Lu Zhaoling returned to Tingnuan Tower and laid out all the food from the basket.
There were still four bowls of red date bird's nest and six plates of various exquisite pastries.
In addition, there was a small earthenware pot of sweet soy milk.
"The masters of the Lu Residence eat quite well."
She didn't stand on ceremony, eating two bowls of bird's nest and two plates of pastries herself, leaving the rest for Qingyin and Qingbao.
Qingyin sent the person to the tooth house, instructing the agent to go to the Lu Residence to get Dachun's deed of sale from Madam Lu. She believed that after this trip, those people in the kitchen would surely keep their tails tucked in.
Qingbao also returned quickly, bringing back three boxes of old-brand pastries and handing a purse to Lu Zhaoling.
"Miss, that jade pendant actually fetched fifty taels!"
Qingbao went to the pawn shop, and the pawnbroker, looking at the jade pendant, his eyes lit up a bit. He said that although the jade pendant was not rare and the jade quality was only medium, he felt its luster was very gentle, making one feel fondness for it.
The pawnbroker even told her the truth, saying that normally such a jade pendant would only fetch about thirty-five taels, but this particular piece was indeed pleasing to look at, and many madams valued affinity at first sight when buying jade. He felt this piece had great eye緣, so he gave a high price.
He also said that if there were more of this quality, she could send them over again, and he would definitely give a good price.
"Fifty taels? Not bad." Lu Zhaoling nodded.
Qingbao said, "The silver box also fetched one tael, and the gold earrings twenty taels. Miss, I went to Babaozhai to buy some pastries, which cost one tael. So, there are exactly seventy taels left here."
Originally, Lu Zhaoling had no money, but she didn't expect that after wandering around the courtyard, she would earn seventy taels.
Both Qingyin and Qingbao felt it was novel and exciting.
Lu Zhaoling thought about her bundle and sighed softly.
The clothes she was wearing were probably originally for Lu Zhaoyun, a bit loose on her, and she found them cumbersome.
"Keep the silver. Qingbao, eat something first. Qingyin, come with me to stroll around the courtyard again."
Picking up silver wasn't limited to Tingnuan Tower.
"Yes."
Qingyin felt a flicker of excitement again. They had grown up in a princely mansion and had high standards; seventy taels was nothing, but the way Lu Zhaoling found it made her think it was quite fun.
Outside Tingnuan Tower was a small flower patch, now in full bloom with vibrant colors.
Further on was a small rock garden, with several clumps of purple bamboo on one side, and several lush trees behind it. Bluestone slabs paved the way under the trees to a small octagonal pavilion with stone tables and chairs inside.
The scenery was quite good, no wonder Lu Zhaoyun and the others were so jealous and angry that she lived in Tingnuan Tower.
Qingyin supported her as they walked slowly. Before Lu Zhaoling could find anything else, Madam Lu arrived with a group of people, looking aggressive.
"Miss, they're here to cause trouble again." Qingyin frowned.
"It's fine, it saves me the trouble of going to find her."
Lu Zhaoling stopped.
Madam Lu approached her, raising her hand to slap her face.
Qingyin's expression changed, and she immediately grabbed Madam Lu's wrist.
"Madam, what are you doing?"
"How dare you stop me?" Madam Lu glared angrily at Qingyin.
"Our young miss is still injured and hasn't done anything. Madam is about to strike without a word, so of course, I must intervene."
"You don't even know your place!"
Madam Lu shook off her hand. "I thought you were a senior maid sent by Prince Jin, but who knew your deed of sale was given to Lu Zhaoling? Then you are now servants of my Lu Residence. You should be clear about who your master is!"
Qingyin didn't speak, but Lu Zhaoling let out a soft laugh.
She didn't seem to take Madam Lu's anger to heart at all.
"Since you brought it up, I almost forgot. Now that I've returned to the Lu family, where are my monthly allowance, my seasonal new clothes, the maids' allowances, and the charcoal and tea for the house? Why haven't they been sent?"
Madam Lu hadn't expected her to have the courage to demand it directly. A cold light flashed in her eyes as she suddenly remembered what Lu Ming had instructed her.
"Since you want to talk about these things, let me calculate it for you, lest you think the family has owed you for so many years."
Lu Zhaoling looked at her, gesturing for her to continue.
"You were sent back to the countryside because a Daoist priest said that the Imperial City had too much qi and your fate was too light to bear it. Staying in the Capital City might cause you to die young. This was for your own good."
Madam Lu looked her over, her expression mocking. "To put it plainly, if your fate is light, you must be raised humbly."
Miss's fate is light?
Although Qingyin didn't understand, she always felt that Lu Zhaoling looked like she had good fortune!
She wondered if she was now biased towards Lu Zhaoling.
"You were sick every few days in the countryside, your grandfather, grandmother, and your third uncle's family worked themselves to the bone caring for you. Your father also sent a lot of silver and medicinal herbs back every year.
Over the past decade or so, what was spent on you, even if calculated at a hundred taels a year, must be over a thousand taels, right?"
If Lu Zhaoling hadn't regained her past memories, she might have almost believed it!
Little pitiful Lu Zhaoling worked like an ox and a horse in the countryside from a young age, never getting enough to eat or warm clothes. When she got sick, she had to endure it on her own, almost losing her life to King Yama several times, yet she never received any silver or medicinal herbs from the Capital City.
Moreover, those people in the old Lu family in the countryside only ever beat and cursed her, not acting like relatives at all.
"Madam Lu, if you really sent silver and medicinal herbs back, then you should put those accounts on Old Man Lu and Old Madam Lu's heads. I never received even half a copper coin."
Madam Lu's gaze was like a knife.
"You ungrateful wretch! Giving you food and clothes, isn't that money?"
Hmph.
The work she did in the countryside, waking up earlier than chickens and sleeping later than dogs every day, she could have earned enough money to support herself even as a maid. Living to this age, what did they have to do with it?
Lu Zhaoling suddenly remembered that her third uncle in the countryside was trying to marry her off to some landlord for a bride price. She didn't know why Lu Ming would suddenly send people to bring her back to the Capital City.
She hadn't heard what the Lu family servants said to the old Lu family in the countryside when they returned. By the time she finished cutting grass and came home, they were rushing her to return to the Capital City with the servants.
The servants remained silent throughout the journey. She still didn't understand Lu Ming's purpose in bringing her back to the Capital City.
They clearly disliked her so much; it couldn't possibly be because they missed her, could it?
There must be a conspiracy involved.
Seeing that Lu Zhaoling remained silent, Madam Lu softened her expression, forgetting that she had just wanted to hit her. She even forced out a somewhat gentle smile.
"You were young and ignorant then, so it's normal that you didn't understand these things. But now you're betrothed to Prince Jin, so you should be more sensible, otherwise, if you truly marry into Prince Jin's Mansion, wouldn't you disgrace Prince Jin?"
Madam Lu looked her over. "Aren't you supposed to have new clothes made? That's no problem, Mother will send someone to take your measurements later.
However, that porcelain doll you brought with you back then, could you give it to me? It was originally part of my dowry. You cried and insisted you liked it back then, so I let you take it to the countryside to appease you for a few years."
A porcelain doll?
Was that their objective?
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