CHAPTER 443: CHAPTER 435: THE CONCUBINE IS A BEAUTIFUL DUMBBELL

Qin Liuxi listened to the little ghost’s report, her eyes half-closed, the Ding family really was like an inescapable yin soul.

The Qin family had approached them, but he ignored them, now seeing a small shop starting to do well, they come to snatch it away.

"The Ding family thinks the Qin Family is without kin!" Qin Liuxi lightly curled her lips into a smile.

The little ghost looked at the smile on her mouth and shivered.

Please don’t smile like that, it’s unbearable.

"Go back and keep watching. If anyone dares to tamper with the shop’s materials and exploit loopholes, just scare them half to death," Qin Liuxi commanded indifferently.

The little ghost respectfully acknowledged and whooshed away.

Qin Liuxi stood up and said to Qi Huang, "I’m going to check on Lady."

Qi Huang nodded, thinking to himself that the Ding family was courting disaster.

Despite the Family Head’s seeming indifference to everything and to the Qin Family, deep down, she was protective.

That preserved fruit shop bears the Qin name, and it was she who provided the idea and the recipe. Now that it was thriving, the Ding family came to pick the fruits, which were actually her fruits.

Qin Liuxi would not tolerate it.

Arriving at Mrs. Wang’s main courtyard, she wasn’t back yet, but both Aunt Wan and Aunt Pan were engaged in needlework. Upon her arrival, one looked like a mouse seeing a cat, while the other was filled with respect.

"Miss." Aunt Pan greeted Qin Liuxi with a curtsy.

She had been close to death before, saved by Qin Liuxi. Now she still looked frail, but her complexion was better than before, no longer deathly pale.

Having hope gives people a reason to live.

Aunt Pan’s hope was for her only child, struggling in the northwest to return.

She never stopped yearning for his return.

Qin Liuxi returned a half-curtsy and also greeted Aunt Wan.

Aunt Wan stepped aside slightly: "You’re here."

"Mhm."

Aunt Pan took her leave with good sense, casting an envious glance at Aunt Wan on the way out. Both were concubines, yet Aunt Wan was much luckier. With such a pure, naive, and simple nature, she met a kind madam. She bore a son and a daughter. Though the household had fallen, her life was as unaffected as ever – most importantly, her children were with her, and her daughter was formidable.

This must be what they call the blessing of the simple-minded.

Unlike herself, unlucky.

As soon as Aunt Pan left, Aunt Wan voluntarily brought over her practiced calligraphy for Qin Liuxi to see.

Qin Liuxi took one look. The characters were still mismatched in size, but it was a bit better than when she first started. You could tell it was one single character, not one split into two.

"You’ve made progress," she praised.

Aunt Wan immediately stood tall and proud, as self-satisfied as Qin Mingchun.

"But it’s still not appealing enough, keep practicing," Qin Liuxi added.

Aunt Wan’s waist and back suddenly slumped as she muttered, "I’m not trying to become a female scholar. Isn’t it enough to just recognize characters? Why do I need to practice so much?"

Qin Liuxi glanced over, "Writing characters deepens the memory of recognizing them. How can you only recognize and not write? Don’t you have to write a family letter to Qin Bohong to express your greetings?"

"Lady Qin can write. Why would a concubine like me need to send greetings? It’s not my place." There was no need.

Qin Liuxi was somewhat curious, "Don’t you miss him? Don’t you want him to return?"

Aunt Wan retorted, "Will him coming back depend on whether I miss him?"

Qin Liuxi didn’t respond, but said, "As a concubine, isn’t the Family Head your sky? With him, you have a pillar of support and a focal point of your heart. I thought you would be longing for his early return."

Aunt Wan gave her a look as if to say, "Are you stupid?"

"You don’t understand. The master’s favor is limited; it’s the madam’s favor that lasts forever. Men are responsible for the outside, always moving about, and only spend time in the inner residence at night. So on most days, the person I actually face is the madam."

Aunt Wan flicked her pink fingernail and continued, "Men, one day they favor you, the next day they will favor someone else. They are unreliable. But the madam is different. If she likes me, even if some vile temptress appears and I lose the master’s favor, my life can still be pleasant, and I won’t lack anything. Hence, the madam is my real pillar of support and my focal point. As long as I align with her, my days will be comfortable."

As she spoke, she glanced at Qin Liuxi again, and said, "Especially since I’ve already given birth to two children. Even if he doesn’t like me anymore, as a concubine with children, he can’t just kick me out. So, I just need to rely on the madam."

Qin Liuxi: "..."

Are you some sort of wise immortal?

Her remark almost reduced Qin Bohong to merely being a tool for her to establish herself in life.

The biological father seems a bit pitiful.

Qin Liuxi touched her nose and intentionally hinted, "There are plenty of men who favor concubines over their wives. Don’t you have any ambition at all? Why don’t you become the favored concubine, pull the madam from her position, and become the official wife yourself?"

Aunt Wan was suddenly terrified, "Do I look like someone smart, someone who has that kind of standing to be a favored concubine?"

"You’ve always been using beauty as a weapon, haven’t you?" Qin Liuxi said lightly, "Sometimes a woman’s beauty can be a sharp weapon."

Aunt Wan, touching her face, began to giggle coquettishly, "Using beauty as a weapon? You’ve got good insight. My face indeed is beautiful."

Qin Liuxi was speechless.

"But however beautiful, that doesn’t qualify me to become a favored concubine. When I was in Shengjing, I saw someone promoted from concubine to a superior position, not exceptionally pretty, but she was as cunning as a fox and very sly. She dealt in countless twists and turns, speaking words I couldn’t even understand." Aunt Wan recalled that concubine, "But even though she rose in rank, some who flattered her had no respect for her in their eyes, and they looked down on her."

"As for me, it’s precisely my beauty that has graced me with wealth. I’m decked out in gold and don’t worry about food and drink, but I’m just a village girl with not an inkling of literacy. I can’t even recognize all the characters, let alone manage finances. And as a madam, there are too many responsibilities—managing the Family Head, the household, and raising children. How could I cope? If I did well, it would be fine, but if not, I’d be reprimanded. It’s a thankless job. Better to be a conscientious concubine, well-fed and clothed after having children, and most importantly, I remain a beauty."

Qin Liuxi couldn’t help but gaze deeply at her.

"You’re lucky to have a madam like Lady Qin. What would you do if you encountered someone like my second aunt?"

Aunt Wan shrank her neck slightly, saying with some self-satisfaction, "Indeed, I have had a bit of fortune; otherwise, how could I fly out of a mountain ditch and be a pretend phoenix?"

Confirmed, she really is a stunning but empty-headed beauty!

Qin Liuxi stood up and said, "Since you have such self-awareness, just maintain it. As you said, as long as you lean on Lady Qin, your days will not be bad."

Aunt Wan thought to herself, isn’t that obvious?

Qin Liuxi walked out, not surprised to see Mrs. Wang standing not far from the door with a smile, not knowing how much she had heard.

But, who cares?