Chapter 273: Splitting the Silver

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  Chapter 50 Breaking New Ground and Planting Vegetables (1)

How did  Second Aunt do it?

Mo Qingze remained silent, recalling some events that occurred at  Second Uncle's house after his parents passed away. Memories flowed from distant to recent, from blurry to clear, and he found that some details he had previously ignored suddenly emerged in his mind vividly!

At that time, he had just passed the provincial exam and, at Second Aunt's urging, married Du Shi, a girl from a neighboring village. The following year, he wanted to participate in the township exam, but Second Aunt said that the money left by their parents had been spent, and there was no money for him to go to the capital.

Although he hadn't calculated carefully, he knew that the forty-plus taels of silver left by his parents couldn't have all been spent. Moreover, there was an annual yield of five mu of irrigated land. Even if it wasn't much, there should have been at least two taels of silver. But he didn't want to think deeply about it; he preferred to believe that the money had really been spent by him.

So he taught at the school in town, earning one or two taels of silver each month. After three years, when he finally saved enough money to go to the capital, Second Aunt came to the school in tears: "Zeyi, your uncle is seriously ill. The doctor said he needs ginseng for medicine, but there's not enough money at home. Hurry up and give me your silver to buy ginseng."

At that time, he hesitated for a moment, and Second Aunt scolded him in front of the students, calling him an ungrateful wolf who didn't care about his own uncle's life or death.

Helpless, he had to take out all his savings and give them to Second Aunt to buy ginseng.

Later, after Second Uncle recovered, he found him at the school with a guilty face: "Zeyi, Second Aunt is useless and has burdened you. Don't worry, in three years, even if I have to sell the pot and the iron, I will send you to the capital."

Touched, he believed Second Uncle's words, and the other teachers and students at the school praised him for being blessed to have such a good uncle. He also felt that Second Uncle was really good to him.

He comforted himself that he was still young and could wait another three years to go to the capital. However, he never expected that just one year later, his wife, Du Shi, would take advantage of his absence from home, take away all the valuable things in the house, and elope with someone, leaving behind three children!

Looking at his son who was crying for milk, his innocent daughter, the sarcastic Second Aunt, and the villagers who were watching the show, he completely gave up the idea of taking the exam. He took care of the three children as both a father and a mother.

He wanted to reclaim his five mu of irrigated land and plant it himself, but Second Aunt strongly disagreed. She insisted on taking care of the three children herself and asked him to continue teaching at the school in town. After much consideration, he finally went to the school. Every month, when he received his salary, Second Aunt would come and ask for nine hundred wen. He thought that with this money, the children could live better, so he gave it willingly every time.

But every ten days when he returned home and saw the children becoming increasingly weak, he finally became suspicious. After quietly asking his eldest daughter, he learned that the three siblings were only allowed to eat two small steamed buns each day. Even Yan'er, who was only six years old, had to wash dishes and laundry for the family of more than ten people.

He couldn't bear it anymore. Despite Second uncle's persuasion and Second Aunt's curses, he insisted on moving out of the big tile house and settled in the dilapidated ancestral house.

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 Chapter 775 - Luo Qing

Shu Yu wanted to give some money to the second-in-command, but he refused to accept it.

But Shu Yu couldn't let him go empty-handed. Although it was a matter along the way, someone still had to make a special trip to Jiangyuan to deliver the goods.

Although there weren't many specialty items, there were enough to fill two bags.

It would still require time and effort on their part, so they should at least be compensated for the travel expenses.

The second-in-command had no choice but to reluctantly accept a small amount, and both parties were satisfied.

After discussing the matter, they planned to leave. The Huifeng Escort Agency was quite busy, especially with the approaching New Year. Their business seemed to be booming, especially with short-distance deliveries.

In the short time they were talking, two or three customers arrived, and the second-in-command asked someone else to attend to them.

Lu Erbai said that there was something to take care of at home, so he bid farewell with Shu Yu.

However, as they reached the entrance, they saw a young man running towards them from a distance. He arrived in front of them excitedly and said, "Uncle Lu, I heard that you came. You..."

He turned his head and looked at Shu Yu, hesitated for a moment, and a hint of disappointment flashed across his previously smiling face.

Shu Yu couldn't help squinting her eyes. Why was he disappointed when he saw her?

Lu Erbai smiled and said, "Luo Qing, I have something to take care of at home, so we have to leave."

"Ah? Then, let me escort you." Saying that, the young man called Luo Qing glanced at Shu Yu again, and the disappointment on his face became even more evident.

Shu Yu... felt a bit despised.

She secretly sneered in her heart, listening to Lu Erbai and Luo Qing chatting. Soon, they reached the entrance.

Luo Qing still wanted to escort Lu Erbai home, but he was declined.

Shu Yu felt it was strange. Luo Qing seemed to be trying to please Lu Erbai, but Lu Erbai seemed to be deliberately keeping his distance and maintaining a polite but distant demeanor. He hadn't even introduced them.

Therefore, it was only when they had walked far away from the Huifeng Escort Agency that she asked in a low voice, "Dad, what's the matter with Luo Qing?"

Lu Erbai rubbed his forehead, sighed, and whispered, "He... is the son of Luo, the head of the Huifeng Escort Agency. He... wants to marry someone from our family."

Another marriage proposal?

Shu Yu didn't realize that their family's prospects were so good.

Wait a minute, it couldn't be her who was being proposed to, so it must be...

Shu Yu thought of the disappointed look in Luo Qing's eyes when he saw her and asked in a low voice, "Does he want to marry my sister?"

"Yes." Lu Erbai nodded. "He was so happy just now, so he must have heard that I brought my daughter along. He probably thought I was bringing along Da Ya."

"Dad, don't you want to? Is Luo Qing not good?"

"It's not that he's not good. Luo Qing is a good person. He is enthusiastic, skilled in martial arts, and has a good temperament." At least he was much better than that damn Zhang Shu. "But his roots are here. Once you hand over the heat patch, you won't have to be banished anymore, and our whole family will be able to return. If Da Ya marries Luo Qing and stays here, she will be alone."

In the past, when the Zhang family was so close to their family, if Da Ya was bullied, they were powerless as long as she didn't speak up.

If she were to marry into Heichang County, thousands of miles away from their hometown, even if something happened to her, their hometown might not even receive the news.

Although the Huifeng Escort Agency looked good now, no one could guarantee that it would stay that way in the future. Luo Qing might look good now, but who knew if he would fall in love with someone else later?

If Da Ya was in this place, she would truly have no support. How could they bear that?

Of course, this was just one of the reasons. There was another reason, Luo Qing's mother.

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  Chapter 49 Father-Daughter Conflict

On the way home, the faces of several people weren't looking too good.

Li Zhong glanced at the furrowed brows of Mo Qingze and the cold expression on Mo Yan's face, thinking of speaking up to advise them not to create conflict over those upsetting matters. However, as an outsider, he felt it wasn't appropriate to meddle in the father-daughter relationship, so he just patted his granddaughter's head silently and sighed.

Xin'er and Zhen'er were at an age where they could distinguish right from wrong, and they didn't conceal their emotions. One on each side, they leaned closely against their sister, glaring at their father with dissatisfaction written all over their little faces.

Why did Second Grandma and Second Grandpa come to bully them again? Big sister didn't do anything wrong. Why did Dad have to scold her? After finally living a good life, were they going to let those bad people take everything away from their family again?

During those years in the old village, if it weren't for big sister protecting them, they would have been bullied to death by the rascals from Second Uncle's family long ago. Dad always seemed to favor Second Uncle's family. Hmph!

Being stared at by his daughter and son like they were watching a bad person, Mo Qingze felt very uncomfortable. When he looked at his daughter, who had no expression on her face, he felt a twinge of regret, but then he remembered the disappointed and saddened look in Second Uncle's eyes before leaving, and he felt that his daughter shouldn't have been so aggressive.

He knew that Second Auntie wasn't very kind to the children, but Second Uncle was the only elder he was close to. He had been treated well by Second Uncle when he was young. Just as Second Auntie said, if it weren't for them, it would have been difficult to protect the family property left by his parents. Even whether he could grow up safely would have been a problem. Moreover, Second Uncle had followed his father's last wishes and sent him to school, and he eventually achieved academic success.

Although after getting married, Second Uncle's family didn't return those fields and houses to him, he felt grateful for their care. Seeing his daughter mentioning those dirty things in front of so many people, wasn't it hurting Second Uncle's feelings?

Mo Yan couldn't ignore her father's conflicted gaze, but she didn't want to explain anything for the time being.

At first, her father's reprimand indeed made her uncomfortable, but now that she had calmed down, she thought carefully from her father's perspective and understood why he would scold her.

But understanding aside, even if time were to rewind and repeat, she would still take the opportunity to expose their true colors while Second Grandma's family's foundation in Liuyang Village wasn't stable. She couldn't bear to endure those scoundrels, especially considering how they had bullied her mercilessly in the old village. Even the death of the original owner was not unrelated to that family of scoundrels. She couldn't bear to suppress herself for those scoundrels.

When they returned home, it was already dark.

Even though everyone's mood wasn't great, dinner still had to be eaten.

When Mo Yan was in a bad mood, she liked to cook delicious food to ease her mind. So tonight, she didn't care about the rule of eating less and avoiding salty food. She decided to make a delicious meal to forget about the unhappy things.

There was pork, chicken, and plenty of pig offal that had been braised a few days ago at home. In addition, there were various vegetables and fruits in the space, so Mo Yan took out some seasonal radishes and Chinese cabbage and planned to make three meat and two vegetarian dishes.

Considering that heavy, greasy food was not suitable for the evening, Mo Yan decided to make a steamed dish that she had loved in her previous life — pearl tofu meatballs.

The ingredients for pearl tofu meatballs were very simple. The main ingredients were glutinous rice, tofu, and pork. The seasonings were just green onions, ginger, cooking wine, soy sauce, salt, and sesame oil.

The glutinous rice needed to be soaked in water for at least an hour and a half so that it would be soft and sticky when steamed. Fortunately, Mo Yan liked to make nutritious and delicious Yin Rice Lean Meat Egg Soup Pancakes. She had made quite a few Yin Rice and stored them, making it very convenient to use.

Yin Rice was processed from glutinous rice and had a similar texture to glutinous rice after steaming and cooking. It was perfect for making pearl tofu meatballs.

Mo Yan minced the meat, mixed it with tofu in a two-to-one ratio, added chopped green onions and ginger, soy sauce, cooking wine, oil, and salt, and used chopsticks to mix it vigorously in the same direction repeatedly. After letting it marinate for a while, she started to shape it into balls half the size of an egg. Then, she rolled them in the Yin Rice, making sure they were evenly coated before they were ready.

Xin'er and Zhen'er didn't want to talk to their father, so they also went into the kitchen to help. Seeing their big sister shaping the meatballs with interest, they also washed their hands and helped to shape them.

Li Yan couldn't help, so she went to the well to fetch water and wash the vegetables. The water she just fetched from the well was warm and wouldn't freeze her hands. It was just right for washing vegetables.

After making the pearl tofu meatballs, Mo Yan added water to the pot and placed two layers of steaming baskets on top. The first layer was for steaming rice, and the second layer held two large plates of meatballs. Then, she covered the pot and let Xin'er make the fire below while she cooked the other dishes outside.

In less than half an hour, Mo Yan had made potato braised chicken, dry-fried pork intestines, stir-fried radishes, and stomach-settling stewed Chinese cabbage. At this point, the aroma of rice and meat filled the whole kitchen, drifting into the hall.

Li Zhong couldn't help but walk into the kitchen and saw the meatballs coming out of the pot. When he learned that the dish was called pearl tofu meatballs, he couldn't help but clap and laugh, "The glutinous rice is plump and shiny, just like pearls, isn't it? Hearing tofu, you know what's inside. This name is great, both elegant and common!"

Mo Yan listened with a black line on her face. Wasn't it just a common steamed dish? Aren't all dishes meant to be eaten? Why did it have to be related to elegance or vulgarity?

"Grandpa, please stop talking. I already thought this dish looked good. If you keep talking, we'll all feel embarrassed to eat it!" Li Yan interrupted hastily. She genuinely thought the dish looked beautiful and was already drooling just by looking at it.

The newly made meatballs were particularly popular, especially among the three little ones who loved to eat them. Even Li Zhong, who had a heavy taste, ate quite a few. Mo Qingze, who originally had a poor appetite, also ate heartily and ended up having two bowls of rice.

After dinner, everyone's mood improved. Mo Yan looked at her father, whose complexion had softened considerably, and felt it necessary to explain what had happened in the afternoon. She didn't want there to be a rift between her and her father because of these things, especially since she had another important matter to discuss.

Mo Qingze also had this intention, so father and daughter each put on an extra layer of clothing and went to the courtyard together.

Under the moonlight, Mo Yan looked at her father, who was becoming more and more like her father in her previous life, and her eyes couldn't help but well up with tears. Her voice trembled as she said, "Dad, I know Second Grandpa is an elder, and I shouldn't have said those things in front of so many people. But have you ever thought, if these things weren't exposed in front of everyone, with  Second Grandma's words, how could we establish ourselves in Liuyang Village in the future?"

As she spoke, Mo Yan remembered the disgusting things Mo Hongshi had done, and her tone became even worse. "Back then, Dad taught in the town, earning one or two silver coins a month. Our family had no land, and we had to buy everything. This one or two silver coins barely sustained our family's livelihood. But what did  Second Grandma do?"

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 Chapter 774 - Visiting the Huifeng Escort Agency

Except for the two children, everyone had a taste of the wine.

It had a good flavor, and Shu Yu even sipped two small cups.

After finishing the meal, Zhao Xi and Meng Yunzheng bid farewell, while the Lu family lit candles and began writing letters.

This time, it was Shu Yu who took the pen first. She first reported that they were safe, and then talked about their life there. The old lady wanted her to mention her appointment as the steward, even though she didn't say much about it. Just the mention of her being a steward would let others know that she was doing well.

Then she mentioned the preparations for the upcoming New Year, asking her eldest uncle and third uncle to help clean the house for her second branch's family. Although they were not there, the festive atmosphere still needed to be present.

Shu Yu wrote a long letter, mainly for Da Niu.

In the letter, she explained which packages of tea were for Lord Xiang, Doctor Xu, and the Ding family. After making everything clear, she put down the pen.

The letter wasn't very thick, and Shu Yu waited for the ink to dry before sealing it.

The letters and the specialties were sent separately. Meng Yunzheng would help send the letters through the official postal channels, and they should arrive before the New Year.

As for the specialties, Lu Erbai said that the Huifeng Escort Agency would be making a trip to Jiangnan in a few days, passing through Dong'an Prefecture along the way.

Because of this, the escorts from the agency had come to Lu Erbai and asked if there was anything that needed to be taken back to their hometown.

Lu Erbai hadn't wanted to trouble them, but now that the topic of New Year goods had come up, it was indeed troublesome to ask the Huifeng Escort Agency to make a trip.

Therefore, the next day, Lu Erbai specifically went to the Huifeng Escort Agency to inform them.

This was Shu Yu's first visit to the agency. The Huifeng Escort Agency was the largest escort agency in the whole Heichang County, with a large compound and many escorts.

When they arrived, many escorts were practicing martial arts in the courtyard, swinging their knives, spears, swords, and halberds with vigor.

The person who came to greet them was the second-in-command of the escort agency, as it was said that the head of the agency was away and not present.

The Huifeng Escort Agency welcomed Lu Erbai warmly, especially when they heard that he had come with the rumored Second Miss. The second-in-command invited them in and occasionally cast a glance at Shu Yu.

This made Shu Yu feel a little uncomfortable, but the second-in-command laughed heartily and, upon entering the house, thanked her earnestly.

"The incident from last time, the yamen had already informed us. Thanks to the young lady, the troubles in our escort agency were resolved so quickly."

Shu Yu quickly said, "Second-in-Command, you're being too polite. I didn't do much to help. It was just an accident. It's actually our family who should thank you. We're newcomers, and we're grateful for your care."

Shu Yu spoke in a generous and pleasant manner, and the second-in-command liked her straightforwardness.

As a result, he ended up chatting more with Shu Yu after that.

Lu Erbai, on the other hand, stood to the side like a background board, and the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Shu Yu soon got to the point, "...I would like to trouble you to help deliver these items to our hometown. I've written the address on the paper. However, there is one slightly troublesome thing. These specialties need to be delivered personally to my eldest brother, Da Niu. It's not good if they pass through someone else's hands."

If they were passed to Fourth Aunt, it would still be fine, but if they were received by Eldest Uncle's wife and Third Uncle's wife, that would be a disaster. They would definitely keep everything for themselves.

Only when they fell into Da Niu's hands would it be the safest. He would distribute them according to the instructions in the letter, ensuring that no one would be shortchanged.

The second-in-command agreed. It was a small matter and not difficult to handle.

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 Chapter 272: Foolish Appearance

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 Chapter 271: They're Back

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  Chapter 48: The Thirty-Ninth Face-Slapping

Seeing that heavy slap about to land on her face, how could Mo Yan stand there and take it?

In the nick of time, a tall figure stood in front of her, and Mo Hongshi's slap landed on the chest of the newcomer.

"Ah—"

A scream pierced through the sky, startling the birds perched on the tree branches.

Mo Hongshi held her wrist with her left hand, groaning in pain with each movement. Her right hand twisted in a strange angle, trembling as if it were cramping, clearly indicating a broken wrist.

"Where did this brat come from? What did you do to my mother?"

The people who came with Mo Hongshi couldn't stand still. Several men and women stepped forward, surrounding Mo Hongshi and chattering. A man who bore a striking resemblance to her jumped out, pointing at Lin Yong and cursing.

This man was Mo Yonglu, Mo Hongshi's second son, cut from the same cloth as his mother. While in Mo Village, he often bullied Mo Yan's family.

Lin Yong looked down at him with an expressionless face. Although he didn't speak, everyone could tell from his demeanor that he despised Mo Yonglu.

"You, dare to defy me!"

Mo Yonglu, who had always ruled over Mo Village, couldn't bear this. He clenched his fist, filled with resentment, and aimed a punch at Lin Yong's face.

Seeing this, Mo Yan instinctively tried to push Lin Yong away, but Lin Yong was as solid as a rock and couldn't be budged.

Mo Yonglu's fist descended, but instead of hitting Lin Yong's face, it landed heavily on his chest. With a cracking sound, a moment later, another scream akin to a pig being slaughtered echoed through the sky.

"Ah—"

Just like Mo Hongshi, Mo Yonglu's right wrist twisted in the same strange angle, clearly broken.

The mother and son duo screamed even louder, looking at Lin Yong with fear in their eyes, but dared not curse again.

The surrounding villagers witnessed the mother and son initiating the violence, and although they didn't understand why things turned out this way, not a single person sympathized with them. They looked at Lin Yong with awe.

Internal energy! Lin Yong must be a master!

Mo Yan stared admiringly at the back of Lin Yong's head, wanting to reach out and poke his back to confirm her suspicions, but she refrained due to the inappropriate situation.

"Zeyue, our family finally reunites, and you treat your aunt and cousin like this?"

Seeing his wife and son injured, Old Mo finally spoke up, his face dark and his words imposing.

"Second uncle, I..."

"Second grandpa, what are you saying," Mo Qingze's words were interrupted by Mo Yan again, "Aunt and cousin started the fight first, everyone here saw it clearly, my dad didn't do anything!"

Mo Yan looked at Old Mo warily, her eyes devoid of any warmth. Among all the people in Mo Village, she detested him the most. This old man looked honest and kind, but if he were truly honest and kind, why would he allow his wife and son to plunder food from his nephew's house?

In Mo Village, whenever the mother and son duo caused trouble at Mo Yan's house, this second grandpa would always mediate, appealing to her father's emotions, and finally letting the matter go. Because of this, the mother and son duo became more audacious. Otherwise, they wouldn't have deliberately gone to Mo Yan's house during the evacuation and looted all the remaining food. She didn't believe that this second grandpa didn't know about it.

Her father had feelings for this uncle, but she didn't, and she didn't want to get involved with this family of troublemakers just because of her father's feelings. Otherwise, their days in Liuyang Village would not be peaceful, and she couldn't let her father step forward now.

Old Mo's face darkened even more when he saw Mo Yan speak up again. He forced a smile and said to Mo Qingze, "Zeyue, your aunt and cousin are just hot-headed, they mean no harm. Your parents passed away early, and it was your aunt who raised you. She has supported your education and marriage all these years, no different from your own parents!"

Here he goes again! How thick-skinned do you have to be to say such things! If he wasn't an elder and the original owner's uncle, Mo Yan really wanted to call him shameless to his face!

Mo Yan clenched her fists and took a deep breath, suppressing the urge. Since she had lost her shame, why bother keeping any for this family?

"Second grandpa, why don't I understand your words? Back then, when my grandparents passed away, they left my father a two-story brick house, ten mu of good farmland, and over eighty taels of silver!"

Pausing deliberately, Mo Yan heard gasps all around.

The original owner's grandparents were both scholars and had some means. In just a few years, they had accumulated quite a bit of wealth. If it weren't for both grandparents falling ill and spending most of it, there would probably be even more! These properties were quite substantial for a family like theirs, who only earned a few taels of silver a year.

Seeing Old Mo's pitch-black face, Mo Yan coldly snorted. Before Old Mo could speak up, she continued:

"But why did I hear that over ten years ago, those land deeds and house deeds were all in your name?"

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 Chapter 773 - They're Not Worthy of Drinking Good Tea

The mule cart entered the courtyard, and Shu Yu took out a few packages from inside.

As soon as the old lady approached, she frowned at the paper packages in Shu Yu's hands. "What did you buy these for?"

"Didn't we need to bring local specialties back to our hometown? This tea is famous in Linzhang Prefecture, how could we leave it out?" Shu Yu walked into the main hall with the paper packages and placed them on the table, stacking them together with the specialties that the old lady and the others had bought during the day.

However, the old lady looked disapproving. "This tea is so expensive. Isn't it a waste to give it to your uncles? They are just commoners, what do they know about tea? It's good enough if they can drink some cheap tea leaves."

There were many fruit trees in Linzhang Prefecture, so the specialties the old lady and the others bought were usually dried fruits, as well as some wild mushrooms and herbs that were not available in Jiang Yuan County.

These items could be stored for a longer time, and they were relatively common and not expensive.

But Shu Yu was right. The most famous product in Linzhang Prefecture was the tea in her hands. However, besides being delicious, this tea was also very expensive and only wealthy households could afford it.

Even if she gave it to her two sons, they wouldn't be able to appreciate it, which would be a waste of money.

That's why the old lady hadn't considered buying this item. Who would have thought that she didn't buy it, but Ah Yu did.

Shu Yu turned around, holding the old lady's arm and smiling. "Grandmother, why do you speak ill of your own sons like that?"

She knew the old lady's temperament and didn't try to persuade her. Instead, she said, "I bought the tea not only for Uncle and Third Uncle. The price of this tea in Linzhang Prefecture is drastically different from that in Dong'an Prefecture. Since we can buy it cheaply here, it's a good opportunity to give it as gifts. I plan to give some to Lord Xiang, Doctor Xu, and Miss Ding. They have all helped us in Jiang Yuan County, and they know how to appreciate good tea, don't they?"

As soon as the old lady heard that it would be given to Xiang Daren and the others, she nodded. "That's true."

"So, if we're giving it to outsiders, how can we not give it to our own family? If Third Uncle finds out, he will definitely cause a fuss. Even if eldest Uncle and Third Uncle don't understand tea, it can still be used to entertain guests. It's something we can take pride in," Shu Yu explained.

After thinking for a moment, the old lady agreed, "Alright, but don't give too much."

"I understand, I understand." Shu Yu smiled and supported the old lady as they went to the kitchen. Meng Yunzheng and Zhao Xi were there, and there were indeed many exquisite dishes on the table.

Speaking of which, Shu Yu had come to Heichang County several times and had never tasted the local specialties.

Ruan Shi urged them to sit down. "Come, come, let's eat. It's so late, your stomachs must be empty."

The original table in the Lu family was relatively small, but fortunately, Ruan Shi and Da Ya had several tables from their stall, so they could be combined to form a larger one. The whole family could sit together.

Shu Yu sat opposite Meng Yunzheng and gave him a slight smile, which indicated that her trip had gone very smoothly.

Rarely in a good mood, he had even bought two jugs of wine.

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  Chapter 47: A Family of High-Quality Goods

Sharp-tongued, greedy for money, false righteousness!

These twelve words couldn't be more appropriate to describe Mo Hongshi. Yet, she was Mo Qingze's own second aunt, the original owner's step-grandmother.

As soon as Mo Hongshi appeared, Mo Yan's face darkened significantly. Hearing her incessant cursing only fueled Mo Yan's anger and disgust, which she didn't bother to hide!

However, this family had clearly fled to Yongcheng with the rest of the villagers. Mo Yan wondered why they had shown up here.

"You, Mo Qingze! Back then, I didn't mind that you were orphaned and widowed. I kindly took you into our home, raised you, and even tightened our belts to send you to school. But how did you repay me? You took my money and built a reputation for yourself, causing my granddaughter to fall ill and die on the road because we couldn't afford treatment. Heavens above, why didn't you just strike down this ungrateful wretch..."

Mo Hongshi sat on the ground, slapping her thighs with her fat hands, crying and cursing loudly, directing every foul word at Mo Qingze.

Mo Qingze, upon seeing Mo Hongshi, couldn't react at first. When he finally comprehended her ranting, his entire face turned black!

Just as he was about to step forward, his hand was pulled back. Turning around, he saw his daughter with a stern face, shaking her head at him.

"Dad, this isn't the Mo family village. Nobody here will believe her nonsense! Let her curse; I want to see where she gets the nerve to make up such things!"

Mo Yan knew her father's temperament well. There was no way he would step forward. She took a step forward, blocking her father's siblings, and looked at the crowd with a cold smile: Did they expect her to compromise with them like before? Dream on!

"Look at what she's saying! When they first saw you, dad wasn't too happy and didn't react immediately, right? Even I was happy! When we were fleeing, this Second Grandma and her family broke into our house while you were away and took our only two chickens, all our grain, and said we were all born to be lowly, living was just a waste of food. They even said it was better to feed you guys instead. I'll never forget those words! Now that we've met again, shouldn't the Second Grandma return our grain?"

Mo Yan spoke softly and respectfully, yet her words made Mo Hongshi and the others' faces change drastically.

If it wasn't for this despicable Second Grandma taking away the Mo family's grain, the original owner wouldn't have starved to death on the way to escape. One could say that the original owner's death was indirectly caused by Mo Hongshi. Since she accidentally inherited this body, she had a responsibility to make Mo Hongshi pay for the original owner's death!

Hearing this, the villagers widened their eyes. Those who had previously been skeptical couldn't help but understand now, seeing the shameless expressions on Mo Hongshi and the others' faces.

Are these really relatives? Even enemies wouldn't act like this!

Despite Mo Hongshi's thick skin, she couldn't withstand the disdainful gazes. She rushed to Mo Yan in embarrassment, raised her palm, and slapped it towards Mo Yan's face: "You lowly..."

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 Chapter 772 - What Joyous Occasion Is Today?

Shu Yu's expression became somewhat strange, and she hesitated before saying, "I do want to remember, but there are so many scattered names of medicinal herbs that I can't memorize them all."

Medicinal herbs?

Qi Chan furrowed his brow, suspiciously unfolded the letter, and then his eyes became a little blurry.

He looked inside the envelope again and saw that there was no other paper, uncertainly asking, "Cheng Dong only entrusted you with this?"

Shu Yu nodded, "I don't know why he wanted me to deliver a list of medicinal herb names to the people in the Hetai Mansion. When I saw this, I found him even more suspicious, so I tied him up and brought him into the city."

Qi Chan pondered. It seemed that there were hidden implications in this thing.

That was fine too. Miss Lu didn't understand, and it wouldn't harm her.

"I understand. I will read this letter carefully. As for the matter concerning Cheng Dong, don't mention it to anyone when you return. Pretend you never encountered him, and he wasn't brought to me by you, understand?" Qi Chan said.

Shu Yu nodded. It was the same as what she had told Hou Shi.

Qi Chan stored the letter away. "Alright, leave the rest to me. You can go back now."

"I take my leave, sir."

Shu Yu left, and only then did Qi Chan look at the jar on the table, which was once again emitting smoke.

It seemed that even Linzhang Prefecture was not peaceful.

Cheng Dong was Gong Qiu's person. What exactly did Gong Qiu want to do? Why did he send someone to infiltrate prefect Cheng's side? Was his reach extending too far?

Qi Chan rubbed his temples. He had to send a letter to the capital to have someone keep an eye on Gong Qiu.

After Shu Yu handed over both items, she prepared to go home while leading the mule cart, feeling relaxed.

When she reached the doorstep, she saw Da Hu and San Ya sitting on the children's cart, playing and running around with the other kids in the alley.

Upon seeing Shu Yu, San Ya immediately asked the child pushing her to stop and came out of the cart herself. She didn't even care that the other children were clamoring to get on the cart and rushed over. "Second Sister, you're back?"

Da Hu also ran over. "Second Sister, why were you gone for so long? We've been waiting for you forever."

"Yeah, grandmother said that if you didn't come back soon, she would go outside the city to find you."

"Fortunately, Big Brother Meng said that he saw you go to the county yamen and should be talking to Mister Qi. That's why we were relieved."

"Big Brother Meng went to the restaurant and ordered a lot of food. He said today is a joyous occasion and we should have a hearty meal."

The little girl tilted her head, her brain going haywire. "But what joyous occasion is today? I can't figure it out. Big Brother Meng won't tell me either. My little head is going to explode."

Listening to her younger siblings, Shu Yu's heart warmed, and she smiled, saying, "As long as our family is reunited, that's a joyous occasion. Of course, we should have a hearty meal."

San Ya also realized, "Then let's hurry back and eat."

A few children called out to them, "San Ya, Da Hu, we still want to play with the cart."

Da Hu's expression turned serious. "Not today. Maybe tomorrow morning. We'll come and play again tomorrow. Today, we all have to go home for dinner."

The children were unwilling, wanting to persuade them further, but San Ya had already run over, pushing the cart back home.

Because Shu Yu was leading the mule cart, the children didn't dare to act up. Seeing that there was no cart left, they dispersed

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 Chapter 270: Still Murdered?

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