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CHAPTER 32 - MEETING HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME (3)
"Sis, I'm back!" Ye Renyu called out from not far away, carefully carrying a bundle of wild fruits wrapped in banana leaves. Afraid of dropping any, he gingerly set them down and added,
"It's getting late; we should head back."
Yun Qingqiao glanced at the sky and turned to the young man they had saved.
"It's getting dark, and we need to go home. Judging by your appearance, you're no commoner. I assume you'd rather not come with us. We've left you some fruits and water; your wound should be fine now. So, we'll be on our way."
As if understanding what was on his mind, she took her brother's hand, picked up her basket of medicines, and walked away.
As they left, the young man suddenly seemed to remember something and called out,
"Ninth Miss, my name is Nangong Ye!"
The only response was a casual wave from the girl.
On the way back to the mansion, Yun Qingqiao examined the jade ornament more closely and noticed a tiny character engraved on it—'Ye.' She chuckled to herself, wondering if it was meant as a token of affection.
She remembered that in ancient times, one shouldn't casually accept personal items from others. However, considering it didn't seem to be very valuable, she decided to hang the ornament on her waist.
As they passed through a bustling marketplace, people jostled her a few times, but she paid it no mind. Spotting a crowd not far away, her curiosity got the better of her. Pulling Ye Renyu along, she moved closer to see what was going on.
To her dismay, they found a girl offering herself for sale to pay for her mother's burial. With straw stuck in her hair and wearing tattered clothes, she knelt beside her mother's corpse, a pitiable sight to behold.
Yun Qingqiao felt a chill down her spine as she observed a sleazy middle-aged man, who looked to be in his forties, haggling with the desperate young girl.
It was nauseating to see the man, old enough to be her father, drooling as he considered buying her as a concubine. This was a girl trying to sell herself to afford her mother's burial, and yet the man was completely shameless.
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Surrounding onlookers whispered among themselves but offered no help to the girl.
Thoughts of her parents, grandparents, and younger brother from her past life flooded Yun Qingqiao's mind, along with memories of her mother who was far away in the capital.
Gently placing a few pieces of broken silver before the girl, she hoped the gesture would offer some comfort to her own aching heart.
"Thank you, miss, thank you!" The young girl quickly gathered the silver pieces and bowed deeply to Yun Qingqiao.
"You don't need to thank me; thank your own filial piety," Yun Qingqiao replied.
"What a good-hearted lady, as beautiful inside as she is outside!" commented the surrounding crowd.
"Miss, since you've given me silver, you've essentially bought me. From now on, I belong to you. Please take me in," the girl implored, continuing to bow.
Eyeing the repugnant middle-aged man, Yun Qingqiao stated flatly,
"She is now under my care. Anyone with ulterior motives had best step aside. Let the people here bear witness. If this matter escalates to the courts, I am more than willing to see it through to the end."
Then, Yun Qingqiao leaned in and whispered softly in the girl's ear,
"Go and bury your mother, so she may rest in peace. As for whether you can stay by my side, I'll need to give it some thought."
After the girl had buried her mother, she waited day after day at the marketplace, hoping to see Yun Qingqiao again. Her persistence paid off, and she eventually became one of Yun Qingqiao's most loyal handmaidens, whom Yun Qingqiao named Yi'an, meaning 'Remembrance of Peace.' The name reflected Yun Qingqiao's longing for the well-being of her own loved ones. But that's a story for another time.
Upon returning to her residence, the Duke of Dingnan's estate, Yun Qingqiao was getting ready to change clothes when she realized that the jade pendant, a gift from the young man who called himself Nangong Ye, was missing. She recalled being jostled several times in the marketplace. Of course! The pendant had been stolen then. It was a careless mistake on her part; pickpockets existed in every era.
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