……
The weather was exceptionally fine that day. Sunlight spilled across the earth, making it a truly beautiful day for the still-cold month of February.
Rongyao went to her second maternal uncle’s residence first thing in the morning.
Cui Huaihao had just finished breakfast and was preparing to leave the estate when Rongyao rushed over, clamoring to go with him.
“Yaoyao, Second Uncle has something important to attend to today. Why don’t you stay here at home? When I return, I’ll bring you something nice.”
Rongyao shook her head and gazed up at him with wide, pleading eyes. Clutching Second Uncle Cui Huaihao’s hand, she said in a soft, sweet voice, “Good Second Uncle, you love Yaoyao the most. Take Yaoyao with you, please. I promise I won’t cause any trouble, and I absolutely won’t run off!”
Looking at his soft and adorable little niece, Cui Huaihao’s heart melted. He thought that since his niece was so cute and well-behaved, taking her along could not possibly cause any trouble. Besides, she would have maids to look after her.
Yaoyao had probably simply been cooped up at home for too long and wanted to go out and have some fun.
How could he refuse her?
Cui Huaihao bent down and scooped Rongyao into his arms, unable to resist giving her chubby little cheeks a pinch.
“All right! Second Uncle will take Yaoyao out, but you have to promise me that you’ll stay by my side and won’t run off.”
Rongyao’s eyes lit up, and she readily agreed. “Mm-hmm! Yaoyao will be good!”
It was not until she had successfully climbed into her second maternal uncle’s carriage that Rongyao finally let out a sigh of relief.
Today, she absolutely had to stay by Second Uncle’s side every step of the way. She would never let him make that deal again, as he had in her previous life.
It was on this very day in her previous life that Second Uncle had purchased a fruit orchard estate in the southern outskirts of the capital.
Yet three days later, someone discovered the corpse of an important nobleman on the estate.
It was the missing young master of the Duke Zhongguo’s estate.
The Cui family had been implicated and offended the duke’s household.
The Duke Zhongguo’s estate had even blamed the entire matter on the Cui family. When disaster later befell the Cuis, they had dealt them a heavy blow from behind the scenes.
Now that she had been given a second chance at life, she absolutely could not allow Second Uncle to get involved with that orchard estate again.
Nor could she let him offend the Duke Zhongguo’s estate.
The carriage rolled slowly forward. Tugging at her second uncle’s sleeve, Rongyao casually asked, “Second Uncle, where are we going?”
Cui Huaihao rubbed her hair and said, “Second Uncle is taking you somewhere beautiful. If you like it, I’ll buy it for you.”
Rongyao: “... And if Yaoyao doesn’t like it, can you choose not to buy it?”
Cui Huaihao laughed. “You’re sure to like it. Don’t you love persimmons? There’s a huge grove of persimmon trees there, along with other fruit trees—fresh, sweet peaches, big round purple grapes, and cherry trees. They’re all fruits Yaoyao likes.”
Rongyao: “...”
The carriage continued rumbling along, jolting over the road for a full hour before finally arriving at the orchard estate Cui Huaihao had mentioned.
The estate was indeed enormous. From a distance, patches of pink, white, and red came into view, the fruit trees covered in blossoms. The sight was so beautiful that one could not help but stop and marvel.
Cui Huaihao carried his niece down from the carriage. Gazing at the scenery before her, Rongyao was speechless for a moment.
Her second uncle was far too wealthy.
What a pity that Noble Consort Chen had schemed away all of it in her previous life.
Back then, while she had been in the palace, she had not received even ten taels of silver in an entire year. She had eaten coarse grain and vegetables day after day, and whenever Princess Shengping was displeased, she would be punished by being denied food for two days.
Whenever Rongyao thought of those hungry days, she felt hungry again. She hurriedly stuffed a piece of pastry into her mouth, and only after her cheeks were full did she feel a little better.
In this life, she would absolutely help Second Uncle protect his fortune. He had said that whatever money he had was hers as well. As long as Second Uncle had money, she could eat her fill every day!
“Second Master Cui! You’ve finally arrived. I’ve been waiting for you for ages. Please, come in! I’ve prepared fine wine and a lavish meal today—just waiting for you.”
A man dressed in silk stood at the entrance of the estate. He had a thin mustache, a plump build, and an especially large belly. Wearing a fur-lined cap, he came forward with a beaming smile to welcome them.
Cui Huaihao handed his niece over to the servants behind him, then smiled and stepped forward.
“I’ve kept Master Zhou waiting. It was my fault for arriving late.”
“Not at all, not at all,” Master Zhou replied. “You arrived at exactly the right time—not too early and not too late.”
Master Zhou was extremely warm and welcoming. When he noticed Rongyao behind Cui Huaihao, he asked in surprise, “This child is as lovely as a carved jade figurine, and so adorable. She’s truly a beauty. Could she be Second Master Cui’s daughter?”
Holding his niece’s hand, Cui Huaihao replied with a smile, “Her? She’s especially close to me. She’s the daughter of my younger sister—and the only little miss of the Cui family.”
Rongyao politely greeted Master Zhou. “Good day, Uncle Zhou.”
Master Zhou was utterly charmed by the clever and lovable little girl. He hurriedly said, “Good, good! The weather is cold, so come inside quickly. I’ll have someone prepare some sweets for you.”
Surrounded by the others, they entered the estate. Rongyao sat to one side, eating sweet persimmon cakes. She appeared to be focused on her food, but in reality, her ears were pricked up as she listened to the conversation between the two men.
In her previous life, the young master of the Duke Zhongguo’s estate had died on this property. Not only had the incident implicated the Cui family, but it had also dragged the former owners, the Zhou family, into the matter.
The Zhou family had been suppressed by the duke’s household as well and had eventually been forced to abandon their family holdings and leave the capital.
Master Zhou clearly had no idea that a major disaster was about to occur on this estate.
After listening carefully for a long while, Rongyao gathered that Master Zhou had taken a fancy to a restaurant in the capital and wanted to raise money to buy it. That was why he was planning to sell this orchard estate in exchange for silver.
Cui Huaihao and Master Zhou chatted happily, exchanging one sentence after another. From the look of things, they seemed nearly ready to conclude the deal.
“I can see that Second Master Cui is quite pleased with this estate,” Master Zhou said. “I’m sincere about doing business as well. Why don’t we sign the deed today?”
Cui Huaihao smiled broadly. He glanced at his niece beside him and said, “This estate is beautiful, with mountains and water. Naturally, I like it. However, I intend to buy it as a dowry for my niece, so I must first see whether she likes it.”
Master Zhou was stunned. He clearly had not expected Cui Huaihao to dote on his niece so much that he would be willing to purchase an entire estate as her dowry.
He truly was the best uncle in the world.
“Second Master Cui is quite simply the best uncle under heaven.” As he spoke, Master Zhou looked at Rongyao with a smile and affected a coaxing tone. “Little miss, do you like this place? If you do, you can ask your uncle to buy it for you.”
Rongyao stood up and looked outside. Tugging at her second uncle’s sleeve, she said, “Uncle, can’t we go outside and take a look? I don’t even know what’s inside the estate.”
Master Zhou hurriedly rose. “Of course! The little miss may look around however she wishes. Let’s go outside and have a look right now.”
Cui Huaihao also stood without hesitation and led his niece outside by the hand.
Master Zhou guided them forward, explaining everything whenever they reached a new spot.
“Look over there—that section is planted with cherry trees. Some bloom white, others pink. They’ve just begun flowering, so the fruit will be ready soon. The cherries are wonderfully sweet. The section ahead is filled with peach trees. The peaches grow large and red. And over there are the persimmon trees...”
They walked and looked around as Master Zhou enthusiastically introduced the estate’s many treasures. It was obvious that he came here often. Along the way, they even encountered several farmers who worked on the estate and tended its fruit trees.
If the Cui family bought this estate, they would, in effect, be hiring all these farming households to work for them.
The estate was indeed lovely, with mountains and water, beautiful scenery, and orchards full of blossoming fruit trees that lifted the spirits of anyone who saw them.
As they walked along, a little boy suddenly came charging toward them, nearly colliding with Master Zhou.
Master Zhou’s expression darkened. He pushed the boy aside and scolded him, “Whose child are you, running about so recklessly? Aren’t you afraid of offending our honored guests?”
