Reunion

"My parents are from the stables and I'm a maid."

Xiruo glanced at Lin Yunwan, and seeing that Lin Yunwan had no reaction, she said to the maid, "Go down."

I asked seven or eight girls in a row. One of them was a girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old. Her hair was neatly combed and her eyes were bright.

What's your name?

Lin Yunwan asked her.

"This servant Cuiqin."

Cuiqin was about to tell her about her background when she came up, but the girl asked her name specifically.

Lin Yunwan nodded, Xiruo let Cuiqin continue.

Cuiqin spoke slowly but clearly, and after she finished, she lowered her head and stopped looking around.

Xiruo looked at Lin Yunwan, Lin Yunwan nodded and said, "It's her."

Cuiqin was very surprised, but she still didn't dare to look up.

Xiruo handed over a purse, smiling as she said, "Aren't you going to thank me, young lady?"

Cuiqin accepted the purse with both hands, then walked blankly to Lin Yunwan and kowtowed. "This servant thanks Eldest Miss!"

Xiruo gave Nanny Fan a purse, and the rest was given as a reward to the maids and Matron who were helping in the Discussion Hall.

Lin Yunwan whispered a few words to Xiruo, then instructed, "Take her back to the Bixi Hall first; I'm going to teach the Old Madam."

"Yes."

Xiruo took Cuiqin back, Lin Yunwan rushed to Nanny Fan for her lesson.

"The girl's here; I'll teach you something new today."

Nanny Fan led Lin Yunwan into the Side Chamber and said, "Miss, please choose for yourself."

In Nanny Fan's eyes, Lin Yunwan can write a few characters, but she knows nothing about anything else.

In the Side Chamber sat a zither, a chessboard, and colorful paints.

Lin Yunwan went in and asked, "What does Granny think I should learn?"

She looked at Nanny Fan with sincerity.

Nanny Fan walked up to the chessboard and the zither, hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Young lady, why don't you learn to play the zither?"

"Does the old woman have some deeper meaning?"

Nanny Fan smiled and said, "Fan is an ordinary person; what man wouldn't like to listen to music?"

"This music is more pleasing to others, and it can also bring joy to oneself. Before, you only learned for your own benefit; now you should also learn how to make others happy."

Lin Yunwan smiled.

Of the four arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—the only one she wasn't proficient in was the zither.

She humbly replied, "I'm afraid I haven't learned to be pleasing to others in such a short time."

Nanny Fan said, "Young lady, don't underestimate yourself."

He then asked Lin Yunwan, "Will you leave your studies to me, young lady?"

Lin Yunwan handed in her homework, Nanny Fan checked it, nodding repeatedly, and said, "Please sit down, Miss."

She was taught starting with the Gong Shang Jiao Zhi Yu).

After a day of lessons, Nanny Fan Lin Yunwan, unusually, asked her, "Miss, is something on your mind today?"

Lin Yunwan was slightly taken aback, then said, "I'm currently learning household management from Madam. I just picked a maid this morning, and she's already gone to my Bixi Hall. I haven't met her alone yet."

Nanny Fan smiled slightly and said, "Choosing a personal maid requires caution. She might just be the one who stays with the young lady for life."

"Exactly."

Lin Yunwan curtsied and said, "Nanny Fan, this junior takes her leave."

Then they left.

Upon returning to the Bixi Hall, Xiruo saw Cuiqin sitting obediently in the Side Room. She hurried over and said, "Miss." After following Lin Yunwan into the main room, she whispered, "I've found out everything you asked me to inquire about."

Lin Yunwan sat on the couch and asked carefully, "Cuiqin's parents have been servants for three generations, and they don't seem stupid or dull, so why haven't they been given important positions yet?"

Xiruo said, "Their whole family came from the Old Madam."

"When the family property was divided, it was given to our master. The Madam didn't like to use the Old Madam's people, but she didn't dare to get rid of her mother-in-law's people, and the master certainly wouldn't agree to drive away the Old Madam's people either. So they've been left to stay in the mansion and neglected."

"They've neglected Miss Cuiqin too."

Lin Yunwan nodded and said, "This is something Madam would do."

"I heard Cuiqin has an older brother. Where is he working now?"

Xiruo then said, "My brother runs errands for the steward in the Front Courtyard of the Eldest Branch. Cuiqin said he only does odd jobs and doesn't have much influence with the masters."

Lin Yunwan nodded, quite satisfied. "That's good. Another errand runner, can go wherever he wants."

Then he asked Xiruo, "What do you think of Cuiqin?"

Xiruo didn't hold back in praising Cuiqin: "This morning in the Discussion Hall, the children born to other families always seemed a bit arrogant, but Miss Cuiqin, perhaps because of her parents, grew up being mistreated in the Second Branch, and she has no arrogance at all."

"When I asked her about her background, whether I mentioned the Old Madam's side or the Madam's side, she showed no dissatisfaction whatsoever."

Lin Yunwan also praised Cuiqin, saying, "She's a good girl."

"You're going to keep her?"

Lin Yunwan nodded. "Go and prepare her room, and have her come and serve you tonight."

Half an hour later, Cuiqin arrived.

Lin Yunwan told her, "Go to the storeroom and bring out one of my zithers." It was something Lin Huabin had given her when she entered the mansion... of course, it wasn't a gift from Zhao Jingyi.

Cuiqin led people to move the zither and placed it on a long table.

Lin Yunwan sat by the window playing the zither, but it sounded like a beginner clumsily plucking the strings.

When Cuiqin the tea, she boldly suggested, "... If you're feeling agitated, young lady, would you like to have a sip of tea first?"

Lin Yunwan stopped what she was doing, smiled, and asked her, "How could you tell I was agitated?"

Cuiqin said, "I could tell from what I heard." She continued, "When I was little, I often heard married Eldest Miss playing the zither."

Lin Yunwan. She had heard that the other girl was also trained by Nanny Fan, so naturally she had also learned music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

"I have something bothering me."

Lin Yunwan sighed deliberately.

Cuiqin suddenly felt very nervous; she knew her chance had come!

"Whatever you need, young lady, I will do my utmost to fulfill it."

Lin Yunwan looked at her but didn't say anything.

Cuiqin pursed her lips, then suddenly knelt down and said, "Miss, I am new here and dare not ask you to trust me immediately, but at least you can test my abilities."

Lin Yunwan smiled faintly, "Even if you have the ability, I'll have to dare to use it first."

After thinking for a moment, Cuiqin said, "This servant has something to say to you from the bottom of my heart."

"My parents and brothers are living a hopeless life, but I don't want that. I want to go with you, young lady!"

Lin Yunwan nodded and said, "That's the truth."

Cuiqin smiled awkwardly, unsure if the Eldest Miss truly believed her. She rubbed her hands together, eager to help Lin Yunwan.

Have you ever heard of the Su Family?

"I've heard of it!" Cuiqin's eyes widened; this was the girl's maternal grandparents' home.

Lin Yunwan instructed, "Your parents are servants, and your elder brother works in the Front Courtyard. Go and find out where the Su Family is currently staying."

After the Su Family married into the Lin Residence, the family suffered misfortune and declined.

After Miss Lin's birth mother passed away, the two clans severed ties. After Lin Yunwan arrived, she never met the Su Family nor heard any news about them.

Cuiqin nodded emphatically, "This servant will go right away!" She added, not forgetting to show her loyalty, "Don't worry, Miss, this servant won't utter a single word to anyone."

Lin Yunwan hummed in agreement.

She wasn't worried about Cuiqin telling anyone; it was perfectly natural for her to inquire about her maternal grandparents' family. Even if outsiders found out, it wouldn't matter.

It would be strange to outsiders if she didn't care about her maternal grandparents' family.

Since Cuiqin didn't bring back any news so quickly, Lin Yunwan went to Zhao Jingyi's private garden first.

Lin Huabin personally escorted Lin Yunwan to the Garden in a carriage, saying, "Talk to your father nicely. The carriage is waiting for you outside. Your uncle will be leaving now."

"Good."

Lin Yunwan led Xiruo inside. It was the same Garden from the flower market last time. As they walked deeper into the garden, they saw A Fu standing outside the Courtyard.

It wasn't Zhao Jingyi who came to see her, it was Qi Lingheng!

Lin Yunwan stopped in her tracks.