CHAPTER 256: CHAPTER 256: WEALTHY HOUSEHOLD

Dong Yao sighed softly and said in a low voice, "I don’t know why, but I always feel that your aunt is still alive, just that I don’t know where she is."

Shen Qinglan held her hand, clasping it with both of hers, and said, "People often say that blood relatives can sense each other no matter how far apart they are. They call it a kind of telepathy. Since mom feels that little aunt is still alive, then she definitely is!"

"I hope so!" Dong Yao gently patted the back of her hand with the hand holding the round fan, "I wish for nothing more than for your aunt to be alive and well!"

Shen Qinglan comforted softly, "Mom, don’t worry. Auntie is definitely living somewhere where we can’t see her!"

Once everything settles down, she will spare no effort to find Dong Lian.

However, she doesn’t want to make any promises to Dong Yao, for fear of not finding her, and also of causing sadness.

Sometimes, holding onto hope is better than disappointment!

"It’s too hot today!"

Mother and daughter looked over at the sound, only to see Yang Shi, drenched in sweat, carrying things on her back and holding more items in her hands as she approached.

"Aunt Yang! Let me help you with that!"

Shen Qinglan tried to take down the bamboo basket from her back, but Yang Shi dodged it.

"There’s no need for the trouble, Third Young Miss. It’s just a short distance, I can walk back directly!" She looked at Dong Yao hesitantly and asked, "Madam, what happened? Why are your eyes so red?"

"It’s nothing!" Dong Yao wiped her eyes and said, "Just earlier a small gnat flew into my eye, Qinglan already helped me get it out."

"So that’s it!" Yang Shi said, "Have a seat first, I’ll go make some mung bean soup to help you cool off."

"Mom, you sit down first, I’ll go to the kitchen with Aunt Yang!"

Dong Yao nodded, "Go on then!"

Shen Qinglan picked up the remaining ice basin and followed.

She heard Yang Shi complaining, "I should have returned earlier, but it seems there’s a large household moving at the alley entrance, with over a dozen carriages in a grand procession, loads of stuff and loads of people, blocking the road."

Baihua Lane often has people moving houses, Shen Qinglan was long used to it.

Speaking of moving, Duan Yunfei’s courtyard also seems to be more than half rebuilt, but to complete everything including decorations, it’s probably going to take a long time.

Looking at the ice blocks in the basin, Yang Shi asked curiously, "Where does Third Miss buy the ice blocks?"

"Shopkeeper Tang sent them, several basins." Shen Qinglan smiled and said, "Later from the ice cellar, take a basin and bring some over to Uncle Shao."

"No need," Yang Shi said, "It’s shaded by trees over at your Uncle Shao’s, not considered hot, you all keep it."

Shen Qinglan said, "There’s more, he said they’d deliver more tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Yang Shi sighed softly and said no more.

Upon entering the kitchen, Yang Shi said, "The kitchen is hot, if Third Miss needs anything cooked, just call me, I will do it for you."

"I’ll add firewood for you, it’ll be quicker."

"No need!" Yang Shi said, pushing her out of the kitchen, "Go rest outside!"

Renownedly, Shen Qinglan had to exit, taking the ice basin to sit by the well.

By the time Yang Shi finished cooking the mung bean soup, some of the ice had melted.

Luckily, the ice blocks sent by Duan Yunfei were large, otherwise in such hot weather, by the time they waited for so long, all would probably have melted.

Seeing her scoop out the mung bean soup into a bowl and adding ice cubes, Yang Shi couldn’t help but smile slightly, "So Third Miss wanted iced mung bean soup? I wondered why you were carrying the ice basin back and forth."

Shen Qinglan smiled at her without speaking, instead stirring the ice cubes into the mung bean soup to melt them.