Chapter 190
Chapter 190
When they arrived, Shen Si did not get out of the carriage. He merely reminded her of a few things again, insisting that no matter where she went, she must inform the people at the front gate.
Ji Hanyi agreed to everything.
After returning home, Ji Hanyi opened the box and discovered several sheets of paper beneath the deed to Baoshan Tower. Curious, she took them out, only to freeze when she saw what they were.
They were the deeds to the two shops she had once sold. And besides those, there was also a country estate and two more shops.
Shen Si had actually given her so much.
For a moment, she stared blankly at them.
The next day, the managers of Baoshan Tower and the other shops arrived with their account books for Ji Hanyi to review.
She skimmed through Baoshan Tower’s accounts and found that its monthly revenue sometimes exceeded a thousand taels of silver.
Yet Shen Si had handed it over to her just like that, as though it were no more than a tiny fraction of the Shen Residence’s holdings.
Ji Hanyi carefully checked the accounts all the same. She wanted a clear idea of their situation and intended to manage the properties properly.
Since Shen Si had given them to her, she would run them well and save as much silver as she could. No matter what happened in the future, as long as she had money to rely on, she would always have another way out.
Another two days passed. Ji Hanyi did not go out at all, but each night, Shen Si came over to speak with her for a while before leaving.
In truth, Ji Hanyi enjoyed a peaceful life. With no trivial matters left to trouble her, she spent these days planting flowers and greenery with her mother in the rear garden, chatting with her, and painting whenever she had time.
No one seemed to know about this residence, so it was exceptionally quiet.
But that day, her mother suddenly said she wanted to go back and visit Ji Hanyi’s maternal grandmother.
Ji Hanyi and her mother made a few preparations. Now that everything here had settled down, she thought it would be good to accompany her mother to visit Old Madam Gu.
Madam Gu felt particularly guilty. She brought along the century-old ginseng Shen Si had given her last time, intending to present it to Old Madam Gu.
Madam Gu felt that their lives had finally become stable. They now had a residence and shops of their own, and Shen Si was protecting them in the capital. Everything was getting better, so she also wanted to bring gifts for Madam Zhang and Madam Liu.
Ji Hanyi stopped her. “I gave them plenty not long ago. We can send more another time.”
After thinking it over, Madam Gu let the matter drop.
When they arrived at the Gu Residence, the servants at the gate were delighted to see Ji Hanyi and Madam Gu and hurried inside to announce their arrival.
They had not seen each other for some time. When Old Madam Gu saw that Madam Gu’s complexion had improved and that she seemed healthier and could even get out of bed and walk around, her eyes reddened. Mother and daughter sat together, both choking back tears.
Everyone from the First Branch and Second Branch was gathered in the main hall. Gu Wanyun was there as well.
Gu Wanyun stared dazedly at Ji Hanyi. She wore pale blue floral brocade, pearl hairpins adorned her hair, and an exquisitely beautiful coral necklace circled her throat.
For a fleeting moment, Gu Wanyun felt as though she were seeing the Ji Hanyi from before the Ji Family’s downfall. No matter where Ji Hanyi went, she drew everyone’s gaze with ease. Whether she dressed lavishly or simply, everything looked perfect on her.
Every day since then, Gu Wanyun had brooded over what First Madam Shen and Madam Cui had said that day. Who did she resemble? Ji Hanyi was the only person she resembled, yet she would never measure up to her.
After what had happened at the Shen Family last time, Gu Wanyun no longer dared to leave the residence. She was terrified that word would spread and she would be too ashamed to show her face in public.
And yet Ji Hanyi remained radiant. Even the look in her eyes and the set of her brows carried an air of composed dignity.
Ji Hanyi was clearly the one whose marriage had ended in divorce. Her family had clearly fallen from grace, and she should have been left with nothing. So why was it that Gu Wanyun could no longer compare even to her?
She was jealous.
She was truly, bitterly jealous.
Madam Zhang regarded Ji Hanyi with a faint chill in her eyes. Unlike the attentive Madam Liu beside her, she made no attempt to strike up a conversation and remained seated in silence.
Her son had grown distant from her because of Ji Hanyi, while her daughter had humiliated herself at the Shen Residence Poetry Gathering and nearly ruined her reputation. Every time Madam Zhang thought about it, fury churned inside her.
Near noon, Gu Yan hurried back and strode straight into the main hall. His gaze fixed solely on Ji Hanyi as he panted for breath and murmured, “Cousin Yi.”
Madam Zhang clasped her hands so tightly that they trembled.
Ji Hanyi was startled to see Gu Yan, but quickly acknowledged him.
She then remembered what she had wanted to ask him. He had sent no word back all this time, and she had no idea what he had decided, so she took the initiative to ask.
Gu Yan met her gaze and hesitated before saying, “Can we talk outside?”
Madam Gu looked at Ji Hanyi. “Go on. Talk things through properly.”
Madam Gu knew about Gu Yan’s feelings for Ji Hanyi. Now that Ji Hanyi was about to marry, the two of them needed to make things clear.
Ji Hanyi agreed and followed Gu Yan out to the veranda.
Madam Zhang watched her son leave with Ji Hanyi, and another surge of resentment rose within her. She shot a meaningful glance at the older maidservant beside her, who quietly slipped away.
Out on the veranda, Gu Yan stared at Ji Hanyi in a daze. “Cousin Yi, why didn’t you answer the letter I sent you?”
Ji Hanyi truly had not received any letter from him. “Do you mean the matter of going to Wei County? Have you made up your mind?”
Gu Yan pursed his lips and nodded. “Going to Wei County probably can’t be changed now. In truth, it’s also an opportunity for me.”
Ji Hanyi breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”
Some of the guilt weighing on her heart faded as well.
Gu Yan asked hoarsely, “You don’t live at the old place anymore? I’ve gone there looking for you several times.”
Ji Hanyi nodded. “The Xie Family found me, so I couldn’t remain there.”
Pain entered Gu Yan’s eyes. “I’m sorry. It was my mother…”
“You don’t need to blame yourself,” Ji Hanyi said. “I don’t blame anyone.”
With that, she took another step back. “Cousin Yan, I’m going back inside.”
Ji Hanyi truly had nothing more she wished to say to Gu Yan. Without waiting for his response, she turned away.
Gu Yan’s half-extended hand closed on empty air. His eyes went blank for a moment before he clenched his fist.
He had rushed back to see her, yet every trace of her expression told him that she couldn’t get away from him fast enough…
Pain crossed his face. He turned and walked away, looking utterly lost.
Inside, everyone was discussing the upcoming wedding between the Shen Residence and the Cheng’an Marquis’s Residence. Old Madam Gu sounded somewhat regretful. “I had thought Girl Wan might have that sort of good fortune. What a pity.”
Madam Zhang’s expression instantly turned ugly. Madam Liu laughed and said, “There’s hardly anything to regret. Given the Shen Family’s standing, how could anyone visit their home once and start dreaming of marriage? Isn’t that just a fool’s fantasy?”
Madam Zhang abruptly rose and pointed at Madam Liu, but she could not utter a single word for a long while.
Madam Liu merely sneered without sparing her a glance.
Madam Gu’s expression stiffened at the scene. She had originally planned to tell Old Madam Gu about Ji Hanyi’s marriage, but now she decided against it. It would not be too late to send word back in another two days, on the eve of the wedding. Otherwise, mentioning it now would only cause needless awkwardness.
After Madam Zhang’s outburst, Madam Gu no longer wished to stay. As noon approached, she decided not even to remain for lunch and prepared to leave. Yet as they stepped through the entrance, Ji Hanyi saw the person she least wanted to see at the gate.
It was Xie Yuheng.