Chapter 3: Relocation

Not far from the Buddhist hall, she heard the Old Ancestress chanting sutras. After Ah Lin quietly entered, she did not dare disturb the Old Ancestress's morning cultivation, but instead knelt silently to one side to wait for her mistress.

After about the time it took for an incense stick to burn, seeing that the Old Ancestress had finished her chanting, Ah Lin hurriedly rose to step forward and support her.

"You girl, you are so shrewd and meticulous. No wonder everyone in the entire manor, from top to bottom, praises you so highly." The Old Ancestress patted Ah Lin's hand repeatedly.

She had always doted on Ah Lin as if she were her own young daughter, though it was a pity that the bond between master and servant was shallow.

Ah Lin, of course, understood the Old Ancestress's affection for her. If it weren't for the Old Ancestress's love today, no matter how capable or talented Lin Ah Lin was, it would have been impossible for her to manage all the affairs, large and small, of the Lin Manor. Even the various ladies, young masters, and young misses would have had to address her politely as "Eldest Miss" upon seeing her, rather than treating her like a mere maid.

"Old Ancestress, this servant wishes to go to Jiangnan with you. I wish to serve you for the rest of my life." This was a thought Ah Lin had harbored in her heart for a long time. The reason she hadn't spoken up before was that she had to strictly observe her duties as a maid and dared not harbor extra thoughts to speculate on her mistress's arrangements for her servants; however, if she didn't speak up today, it would be too late once her mistress departed for Jiangnan.

"No."

The Old Ancestress refused her. Although Ah Lin did not dare to overstep and ask the reason, her eyes betrayed her unwillingness and regret; she did not understand why she could not attend to her mistress by her side.

The Lin family's Old Ancestress could, of course, see what was in the heart of this maid she had watched grow up since childhood. "Girl! If you were to accompany me, I would naturally be delighted. But this trip to Jiangnan is not like before... Before, our Lin family was grand and prosperous. When we went to visit relatives, others treated this old woman like a God of Wealth and served me in every possible way. But now the Lin family has declined, and I am going to seek refuge with my maternal family. And my maternal family..." The Old Ancestress hesitated, many words ultimately turning into a long sigh. "Girl, you are a clever child. Many things do not need to be said explicitly for you to understand, right?"

"This servant understands." The mistress's family was going to Jiangnan this time to seek kinship with nothing to their name. As the saying goes: a fallen phoenix is not as good as a chicken. No matter how wealthy the Lin family had been in the past, they were now merely a family in decline. How would the Lin family dare to put on their former airs when seeking refuge?

Ah Lin understood all of this, but—

"It is just that this servant truly does not wish to be separated from the Old Ancestress, which is why I have the audacity to request that you take me with you. This servant is willing to serve by the Old Ancestress's side for a lifetime without any wages."

"You silly girl, I am naturally very happy that you feel this way. But if I truly yielded to you, would I not be betraying your sincere heart?"

"Come here." The Old Ancestress pulled Ah Lin, letting her sit close to her. "None of you are allowed to go with me. You will all stay here, just as you are, and go nowhere. Your new master is a... is a..." Regarding Jiu Jin, the Old Ancestress could not think of how to describe him properly, so in the end, she spoke without embellishment and said directly, "Though he is a crude and unlettered man, that child has a kind and good heart. If it weren't for him running about everywhere this time, our Lin family might have been framed by treacherous people and fallen into ruin and disgrace. So, Ah Lin, if you truly appreciate the bit of kindness this old woman has shown you, then do your utmost to help Jiu Jin, alright?"

Alright?

Since the Old Ancestress had said so, how could she say "no"?

In the end, Ah Lin finally nodded and accepted the task.

From now on, she was no longer a maid of the Lin family, but the person of the Qi family's eldest young master, Master Jiu Jin.

***

"Where is the Master?"

Ah Lin was clutching the account books, hunting everywhere for that suspect of profligacy. Was he making a mistake?! A single man, whose food and clothing were worse than a beggar's, yet he actually took twenty taels of silver from the accountant every month! Where on earth was he spending all that silver?!

Ah Lin was so angry she was nearly going mad.

She wasn't angry that Jiu Jin spent twenty taels of silver, but rather that... that silly master had undoubtedly gone and used those twenty taels to help someone out again without even knowing it.