By some unfortunate coincidence, the moment Qi Shuo stepped through the door, he saw Qi Qiong walking toward him.
Learning from the experience of the last time his sister caught him meeting Lin Hao for sauerkraut and pork belly hotpot, Qi Shuo immediately pivoted his direction.
"Big Brother—"
The girl's affectionate call forced Qi Shuo to stop. "Is Little Sister going out?"
"The snow has finally stopped today, so I'm going for a walk and checking to see if Ah Hao is home while I'm at it," Qi Qiong said, then sensed something was amiss. "Big Brother, why are you standing so far away from me?"
"I'm not," Qi Shuo denied with a straight face.
Qi Qiong tilted her head to look at her brother, and a sudden realization flashed through her mind: *Could Big Brother have gone to eat something delicious behind her back again?*
As soon as the thought arose, she took two steps toward Qi Shuo and began sniffing.
Qi Shuo had a bad premonition.
"Little Sister, why are you circling around Big Brother and sniffing like a little puppy?" Qi Huan walked over. Having a rare opportunity to criticize his sister, he naturally wouldn't let it pass. "Look at you, you don't act like a lady of a great household at all."
*I should let Father and Mother see this, so they stop scolding only me.*
The Second Brother's ill intentions failed to distract the Little Princess. "Big Brother went to eat hotpot again, and this time it's mutton!"
Upon hearing this, Qi Huan immediately forgot to mock his sister. "What? Big Brother, you're eating alone again?"
Facing the accusing gazes of his younger siblings, Qi Shuo smiled calmly. "It wasn't eating alone; I went with a friend."
This answer did not make Qi Huan or Qi Qiong feel any better.
Qi Huan clutched his chest. "Big Brother, what kind of friend is closer to you than your own flesh and blood?"
Qi Qiong grew curious about the identity of her brother's dining companion. "Big Brother doesn't seem to have many friends."
Everyone knew that Big Brother was physically frail and preferred quietude; in all these years, she hadn't seen anyone who was close to him.
Qi Shuo fell silent for a moment.
*For the sake of a bite to eat, there's no need to go this far, is there?*
He told the two the name of the eatery. "You can go try it; the taste is indeed quite good."
Having finally brushed off his siblings, Qi Shuo walked briskly toward the study.
The capital was currently abuzz with discussions regarding the Crown Prince's assassination attempt; it was the perfect time to leak the truth.
Without mentioning Qi Shuo's subsequent arrangements, Lin Hao led Baozhu to the residence housing the beggars and glanced at the words "Lin Residence" on the door plaque.
She had once thought about choosing a name that would immediately signal it was a charity house, but after careful consideration, she decided against it.
There were conditions for sheltering beggars here. If she named it a charity house, people might misunderstand and think they accepted anyone without question, which would cause trouble. "Lin Residence" clearly looked like a private home, making it easier to operate.
The gatekeeper was a thin, elderly man with graying hair. He looked to be in his sixties, but was actually only in his early fifties. The old man had once been a wandering beggar on the streets, and after being taken in, he was assigned the job of guarding the gate.
Although Lin Hao did not visit often, the old man had etched her firmly in his heart.
"Miss Lin is here," the gatekeeper greeted warmly, feeling an indescribable sense of gratitude.
His son and daughter-in-law had both died of illness, and his grandson ignored him after starting a family. With a limp and unable to find work, he had fallen into beggary, never imagining he would have days where he could eat his fill and stay warm.
It was all thanks to this kind young lady before him.
"Is my brother here?" Lin Hao asked as she walked inside.
The affairs here were mainly handled by A-Xing. A-Xing practiced martial arts with Uncle Liu in the mornings and would most likely come here after lunch to arrange things.
"Young Master A-Xing is here."
Lin Hao nodded and walked into the courtyard.
"Miss Lin has come." Someone called out, and little beggars swarmed from all directions. However, they were too shy to approach closely, watching her with bright, sparkling eyes.
Lin Hao did not specifically speak to any particular beggar; she simply smiled at the children and walked inward at an unhurried pace.
Hearing the calls, A-Xing walked out. Upon seeing Lin Hao, he frowned slightly. Once they were inside the room, he whispered, "Don't come here so often in the future. This place is ultimately not as secure as the General's Mansion."
"Is someone causing trouble?" Lin Hao asked in a relaxed tone as she took the hot water poured by Baozhu.
Doing good deeds was not easy; she had long been mentally prepared.
Lin Hao's relaxed demeanor caused A-Xing to subconsciously relax his brow. "A few beggars who don't meet the criteria came to make a scene twice. It's not a major problem."
Lin Hao took a sip of hot water and smiled. "It's good that it's not a major problem. I started this, so I have to come check in occasionally. I can't leave everything to you."
"But you are a lady of the General's Mansion. If people know you frequently associate with beggars, they will gossip." By now, A-Xing was finally certain that Lin Hao was simply kind-hearted and naive, so he naturally began to consider her well-being with sincerity.
Lin Hao was indifferent.
Had her family not been the subject of gossip enough? If one truly feared rumors, the safest thing would be to do nothing at all.
"Don't worry, those rumors won't affect me."
A-Xing felt a sense of frustration. "How could they not affect you? Do you not plan on getting married in the future?"
It was said that wealthy families had many rules for their daughters, fearing that a poor reputation would affect their marriage prospects.
Lin Hao gave him a surprised look.
"What?" A-Xing was somewhat puzzled.
Lin Hao burst into laughter. "I'm just wondering how you are only a few months older than me, yet you worry more than my grandmother and the others."
A-Xing shot her a sidelong glance. "I'm only thinking for your sake."
Lin Hao waved her hand dismissively. "Stop worrying needlessly. Maybe I really won't need to get married."
*How did this become my own worry?* A-Xing grumbled inwardly, then realized, "Won't need to get married?"
Lin Hao hadn't actually thought that far ahead, so she said casually, "In the General's Mansion, there's only me and my eldest sister. Since my sister is marrying into the Prince of Wei's manor next year, perhaps Grandmother will consider finding a son-in-law for me."
Finding a son-in-law?
A-Xing frowned, and his opposition came out of his mouth: "Finding a son-in-law is not good. Ah Hao, you are inexperienced with the world, so you probably don't know, but ten out of ten men willing to marry into a family are nothing special."
The young girl's eyes were clear, and her smile was like a blooming flower—like a drop of morning dew rolling on a blade of grass, clean and beautiful.
A-Xing muttered silently in his heart: *They are the ones who aren't worthy of you.*
"Are there any more beggars who meet the criteria moving in lately?" Lin Hao skillfully changed the subject.
A-Xing's attention was indeed diverted. "There are three. One of them is very clever; after only one lesson from the teacher, he already remembered several characters..."
Suddenly, a commotion erupted from outside.
A-Xing stood up and walked to the door, only to see an eight or nine-year-old boy running toward them. "Brother A-Xing, so many people have come, so, so many people!"
The boy was panting heavily as he spoke, showing how fast he had run.
A-Xing's face darkened.
Without even thinking, he knew it was those beggars who didn't meet the criteria and were unwilling to leave.
"Ah Hao, stay in the room. I'll go take a look."
"Let's go together," Lin Hao said, walking over.
Baozhu scanned the surroundings, picked up a fire poker from beside the stove, and silently walked to Lin Hao's side.
A-Xing couldn't help but glance at the fire poker in the little maid's hand. Seeing that Lin Hao had no reaction, he was deeply shocked: *A high-born lady is actually accustomed to her personal maid wielding a fire poker for fighting!*
*Then... let's go take a look together.*
As Lin Hao and A-Xing walked to the main gate, they saw several youths pressing hard against the door. More children were frightened and lost, and some were even crying in terror.
(End of Chapter)