Chapter 170: Sun Shi's Decision and Seeing Qingcao [Heartfelt Thanks for Everyone's Support

Hearing the maid's report,

Xu Anmei felt her mother's hand flinch in fright.

Xu Anmei naturally knew what was happening,

The Yuan family's recent cautionary tale was still being passed mouth to mouth throughout the capital; how could her Xu family encounter the same matter?

Her family's Fifth Young Master's situation differed from the Yuan family's; Fifth Young Master saved people outside the Shenbao Temple, witnessed by countless commoners.

"Mother, I—"

Sun Shi patted Xu Anmei and said, "Do not worry. Speak, what exactly happened?"

"Da Da Niangzi, the steward at the gate said that woman immediately demanded to give our family silver as gratitude for saving her life; the steward dared not casually accept such silver, so she knelt at the entrance!"

"What silver?" Xu Anmei asked, looking at her mother in confusion.

The incident outside Shenbao Temple had already begun spreading throughout Bianjing.

Thus, when the commoners of Quyuan Street learned that the woman now kneeling outside Marquis Marquis Yongyi's Hou Fu gate was there to express gratitude for being saved from death, they spread the word from one to two, two to four, calling friends and companions to come watch.

Vendors from nearby streets handed their stalls over to family members or acquaintances to watch, then rushed over themselves to witness the spectacle.

This crowd of onlookers further aroused the curiosity of those who did not know what was happening yet loved watching commotions.

Looking at the woman prostrate on the ground, a bundle before her, her face buried in her arms to hide it, the surrounding commoners shared the information they knew:

"They say a young master from the Hou Fu was struck by a banner pole!"

"What nonsense are you spouting! Who spread that?"

"Then you! You say!"

"That banner pole was solid wood weighing a hundred jin; this Hou Fu's Fifth Young Master bore it on one shoulder!"

"Ah?"

"He directly slaughtered twenty fine horses with a firewood knife just to prevent the banner pole from crushing the crowd!"

"Whoa!"

"The musicians from the Rongzhihe Sect and the Imperial Music Bureau were so astonished they wanted to compose music for Fifth Young Master on the spot!"

"Really?"

"Having saved so many people, they say the imperial physician took his pulse; guess what happened?"

"What?"

"His complexion changed!"

"Could it be! He won't live long?"

"What unlucky words! He is fine!"

"Then, is this young lady one of those saved from beneath the banner pole?"

"She is hiding her face; who knows what she looks like!"

"She must be quite beautiful; perhaps she wishes to enter the Hou Fu as a servant!"

As everyone spoke, the Xu family's side gate swung wide open, and Seeing Qingcao, the maid attending Xu Xu Zaijing, walked out, bowed to the woman kneeling on the ground, and said, "Greetings to this Miss."

Upon hearing the voice, the woman prostrate on the ground hastily lifted her head.

"Ah!" Seeing Qingcao uttered a soft gasp.

The watching commoners were also curious about this young lady's appearance; when she raised her head, everyone craned their necks to look.

They too were startled, for a bluish-purple birthmark covered the woman's left eye socket, obscuring a large area around her left eye and extending deep into her temple.

Hearing Seeing Qingcao's and the surrounding commoners' gasps, the woman lowered her head again, filled with shame and inferiority.

Seeing Qingcao also realized she had been somewhat rude; she hastily bowed again and said, "This Miss, this servant was impolite. I am Seeing Qingcao, Fifth Young Master's maid; please rise so we may speak."

After speaking, Seeing Qingcao bowed once more to the surrounding commoners and said, "I request all you neighbors and townsfolk to serve as witnesses."

The surrounding commoners clasped their hands and spoke one after another,

"Naturally!"

"Miss, rest assured, we will certainly observe this matter clearly!"

Hearing Seeing Qingcao's words, the kneeling woman lifted her head, glanced at her, and said, "I... I have not seen you, Miss, today."

"Today this servant did not accompany the Young Master to the west; if there is any matter, please rise and inform us! If you remain kneeling and refuse to rise, though it appears sincere, it carries a hint of coercion."

"The young girl speaks rightly!"

"Indeed!"

"Miss, stand up and speak!"

"No, I am not, not coercing." As she spoke, the woman stood up.

Only then did Seeing Qingcao need to tilt her head upward to see her oval face.

"So tall!"

"Whoa!"

"Oh my, kneeling on the ground, one truly could not tell."

The woman hunched her shoulders, bent her body, and spoke softly: "I... I am the one who was on the Shenbao Temple banner pole; your family's Young Master saved my life. Today, the reward money I received, my mother told me to bring to the Young Master as thanks. But your family's steward would not accept it."

Hearing this woman's words, Seeing Qingcao's face showed surprise; she squatted and bowed, saying, "Please wait a moment, Miss; this servant cannot decide this matter."

"Oh."

Upon receiving this response, Seeing Qingcao turned and quickly ran toward the inner courtyard.

In the Main Lady's courtyard, Xie Shi was now also sitting with Sun Shi in the main hall; listening to Seeing Qingcao's breathless recounting, the two Da Da Niangzi looked at each other.

Sun Shi said, "Seeing Qingcao, you say this young lady was on the banner pole??? From such a great height, how did she dare to climb up?!!" She naturally knew how high the banner pole outside Shenbao Temple was.

"Mother-in-law, this is hard-earned money; we..."

Sun Shi nodded and said, "You speak rightly; she is indeed a good young lady who knows gratitude and repays kindness. Very well, we shall accept the money!"

Hearing Sun Shi's words, Xie Shi's face was filled with shock.

Sun Shi smiled slightly and said, "Seeing Seeing Qingcao, have Brother Brother Qingyun go to the storeroom to fetch ten jin of cotton, deliver it to that Miss's hands, and escort her home! Having accepted someone's gift of thanks, there is no rule saying we do not return a gift."

After listening, Xie Shi looked at Sun Shi with an expression full of admiration.

Outside the Hou Fu,

more and more commoners gathered to watch, many pointing and commenting at the woman with the birthmark on her face,

which made her feel as if a thousand jin heavy weight rested on her shoulders; she hunched her shoulders and lowered her head even more, wanting to cover her face.

"She's coming out!"

"Someone from the Hou Fu has arrived."

Hearing the words of the people around her, that Miss hurriedly raised her head to take a look.

It was still that young female servant, but behind her followed a male attendant of considerable height; after stepping out, Seeing Seeing Qingcao bowed to the woman, then bowed to the neighbors and vendors watching the spectacle nearby, before saying:

"Miss, regarding your gift of thanks, Wu Da Da Niangzi has given orders to accept it."

While Seeing Seeing Qingcao was speaking, Brother Brother Qingyun glanced at this woman, his attention captured by the birthmark on her face.

Hearing these words, joy appeared in the Miss's eyes; she hurriedly held out the bundle in her hands, yet still kept her head lowered, not daring to raise it.

Seeing Seeing Qingcao looked at her with a smile, not extending her hand.

A moment of silence passed.

Seeing Seeing Qingcao looked curiously at Brother Brother Qingyun beside her, puzzled as to why he had not reached out to take it.

"Brother Brother Qingyun???"

"Ah?" Only upon Seeing Seeing Qingcao's reminder did Brother Brother Qingyun snap back to his senses.

Brother Brother Qingyun met Seeing Seeing Qingcao's gaze and said, "Oh, oh!"

Saying this, Brother Brother Qingyun took the bundle from the woman's hands; inside, the clinking sounds revealed it was mostly copper coins.

After handing over the bundle, the woman still kept her head low and performed a plain bow, murmuring softly, "Then, I will take my leave; please help me thank your Young Master for saving my life."

Seeing Seeing Qingcao suddenly grabbed the woman's hand and said loudly, "Miss, you have repaid the Hou Fu with gratitude and offered a gift; the Hou Fu must also return a gift."

Hearing Seeing Seeing Qingcao's words, the commoners around nodded one after another.

They whispered among themselves, saying that this move by the Hou Fu was bright and open.

After finishing her speech, Seeing Seeing Qingcao smiled and poked Brother Brother Qingyun, who had drifted off again, with her finger,

Brother Brother Qingyun: "Oh, oh, oh, bring it out."

Hearing Brother Brother Qingyun's words, a male attendant from the Hou Fu led out a small donkey; on the donkey's back were two bundles that looked large but were not heavy, with white cotton fluff leaking from where the bundle openings were tied.

"It's cotton!"

"How many jin must this be!"

"This is two bundles worth of silver!"

The woman waved her hands, saying, "This, this I cannot accept; if Mother knows, she will scold me."

"Miss, then the Hou Fu cannot accept this bundle of thanks either," Seeing Seeing Qingcao replied with a smile.

The woman pondered for a while, seemingly making some decision, then nodded and said, "I thank the Hou Fu."

Seeing Seeing Qingcao smiled slightly and said, "Then, this is Brother Brother Qingyun from beside our Young Master; let him escort you back."

After Seeing Seeing Qingcao finished speaking, a carriage came out from inside the gate, followed by two elderly nannies standing nearby.

Upon seeing the carriage, the woman refused absolutely to sit in it; even when Seeing Seeing Qingcao threatened to return the bundle, it was of no use.

At this moment, Brother Brother Qingyun said, "Then don't sit; I and the nannies will escort this lady back on foot. Go, have Scar-face bring my horse over."

The male attendant at the gate, hearing the order, trotted off toward the stables.

After thinking it over, Seeing Seeing Qingcao nodded, then bowed along with the steward and the male attendants,

afterward, the steward and the male attendants walked to the gate and began speaking words like 'disperse,' 'thank you,' and 'come eat at my place when you have time,' dispersing the crowd.

Brother Brother Qingyun took the reins from Scar-face's hand and said with a smile, "Troubling the two elderly nannies."

"Brother Brother Qingyun is too polite," they replied.

"Miss, let us go," Brother Brother Qingyun said.

The woman nodded, yet did not know which leg to move first.

Brother Brother Qingyun nodded to the two elderly nannies; the two nannies smiled, led the small donkey, and walked ahead.

Brother Brother Qingyun led the horse, made a gesture of invitation to the woman, and once she caught up, he walked somewhat Tang Tu alongside her, though the horse on his left blocked some of the viewing angles.

"Back then, I always thought you were a man," Brother Brother Qingyun said, turning his head to look at the birthmark on the woman's face.

Hearing Brother Brother Qingyun's words, the Miss glanced at him with some surprise, took one look, then quickly turned her head back.

Then she turned her head again to examine him carefully, a thoughtful expression in her eyes.

"You are too tall; I have always been looking for a man my age with a birthmark near his eye, never expecting you to be a woman."

Seeing the woman's confused expression, Brother Brother Qingyun continued, "Seven or eight years ago, I was always begging over at Zhou Wansheng Gate."

Listening to Brother Brother Qingyun's words, the Miss looked at him with eyes full of shock; after carefully examining his eyebrows and eyes, the woman hesitated and said:

"Are you that child surnamed Yin?"

Hearing these words, Brother Brother Qingyun's eyes filled with a smile as he said, "Yes. But afterward, when I went to find you, I could not find you no matter what!"

"I have always dressed as a man; doing so causes less trouble when going to repair rooftops. I only went to Zhou Wansheng Gate a few times when I went nearby to work."

"I never expected to find you just like this."

In Xu Xu Zaijing's small courtyard, listening to Seeing Seeing Qingcao's 'accusation' regarding Brother Brother Qingyun 'drifting off,' Xu Xu Zaijing felt somewhat puzzled; over these years, Brother Brother Qingyun had always been reliable and sharp-witted, so when had such a matter of drifting off ever occurred?

By evening,

Xu Xu Zaijing, bare-chested, was having the wound on his waist and ribs gently smeared with medicinal paste by Seeing Seeing Qingcao,

when Brother Brother Qingyun returned, he went straight to his knees before Xu Xu Zaijing and said, "Young Master, there is someone I wish to marry."

"Hiss!"

Xu Xu Zaijing felt a sharp pain in his waist.

"Apologies,"

"I was delayed."

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(End of Chapter)