Chapter 20: It’s said she’s been threatening to harm herself at home.

Chapter 20: It's said she's been threatening to harm herself at home.

The eastern brokerage in Yanjing City was the largest of its kind, primarily dealing in the buying and selling of servants and slaves. It also facilitated transactions for shops and residences. Naturally, going there to inquire would ascertain whether the remaining establishments, apart from the four mentioned, had also been purchased by the same individual, thus revealing the person's identity.

Yanjing City, the capital of the Great Sheng Dynasty, was the epitome of opulence and refinement.

Despite the snowfall, the roadside remained blanketed in deep drifts, yet as soon as the snow ceased, the main road was bustling with continuous streams of people.

Though the Daxia Dynasty was known for its liberal customs, which offered women less restriction than previous eras, Su Youyue still wouldn't enter a brokerage where all sorts of people converged. Instead, she chose to wait in a secluded private room on the first floor of the teahouse next door for her maid, Xia Hua, to bring the person over.

With the towering presence of Xie Yuan beside her, Su Youyue felt utterly uncomfortable, so she turned her head to peer through a crack in the window. Through it, she heard a pleading voice coming from the alley outside.

"Grandfather, please lend me two more coins. The patrons who came to listen to the storytelling today were quite generous... I've been suffering from a cold the other days and spent quite a bit on medicine..."

Through a crack in the window, Su Youyue could just catch a glimpse of the grandfather and grandson. The storyteller didn't appear to be that old, seemingly in his early thirties, yet he already had a grandson around ten years old?

"If you're not willing to work, get lost! My business will thrive without you! If it weren't for the fact that the travelers in this teahouse know your background as a courtesan's child, who would spare a single coin for you?"

With that, the storyteller slammed the five copper coins onto the boy's face and attempted to leave. The boy, fearing that the man might indeed ban him from following in the future, was so anxious that he didn't even bother to pick up the coins, instead hurriedly grabbing the man's arm.

"Grandfather, I was wrong. It's all my fault. Please take me with you to earn money tomorrow; I promise to work hard!"

The storyteller harrumphed through his nose but didn't decline. He turned and left, saying, "Be there at dawn tomorrow. If you're late, don't bother coming!"

"Of course, of course..." The boy replied hastily.

Seeing the young boy struggling for a living, Su Youyue couldn't help but think of her stepson from her previous life, Lu Wen.

Compared to Lu Song, Lu Wen had grown up in an environment akin to being immersed in honey.

Before Lu Song married her, the Lu family had gone through a long period of hardship. His life couldn't have been more frugal, and he often faced contempt from other noble children.

When Lu Wen arrived at the Lu residence, they claimed he was the son of a benefactor who had sacrificed his life to save Lu Song on the battlefield. She believed this story and treated Lu Wen as if he were her own flesh and blood, nurturing him with great care and providing the best in terms of food, clothing, and education.

Everyone in the household could see how much importance the Lus placed on their adopted son. No one dared to look down on him. Besides, at that time, Lu Song had made some military accomplishments and was on the verge of becoming a general. The noble children outside had already included Lu Wen in their circle.

However, Lu Wen lacked the intelligence for scholarly pursuits and the talent for martial arts. He also had several moral flaws and showed no ambition. Whenever Su Youyue wanted to discipline him, Madam Kang would rush out to shield him, cursing heaven and earth. She could only give up, believing she hadn't taught him well enough.

Little did she know, it wasn't her teaching that was lacking. From the beginning, the child had been misguided, harboring a wolfish heart and repaying kindness with enmity!

Observing the child outside, it truly was a case of different destinies for different people.

It was a pity she had passed away early; otherwise, she would have been curious to witness how Lu Wen's character might have deteriorated over time.

As Su Youyue was lost in thought, she witnessed the boy spit fiercely in the direction the storyteller had departed, then begin collecting the scattered copper coins on the ground. "Curse that damned old miser! He pinches pennies even from his own grandfather, no wonder his wife ran off with someone else. He's destined to be a poor wretch all his life!"

Finished with his tirade, the boy still seemed unsatisfied and spat several more times before dashing off, disappearing in a blink of an eye.

"..." Su Youyue was left staring, dumbfounded. She had intended to ask Jin'er to give the pitiful child some copper coins, but this unexpected scene unfolded before her eyes.

Jin'er watched with a mix of laughter and tears in her eyes. "Miss, this child has two sides to them; it's quite amusing."

Su Youyue couldn't help but smile as well, her rosy lips curling up, and her gaze inadvertently met Xie Yuan's.

She saw the man staring intently at her, his gaze... somehow didn't seem innocent.

Perhaps it was due to his high nose bridge and deep eye sockets, which made his overall demeanor appear somewhat aloof. However, his eyes always conveyed a profound emotion.

In her previous life, she had been enchanted by these very eyes, believing that he might have feelings for her. But eventually, she was harshly disillusioned.

Xie Yuan's eyes had truly caused much harm, even to himself.

Back then, Princess San had conspired with Su Qian to tarnish her reputation by deliberately assigning him, a grown man, as her slave. Then, they spread rumors behind closed doors that Xie Yuan harbored ill intentions towards her.

Su Youyue had always disliked Xie Yuan due to his father's reputation as a notorious minister. Moreover, since he was sent by Princess San, her disdain for him only grew. Upon learning that he had ill intentions towards her, her temper flared.

It was all because of Xie Yuan and his icy facade coupled with those affectionate eyes that led her to misunderstand him in her youth.

Su Youyue secretly grumbled, unaware that she had been staring at Xie Yuan for an extended period, long enough for Jin'er standing by her side to notice something amiss.

Could it be that Miss has taken a liking to Xie Yuan?!

The more Jin'er pondered, the more plausible it seemed. Otherwise, why would Miss have treated Xie Yuan so kindly these days? Just as she was about to interrupt Su Youyue's gaze, Xia Hua entered with a group of people. "Miss, this is Wang Manager, the head manager of the brokerage firm."

"Greetings, honored guest," Wang Manager received a substantial sum of silver and, upon seeing Su Youyue, couldn't help but regard her like a goddess of fortune. His eyes crinkled into a smile.

Su Youyue was oblivious to her prolonged gaze at Xie Yuan and shifted her attention naturally.

"Wang Manager, I've come today because the two shops I had my eye on were snatched away. If you claim it was coincidence, I won't believe you! I must find out who did this! If you have any information, please share it truthfully, and I'll reward you with one hundred taels of silver."

According to the customs of the brokerage, these shopkeepers should not disclose the identities of buyers and sellers. However, if the involved party held an influential position or offered a substantial sum, such rules were easily bypassed.

Upon finishing her words, Su Youyue lifted her gaze to study Wang Manager's face but suddenly paused.

This person... why did she feel a vague sense of familiarity?

Unable to place it immediately, Su Youyue tucked the thought away for later and listened as the manager responded.

Seeing anger flicker across her face, Wang Manager assumed that he was dealing with a temperamental young lady who had been provoked. The prospect of keeping the 100 taels of reward money for himself swayed him, and he promptly nodded. After Jin'er informed him of the two shops in question, he directly answered,

"I'm familiar with the two establishments Miss mentioned. They were purchased by a woman from Qingyan Lane, surnamed Kang. She is the cousin of Lu Song, the Captain of the Jingying Camp... Do you know of Captain Lu? He's the one who recently called off his engagement with the Su Minister's residence."