Chapter 35: Groundbreaking Ceremony, Strange Occurrences (1)

  Dongyang City, Qianfuyuan Head Office, Backyard Art Gallery.

  "Master, these are the three paintings Miss Lin has done this month, as well as the congratulatory gift of jewelry designs for Crown Prince Tian Mingjun's wedding." The leader of the dark guard took out the papers from his chest and placed them on the stone table in the painting gallery where the master was resting.

  Qian Ye sat at the stone table with a cup of hot tea, feeling a bit down. She had just heard about the events at Qingxi Town's Cuihong Building and learned that Lin Chun and her sister Lin Xuan hadn't gone there to learn embroidery skills and etiquette. Her heart felt a little disappointed, but she quickly let it go, thinking that if she could guess Lin Chun's thoughts, then he wouldn't be Lin Chun anymore.

  "It's indeed exquisite, Lin Chun has some skills...". Qian Ye Li's mood index soared instantly after finishing the blueprint, especially when she saw the congratulatory gift jewelry design that Lin Chun drew for Tian Ming Jun, her eyes lit up and she secretly praised it as wonderful. The joy was beyond words.

  "Master, Old Man Qian asked me to pass on a message to you. Miss Lin's family is looking for a teacher and a guard. Firstly, they want someone to teach her younger brother and sister how to read and write in the new year. Secondly, the Lin family is about to start construction on their wall and hiring a guard will not only protect the three of them but also help with the workload. This will prevent any trouble from unscrupulous people and the guard's wife can also help with cooking and boiling water for the workers. This will help alleviate some burden for the Shan family."

  "Ah, Lin Chuan has indeed thought things through thoroughly. In that case, let the eleventh go to the Lin household as a tutor, and as for the remaining few dark guards and you, transform into bodyguards and protect the safety of the three members of the Lin household well. As for the matter of the servant girls, I have already instructed the head steward to select them. There are four people in total - two are loyal and reliable, with meticulous thoughts, while the other two are lazy and fond of indulging in pleasures. These latter two are also a test for Miss Lin from me." Qian Ye spoke with an unusually serious expression.

  "Yes, master, I understand what to do, but last time you mentioned Miss Lin's background..."

  "Hehe, don't ask too much about this, but I can tell you that if the information I got is correct, the father of these three Lin siblings isn't a simple person either... The only thing is that the background of their mother is still unclear. You guys can try to find out more about her name and origins after getting familiar with them. It's strange that no one knows the name of Mrs. Lin in Linjia village for nearly thirty years, I'm afraid there's more to it than meets the eye... Qianye Lidian thought back to the message from the dark guard a few months ago about the father of the Lin siblings, and it was quite interesting!"

  "Yes, Master. I'll head back to Qingxi Town and discuss with Uncle Qian the matters regarding Mr. and Mrs. Hu's protection."

  "Alright, go then. Also, bring the steward along and let him take care of you all. After you leave my household's dark guard unit, you will no longer be part of it, but instead become the Lin family's guardians. Protect the Lin siblings well. From now on, unless there is an urgent message that requires seeking help from Dongyang, you can all settle down in Linjia village and live a happy life. When the Lin family becomes wealthy and prosperous, you can also start your own families and careers there. If there's any news in the future, just let Uncle Qian pass it back." Qian Ye patted the shoulder of the leader of the dark guard unit and said.

  "Master, is it you?!"

  "No big deal, you've all done a lot for the Qian family and me. Although I, Qian Ye, haven't officially taken over the Qian family's business, I can still make decisions. The life you want, I may not be able to create for you, but I hope you can live well, consider it as the Qian family's reward! In the future, when we meet again, we won't be master and servant, but brothers and friends... Qian Ye felt a mix of reluctance and excitement in his heart. The Qian family's dark guards had paid a lot of blood and sweat for the development of the Qian family's business, with many even losing their lives. If they wanted to leave, the Qian family would give them medicine to restrict them, preventing them from revealing internal information. But this group of people, including Lin's siblings, were always on the periphery, rarely approaching the Qian family's internal secrets, so it was safe to let them go."

  On the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, there is a saying that on this day, the dragon raises its head, the large warehouse is full and the small warehouse flows. This day symbolizes the return of spring to the earth and the revival of all things.

  Early in the morning, Mr. Dashan and his family, along with Lin Chun's siblings, arrived at Longwang Temple in Qingxi Town to worship and pray for blessings, offering incense and sacrifices to wish for a new year of favorable weather, abundant harvests, and happiness.

  After worshiping for blessings, Uncle Dashan and Aunt Cuihua bought some food in the town and took Lin Chun and her siblings back to Linjia Village. Lin Chun has been discussing with Uncle Dashan about building a wall around their house these past few days. A few days ago, Uncle Qian sent someone to deliver a message saying that the teacher and the nanny had already been found, and they would wait for him to have time to go to Qianfuyuan to bring them back home. Lin Chun thought that since there were no extra rooms in their house, and not enough daily necessities, he should first go with the nanny to help Uncle Dashan build a few thatched huts for everyone to live in, including Big Mountain and Er Ya to study.

  Back in Linjia Village, after lunch, Lin Chun brought the jewelry design papers that were sent to Qianfuyuan in February. Dashan BoBo drove a cow cart and they all arrived at the town together.

  Lin Chun first went to a clothing and bedding store, asking the shopkeeper to bring out the latest tailored clothes and bedding, so that she could try them on later with someone. Afterwards, she went to Qianfuyuan. Uncle Qian knew Lin Chun was coming, but since today was the second day of the second month, there were many customers in the store. When he saw Lin Chun arrive, he had no choice but to take her through the back door into the backyard.

  The leader of the Dark Guard squad was waiting in the backyard with four madams and six Dark Guards, and when he saw Qian Uncle bringing Lin Chun over, he also led everyone to come and pay their respects.

  "Qian Uncle, this must be An Brother!" Lin Chun saw the leader of the Dark Guard squad leading his men towards him and immediately revealed his identity.

  "Ah, good eyesight, this is the An He and An Guan Shi I told you about. They used to be in charge of the Thousand Family Villa's separate courtyard estate, but later that villa was given by the young master to a friend, so they were let go and came to Linjia Village. Every time you come back to town, you should have noticed the big house at the intersection of Hui Street with two stone lions at the entrance. That is also one of the young master's separate courtyard estates in Qingxi Town. The young master's grandmother was from our Qingxi Town... Now that estate has just been renovated inside, and the young master has sent a new batch of people to take care of it. An He and several others were squeezed out by the newcomers, so the young master asked me to reassign them tasks. Coincidentally, your family is recruiting guards, so I brought them here for you to see. These four women were also carefully selected by the young master for your family. Take a look yourself, if you're willing to keep them, take them back home to work; if not, we'll send them back to the young master in Dongyang City."

  "Alright, Uncle Qian, I see that Qian Fu Yuan has a lot of customers today. You can go back to the store and attend to them first, I'll be fine here by myself. I'll come over and talk to you after I've made my selection."

  "That's fine, I'll leave first. You can decide later and come to the store to find Uncle Qian." Uncle Qian was concerned about the customers in the store and thought Lin Chun's words were reasonable. After instructing An and the others, he hastily left.

  Lin Chun saw that the thousand uncles ordered everyone to follow their own arrangements, and they were relieved in their hearts. After the thousand uncles left, Lin Chun walked to the stone table in the courtyard, poured himself a cup of tea, and slowly drank it up, putting An and the others aside. An and several people knew in their hearts that Lin Chun was giving themselves prestige, so they lowered their heads and waited silently. However, two of the four wives were lazy and sneaky, and they looked at each other with some uncertainty, not knowing what Lin Chun meant. They thought that Lin Chun was young and didn't respect their age, but instead sat alone drinking tea without even letting them sit down, which made them feel unhappy and displeased.