More than two hours later, Han Li emerged from the secret room with Qin Yan, once again taking on the appearance of a country bumpkin.
Upon returning to the living room, the head of the Qin family, in front of the Third Madame, immediately instructed his servants to prepare a clean residence in the inner quarters for his “nephew” Han Li to stay long-term.
On the surface, the reason was perfectly justified: Master Qin wanted to properly nurture this junior to repay the great kindness shown to him by Han Li’s ancestors in the past.
Seeing this, the Third Madame opened her mouth as if to object but ultimately said nothing.
A shrewd woman, she wisely sensed that Qin Yan had already made up his mind and would not tolerate any opposition. Moreover, based on her intuition, there was definitely something unusual between her husband and this “nephew” Han.
Since Qin Yan had not shared the details with her, she naturally refrained from doing anything that might displease him or cause her to fall out of favor.
However, she couldn’t help but entertain a far-fetched speculation: Could this “nephew” Han be an illegitimate child from her husband’s youthful indiscretions? Otherwise, why would he have been so visibly shaken while reading the letter earlier and later show such enthusiasm?
The more this overly imaginative Third Madame thought about it, the more convinced she became, and she felt somewhat displeased. Yet, she maintained a calm expression on her face and treated Han Li with increasing warmth.
Thus, under Master Qin’s repeated instructions, Han Li followed Qin Ping out of the hall to see if the accommodation suited him.
This time, Qin Ping’s expression was no longer as rigid as before. Instead, he wore a broad smile and repeatedly addressed Han Li as “Young Master Han,” completely selectively forgetting his earlier coldness toward him.
Although Han Li feigned a flattered expression, he inwardly sighed at the mortal servants’ astonishing ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Their shift from arrogance to deference was so seamless that not a trace of embarrassment showed. It seemed they were already accustomed to such behavior.
Qin Ping then led Han Li along a small path in the inner quarters, turning a few corners before arriving at a secluded courtyard surrounded by buildings on three sides.
The environment was elegant, exquisite, and exceptionally quiet, which pleased Han Li. He nodded inwardly, feeling quite satisfied.
It seemed Qin Yan had gone to great lengths to select a good residence for him.
“Young Master Han, this will be your residence! This is the best courtyard in the Qin Manor. Usually, only esteemed guests valued by the master are allowed to stay here,” Qin Ping explained obsequiously as he led Han Li into the courtyard.
Han Li scratched his head, grinning foolishly as if unsure how to respond.
Qin Ping tactfully changed the subject and said, “Young Master Han, you probably haven’t had dinner yet, right? I’ll go to the kitchen right away to have food sent over. Please wait a moment!”
After saying this, Qin Ping respectfully bowed and retreated out of the courtyard before turning to leave.
Only when Qin Ping had gradually disappeared into the distance did Han Li smile faintly and turn to push open the door to the room.
The interior decor matched the surrounding environment—equally unique and elegant.
After looking around, Han Li grew even more pleased and couldn’t help but wonder who had arranged this place.
Qin Ping was indeed efficient! In no time, a servant woman arrived carrying a large bamboo basket with dinner.
Smelling the aroma of the food, Han Li, who had been in seclusion for years, felt his mouth water. Without ceremony, he devoured all the exquisitely prepared dishes and a bowl of rice.
When Qin Ping returned later and saw the empty plates, he found it somewhat amusing. However, he maintained a respectful demeanor and politely asked Han Li to return to the main hall. Master Qin wanted to introduce the members of the Qin household to him.
…
When Han Li entered the living room for the second time, it was no longer just Qin Yan and the Third Madame. Instead, there were twenty to thirty men and women, some standing and some sitting.
When Qin Yan warmly invited Han Li to sit beside him, the older members of the Qin family were somewhat surprised but showed no extreme reactions. However, the younger Qin ladies and gentlemen couldn’t contain their curiosity. Immediately, one of the more favored young masters stepped forward and asked discontentedly, “Grandfather, who is this gentleman? None of us have ever seen him before. Did you gather us here just for him?”
Qin Yan naturally detected his grandson’s displeasure but showed no kindness in return. Instead, he glared at him and said coldly, “Step back! This is not your place to speak. Who is ‘this gentleman’? This is Han Li—Nephew Han. His ancestors once showed our Qin family a life-saving kindness. Do not be disrespectful to him!”
Qin Yan’s words immediately caused a stir among everyone in the living room except the Third Madame.
Various speculative and curious glances fell upon Han Li. Han Li, in turn, appropriately showed a restless expression, fidgeting as if there were nails under his seat.
The young Qin master, his face alternating between red and pale, silently retreated.
He never expected that Qin Yan, who usually doted on him, would speak so harshly today. He had been thoroughly humiliated in front of all his siblings!
After this incident, the young master naturally held no goodwill toward Han Li. However, he was not foolish enough to openly oppose Han Li after Qin Yan had explicitly warned against it.
After all, it seemed this country bumpkin held an important place in his grandfather’s heart, and he had no intention of losing Qin Yan’s favor over this.
With this example set, the others refrained from showing any hostility. Instead, most exchanged glances with Han Li and offered friendly smiles.
Qin Yan then began introducing the members of the Qin family to Han Li, pointing them out one by one. “This is my eldest son, Qin Zhi. He currently manages all our business in Yuejing and has a fairly good head on his shoulders. That is my second son…”
Han Li nodded randomly while secretly memorizing each person Qin Yan introduced. These were the people he needed to protect.
However, Master Qin was quite prolific—he had five sons and three daughters, along with several grandchildren.
The eldest and second sons were both in their thirties and already had families. The young man who had spoken up earlier was the second son of the eldest brother.
Amusingly, Qin Yan’s youngest son was only five or six years old—a little boy who still sucked his thumb.
Han Li found it inwardly amusing that teenagers would have to call this snot-nosed child “Fifth Uncle.”
As for Qin Yan’s wives, aside from the Third Madame he had met that morning, there was also a Second Madame in her forties and seven or eight other younger concubines.
Qin Yan’s legal wife was not in the hall. According to him, she was currently devoted to vegetarianism and Buddhist prayers and rarely showed herself.
Additionally, there were two men in their forties—Qin Yan’s second and third brothers.
They each managed part of the Qin family’s business and were relatively important figures in the Qin Manor. Of course, they also had several children in the hall, but Han Li merely noted their names and paid them no further attention.
After all, his energy was limited, and he could only focus on protecting Qin Yan’s direct lineage.
“Huh? Where is Cousin?” Qin Yan asked after introducing everyone in the hall, noticing that one person was missing. He turned to the Third Madame beside him.
“Master, the young lady felt that, as a widow, it was inappropriate for her to meet outsiders, so she did not come. Should I send for her?” the Third Madame replied softly, her expression hesitant.
“It’s fine. Nephew Han is not an outsider. She should still meet him,” Qin Yan said after a moment’s thought.
“Understood, Master.”
“Xiao Lian, go quickly and invite the young lady cousin. Tell her the master has requested her presence,” the Third Madame instructed a young maid standing behind her.
“Yes, Madame,” the little maid, who had once guided Han Li, responded cleverly before scurrying out through a side door.
Qin Yan then turned back to Han Li and explained in a low voice, “The one who hasn’t arrived is a young woman my legal wife rescued from a river seven or eight years ago while returning to her hometown.”
“This woman was extremely pitiful. Not only had she lost her memory due to a head injury, but she was also covered in wounds. My wife, kind-hearted, healed her and, seeing that she had nowhere to go, had one of her brothers adopt her as a goddaughter, giving her a place to stay.”
Unfortunately, this woman’s misfortunes continued. Although her godfather arranged a marriage for her, her husband drowned while drunk just three days after the wedding. By convention, she could have remarried given her youth, but she proved to be a woman of unwavering loyalty, choosing to remain widowed for a husband she had spent only three days with. This became a local legend, bringing great honor to my wife’s family.
“Later, her godfather passed away from illness. My wife, pitying her loneliness, brought her here to keep her company and hopefully bring her some comfort.” Qin Yan sighed deeply as he finished the story.
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