Qi Qingzhu turned to look at her with confusion.

Big Sister Zhuang knew with certainty that she would not be able to guess what happened. After a pause, she finally said, "Your sister bought land in the village and she's now building a house."

"Ah!" Qi Qingzhu was so surprised her eyes almost fell out.

"What's even more incredible is that she and the village gambler Old Man Zhang—Zhang Tei whoever he is—I'm not too sure either…" She could not really recall. It was almost 20 years since she was married off and she had long forgotten the names and matters concerning the village. The times she returned to her maiden home had also become fewer and further between. She had gone home before New Year's Eve this time around for fear that her host family would not have given her the day off.

"Zhang Tieyuan?" Qi Qingzhu's eyes lit up.

Big Sister Zhuang immediately said, "Yes, yes, yes, the very same Zhang Tieyuan. They say that Eleventh Daughter and Old Man Zhang had gambled and Zhang Tieyuan lost his farm and land deed to her!"

Qi Qingzhu, "..."

When she spoke till this point, Big Sister Zhuang could not help but ask Qi Qingzhu, "This younger sister of yours, didn't you always say that she did not have the best head on her shoulders? How is she so powerful now? Just building a house is a small matter but the point is, I heard that she hired a few construction teams. I also heard that these few foremen all hailed from Qingzhou City and that they are professional masters who had built the homes of officials in the past! I'm also at a loss now…"

Qi Qingzhu simply dabbed her red hands on her apron before she was even done speaking, and said, "If my sister's mind is working well now, I'll have to request a leave of absence from the master immediately and head home."

"Why do you need to go home?"

Big Sister Zhuang shouted as she rushed behind Qi Qingzhu.

Qi Qingzhu did not hear her at all.

She had already entered the abode...

Qi Qingzhu had to rush back to her old home and tell her sister about her true origins! Then she must have her mother return her things to her.

Jiang Siliu was sitting in front of a vanity, dressing up as she looked into the bronze mirror. She was trying on her latest jade earrings and when she heard a knock on the door, she called for the person to enter.

After Qi Qingzhu entered, she looked at the Miss who was dressing up and spoke softly with a lowered gaze, "Miss, this servant of yours would like to request for a leave of absence to return home."

"What's wrong? Did something happen back home?" Jiang Siliu continued looking into the mirror, not even sparing the girl a glance.

Qi Qingzhu rubbed her hands on her apron and said, "It's nothing, it's just that my sister has returned and there is something very important that I need to discuss with her."

"Do you have to discuss it now?" Jiang Siliu could finally no longer hold herself back from turning her head. She asked, "Will your sister be leaving tomorrow, or will she not be able to live till the next day, which is why you have to go back and heed her last words? Or could it be that you won't be able to live till the next day and thus have to pass on your last words to her now?"

Qi Qingzhu, "No…"

Jiang Siliu was somewhat displeased. "If that's not the case then get back to working hard. Things would definitely be hectic around the house around the time before the new year."

"But…" Qi Qingzhu wanted to try fighting for herself.

"Dilly-dally, shilly-shally." Jiang Siliu glanced at her maid somewhat impatiently. "If you must go back, then I'm afraid I'll have to cut a portion of your pay for the month."

Qi Qingzhu bit down on her teeth as she said in a conversational tone, "Miss, how about this, I'll ask for a leave of absence this time and then I won't go home the next holiday."

Jiang Siliu heard the girl's suggestion to not return home for the holiday and replied, "Alright then. I'll let you off for three days. Come the holidays, you will remain by my side and make yourself useful."

Even though she had gotten the leave for absence, Qi Qingzhu did not dare leave immediately. She still finished washing the young lady's clothes and cleaned the room before leaving.

Looking at her red, cold-bitten hands, Qi Qingzhu puffed into them. She gathered a cotton-padded jacket, wrapped on a scarf, and left with a bundle in her hands.

Qi Qingzhu usually walked home from Qingzhou City. In order to meet with Qi Qingyao sooner this time, the moment she reached the outside of the city, she got onto a fancy bullock-cart and gave the driver two maces.

The driver was from Baishui Town and was in Qingzhou City to deliver goods.

Knowing that Qi Qingzhu was spending a luxury to take the cart to meet with her sister, the driver hastened his movement.

"You'll be meeting her very soon."

Qi Qingzhu smiled in response and looked into the distance, her heart set on getting home.