Ming Yao was the name of her current body.
Even before she was married, not even her own brother would have been so rude as to barge into her courtyard and shout like this.
Let alone after she had entered the palace; even when her relationship with Li Yun grew tense and discordant, he had never yelled at her like that.
'Who the hell did those people outside think they were!'
"Miss, I'll go throw them out!" Xiao Chun said, tightening her grip on the rolling pin, her face a mask of fury.
It was all because her master had taken in the second master's family when they came to the Capital City that things had come to this.
If you ask me, the second master and the young master were the real culprits who destroyed my miss's family and left her orphaned!
Before Ming Lingyi could stop her, Xiao Chun had already strode forward, thrown open the door, and then…
In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Ming Lingyi witnessed a scene of utter chaos in the courtyard.
Her round-faced maid was now chasing her second uncle's family around the courtyard.
In the hands of this strapping girl, that ordinary rolling pin was being swung with formidable force.
Ming Lingyi knew it was inappropriate to laugh right now, but she couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"You wretched little slave! I'll have a broker sell you off later! How dare you raise a hand against your masters! You're completely lawless!" Mrs. Zhu, the Ming Family's second aunt, shrieked curses in the courtyard.
Hearing the commotion, Ming Lingyi got out of bed, draped a thick cloak over her shoulders, and walked to the doorway.
"Xiao Chun is my maid, and her deed of indenture is in my possession. Second Aunt, you are merely a guest in my home. Aren't you overstepping your bounds?" Ming Lingyi said in a cold voice.
Her sudden appearance, combined with her firm tone, stunned the trio from her second uncle's family who were being chased around the courtyard by Xiao Chun.
Her older cousin, Ming Fanjiang, was the first to recover. He sneered, "You're an orphan with no father or mother. This restaurant should belong to my family, which means the servants and attendants in this courtyard naturally belong to my family as well! So what if my mother sells off a wretched little slave!"
Hearing her son say this, Mrs. Zhu immediately regained her confidence.
"That's right!" she yelled at Ming Lingyi with her hands on her hips. "If you know what's good for you, hurry up and hand over the silver notes your father left you! Otherwise, you'll have hell to pay!"
Xiao Chun was livid. "You ungrateful wolves! That's the dowry money the master left for my miss! How dare you scheme to take it! I'll fight you to the death!"
With that, Xiao Chun drove the family of three out of the courtyard.
Xiao Chun returned to Ming Lingyi's side, huffing with anger. She helped her mistress back inside, her expression filled with undeniable worry.
"Miss…" Although Xiao Chun had driven them away, she was still deeply unsettled. "We can't just let the second master and his family take over the restaurant like this…"
She was clearly frightened by what Ming Fanjiang had just said.
If her miss lost the restaurant, would there be any place left for them in the Capital City?
Ming Lingyi frowned. According to Dayan Law, if both parents died and left only an orphaned daughter, the family property, such as real estate and land, would indeed be inherited by the clan unless a clear will specified that the daughter was the heir. If it wasn't a large clan, the inheritance would pass to the deceased owner's brothers or paternal cousins.
Ming Yao's father had considered this and had written a will long ago. His first wife had died early, leaving him with only one daughter, Ming Yao, whom he cherished like the apple of his eye. This restaurant was originally the dowry Father Ming had prepared for her.
Unfortunately, the body's original owner had been raised to be naive and simple-minded, unable to weather the slightest storm. After her father passed away from illness, how could she have possibly remembered the will? Instead, she fell ill herself.
By the time she woke up, finding her father's will was nearly impossible.
The second branch of the family had surely destroyed it long ago.
The one silver lining was that Father Ming had started saving up a dowry for Ming Yao years ago.
The silver notes didn't amount to much. There had also been various shops, but Ming Lingyi guessed that while the original owner was unconscious with a high fever, the Ming Family's second branch had likely already liquidated any shops they could. Getting them back would be next to impossible.
Ming Lingyi sat at the table. "Don't worry, I won't let you end up on the streets."
Xiao Chun mumbled, "I'm not afraid of ending up on the streets. I'm worried about you, Miss."
'Without the restaurant, what good were the silver notes left by the master? It wouldn't be enough to cover her miss's expenses.'
'It wasn't easy to buy a courtyard home in a city as large as the Capital City.'
Ming Lingyi understood Xiao Chun's worries, but her own thoughts were more practical. It wasn't easy for a woman to establish her own independent household. If her second uncle's family were to obstruct her, it would be incredibly difficult to escape their venomous clutches in this lifetime.
Ming Lingyi glanced up and happened to see the copper mirror on the dressing table. The reflection in it was that of a slender and young figure.
Since waking up today, she hadn't even had time to process what had happened to her. But Ming Lingyi clenched her fists. 'Since I've been given a second chance, I will certainly live it well.'
'The priority right now wasn't dealing with thugs from the gambling dens. The restaurant was a lost cause either way. If she wanted a peaceful life, she first had to sever all ties with the Ming Family's second branch.'
Ming Lingyi beckoned to Xiao Chun, motioning for her to lean in. She then whispered a few words of instruction in her ear.
The more Xiao Chun listened, the more horrified her expression became. "Will that really work?"
Ming Lingyi replied, "Just do as I say."
'If all goes well, there will be no more obstacles to her establishing an independent household as a woman.'