Chapter 247

Chapter 247: Because She Hates You

Jiang Liu Yun blinked his wet eyes, looking exactly like a dog waiting to be praised. Yu Zhi Yi rubbed her fingertips together but didn’t react. A flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes, yet he quickly perked up and went back to haggle.

In the end, they bought a large carriage-big enough for two people to sleep side by side and even turn over comfortably-for thirty taels of silver. Compared to twenty, the extra ten paid for several clever touches.

For example, the seats were hollow with several hidden compartments. If the owner needed to carry important things on the road, they could hide them there. The compartments were made with precision and even used small mechanisms; only with the right method could you open them.

Another example: the little table had a recessed spot under it for a charcoal brazier. The wood was treated against fire, so in winter you could boil water right on the table or even heat a small hotpot. The brazier also kept the carriage warm, so there was no need for extra stoves or hand warmers, which saved a lot of space. There were several other small designs like these.

Jiang Liu Yun suggested every useful feature he had seen in carriages over the years. The carriage master marveled at his ideas, but also fretted about the time they would take. Thankfully, they were all small items. Even if they needed work, they could add a few more hands and give each person one or two items to make, and have everything finished before dusk.

“Sister, it’s all set,” Jiang Liu Yun reported with a happy squint. This time he didn’t dare expect any reward. He just gave Yu Zhi Yi a smile and a status report.

Yu Zhi Yi had watched the whole time, so she knew he had done very well. She finally couldn’t resist and reached up to rub the boy’s head: “Thank you.”

Feeling the warmth of her hand on his hair, Jiang Liu Yun’s puppy eyes went wide, bright with joy. He fought the urge to jump three feet high, wanting to savor the rare moment of affection. But the touch vanished in a blink, and her hand dropped away. A bit awkward, Yu Zhi Yi cleared her throat and said: “It’s getting late. Let me treat you two to a meal.” She figured he had just saved her twenty taels.

This time Jiang Liu Yun couldn’t hold back. He punched the air, grinning from ear to ear.

Watching his son act like a happy, silly dog, Jiang Yu Chuan covered his forehead and shook his head. Then a thought hit him. She had said “you two.” So she had known he was nearby all along?

At the idea, his heart trembled. [Daughter is willing to accept me as her father?] He hadn’t gone to her these days, not because he didn’t care, but because he cared too much and didn’t know how to face her. All he could do was hide in the dark and guard her like before they acknowledged each other.

Unlike the father and son’s quiet thrill, not far away Yu Zi Xuan stared at the tall, lanky youth who charged around like a silly dog, his eyes filling with deep jealousy and hate. Why? Why should that big fool receive Sister Yi’s gentle warmth?

Seeing Jiang Liu Yun dizzy with joy from a simple pat on the head, Yu Zhi Yi shook her head with a small laugh and was about to quicken her steps to catch up. A hesitant call stopped her: “Sister Yi.”

That form of address sounded so distant to her, as if it came from a past life. She paused for a breath, but her feet didn’t stop. She lengthened her stride and went after the boy.

Yu Zi Xuan, hurt all over his face, tried again: “Yi-”

Before he could finish, the tall Jiang Yu Chuan stepped to his side, his gaze cold and heavy: “She has nothing to do with the Yu Clan anymore. Stop bothering her.”

He wasn’t as impulsive as his foolish son, who wanted to fight every time they met. But as the Martial Alliance’s second-in-command, if he wished, he had more than enough power to send this weak youth far, far away.

The youth’s jaw set stubbornly: “She’s my Sister Yi. Why can’t I see her?”

“Because she hates you,” Jiang Yu Chuan answered, blunt and merciless: “She hates your whole Yu Clan.”

“Innocents shouldn’t pay for their elders’ sins, so I have no interest in roughing up a bunch of kids. But if any of you dare trouble her again, you will soon learn what happens when someone offends the apple of the Martial Alliance’s eye.”

He had always disdained using power to press others, but in the end, he still fell into the common ways.

Feeling the man’s cold, unfathomable presence, Yu Zi Xuan swallowed the stubborn words that had rushed to his lips.

Yu Zhi Yi brought the father and son to Yiluan Charity. Both of them looked puzzled. Wasn’t she taking them out to eat?

They weren’t looking down on the place, only confused. Yu Zhi Yi explained: “Yiluan Charity takes in many people who can’t find proper work outside. A good number are older, but they can still care for themselves. Some have a knack for cooking, so I kept them on to run the kitchen.”

Each branch of Yiluan Charity had a canteen. Aside from one head cook, the helpers and juniors were chosen from the residents. For example, the elderly whom no one would hire for labor and who struggled to farm alone. Or people with disabilities who could still use their hands. It was a way to make the best use of everyone.

Her original goal in founding Yiluan Charity was to help these people live better, but she wouldn’t let them idle and eat for free. Drifting through life like that wasn’t good for them, and it wasn’t good for the charity either. Only those who had completely lost the ability to care for themselves received full care without any work. Even then, such “care” wasn’t something they would all want.

Jiang Yu Chuan already knew his daughter ran a charity that didn’t make money, taking in people the world had cast aside, mostly the old and weak, with many who were disabled. He had thought about offering funds to ease her burden. But before their relationship came to light, he was afraid that if he went to her out of nowhere, daughter would think he had bad intentions.

Now that everything had been revealed, and since they were here, he began to shape his words. He said gently: “Yi’er, I’ve heard that doing charity builds merit. I want to build some merit for our family too.” As he spoke, he took several banknotes from his robe. “Tell me if this is enough.”

Yu Zhi Yi’s eye corner flicked over. They were five notes, each worth ten thousand taels.

She went quiet. That was more than enough. But she still said evenly: “No need.”

A crease of worry appeared on Jiang Yu Chuan’s cool face: “Is it not enough? I didn’t bring that much money this trip…”

Yu Zhi Yi’s eyelid twitched. Was the Martial Alliance really this profitable? He carried fifty thousand taels on him and still had savings at home? Thinking of the hard-earned coins she had scraped together, she pressed her lips. [Comparing yourself to others only makes you mad.]