Chapter 24: Nanny Gu Departs (Part 2)

Yueyao leaned against the Carved Orchid of Yellow Pearwood daybed, lost in thought. Today's events had gone smoothly, much smoother than Yueyao had ever imagined. Yueyao guessed that her grandmother must have known that Lady Mo was eyeing the second branch's assets.

Just now, Yueyao had deliberately provoked Nanny Gu using her son, just to stir her annoyance. With this rumor now circulating, she need not fear Nanny Gu's slander outside. But with Nanny Gu gone, could she guarantee that the people around her would never betray her? No, she couldn't.

Yueyao sighed softly. The future was uncertain. Once her grandmother passed away, Lady Mo would become her senior. Lady Mo, heartless and greedy for wealth, had no qualms about losing face and reputation. She could marry her concubine-born sister into The Merchant House or sell her niece as a concubine to a merchant. Thinking of such a ruthless woman terrified her. Leaning on the bed, she caressed the carved orchid at its edge, pondering how she might succeed.

As Yueyao was lost in her troubled thoughts, feeling uncertain about the future, Hua Lei quietly walked in and said, "Miss, Young Master Zheng is insisting on seeing you."

Yueyao then snapped back to reality. Where there's a will, there's a way. After all, Lady Mo was just an aunt, not a parent. Knowing her true nature, as long as she took precautions, there was no need to fear. Should the pressure become unbearable, she could always confront Lady Mo. Her father trusted Uncle Li immensely, and she believed in Uncle Li's reliability. With Uncle Li's protection, she would not be afraid to step outside, even if it came to it. Besides, at that point, her uncle, who neglected the inner house, would surely intervene. Otherwise, it wouldn't just tarnish her oldest uncle's reputation; his sons would suffer too.

Having realized all this, Yueyao regained her spirits. She then fixed her gaze on Hua Lei and asked, "Why didn't you tell me that my milk broth had once come to the estate to ask for a favor?" It had been so many years, and she had forgotten these matters. But Hua Lei should have known!

Hua Lei seemed surprised and responded, "Miss, don't you remember?" She had thought that the Miss remembered, which is why she employed this method. Having already sought a favor once made it less abrupt to seek another. Thus, the method was indeed effective. Hua Lei, however, did not realize that Yueyao had no recollection of this matter.

After thinking for a moment, Yueyao shook her head, "I don't remember, remind me next time if there's a similar situation." More than twenty years had passed, and even with a good memory, she had forgotten. Not to mention, she had been solely focused on copying scriptures at that time.

Hua Lei agreed amiably, "All right."

When Yueyao stepped outside, she saw Brother Zheng eagerly looking at her. Yueyao pinched Brother Zheng's cheek and said, "No slacking off, if you slack off, sister won't bother with you anymore."

Brother Zheng quickly replied, "No, sister, I have learned ten more characters. If you don't believe me, I can recite them for you."

Yueyao nodded, watching as Brother Zheng correctly recognized the new ten characters taught to him, and even correctly recited the previously learned ones from memory. Yueyao felt relieved. His talents might be lacking, but with diligent study, he could close that gap. He shouldn't aim for Recognized Scholar or Imperial Scholar for now; just putting in the effort and later hiring a famous teacher could help him aim for the Scholar degree. Although being a Scholar was far inferior to her father the Tanhua, having any degree was better than none.

The news of Nanny Gu being expelled from the estate had caught Lady Mo off guard. Upon hearing the news, Lady Mo inquired, "Isn't it that Third Girl said she couldn't bear to let her go, so why does she want to release Nanny Gu now?" Lady Mo knew that the Old Madam had been planning to dismiss Nanny Gu well beforehand. It was only because Third Girl was reluctant to part with her. Unexpectedly, this time, Third Girl had agreed. With Old Granny Gu gone, reliable sources of information would be less accessible. Eventually, she would need to rein in Third Girl's trusted aides. Currently, Third Girl's two main maids by her side posed a problem. Although Hua Lei was a family-born servant of their house, she was not loyal to her. Madam Ma had been greatly kind to their family, and Hua Lei was irretrievably loyal to their side. Qiao Lan, having been bought, lacked any strong affiliations, and her contracts were not in Lady Mo's possession, making it impossible for her to comply.

The most troubling issue was the imminent return of Old Granny Deng. Old Granny Deng was Madam Ma's confidante and her return would definitely disrupt Lady Mo's plans. With this old woman's interference, her attempt to consolidate control over Third Girl, and have Third Girl hand over her Silver Coin for safekeeping, seemed immensely challenging.

Lady Mo inwardly cursed the Old Madam. If not for her unwarranted interference, she wouldn't be facing such troublesome predicaments, making her actions constrained and hesitant.