I only have four sets of clothes, and Fourth Mistress Wei wants to give me some of hers. I don’t think it’s appropriate, what do you think?” Li Xiaonan changed the subject.
Her trip to Jianle City had to start quickly, there was no room for hesitation, and no explanation was possible.
“It’s definitely not appropriate, our needlework room… it’s not appropriate either!” Wan Jing suggested and then rejected it, “Do you have money? You definitely don’t, we…”
“I do, shall we go to the ready-made clothing shop to buy some?” Li Xiaonan picked up Wan Jing’s words.
“Yes! Let’s go to Gui Jin Workshop! Shall we go now?”
“Mhm!” Li Xiaonan turned and rushed to the desk, quickly washed her brush, hung it on the brush rack, and left the room with Wan Jing.
