Chapter 5, Using a Little Force to Move a Great Weight

At this point, she felt that her words to her mother were well-reasoned and effectively silenced Yue Qianqiu from all angles. Just as she was feeling pleased with herself, she unexpectedly heard a few crisp claps. Looking up, she saw Yue Qianqiu clapping his hands, looking down at her with a condescending gaze

She took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and stepped over the threshold. To her surprise, she saw that Yue Qianqiu was sitting atop the first shelf of the bookcase on the left, one foot dangling down and swaying. In his hands, he held a thick book, seemingly engrossed in reading it.

Young Master Jiu, do not keep using the old master to intimidate others. You are a junior in this residence. During the day, when the old master is not present, it is only reasonable for the eldest madam to inquire about the incident that occurred in the Crane Ming Pavilion

Currently, the affairs of the household are managed by the Third Master, while the Third Madam oversees the internal matters. However, the Eldest Master holds the highest official position in the household, second only to the Old Master, as he is already a governor of a prefecture. Therefore, although the Eldest Madam only manages her own small plot of land and a few children, her status within the family remains unshakable. Even her most trusted confidant commands respect wherever they go.

"How could I not come here, even if it means putting aside my pride, for such a foolish girl who can't even speak?" While scolding Qingyin in her mother's mouth, a cruel glint flickered in her eyes

Qingyin never imagined that her mother would come in such a fierce manner, yet after just a few words from Yue Qianqiu, she was so easily defeated. Seeing her mother storm out of Heming Pavilion in anger, she was suddenly filled with deep panic, and it took her a moment to turn around and rush after her. As the two of them left, the grass standing in the room found itself in a dilemma, almost on the verge of tears.

Hearing the mutter of "Yue Qianqiu," Qingcao hurriedly glanced outside the door. When she realized that it was already past the hour of Shen, her heart gradually sank. If the old master did not return, perhaps Mother could still leverage the influence of the eldest madam to devise some strategies. However, at this moment when the old master could return to the residence at any time, how many cards could Mother still play?

Perhaps the Ninth Young Master merely exposed her for stealing the book because he was offended by Qingyin, and did not intend to make a scene

Well, the earlier you go, the earlier you return

Young Master Jiu has truly made a name for himself, having just driven away the young master of Chang'an, and now he is using a chicken feather as a command token to intimidate the maidservants

Even if the Ninth Young Master’s identity is awkward, at least he did not make a mistake this time; the one at fault is actually the audacious Qingyin who dared to steal books from Heming Pavilion

Only after a long time did Que Qianqiu shift his gaze from the book to glance at his mother. He then disinterestedly propped his chin on one hand and directly looked towards the green grass behind, asking: "When will all the stray cats and dogs be able to wander into Grandpa's Crane Ming Pavilion?"

It is precisely for this reason that when she saw Qingyin approaching from a distance, accompanied by a middle-aged woman, she quickly lifted her skirt and hurried over to greet them

Mom finally felt a slight warmth on her back, and fine beads of sweat had unconsciously formed on her forehead. This was her first time dealing directly with Yue Qianqiu, and it was only at this moment that she realized she had somewhat misjudged him.

Indeed, after a thousand years, Jian Yue fell silent. She was under the impression that she had suppressed the other party's arrogance. Immediately, she held her head high and said: "In this study, it is none other than you, Young Master Jiu, who has spent the longest time here. I heard from Qingyin that you must have consumed countless books daily. Even if one or two volumes are truly missing, who knows if they were not damaged and rendered unfit for the shelves? Therefore, both she and Qingsao tidied up and left."

At that moment, she saw Yue Qianqiu place the book in his hand on the bottom shelf of the bookcase, and then he swiftly climbed down the stairs.

Although there was hesitation in her heart, in the end, thinking of Yue Qianqiu's humble and lowly origins, and realizing that he bore no blood ties to the Yue family, she straightened her back in front of her mother

However, this Crane Ming Pavilion is not just any place; it is the inner study and bedroom where the old master resides and rests

Yesterday, Old Master Yue already intervened to resolve a robbery incident, how can we let the old gentleman step in again for today's book theft case

Before she could finish her sentence, Yue Qianqiu said with great interest: "Oh, is it someone by Aunt's side? So there is such a rule in the family, that someone by Aunt's side can manage matters concerning Grandfather Hemingxuan?"

She forced herself to swallow her nervousness and said something that was surprisingly blusterous: "Alright, since Young Master Jiu has said so, I will go report to the eldest madam!"

She gave her mother a cold smile, not even glancing at the green grass, and walked straight ahead. It was not until she reached the front of the Crane Ming Pavilion that she hesitated for a moment.

Yue Qianqiu raised his head and looked at the fleeting figure of the green grass, and only then did he let out a long sigh of relief

Running to He Ming Xuan to shout and scream at Mother is indeed quite imposing. Perhaps she will soon rush to Qing Fen Guan, causing a sensational uproar in the Yue residence. I heard that your mother and Xiang Mama are sisters, both having married into the family together, yet your mother's temperament is much better. How is it that their circumstances differ so greatly?

In the He Ming Pavilion, everything that is written is managed by Uncle Ying. Qingyin and Qingsao cannot read, and usually, they just dust and clean the house. Even if I were to accidentally tear or ruin a book, it would not concern them. You say I should take the book back to the Qingfen Pavilion and wait for Grandpa to return; I will ask him to have Uncle Ying come over to look for it. After all, I haven't gone out, so the book won't sprout legs and run away

Grandfather will probably be back soon

Furthermore, the Ninth Young Master wouldn't have forgotten to bring the books from the Crane Ming Pavilion back to the Qing Fen Pavilion, would he? Because of such trivial matters, the Ninth Young Master is making a fuss, causing chaos among the people in the residence

Furious like her mother, she ultimately still had some composure. She pushed the green grass behind her and said with her head held high: "I am with the madam..."

After landing on the ground, Yue Qianqiu gently clapped his hands and then looked at the green grass with a smile, saying: "Green grass, the work here at Crane Ming Pavilion should be quite easy, don't you think?"

Facing this woman with an elongated face, high cheekbones, thin lips, and an appearance that is quite ordinary, yet dressed in a brand new satin outfit that looks very respectable, and wearing a rose gold bracelet on her hand, she smiled apologetically and curtsied slightly before saying: "Aunt, you have arrived"

As soon as these words were spoken, not only did the grass change its expression, but even the green turf was so furious that smoke seemed to emanate from its seven orifices. She rushed forward in a single leap, grabbing her mother's sleeve and exclaimed, "Mother, listen, he has clearly seen you, yet he still pretends not to recognize you!"

Upon discovering that the surroundings were bustling with activity, I realized that the person I had just encountered had not even cast a glance in my direction. I felt a surge of annoyance towards my mother and raised my head to exclaim: "Was it not the Ninth Young Master who mentioned that the collection of books in this Crane Ming Pavilion is lacking?"

Qingcao never expected that one day he would be asked such a question by this young Ninth Master, and for a moment he was completely stunned

Thinking of how her mother had always been pressured by the shrewd and assertive Madam, Qingcao finally made a decision. She lowered her head and humbly knelt in greeting, saying: "Ninth Young Master, this servant suddenly remembered some matters and wishes to return for a while"

Although Qingyin's words were tantamount to an admission of having stolen the book, and she had even run away directly, she still did not dare to take any further actions, considering that she had come this way through her mother's connections. Moreover, Yue Qianqiu seemed completely unfazed, showing no concern for the fleeing Qingyin, which gave her a glimmer of hope

Yue Qianqiu looked at his mother, whose face was gradually turning pale, with great interest, resting his chin on his hand, and said, "Moreover, with so many books lost at Heming Pavilion, how can this be considered a trivial matter?"

At that moment, she saw Yue Qianqiu sitting cross-legged without any grace, thoughtfully pinching the hair on her head

At one moment, she thought of her mother as a prominent figure in the eyes of the matriarch, and at another moment, she recalled how the old master had sent away the person who claimed to be Uncle Yue Qianqiu to the Yingtian Prefecture for questioning without asking any clarifying questions yesterday. However, just as she hesitated, she noticed the seemingly full bookshelf, which was actually lacking in many respects, and suddenly realized the mistake she had made

Moreover, he wanted to see if, apart from his mother, that Ding Youcai from yesterday had any of the formidable ladies in the household who made everyone feel apprehensive

At the entrance of the Crane Ming Pavilion, the green grass anxiously paced back and forth, feeling restless and unsettled.

It was only then that she realized, despite being young, the child was cunning and had just used every word to firmly press the old lady. Aware that she had underestimated this wild child, she retracted her dismissive attitude

Her daughter, her son, how can that little bastard, whose parents don't even know which rural commoner he belongs to, pose a threat