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Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Heartbreak Is Hardest to Overcome After learning the cause of her illness, Old Tang wasted no time and called people over to prepare pots, pans, firewood, rice, oil, and salt, and had them all delivered to the house on Baihua Lane. For this, he even asked Shen Qinglan if she wanted him to go to the Government to buy a couple of people to help manage the house. He also said she wouldn’t have to pay for it, as Shengxiang Restaurant would cover their monthly wages. With someone offering free help, why not accept it? So, without a second thought, Shen Qinglan agreed. Old Tang chose for her an honest couple, around forty years old, who came from another region. The woman’s surname was Yang, and the man’s surname was Shao. Shen Qinglan called them Aunt Yang and Uncle Shao. Aunt Yang was quick with her work; she could not only cook but also did good needlework. Uncle Shao was a bit crippled, but it didn’t impede his movement. He was quite strong, and the firewood he chopped was evenly sized. The couple had no children. They said they once had a son, but when a drought struck their area, leaving them destitute, the child was too young to withstand the hardships and starved to death during their escape. After burying their son, the couple fled all the way to Jinxi Town. To survive, they sold themselves as servants into a wealthy household. Who would have thought that the head of that household would die, and after the sons divided the estate, they sold all the servants to human traders? They waited for a year until Old Tang bought them over today. Shen Qinglan took them back to the house on Baihua Lane, arranged for them to live in the rear residence, and after familiarizing them with the environment, left the remaining tasks to them. The plaque hanging outside the main door still read Tang Mansion. Shen Qinglan made a special trip to the carpenter’s shop, asked for a "Shen Mansion" plaque to be made, and after paying a deposit, instructed the shopkeeper to deliver it to Shengxiang Restaurant once completed, where she would pay the balance. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮 Old Tang allowed her two days of rest and only on the third day permitted her to return to work. During these two days, Shen Qinglan furnished all the missing items in the house and bought a few pieces of clothing for Aunt Yang and Uncle Shao. Early in the morning, Shen Qinglan ate the warm breakfast prepared by Aunt Yang before setting off to work. Seeing her regain her vitality, Old Tang finally breathed a sigh of relief. After all, she might be the future Young Madam, and if he didn’t take good care of her, things could turn bad for him once Shen Qinglan became the Young Madam. So, all the employees at Shengxiang Restaurant noticed a peculiar phenomenon. That is, their shopkeeper was unusually attentive to an accountant, frequently asking if she was hungry, thirsty, or needed rest. Many even speculated, saying that Shen Qinglan might be Old Tang’s illegitimate daughter, while others guessed Shen Qinglan was actually Old Tang’s granddaughter. After all, Old Tang was already fifty years old; his children would be around twenty or thirty. If they married early, having a granddaughter Shen Qinglan’s age wouldn’t be unexpected. Both Old Tang and Shen Qinglan heard these speculations, but neither said anything, letting people guess as they pleased since none of it was true. Having been in town for several days, Shen Qinglan still didn’t know how Shen Qinghe was doing now. In her past life, when she had just started university, she heard her roommate say that any wound could be healed except for emotional hurt, which was difficult to recover from. She had never been in love or heartbroken, so she didn’t understand what emotional injury felt like, nor did she want to experience it. But thinking of Shen Qinghe’s appearance that day, it must have been very sad indeed. She could only hope Shen Qinghe would recover soon.