CHAPTER 211: CHAPTER 211: XIANGYANG LANE

The husband of Mrs. Gao was originally a coachman for the master’s family. Mrs. Gao did the lowest menial tasks for the master, such as washing clothes, chopping firewood, and carrying water. Wherever she was needed, she would go.

Her daughter, Xiaoqiao, started helping in the kitchen with the fire from a young age. She had done this for seven or eight years without receiving any monthly salary from the master.

However, Mrs. Gao and her husband didn’t dare to confront the master about the lack of salary, fearing that their daughter might be sold off, thinking that as long as the family could stay together, it would be fine.

But on the way to Luocheng, when her husband was driving the carriage, he fell off, foaming at the mouth, his whole body convulsing. Before long, his body went rigid, and he stopped breathing.

As the master was in a hurry to continue on the journey, they simply had him buried hastily in a large ditch by the roadside, and the group continued on their way.

Mrs. Gao had just lost her son, and now her husband, it felt as if the sky had fallen. But, without knowing it, things that could truly break her were yet to come.

Once the master reached and settled in Luocheng with a relative, they mercilessly sold off both mother and daughter.

Mrs. Gao did not want to be sold, not for anything else, but for the fear that if her son returned alive, they would be nowhere to be found.

But no matter how Mrs. Gao begged the old lady, she did not have a compassionate heart; they were still sold off.

Yu Xiaolian, upon hearing the plight of Mrs. Gao’s family, felt both sympathy and reflection. Since she had chosen Mrs. Gao among the many women, she decided not to leave behind Xiaoqiao either.

Yu Xiaolian asked Zhao Zhijie about the price for Gao Xiaoqiao.

Zhao Zhijie straightforwardly said, "I’ll give her to you for free, no charge."

Recently, he had done a lot of buy-one-get-one-free deals. It’s not for nothing; several of his holding places were nearly full, and quite a few were still coming to sell people.

There were other deals, but none as significant as Yu Xiaolian’s; he had gifted before. Moreover, Yu Xiaolian’s single business was worth several others.

No hesitation in giving, Zhao Zhijie decided.

After Yu Xiaolian thanked Zhao Zhijie, Zhao Zhijie then sent a staff member to the government office with the indenture contracts for the three people for registration.

When everything was settled, Yu Xiaolian, holding the thick property documents and the indenture contracts of the three people, with a bunch of keys, left the broker with the three of them.

As she was leaving, Yu Xiaolian exchanged some pleasantries with Head Escort Zhao, promising to bring him good wine next time she visits the Escort Agency.

Head Escort Zhao laughed heartily, "Then I’ll stay at home, waiting for the good wine from Teacher Yu!"

Yu Xiaolian had been running around all day, truly exhausted, but it was not yet time to rest. Now, with so many people in the family all of a sudden, there was not enough space to house them.

There was indeed an empty house, but no beds. Since she had bought them, she had to settle them in properly.

Fortunately, Xiangyang Lane was quite close, so Yu Xiaolian, after meeting with Yu Changhe and Mrs. Sun, planned to temporarily settle Mrs. Liang and the three people in Xiangyang Lane.

Once the three of them cleaned the house in Xiangyang Lane, they would let Mrs. Sun and the Old Madam Sun move there with the two children.

After all, it was more spacious over there, more comfortable for living, with a cook and maidservants to command.

After sending Mrs. Liang and the three people there, Yu Xiaolian also had Sun Fengshou transport some rice, flour, and oil on a cart to Xiangyang Lane.

The house over there was fully furnished, and the previous owners had left a lot of old belongings there. But Yu Xiaolian told Mrs. Liang and the three not to keep any old bedding or old dishes, except for the furniture.

Mrs. Gao hesitated seeing a perfectly good quilt set to be thrown out, "Miss, it’s a waste to throw away this quilt, we’re not picky, we can use it."

Yu Xiaolian said, "Make do for the night. Tomorrow I will send over new cotton and fabric, and then you can make a few sets of new bedding yourselves. You can all do needlework, right?"

Mrs. Liang laughed, "We are all women here, how could we not do needlework? Miss, you must be joking!"

Yu Xiaolian: "..."

I wasn’t joking; I truly can’t.

Who says women must know how to do needlework?

Yu Xiaolian took out Silver, handing it to Mrs. Liang, "You’ve just moved in, with an empty stove and cold pots, no need to cook tonight, go buy something to eat on the street.

I see you all as kind people. Let’s all get along well; if everyone can do their duties properly, once you’re old, I won’t sell you off and will make sure you have a place to retire."

Mrs. Liang and Mrs. Gao exchanged a glance and immediately knelt down in gratitude to Yu Xiaolian, and said a lot of thankful words.

Yu Xiaolian said, "Tomorrow, tidy up the house, and anything unnecessary, give it to neighbors or throw it away.

Whatever is lacking, I’ll have my uncle deliver tomorrow.

Buy some food, and after eating, rest early, no need to work today."

Mrs. Liang and the three nodded in agreement. After Yu Xiaolian left, Mrs. Liang bought some baked buns nearby and shared them with Mrs. Gao and her daughter.

After eating their fill, seeing that it wasn’t completely dark yet, the mother and daughter of the Gao family each fetched water with old wooden basins and began to clean up.

When Yu Xiaolian returned to Taotao Residence, Xiaohu and Su Jingyue had also returned, following Li Meng and Li Lie, from the woods behind Jianyin Academy.

Behind Jianyin Academy, there is not only an old temple but also a small grove. Xiaohu, wanting to better learn martial arts, led Li Meng and Li Lie to that small grove.

Xiaohu ultimately insisted on taking Li Lie as his master, believing that if he chose to apprentice under the most skilled, he wouldn’t go wrong.

Compared to Xiaohu’s recent excitement and happiness, Su Jingyue seemed somewhat absent-minded.

Sister Miao had returned to the Northern Land for some time. If all went well, it’s likely that his older brother should have received the letter from Sister Xiaolian by now.

Why hasn’t his brother come to fetch him?

Could it be that his brother was traveling overland by a roundabout route?

Or is the drought over there so severe that his brother cannot advance an inch?

Yu Xiaolian specially ordered trusty weapons for Li Meng and Li Lie at the blacksmith shop, as the Li brothers were accustomed to using knives, Yu Xiaolian commissioned the knives they fancied.

As for Xiaohu and Su Jingyue, for now, they could only use tree branches in place of swords to practice.

During the day, when Yu Changhe and Sun Fengshou went to Taohua Village, the Li family brothers brought their knives with them, and every evening after dinner, the Li brothers would take Xiaohu and Su Jingyue to the grove to practice martial arts.

After ten busy days, they finally managed to clean up the house in Xiangyang Lane and furnish it completely.

Although Mrs. Sun had yet to finish her postpartum rest, Yu Changhe drove the cart to the door, and Old Madam Sun wrapped Mrs. Sun tightly in clothes before Mrs. Sun could get into the cart.

Thus, Mrs. Sun and Old Madam Sun, together with the two newborns, moved to Xiangyang Lane.

Since Xiangyang Lane was closer to Shuren Academy, Xiaohu and Su Jingyue also went along.

All of a sudden, Taotao Residence seemed much more spacious.

Yu Changhe and Sun Fengshou, along with the Li brothers, continued living in the backyard of the braised meat shop, while Yu Xiaolian and Er Ya, San Ya lived in the backyard of Taotao Residence, but when it came time to eat, they’d all go to Xiangyang Lane.