Xiao Chong had already come to his senses when Xiao Qingwan hid behind Qin Ming.
Looking at Qin Ming's slightly scrutinizing eyes, Xiao Chong realized that his actions just now were a bit out of control.
Xiao Chong wiped his cheek with his sleeve, cupped his hands towards Qin Ming and said:
"Xiao just remembered some past events, so please don't blame me for losing your temper!"
Qin Ming waved his hand and said with a smile:
"It's okay, it's okay, Brother Xiao, please sit down."
After finishing speaking, Qin Mingchao’s maid Dong Xue said:
"Dongxue, serve cakes to the guests."
Dongxue responded.
After Qin Ming and Xiao Chong sat down again, Wan'er and Dong Xue placed a small plate of pastries next to their desks.
Xiao Chong has been recalling bits and pieces of the past since he sat down.
My mind is filled with images of getting along with my little sister.
What kind of pastries are you in the mood for?
Xiao Qingwan stood beside Qin Ming and spoke softly:
"Sir, is he the neighbor who came to visit the house yesterday?"
Qin Ming nodded.
Xiao Chong's ears twitched and he glanced at Xiao Qingwan, who looked similar to his little sister.
After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but ask:
"Little friend Qin, I have a question. It may be a bit presumptuous. I wonder if I should take it seriously?"
Qin Ming raised his eyebrows, probably guessing what Xiao Chong wanted to ask.
So he turned to Xiao Qingwan and said:
"Wan'er, you go down first, Brother Xiao and I have something to discuss."
Xiao Qingwan nodded obediently after hearing this, said a blessing to Qin Ming, then greeted the maid in the hall, and walked out of the room together.
When leaving, Xiao Qingwan did not forget to close the door of the banquet hall.
Seeing Qin Ming being so serious, Xiao Chong was obviously stunned for a moment and didn't understand what was going on.
"My little friend, what are you doing?"
Qin Ming said straight to the point:
"Brother Xiao's problem, is it related to Wan'er who just left home?"
Xiao Chong's expression was a little solemn when he heard this, and he had some guesses in his heart.
[Could it be that the little lady named Wan'er just now is the daughter of Thirteenth Mother? 】
Thinking of this, Xiao Chong asked anxiously:
"How did the man from Qin County know this?"
Qin Ming picked up the teacup with a calm expression, took a sip, and then said:
"If Qin guessed correctly, when Xiao Chong saw Wan'er just now, he thought of a certain relative, right?"
Xiao Chong's pupils narrowed when he heard this.
How did he know? Does he know Thirteenth Niang?
is it possible?
Could there be such a coincidence?
Qin Ming saw Xiao Chong sitting there without speaking, so he continued:
"Wan'er's surname is Xiao and her name is Qingwan. She is from the Xiao family in Lanling. Speaking of which, you can be considered relatives."
Xiao Chong's expression froze when he heard this, then he thought of something, stood up quickly, stared at Qin Ming, and asked two questions in a row.
"Although our Xiao family has declined, we are still a Jiangnan family after all! If she was really born in the Lanling Xiao family, how could she be reduced to a maid in the house?"
"How can a man from Qin County prove that she is from the Lanling Xiao family?"
Qin Ming's face turned dark when he heard this. He leaned on the chair, stretched out a finger, and said with an unhappy expression:
"First of all, although Wan'er is a maid in my Qin Mansion, she is not a lowly one, and her status in the Qin Mansion is not bad at all! I can guarantee that no one in the mansion or even in Chang'an can bully her!"
Then Qin Ming stretched out another finger.
"Second, Qin is just telling you a fact, believe it or not! Qin has no responsibility or obligation to prove her origin because of your question!"
"Besides, her background is not important to me at all."
Finally, Qin Ming stretched out another finger and said disdainfully:
"Third, it's not that Mr. Qin is talking big words! Let alone the Xiao family in Jiangnan, even the Wang family in Taiyuan and the Cui family in Qinghe don't care about anything!"
Xiao Chong was stunned by Qin Ming's words.
【What a young and frivolous person! Don’t worry about the wind blowing your tongue! Those Shandong nobles have inherited it for thousands of years! This is something you, a young boy, can look down upon! 】
[Only people who are truly from aristocratic families can understand the profound heritage of aristocratic families! 】
[Don’t say it’s you? Even Li Erlang would not dare to say such big words! 】
However, Xiao Chong will naturally not say these inner thoughts. After all, what he is most anxious about right now is to find out Xiao Qingwan's identity!
Let’s see if she is related to Thirteen Niangs!
So when Xiao Chong saw Qin Ming's unhappy expression, he quickly handed over his hands and apologized!
"It was Xiao who made a mistake. I hope the man from Qin County won't blame him!"
Qin Ming's expression softened a little when he saw this, considering that Xiao Chong was probably a relative of Xi'er and Wan'er.
He could only wave his hand and said:
"In terms of seniority, you cannot be said to be Wan'er's elder, so forget it."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chong had an idea and asked:
"Mr. Qin County, do you know the names of Qingwan's parents? Where are they at this time?"
Qin Ming pointed to the chair next to him and motioned for Xiao Chong to sit down.
Xiao Chong walked back to the chair and sat down. After the conversation just now, he had calmed down.
At the same time, he decided that no matter whether Xiao Qingwan was from the Lanling Xiao family or not, he would never mention anything about Thirteenth Niang and His Highness.
First of all, His Highness has a special identity. If his identity is exposed, he could easily be killed!
Secondly, although he heard a lot of rumors about Qin Ming from the King of Shu, Qin Ming was a nobleman of the Tang Dynasty after all!
He is still a very smart nobleman. If he detects any clues, he learns of His Highness's existence.
There is no guarantee that he will not report His Highness's affairs to Li Erlang for the sake of his future, in exchange for a high official salary!
Qin Ming took a piece of pastry from the table and said while eating:
"Wan'er's father's surname is Xiao and his given name is Xingbang."
Xiao Chong was stunned for a moment when he heard this. It turned out that the twelfth son of the fourth uncle's family, in this case, it makes sense that Wan'er's appearance looks like the thirteenth mother.
But didn't Twelve Lang move to Jiangcheng with his fourth uncle?
Why did he come to Chang'an?
It stands to reason that Twelve Lang has read poetry and books since he was a child, and he is even more proud to be born in the Xiao family of Lanling!
Even if the fourth uncle's family is in decline and no matter how poor his life is, he still won't sell his niece?
Could it be that something unexpected happened at Fourth Uncle's house?
Or was Qingwan abducted to Chang'an by someone else?
Thinking of this, Xiao Chong asked with confusion:
"Then where is her father now? Who sold Wan'er to your mansion?"
Qin Ming picked up the tea, took a sip, and smoothed down the pastries. Then he patiently explained:
"Five years ago, the Yangtze River overflowed and serious flooding occurred. Wan'er's family followed the refugee team all the way to Chang'an to seek refuge with relatives."
"I never thought that both of Wan'er's parents died of illness just after arriving in Chang'an City, leaving only Wan'er, who was only eight years old, alone."
"You can probably guess the rest without me telling you."
When Xiao Chong heard this, his eyes were blank, his hands couldn't help trembling, and he couldn't help murmuring:
"Old Twelve...Old Twelve! Why didn't you wait for my brother? Why did you go just as you said..."
As he spoke, Xiao Chong covered his face with his hands, tears streaming down his fingers.
.....
