My Lady Always Lacks Ambition
Chapter 331 - 329: The Eldest Miss’s Word Is Law

Chapter 331: Chapter 329: The Eldest Miss’s Word Is Law

Qin Liuxi, with her two neatly groomed apprentices, went to Old Mrs. Qin’s courtyard first. She didn’t know if it was because they had received a letter from the northeast, but even before they entered, laughter could be heard from within.

In the laughter, there was also a loud and somewhat unfamiliar voice.

When Ju’er saw Qin Liuxi in the yard, she lifted the curtain and reported, "Miss has come to pay respects to Old Lady."

The noise inside suddenly ceased.

Qin Liuxi said to her two apprentices, "Let’s pay our respects and leave, so as not to annoy anyone."

Qi Huang chuckled to herself, knowing she hadn’t planned to stay long anyway.

She helped Qin Liuxi walk inside, where many people of varying ages were seated, from Old Mrs. Qin to sisters of Qin Liuxi’s generation, all present.

As soon as Qin Liuxi appeared, there were exclamations, especially from Mrs. Wang.

"What happened to you? How did you get hurt and come back like this?" Mrs. Wang approached with concern in her eyes.

Qin Liuxi replied with a light smile, "I just twisted my ankle."

"How could you be so careless? Have you seen a doctor? What did the doctor say? An injury to the tendons or bones takes a hundred days to heal; it’s not something to be taken lightly." Mrs. Wang frowned.

"It’s fine, it will heal with some rest," Qin Liuxi reassured her.

"That’s right, elder sister seems to have forgotten that Miss Xi herself is a doctor," Mrs. Xie said with a smile.

Qin Liuxi did not respond to that but instead, with Qi Huang’s support, stepped forward to salute Old Mrs. Qin with a cupped-hand gesture, saying, "Wishing Old Lady well."

She had actually stopped using the term ’grandmother.’

Old Mrs. Qin raised her hand and said, "There’s no need for excessive formality since you have difficulty walking; please, take a seat."

"Miss Xi, who are these two little ghosts?" Mrs. Xie inquired, examining Teng Zhaohe and Wang Chuan, who were dressed in green robes and made up as little Taoists.

Wang Chuan was thin and delicate, with a pale face and big eyes, though his presence could only be described as somewhat handsome, like a piece of fine jade from a modest household.

The boy, however, despite his simple attire, had an aura of nobility about him. His demeanor was too cold, though, as if someone owed him money, with not a smile to be seen, making him unlikable.

"These aren’t little ghosts; they’re my newly accepted apprentices," said Qin Liuxi. "They will study and follow the Enlightenment path with me. Since they’ll be with me day in and day out, I’ve brought them to meet my grandmother and mother." She then instructed her apprentices, "Xuan Yi, Xuanxin, pay your respects to Old Lady."

Teng Zhaohe and Wang Chuan stepped forward, cupped their hands, and performed a Taoist ceremony, "Wishing Old Lady well."

Everyone seemed a bit stunned.

They were neither relatives nor servants but apprentices she had taken in.

Hearing from Mrs. Wang that Qin Liuxi had gone to Ningzhou Prefecture to see patients, they knew, but did not expect her to return with two apprentices after just one trip.

Qin Liuxi was so young, only having just come of age, and she had already taken in apprentices?

Mrs. Xie was the first to react, "Miss Xi, you’ve just come of age, and you’re already taking apprentices?"

Could she be leading these children astray?

Qin Mingyue and the others were also very surprised and curious, looking at Qin Liuxi, apprentices?

"Does age matter when it comes to taking on apprentices? My knowledge and skills are more than enough to teach them," Qin Liuxi replied, patting Wang Chuan’s little head.

Mrs. Xie was caught off-guard, thinking to herself that Qin Liuxi was quite boastful and not the least bit embarrassed by her exaggerations.

"Big sister, will your apprentices also live in our house?" Qin Mingyue asked gently, "And will they also get a monthly allowance?"

She was reminding Old Mrs. Qin and the others that two more people meant two more mouths to feed. The household was already tight on money, and Qin Liuxi might be acting too impulsively.

Qin Liuxi looked on with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Qin Mingyue’s heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her head, appearing as if she dared not meet her gaze.

A maid standing at the end caught sight of this and her eyes briefly twinkled.

"Right, two more people means two more mouths to feed, Miss Xi, why didn’t you discuss it with the family beforehand?" Mrs. Xie added thoughtlessly after being reminded.

Old Mrs. Qin: This is bad.

Mrs. Wang: What a fool.

If not for their status, both women would have loved to reprimand this brainless one.

Are you stupid? To speak of Qin Liuxi, would she consult you on her affairs?

Even now, bringing back two apprentices was a notification, not asking for their opinions.

The most important point is, have you forgotten who owns this old house?

Old Mrs. Qin was just about to speak when Qin Liuxi laughed.

"Second Aunt, when did my affairs become something that the family needs to discuss? Besides, isn’t this my home?" Qin Liuxi said indifferently, "Second Aunt seems to have forgotten, the deed to this house is in my hands, it’s mine."

Mrs. Xie’s face turned green.

She had indeed forgotten this detail and quickly looked towards Old Lady Qin.

"The house is mine. What’s wrong with bringing two little apprentices to live here? As for the concern about two more mouths to feed, Second Aunt need not worry. I can expand my quarters, build a small kitchen, cook for ourselves, and cover all the expenses," Qin Liuxi instructed Qi Huang, "Tell Chief Li to connect the small guesthouse next to my quarters to my courtyard and build a small kitchen. We will start the work tomorrow."

"Yes."

Qin Liuxi was acting on her words, completely disregarding the expressions of Mrs. Xie and Old Mrs. Qin.

Overbearing, arrogant, autocratic.

Her presence was sharp, and she didn’t give her elders any face.

This is how the unfamiliar maid saw it.

Old Mrs. Qin’s expression grew unsightly. Mrs. Xie didn’t know how to speak properly, but Qin Liuxi’s temper was also too much, starting construction just like that, completely disregarding the elders present.

"Is Mrs. Xie still worried that I can’t afford the expenses of three extra mouths?" Qin Liuxi added another line, "Or should I just move out and live alone?"

Mrs. Wang’s face changed drastically, and she opposed directly, "No."

Qin Liuxi looked over. She was incompatible with this family anyway. Even when living together, it was like being in two different camps. Now that she had two apprentices with her, she constantly felt inconvenienced in her actions.

If she moved out, she would be as free as she used to be, which would be very satisfying.

"You are an unmarried girl, how can you live alone by moving out? No," Mrs. Wang said, "You are welcome to bring back any apprentices you wish to live here, we don’t lack the means to feed two more, and you are free to expand your quarters or build a kitchen, I’ll also provide for the expenses, but moving out is not acceptable. You’ve lived here by yourself for the past ten years, and we’ve already failed you, if we were to force you to live by yourself now, what sort of mother would I be? Xixi, if you do this, mother will be upset."

Mrs. Wang feigned anger, but her words were also directed at Old Mrs. Qin and others.

The Qin family allowing Qin Liuxi to fend for herself had already been a source of gossip, and if now the young lady was forced to live alone, how would outsiders view this? Would they think that the Qin family did not acknowledge their own Miss Qin Liuxi, so heartless, they might as well break their own backbones.

Old Mrs Qin’s face changed repeatedly, and she said, "What unmarried girl lives alone? I’m not dead yet. Wait until I die, after you divide the family property, then move wherever you wish."

Her tone carried resentment.

Mrs. Wang glared at Mrs. Xie, it’s all your fault – having had your fill you decide to blabber, if you don’t know how to talk then don’t.

Mrs. Xie: "?"

What did I say? Just one sentence, and she goes on and on nonstop, how unjust for me!