Chapter 122 – Impressive, My Little Brat (Part 1)
The master of the Liu Residence was few in number. Aside from Liu Zhi, the Stepmother, Lady Die, and the Second Young Master, there were only two concubines who spent most of their time cooped up in their rooms, along with their illegitimate children, who only made a handful of appearances throughout the year.
The masters were generally good-tempered and wouldn’t intentionally make life difficult for the servants. With the rules established by the late lady, the hierarchy was clear, allowing the servants of the Liu Residence to accomplish their duties and still have plenty of free time to relax by the end of the day.
Tong Sanniang was heading to the embroidery workshop to purchase a batch of new thread when she noticed a few people whispering near the corner gate.
“What happened in Cangzhou’s Meng County?”
The newly appointed purchasing manager of the Liu Residence and several commoners were engaged in quiet conversation, and she caught every word.
The manager was a bit annoyed at first, but upon seeing that Tong Sanniang was a servant from the main courtyard, he quickly put on a friendly smile.
He cupped his hands in greeting, “Aunt Tong.”
Tong Sanniang was twenty-one and unmarried. According to Dongqing law, she was supposed to pay an additional tax, but her siblings thought it was embarrassing and insisted she marry. When she reluctantly agreed in front of them, she immediately turned to Lady Die to plead for support in becoming an independent woman.
This was a first in the Liu Residence! With Lady Die backing her, other managers dared not provoke her.
With a frosty expression, Tong Sanniang asked, “You just mentioned Cangzhou’s Meng County. What is going on?”
The merchants under her gaze felt the pressure and couldn’t help but lower their heads, their voices barely audible, “This…this…”
“Speak!”
Cold sweat streamed down the merchants’ backs as they quickly explained, “We are merchants traveling from Cangzhou’s Meng County, and your esteemed residence ordered a shipment from our master. However, when we were delivering it, a group of refugee bandits ambushed us. We came to the residence to ask for a bit of leniency on the deadline for delivery. The delay was not intentional; it’s just that Meng County is in utter chaos, with rampant plundering and violence…”
They were just regular merchants, how could they possibly defend against those marauding bandits?
The Liu Residence might not be large, but everything they consumed was exquisite. Each year, the number of goods they needed to purchase was considerable, and they were very generous clients. However, these merchants couldn’t even get their shipment out of Meng County before it was stolen, bringing them to negotiate in person.
After listening, Tong Sanniang felt momentarily speechless.
If it were another county in turmoil, she wouldn’t be this flustered, but the problem was…
That was Cangzhou’s Meng County!
“When did this happen?” she pressed, her tone icy.
The commoners bowed their heads, answering honestly, but Tong Sanniang couldn’t help but chuckle coldly.
“Even though Cangzhou’s Meng County is within Cangzhou territory, it’s not far from Hejian County. By horse, it’s only half a month away. Such a major incident happened in Meng County, yet it has been so long and there hasn’t been a whisper of it here in Hejian?”
The merchants appeared distress, with a flood of unspoken grievances welling up inside them.
“Aunt Tong, you might not know this, but the incident has already spread. However, the Meng family army has been too oppressive, not allowing refugees to enter or exit Meng County freely, and they refuse to let this news get out. We, as merchants, wanted to transport the goods out but faced obstacles at every turn. It’s only after acquiring the paperwork that we encountered bandits…” As they described their hardships, the weary men, with worn expressions, couldn’t help but wipe their tears.
The goods the Liu Residence ordered every year were enough to sustain these merchants for half a year, but now that the bandits had stolen everything, they lost their goods, their money, and almost their lives on the journey to Hejian. The days felt like hell, and even mentioning it made their hearts ache.
If the Liu Residence felt that their delay warranted compensation, it would lead to even greater losses for them.
Tong Sanniang’s expression turned serious, her palms beginning to sweat nervously as she recalled something.
“This matter is crucial and needs the Master’s attention. Here’s what we’ll do: You will follow the manager down to freshen up, and I will report this to the Master. You can address any further details to him later.”
When Tong Sanniang informed Liu Zhi of this matter, he was busy burning incense and practicing calligraphy, enveloped in a serene aura.
He maintained a composed expression as he set down his brush.
“Since it has come to this, let those men come here so we can ask them for details.”
He was curious why such a significant event had only come to the attention of a handful of people. It turned out the Meng family army had intentionally shut down the flow of information.
The Meng family army?
Hmph!
A chill flickered through Liu Zhi’s heart as a fleeting glimmer of murderous intent crossed his calm gaze…
You’ll have your turn one day!
Ah—
The horse let out a long sigh, and the carriage gradually slowed down before steadily coming to a stop in front of the Liu Residence.
Jiang Pengji hopped out of the carriage without waiting for the driver to bring over the stairs.
Upon seeing an unfamiliar carriage parked at the entrance, she slightly furrowed her brow and asked the Doorkeeper.
“Are there guests at home?”
The Doorkeeper respectfully replied, “In answer to the Second Young Master, it is a young lady from the Madam’s family.”
“From my mother’s side?” Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow, “I wonder who it might be.”
Due to Liu Zhi’s assignment to Hujun, the ladies of the household rarely ventured out, and there was little contact with relatives on Liu Zhi’s side. Not to mention the Stepmother’s family, which lived far away in Langya County. They would occasionally exchange formalities during festivals, but under normal circumstances, they hardly interacted.
Beasts possess strong territorial instincts, and upon the presence of any unfamiliar scents or traces, they quickly become aware. Although Jiang Pengji wasn’t quite at that level, she could definitely sense that the Liu Residence had more unfamiliar traces that should not be there, making her uneasy.
Before she even entered the house, she could hear a soft and sweet voice from inside.
The girl seemed to be around thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in a pink dress, with brows like distant mountains, skin like blooming peach blossoms, and slightly chubby cheeks that made her look younger. Her bright eyes sparkled like a clear spring, her features delicate, with a pert nose and naturally rosy lips, evoking thoughts of blooming peach blossoms under the spring sun.
Ugh, another adorable little loli pops up.
“Auntie, is this my cousin Lan Ting?” the girl turned, her smile lighting up her face as she asked Liu Zhi.
Jiang Pengji didn’t even need to check the live stream; she knew the comments section must be in absolute chaos.
No matter which world it was, there was always a never-ending supply of ‘face-con’ beings.
【What are you doing?!】: AHHH—— So cute, so soft and easy to push down! The genuine, all-natural loli!
【Old Driver Alliance】: I’ve realized, so far, the overall looks in the streamer’s world are extraordinarily high. There are virtually no ugly ones; even the least attractive have decent features… crying softly, it’s literally a paradise for face-cons!
Jiang Pengji shot a cold glance at the girl.
【Host V】: What’s cute about the troublemaker?
The live chat was filled with confused faces.
What does that even mean?
