Chapter 84 - 1#
World 4: You Are the Snow on the Branch#
Qin Qing went to the warehouse to check the grain reserves. He ordered people to move out all the inferior rice, open the bags one by one, and check for mold. If there was mold, it was all to be thrown away.
“It’s best to dump it into the cesspit so people don’t pick it up,” Qin Qing said, holding a handful of severely moldy rice.
The housekeeper first nodded in agreement, then thought about it and said, “Rice prices are getting more and more expensive now. Isn’t it too wasteful to dump so much rice into the cesspit for nothing? Give the rice to the nearby villagers, tell them to take it back, dry it in the sun, rub it, and it will still be edible after cooking.”
Qin Qing turned his head to look at the housekeeper, his eyes very solemn.
The housekeeper broke out in a cold sweat from nervousness and could only smile awkwardly.
Ye Li thought the same in his heart but dared not say it in front of Qin Qing. He was afraid of being stupid again.
There were at least dozens of bags of moldy rice. It was indeed a pity to throw them into the cesspit like this. The housekeeper’s solution was obviously better and could help many starving victims.
“Go find a group of chicks.” Qin Qing threw the severely moldy rice in his palm into the sack.
The housekeeper didn’t understand his intention but still quickly found a group of fluffy chicks.
996 got excited as soon as it saw the chicks, meowed, jumped down from Qin Qing’s arms quickly, and chased the group of fur balls all over the place, making them chirp incessantly.
Goose-yellow chicken feathers flew around the warehouse like willow catkins, and one even stuck to Qin Qing’s hair, swaying in the wind.
Ye Li’s heart itched watching this. For some reason, he reached out and plucked the feather, hiding it in his sleeve.
Qin Qing glanced at him without any reaction, then waved his hand: “Ye Li, help me catch Xiao Liu back.”
Without a word, Ye Li flew forward and caught 996, who was running faster than a blur, with a very magnificent “floating on water” lightness skill.
“Young Marquis, your cat,” Ye Li said, bowing while holding the back of 996’s neck.
He was becoming more and more satisfied with his performance, and presumably, Qin Qing was also satisfied. Thinking of this, he secretly raised his eyes to peek at Qin Qing’s expression.
“Thank you. You flew just now; your posture was really beautiful. You must be a master in the martial arts world, right?” Qin Qing hugged 996 and looked enviously at Ye Li’s long legs.
Ye Li lowered his head, curled his thin lips, and answered seemingly casually: “I suppose I count as a top master.”
Please note the word “top”.
Qin Qing widened his eyes and let out a gasp of extreme admiration. The light of ardent worship that had once disappeared now appeared in his clear and bright eyes again.
Ye Li retreated to the side expressionlessly, hands behind his back, looking like a great hero, but in reality, an indescribable sense of satisfaction lingered in his heart.
Now, Qin Qing wouldn’t think he was stupid and useless anymore, right?
Amidst his wild thoughts, Qin Qing scattered a few handfuls of moldy rice on the ground.
The chicks fleeing in all directions immediately gathered, chirping while pecking at the moldy rice rapidly.
“Wait for them to finish eating the moldy rice, then find a cage to keep them together. If any situation arises, report to me immediately,” Qin Qing ordered.
The housekeeper grew up in the Tai’an Marquis Manor and had never eaten moldy rice, so naturally, he didn’t understand the intention. However, a few servants recruited from outside guessed something but dared not speak up.
Ye Li was born in the imperial palace and lived a pampered life, so it goes without saying. This was the first time he had seen moldy rice.
Qin Qing led the group to continue checking the cellar.
There were only vegetables in the cellar, nothing else.
“To be able to secretly hide disaster relief silver in the Marquis Manor, there must be a traitor,” Qin Qing said in his heart.
996 was a bit regretful: “It’s a pity the script didn’t write this part, only saying that Qi Sifeng brought officials to raid the house and found evidence of the Marquis Manor’s crimes.”
“What is a script?”
“A script is your fate. What you will encounter in this life, God has written it all into a storybook for you.”
“Fate is a storybook? How ironic.” Qin Qing lowered his eyelids and curled his lips mockingly.
996 also rolled its eyes. It couldn’t tell Qin Qing that the script in its hand was actually the fate arranged for him by the person who killed him, so he was destined to live miserably in every life.
“I will protect you, don’t worry.” 996 patted the back of Qin Qing’s hand with its chubby paw.
Qin Qing pursed his lips in a smile and silently said thank you.
“Young Marquis, I’ve checked. There are no rats in the cellar, and all the food is preserved very well.” Ye Li checked every nook and cranny many times and reported solemnly.
“En, from now on, come to the cellar every day to take a look. Don’t let rats get in,” Qin Qing said lightly.
Since the traitor used the cellar as a place to hide stolen goods, he would hand this place over to Ye Li to manage personally. When the time came, if something really went wrong, Ye Li would naturally know better than anyone what was going on.
If he could handle it impartially and clear the Marquis Manor’s name, then all would be well.
If he couldn’t handle it impartially and insisted on using the opportunity to punish the Marquis Manor, Qin Qing had already thought of a way out. At worst, he would leave everything behind and fake his death.
Qin Qing turned his iridescent eyes and looked Ye Li up and down.
Ye Li’s face felt slightly hot, but he asked in a very good mood: “Why is the Young Marquis looking at me?”
Ye Li’s face had charmed thousands of noble ladies in the capital. He knew too well how handsome he was. It was just a pity that Qin Qing grew up in the remote Jiangbei City and had never been to the capital, so he didn’t recognize him.
Ye Li turned slightly to the left, as if shy from being looked at. But in fact, he knew that his left profile was the most resolute, heroic, and best-looking.
Qin Qing indeed stared blankly, and only after a long while did he withdraw his gaze, walk towards the cellar entrance, and slowly say: “Ye Li, can I trust you?”
Ye Li’s mind was slightly chaotic, but he still answered firmly: “The Young Marquis can trust me.”
What exactly did this sentence mean? Did Qin Qing suspect something?
“Nowadays, in these troubled times, everyone’s situation is difficult. Separated by a layer of skin, I actually don’t know who is human and who is a ghost. The Marquis Manor has a bad reputation, and a tall tree attracts the wind. I’m worried that one day, I will be harmed by the people around me.”
Qin Qing stood at the exit of the cellar, a beam of golden sunlight shining on him.
His translucent gauze robe refracted a halo as ethereal as mist, and the petals embroidered on the robe seemed as if they would scatter with the wind at any moment. Also scattering was Qin Qing himself.
Watching this scene, Ye Li suddenly felt flustered and lost his composure.
He strode to Qin Qing’s side and said urgently: “Young Marquis, you can trust me. I am a human, I will not harm you!”
He now knew that Qin Qing was not the licentious dandy in the rumors, but this somewhat aloof and cold, yet soft and kind young man before him.
How could Ye Li bear to hurt such a Qin Qing?
“If one day you harm the Marquis Manor, I will never forgive you until I die,” Qin Qing said in a light tone.
When scrutinizing Ye Li, his originally clear eyes were quietly covered with a layer of haze, as if harboring indelible wariness and doubt.
Ye Li looked calm on the surface, but his back was covered with fine, dense cold sweat. He had lied to Qin Qing from the very beginning. If one day his identity was exposed…
Ye Li closed his eyes, actually somewhat afraid to think about it.
“Heh~ trusting a person of unknown origin was my foolishness.” In just an instant, Qin Qing let out a self-mocking chuckle again, shaking his head and whispering: “I will find your sister as soon as possible, and then you can take the silver and leave the Marquis Manor.”
He turned around and climbed up the ladder.
The housekeeper quickly reached out to support him.
Ye Li stood in place bathed in a beam of scorching sunlight, but felt cold all over. Qin Qing privately wanted to groom him into a confidant, but realized the impropriety of doing so during the Q&A just now.
A trust and reliance that was within reach was withdrawn just like that…
If I harm the Marquis Manor, Qin Qing will never forgive me until he dies. Does taking back the right to mint coins count as harming the Marquis Manor? On that day, what expression will Qin Qing have? Will his bright eyes be occupied by tears? Will he hate me to the bone and detest me deeply?
Ye Li suddenly clenched his fists, suppressing the piercing cold that rose in his heart.
He quickly looked up at Qin Qing, but only saw a transparent robe corner swaying away.
Ye Li felt panic in his heart, and with a light tap of his toes, he leaped up.
After inspecting all the places in the manor where things could be hidden, Qin Qing returned to the front hall to have dinner with Qin Dehuai.
Ye Li stood guard at the door with a servant.
Qin Qing slowly recounted what he had seen and heard in Liujia Village.
Qin Dehuai snorted coldly: “There are actually such fathers in the world! Truly unworthy of being human! If our Marquis Manor also suffered a catastrophe, the first one I would protect would definitely be my son. I would sell myself rather than let my son suffer the slightest bit. If we were starving with no food, I would cut my flesh for my son to eat!”
Qin Qing hugged Qin Dehuai’s neck from behind and laughed tears of emotion.
“No, better sell me. I’m young and good-looking, so I’ll fetch a higher price.”
“What nonsense are you talking about! I’m in the prime of my life and can work, so better sell me. When the time comes, hide as far away as you can, and don’t let anyone find you.”
“If I sell you, I won’t have a daddy anymore.”
“If I sell you, I won’t have a son anymore.”
The old and the young pinched each other’s cheeks, joking cheerfully. But what they said was from the heart. If the Marquis Manor really reached a desperate situation, they would both choose to sacrifice themselves to save the other.
Ye Li stood at the door, watching this scene quietly.
Outsiders said that the Tai’an Marquis Manor oppressed the people and was heartless, but Ye Li saw none of this. He only saw a kind father and a filial son, an upright family tradition, and benevolence and generosity.
Why were there such rumors circulating? Ye Li understood with just a little thought. Because someone had already targeted the Marquis Manor and was sharpening their knife. To bring down the Marquis Manor, how could it be done without finding a high-sounding reason?
Who was the person plotting in the dark?
Just as Ye Li was frowning in thought, the housekeeper ran hurriedly to the entrance of the front hall with a cage of dead chicks, poking his head in and shouting: “Young Marquis, something happened!”
“What happened?” Qin Qing stopped joking with his father and walked to the door.
“After eating the moldy rice, these chicks died in less than an hour!” The housekeeper held up the cage and said.
996 had just come back from stealing food in the kitchen, licking its greasy mouth. It looked up at the dead chickens in the cage and said: “It’s aflatoxin poisoning.”
Qin Qing didn’t know what aflatoxin was, but he knew that moldy food must be poisonous.
He said in a deep voice: “Quickly dump all that moldy rice into the cesspit, don’t let the victims pick it up. Now is a time of famine, people even eat the soil on the road, let alone rice.”
“Aye, aye, aye, this servant will go do it right away.” The housekeeper wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with lingering fear, blaming himself: “It’s all my fault! My moment of benevolence could have killed so many people!”