Chapter 56 – The Corners of Her Mouth Curved Slightly Upwards

“But…” Ding Kaixuan was in a panic.

“If you don’t leave then I’ll personally invite you to go out.” Ye Qingyu looked at the heroic brass badge in his hands, examining it carefully. “You have a position of nobility, but to trespass on a property of someone with this heroic badge is a grave crime. I absolutely have the right to arrest you!”

Ding Kaixuan was dumbfounded.

Only half a moment later did he wake up from his nightmare. Biting his teeth, glaring steadily at Ye Qingyu he left his parting words, “The person surnamed Ye, you win. We’ll wait and see.” He turned and left.

Ye Qingyu lightly smiled.

“This time I will let you go. But my patience has its limits, the next time you try and act against my friends and family, if you even display the slightest intention, then I will make you disappear completely from this world. If you don’t believe me, then try it!”

The words of Ye Qingyu reverberated throughout the entire courtyard.

Ding Kaixuan stopped his steps, his face dark, finally leaving without turning back.

Very quickly, the sounds of footsteps could again be heard outside.

It was the young manservant, bringing with him a grizzled old doctor rushing hurriedly. Behind the old doctor, there was a little girl with braids in her hair, panting as she carried the heavy medicine box, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.

“Young master Ye, the doctor has come,” the fair faced manservant said respectfully.

Ye Qingyu nodded his head, then spoke a couple of words with the old doctor, asking him to treat Qin Lan.

After a short pause.

“Young master Ye, there is no need to worry. Madam Lan has only suffered some external wounds; her internal organs are unharmed. She only needs to ingest some medicine, and rest for a period of time, then she will be fine.” The medical prowess of this old doctor was extremely high, simply taking care of the wounds and giving a recipe for the medicine needed.

Ye Qingyu discovered that the colour of Qin Lan’s face had turned for the better.

“Thank you for your trouble Doctor Li.” Ye Qingyu hurried to express his thanks.

During the time that the old doctor was treating the injuries, the fair faced manservant had already silently come to Ye Qingyu’s side. He had reported the background and history of the doctor clearly to him.

The grizzly old doctor had the surname Li, and was called Li Shizen*, and was one of the famous doctors in the Northern districts. Every generation of his family had practiced medicine. Not only was he extremely skilled in medicinal arts, but his ethics was also admirable. Every month he would spend three days treating the poor people in the poor district free of charge.

It was only that this old man was ill-fated. His only son and the wife of his son had long left this world, only leaving a granddaughter behind. The two only had each other for companionship.

After paying the fee, Ye Qingyu respectfully escorted Li Shizen and his granddaughter away.

Seeing the little girl panting and gasping for breath, Ye Qingyu could not help but feel pity for her. He had experience the pain of losing his loved ones, so he especially cherished family. The little girl had long lost both her parents and only had her grandfather. For her, this was misfortune, but at least she had one of her family by her side. Then what about himself?

Ye Qingyu at this moment, sighed with sorrow.

“What’s your name?” He turned to look at the manservant.

“Little person, I** is called Tang San. I have been working for this mansion for over four years already,” the little manservant replied deferentially.

Ye Qingyu nodded his head.

He was once someone who belong to the Ye family.

Four years ago, Ye Qingyu was only ten years old. He did not usually order the servants about, so not remembering this little manservant was something within reason. Since he was an old servant from his family, then he was at least trustworthy. From his performance today, he was quick-witted and fast to react, it was worthwhile to try him out for a period of time.

This time, leaving the academy, Ye Qingyu had asked for three days leave of absence, so he was not in a rush to leave.

Repossessing the ancestral home of the Ye family was the first step. Afterwards, there were an assortment of little things that he needed to take care of such as putting the mansion and the servants in order. The servants of the Ding family definitely had some people who had ill intentions and were Ding Kaixuan’s confidants. These people must be scoured out.

Ye Qingyu did not have the time nor interest to take care of such matters.

Originally Aunt Lan, Qin Lan, was an extremely good choice for handling this. But currently she needed to recuperate, and this Tang San could be used as a trial. Any matter that needed a decision to be made would still be given to Qin Lan to manage but the things that needed to be first acted upon, he would give to Tang San to do.

Ye Qingyu waved his hands, signaling to all the servants that they were not needed. He returned to the main hall, informing Qin Lan of his idea.

“This… this is too important. This servant… I… I fear I can’t…” Qin Lan was not comfortable with her change in status, stuttering and mumbling.

Ye Qingyu smiled and said, “Aunt Lan is one of the old retainers of my family. You are the person who comprehends everything the most, and is also the person with the final say. When I was small, I grew up drinking Aunt Lan’s milk. Since mother and father are not here anymore, Aunt Lan you are my closest relative. From now on, everything that happens in this home, you have the power to make the decisions…”

“This cannot be…” Qin Lan jolted up in shock from her chair.

Ye Qingyu quickly rushed to support her. “Of course it can be. From today onwards, you are the person who has the final say in this home. Everything will need to go through you. Haha, I remember when I was small, Aunt Lan you are extremely formidable. Mother once said, she and father were not skilled in managing householder affairs, and everything was done by Aunt Lan, you!”

Aunt Lan recovered some energy, her face becoming slightly more red. She looked at Little Grass sitting behind her, hesitating. “This… This…”

Ye Qingyu smiled and gently patted Little Grass’s head. “Aunt Lan, don’t decline this. I have to return to the academy and have to expend far too much energy and time in training, I simply don’t have the time to manage the Ye house. Perhaps in the future, I will also leave Deer City. You and Sister Little Grass, are the only relatives that I have left in this world. This mansion, can be Little Grass’s dowry when she grows up and marries!”

“Ah, Brother Little Yu, you …” Little Grass let out a breath of shock. Her face was completely red with embarrassment, her face like fire, not willing to lift up her head.

“This can’t do.” Qin Lan shook her head determinedly, saying in a steel voice, “This mansion is passed on from the Master and the Madam. I, Qin Lan, am willing to manage it for young master, but no matter what, this mansion will forever belong to the Ye family.”

Ye Qingyu had a brief smile.

He knew that Qin Lan’s personality was stubborn and hard headed. Once she had decided on something she would never change her mind so he did not insist. He smiled. “Then I’ll first bother Aunt Lan. The things that will happen later, we’ll speak when it happens.”

This time, acting out and regaining the ancestral home was something that Ye Qingyu only did because it was something that he should do. This was not because he regarded this mansion as something extremely important; the feelings and emotions involved far exceeded any financial meaning.

Ye Qingyu was clear in his heart that one day when his strength is enough, he would leave White Deer Academy and Deer City behind. He would head towards the court of the royal family of Snow Country and investigate the secret that his father had passed on to him in his last words. This ancestral home was only something mental for him; from his perspective, this house held no physical meaning whatsoever.

Qin Lan’s wounds recovered extremely rapidly.

Four bitter years had passed and the home once again returned to the Ye family. This woman who had extremely deep feelings for the Ye family once again found motivation and hope for her life. Under the simple instructions of Ye Qingyu after he had gathered everyone, Qin Lan became the number two person of this mansion.

Tang San became the head steward of this home.

Under Ye Qingyu’s approval, Qin Lan announced all the servants would have their wages doubled. This action instantly won the cheering of many people. When Ding Kaixuan was in charge, he was stingy and tight fisted, often withholding the servants’ money. Qin Lan’s action instantly won the support of the servants.

Qin Lan had experienced many struggles and waves in her life and was able to instantly see through many peoples’ intentions. Very quickly, she identified and resolutely dismissed the people with poor characters and the confidants of the Ding family. Her swift and decisive action instantly established respect.

Ye Qingyu also encouraged the servants with a few words. With a casual smile, he took hold of Little Grass’s hand and made this little girl who drank the same milk as him when he was small, into his sister. This way, the position of this little girl was in an instant turned into that of a young lady in this household. Along with this, Qin Lan’s position would also rise, stabilizing her position.

Very many servants sighed with regret in their hearts. The mother and daughter Qin Lan had finally endured to the end. Little Grass from a servant girl at the lowest level, every day washing, cleaning, doing the roughest jobs, right now in an instant, had turned into a phoenix. A life of extravagance awaited her, for she had become the young lady of this home.

This new master of the house, when taking care of Ding Kaixuan and Liu Gongfong and the others, was simply as frightening as a killing demon king. Who would have known that this person would be extremely friendly and amiable when dealing with the servants? Qin Lan’s character was understood by every servant; now that she managed this house, they would definitely have good days in store for them.

As such, all the waves regarding the mansion of the Ye family had flowed past.

In this world, there was not a wall that did not leak wind. Very quickly, the things that had happened here, through different avenues, passed on to the ears of those paying attention, invoking shock from various interested parties all around.

Of course, many people continued to not notice what had happened in the Ye family ancestral home.

This night, Ye Qingyu stayed within this house.

After taking a delightful bath, he stayed in the [Determination Garden].

The [Determination Garden] was the location Ye Qingyu had lived in when he was small. It was not a large courtyard, with a Wutong tree growing in the middle, at least thirty years of age. It had attracted some unknown birds with nests constructed on its branches. In those years that Ye Qingyu was within this courtyard was the years that he was the happiest.

After entering again, apart from being deeply moved, his heart was like an ancient well without any ripples.

He sat cross legged under the Wutong tree, breathing meditatively, activating his inner yuan, wasting no time in training.

Time quickly passed by.

Qin Lan and her daughter slept on a soft and smooth bed, not being able to sleep. Originally, Qin Lan had thought that her life would be enveloped with suffering and darkness. Before, when her daughter had slept in the middle of the night, she had silently shed tears of pain. She was worried for herself, she was even more worried for her daughter and she was also worried for the little boy who grew up drinking her milk, and losing all protection, the boy whose whereabouts were unknown…

Qin Lan feared that one day she would pass away and her daughter would be left alone, in this cold and harsh world, how could she possibly survive…

Who would have thought that this little boy would finally return?

It was like the coming of a deity.

“Mistress has once said that young master will one day amaze the entire world, like a monarch arriving. Master and mistress believed in the young master so much… perhaps they were correct!”

Qin Lan suddenly remembered some of her memories.

Little Grass finally fell asleep in her embrace. In these four years, this was the first time that the little girl had slept so sweetly, so at ease, so comfortable. When she dreamt, the corners of her mouth curved slightly upwards.

*李時珍: He’s actually a famous herbalist/ doctor in Chinese history. Not sure if this is relevant to the story or not.

**Refers to himself humbly