They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 261 Granny Qin Qing
Aunt Lou panicked and pulled him harder, saying, "Don't do anything rash."

"I'm going to kill them!"

"Shh! Don't go crazy! Boss, what are you standing there for? Help me grab your brother!"

Aunt Lou held Lou Er tightly, trying her best to persuade him.

Going to Liangjia Village at this time would be suicide, wouldn't it? They can curse and say whatever they want, but they can't go; they'll suffer the consequences.

Lou Er was even angrier. "You think I'm afraid of him? You think I'm afraid of a stinking man who picks up my discarded shoes?"

"I know you're not afraid, let's go back and discuss it properly."

"Yes, yes, let's discuss it and then settle accounts with them."

After much persuasion, the mother and son finally managed to calm Lou Er down, and he slunk home.

Liu the matchmaker in town sent someone with a message saying that a new middle-aged maid had arrived and was quite suitable for Madam Xu's requirements, and asked if she wanted to go and see her.

Xu Zhichun, not wanting to miss out, hurried off.

There are too few people in the family, so it's really inconvenient. Since she stopped coming after the Spring Equinox, several families in the village have come to our door saying they could send their daughters to keep her company.

Xu Zhichun politely declined them all.

The Spring Equinox incident also served as a reminder to her that such matters were not appropriate in the village. It was a delicate matter to strike the right balance; for example, regarding the Spring Equinox, she still didn't understand what she had done to offend that family.
It's just a pity that it's the Spring Equinox. After going back home, she's still not getting enough to eat and her stomach is growling. A few nights ago, she secretly ran to my house, looking so pitiful with tears in her eyes. Xu Zhichun felt so sorry for her that she quickly made her a big bowl of noodles and fried three eggs.

Chunfen slurped up the large bowl, finishing every last drop of soup, and then pitifully begged Xu Zhichun not to tell her sister-in-law about it.

Xu Zhichun was both amused and exasperated—she would have to be crazy to say this to Madam Xu!

These past two days, Xu Zhichun had been instructing Muxiang to be quick-witted and, if she saw Chunfen alone, to secretly bring her back, get her some food, and not tell anyone.

Now that I'm going to the city, I can no longer bring the Spring Equinox with me.

Yang Xiaoan drove the carriage, and Xu Zhichun went to the brokerage firm as soon as they entered the city.

The old woman, named Qin Qing, was forty-two years old and came from a wealthy family in the neighboring Qingyang County. She looked very proper and capable.

She originally served the deceased old lady of the Zhen family in that wealthy household. When she was young, her husband went out to do business with the family's caravan, but he caught a cold and died. She never remarried and had no children.

After the old lady passed away, she went to work at one of the Zhen family's estates.

Qin Qing, the old woman, answered Xu Zhichun's questions steadily and confidently, which satisfied Xu Zhichun. However, she still had a question: "Why would the Zhen family, who were doing well, sell off their own family members?"

Logically speaking, wealthy families like that wouldn't properly sell off their servants, especially elderly people who had served their elders. Since Granny Qin Qing lived on the estate, it was clear that she wouldn't have any conflicts with the master's family, nor would there be any backstabbing or siding with the wrong side.

Granny Qin sighed inwardly, "It seems that the master's family has encountered a problem with a batch of goods and needs to pay a large sum of money in compensation. They couldn't raise the money in time, so they planned to sell the estate where I work, along with the servants and the land. I was then taken to a brokerage firm in the provincial capital."

The brokerage firm in the provincial capital had dealings with brokerage firms in other places, so she came here.

Too much time has passed, and the master and mistress no longer remember her. But if she were to plead with them, they would surely keep her; they certainly wouldn't let her go hungry, after all, she was a loyal servant who had served the deceased old lady.

But she never had a chance to see the master and mistress, or even the steward, before being taken away by the brokerage firm.

All I can say is that it's fate.

Fortunately, she was alone, so it didn't matter where she went. Granny Liu smiled and said, "Miss Xu, look at this nanny, isn't she quite nice?"

If it weren't for Granny Ji, who served the county magistrate's wife, making a special trip to ask her to find a reliable and capable nanny for Madam Xu, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths. Wealthy families in small towns would hardly buy such middle-aged nannies; young maids were much easier to find.
However, with Granny Ji's help, she became very proactive in this task. With her discerning eye and experience, she could never be wrong with the items she carefully selected and brought back.

Madam Xu seemed quite satisfied; that's good, that's good.

Xu Zhichun was indeed quite satisfied, nodding and smiling, "It seems that I am truly destined to be with you, Granny."

"I knew Madam Xu had good taste!" Liu the matchmaker clapped her hands and laughed. "Madam Xu and this old woman are destined to be together. I don't need much, just a small fee for my trouble. Madam Xu, give me twelve taels of silver."

She bought it for twelve taels, without asking for any travel or labor costs—not even a penny for her trouble.

Xu Zhichun thought it would cost at least fifteen taels, but he didn't expect it to be three taels cheaper.

Although she was somewhat surprised, she thought that perhaps it was because Granny Qin was old, so she didn't suspect anything and readily exchanged money for goods.

After leading Granny Qin Qing away, Xu Zhichun smiled and said, "There's only my brother-in-law and me at home. He's a student in the imperial examinations and attends the county school, only coming home twice a month. There's also an eleven-year-old girl named Muxiang. Now that Granny Qin Qing is here, there are just the three of us. We country folk don't have so many rules and regulations. From now on, let's keep each other company. Let's get along well, not let each other down, and make our time as master and servant worthwhile."

After a moment's thought, Granny Qin Qing understood what her new mistress meant. The household was small, so there wouldn't be any messy troubles. As long as she did her duty, she would definitely not treat her unfairly.

On another level, it means that if he couldn't do it, then perhaps she wouldn't keep him.

A master who can say such things upon first meeting someone is definitely not a muddle-headed person without his own opinions.

Granny Qin Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After several days of anxiety, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

She bowed respectfully to Xu Zhichun: "Yes, Madam, rest assured, this servant will serve you wholeheartedly and will not dare to disappoint you."

Xu Zhichun smiled and nodded: "I'll take Granny to get some things. I don't have anything suitable for Granny at home."

The population is really simple; there's nothing superfluous that's not needed.

Xu Zhichun took Qin Qing, the old woman, to buy things. When they passed by the Lotus Restaurant, they went in to ask Manager Tang if there had been any reply from Old Master Zhong Changkuan. On the way, they stopped and greeted the middlemen in the city who were in the business of buying and selling land with a smile, and casually said a few polite words like "Don't forget to come if you have good land or shops".

If the opportunity arises, Xu Zhichun would certainly like to buy some more.

Who wouldn't want to buy real estate if they had spare cash? Besides, there's no financial investment available in this era.

She still has more than 21,000 taels of cash on hand.

Back home, Xu Zhichun called Muxiang over to meet Qin Qing, and after introducing Qin Qing to the family, the household would officially have one more person.

After putting down her luggage at her residence, Granny Qin Qing came to talk to Xu Zhichun.

She looked around at the new owner and liked her more and more.

Although the house is not large, it is spacious and convenient, clean and tidy everywhere, and has a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

"Madam, you wish to buy land. If there is any available in Qingyang County next door, would you like to purchase it?"

"Ok?"

Xu Zhichun was stunned.