Chapter 384: Please

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 Chapter 383: Returning to Secular Life

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   Chapter 138: Fate's Play (1)

On the other side, the shopkeeper quickly relayed Mo Yan's request to Yan Junyu. For Yan Junyu, it was merely a matter of raising his hand. He promptly dispatched people to secretly investigate the brothel overnight.

The scouts acted swiftly. Early the next morning, they laid out all the intricacies of the brothel before Yan Junyu.

As Yan Junyu looked at the familiar names on the stack of papers, a particularly charming smile appeared on his handsome face. Seeing this, the observer's heart trembled. This ancestor, who was he going to trouble now?

"Take these to the Wucheng Military camp and tell the one surnamed Xiao that I've been swindled out of twenty thousand taels by the people there. Tell him to retrieve it quickly." Yan Junyu tossed the stack of papers to the observer and continued feeding bread to the fish in the pond.

Shopkeeper Xing rolled his eyes secretly but put on a flattering demeanor. "Master, if it's just about money, it should be handled by the Prefect of Justice. Involving Master Xiao might cause trouble."

Yan Junyu kicked him. "Can't you come up with a better excuse after following me for so many years? You're still this foolish!"

Shopkeeper Xing dodged agilely and chuckled, "Then I'll say someone tried to assassinate you, and the assassin fled into the brothel, surely colluding with the people there."

Yan Junyu twitched his eye corner, utterly speechless. How much hate had he accumulated to be stabbed twice in just three months?

Xiao Ruiyuan had just finished the morning court session and was about to handle official business when he received news that Yan Junyu had been attacked and instructed to seal off a brothel. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

However, when he finished reading the information passed to him by Shopkeeper Xing, Xiao Ruiyuan's expression turned serious, and he immediately dispatched two hundred soldiers to the brothel...

All the people in the brothel were apprehended. Xiao Ruiyuan recognized Li Zhong, took his testimony, and then released him. When Li Zhong returned home in the afternoon, Mo Yan, who had been anxiously waiting all day, finally relaxed. However, Li Xiu didn't return with him. Although she was surprised, she refrained from asking.

Li Zhong, on the other hand, sent the three children away and took the initiative to tell Mo Yan everything that had happened to Li Xiu after she was abandoned.

Mo Yan felt that something was off, but she patiently listened.

It turned out that after Li Xiu was abandoned by the Zhang family, fearing to shame her parents and siblings and having no money for travel expenses, she decided to stay in the capital.

Li Xiu was skilled in embroidery, so she found a reputable embroidery workshop to work as an embroiderer, enough to support herself.

However, her embroidery skills were too good. Not only did she gain the favor of the shopkeeper, but some clients also specifically requested her work. Coupled with her focus on her work and lack of communication with other embroiderers, over time, the other embroiderers naturally became resentful.

Once, a wealthy client asked Li Xiu to embroider a large piece as a birthday gift. However, on the day before completion, it was destroyed by someone, but the culprit was not caught.

The shopkeeper didn't dare to offend the wealthy client and pushed all the blame onto Li Xiu. Not only did Li Xiu lose her job, but she also lost all her money. At her wit's end, she was deceived into the brothel.

"It's all my fault. I raised Xiu too meek and introverted. If she were more assertive, even if nothing else happened, the Zhang family wouldn't dare treat her so harshly, and none of this would have happened. It's all my fault!"

Li Zhong blamed himself, his aging face filled with regret. He overlooked the treacherousness of human nature and blamed himself for everything.

Mo Yan didn't know how to comfort this sorrowful old man. At this point, any words of comfort would be too pale.

Li Zhong wiped away his tears and choked out the rest of the story.

Tricked into the brothel, Li Xiu was renamed Xiang Xing'er. She had tried to escape and resist, but she was beaten half to death each time. However, she couldn't bear to leave her family back home. She couldn't bear to die.

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 Chapter 886: Returning to the County Town

Not only Lu Dasong, but even Old Madam and the others who were planning to get on the mule carts stopped abruptly and turned to look at Shu Yu.

Old Madam hurriedly walked over. "Shu Yu, you want to repair the ancestral graves?"

"Yes, I've returned in glory, so it's only right to repair the ancestral graves."

Old Madam frowned. "Why do you need to do it? Your grandfather has three sons. Let them do it. But now they don't have any achievements yet, so we can wait until they have money..."

"Grandmother." Shu Yu interrupted her. "Now is the most suitable time."

Lu Erbai, who was standing by, nodded after a moment of silence and said to Old Madam, "Mother, Shu Yu is right. She has returned in glory and become the village lord. Everyone is discussing it fervently. The villagers already know about the content of the imperial decree, including the gold that the Emperor rewarded. Today, Shu Yu went up the mountain to pay respects to our ancestors, and after coming down, she proposed to repair the ancestral graves. Everyone thinks Shu Yu is filial and grateful."

Perhaps Shu Yu didn't care about her reputation, just like when she went to the Ruan family with an axe, she didn't mind being called unfilial.

But as the father, Lu Erbai didn't think the same way. Shu Yu was about to come of age and would soon be married. The matter of repairing the ancestral graves would only benefit her and had no drawbacks.

After hearing this, Old Madam also found it reasonable.

However, she couldn't help but glare at her three sons. It was all their fault for being useless, otherwise, why would it fall on Shu Yu, the younger generation, to repair the ancestral graves?

Lu Erbai rubbed his nose. In Old Madam's eyes, he was probably nothing more than a weed.

With no objections from anyone, Lu Dasong nodded and said, "Alright, then. I'll take care of this. Don't worry."

"In that case, Uncle, it's up to you." Shu Yu got on the mule cart.

The people from the main house stood at the village entrance and watched their carriages leave.

Lu Dasong was overjoyed. He was the happiest about being able to repair the ancestral graves. He turned around and walked back home, ready to start working on the matter as soon as possible.

Lan Hua and Er Niu were also excited. They walked back with their heads held high. Seeing the envious glances from the villagers, the two of them couldn't help but exchange a smile.

Only Li Shi stood in the same spot for a long time, feeling a bit jealous. She also wanted to go to the county town, but just now, Old Madam called her aside and severely reprimanded her, saying that if she caused any more trouble, Lu Dasong would divorce her.

Now, Li Shi didn't dare to provoke Old Madam. With Shu Yu supporting her, she felt quite smug.

The two mule carts soon headed toward the county town. As they approached the city gate, the road became wider. Lu Sanzhu hurriedly urged the mule cart to speed up and squeezed onto the same line as Shu Yu.

Then he handed the reins to Da Niu, who was also sitting on the cart shaft, and turned his head to smirk at Shu Yu. "Shu Yu."

Seeing his expression, Shu Yu couldn't help but sigh. "What's the matter?"

"Shu Yu, let's go and see that mansion after we return to the county town."

Shu Yu looked at the sky. "It's getting late. That mansion is a large courtyard with three sections. I heard from Xiang Daren that it even has a large backyard. If we want to see it all, it will be dark."

Old Madam also pushed aside the curtain and looked over, glaring at him. "Lao San, don't cause trouble for me. When we get back, we still have to see the rented courtyard and organize things. We don't have so much time to take you to explore the mansion. We'll go tomorrow."

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  Chapter 137: Seeking Help (2)

Seeing the boss lady's brazen attitude, Mo Yan's heart sank. This brothel indeed had some background; otherwise, this woman wouldn't react this way. It seemed that barging in forcefully today wouldn't work.

"So, what will it take for the boss lady to release them?"

The boss lady's coquettish eyes assessed Mo Yan as if she were assessing goods, her intentions clear: "If you're willing to stay, even Xing'er, I'll let her go straight. How about it?"

"Yan'er, you shouldn't get involved. These are just a bunch of thugs who won't stop until they've bled you dry. Leave quickly!" Li Zhong cried out in pain. This was clearly a matter for their family, and Mo Yan shouldn't have been dragged into it!

Mo Yan comforted him, "Grandpa Li, don't worry, I'll be fine." Then she turned to the madam and said, "You know this is impossible. You're only holding Grandpa Li for money. How much do you want before you'll release them?"

"Miss really won't stay?" The Lady boss feigned regret, shaking her head. "Since you're so straightforward, I won't beat around the bush. The price is set: two thousand taels! As long as you produce two thousand taels, you can take these two away right now."

Two thousand taels?

Mo Yan's face darkened upon hearing this. "Madam, don't ask for the sky. Even a moderately wealthy family would have to sell everything they own to come up with two thousand taels. We're just commoners; even if we sold everything, we couldn't come up with half of that."

The Lady boss casually played with her nails. "It doesn't matter. With Xing'er here, I'll make that two thousand taels back sooner or later."

"So, there's no room for negotiation?"

"None!"

The Lady boss's firm reply made Mo Yan lose all patience.

She couldn't come up with two thousand taels, and she couldn't force the issue with this woman who had some background. Her only option now was to seek help from Yan Junyu. If he could shut down this brothel that coerced women into prostitution, it would be considered eliminating a scourge.

With this in mind, Mo Yan said coldly, "Since that's the case, I'll go back and raise the money. But Madam must guarantee that they won't be harmed until I gather the money."

"Haha, of course. Business is business, and harmony brings wealth!" The Lady boss covered her mouth and chuckled. Then her tone turned threatening. "However, I must see the money by tomorrow at the latest. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what will happen to them."

"It's settled then!" Mo Yan agreed in a single breath.

Exiting the brothel, Mo Yan breathed a sigh of relief, listening to the licentious sounds emanating from within with a cold smile.

The reason that woman was so arrogant was undoubtedly because she had someone backing her, thinking that as a mere commoner, Mo Yan couldn't do anything to her. Well, then, she would start by toppling her supporter.

Though she was borrowing Yan Junyu's influence, they had an agreement long ago, so Mo Yan didn't feel she owed him any favors. Her only concern was whether there might be repercussions from the brothel's backer, causing Yan Junyu to hesitate to act.

If that were the case, she could only spend money to resolve the crisis.

With her decision made, Mo Yan returned to Huixian Residence with the eight men, briefly explaining the situation to the shopkeeper. She didn't mention Li Xiu, only stating that Li Zhong had been framed and detained in that brothel.

Although Mo Yan's explanation had loopholes, the shopkeeper wasn't one to pry. He promised to pass the message to Yan Junyu as soon as possible and asked Mo Yan to rest assured and wait for news at home.

By the time Mo Yan returned home, it was already late at night. The three children were still awake, and when they saw her return, Li Yan rushed up eagerly, her eyes red and swollen.

Mo Yan didn't dare to tell her the truth, only saying that her grandfather had news about her aunt and was asking friends for help to find her. It was too late tonight, so they would have to wait until tomorrow.

Li Yan didn't know whether to believe her or not, quietly reheated the food and brought it out for Mo Yan to eat.

Mo Yan was very hungry but had little appetite. She ate hastily and then sent the three children to bathe and sleep.

Tonight, both Mo Qingze and Li Zhong were absent, and Mo Yan was worried that Zhen'er might kick off his blanket in his sleep. So she decided to sleep with him.

Perhaps knowing that Mo Yan was in a bad mood, Xiao Hua, unusually, didn't make a fuss. Instead, it obediently dragged the cotton mattress Mo Yan had made into the main room and lay down beside the bed.

After Zhen'er fell asleep, Mo Yan listened to his shallow breathing but found herself unable to sleep. So she brought Xiao Hua into the space and planned to plant the herbs she had collected today.

All the herbs were planted around the spirit spring pool. The spiritual energy around the pool was abundant, making it easy to water them. These herbs would soon become top-grade medicinal materials.

After planting the herbs, Mo Yan gave a little water to the thing beside the spirit spring pool that resembled lingzhi.

What puzzled her was that with other plants brought in, even if only an hour had passed outside, there would be some changes in appearance, either growing a bit or deepening in color. However, it had been five or six hours since the other plants were brought in, yet this thing showed no change at all.

Xiao Hua drooled as it stared at the blood clump, almost dripping saliva onto it.

Mo Yan looked at it and asked, "Can this thing be eaten?"

Xiao Hua understood Mo Yan's meaning but didn't dare to eat without her permission. It stuck out its big tongue, slurped once, took a bite of the blood clump, and closed its eyes, as if savoring the taste.

Mo Yan was speechless at this behavior. This guy was too disgusting, no wonder Yan Junyu didn't want to take it back even after so long.

However, judging by its performance as a wolf, this thing should be non-toxic, and eating it might even be beneficial. It looked so much like lingzhi; perhaps it was a kind of lingzhi. She just hadn't seen it in her past life, and it had grown so big; who knows how many years it had been. It might indeed be the legendary thousand-year-old lingzhi.

Well, let's assume it's lingzhi for now!

Thinking of this, Mo Yan solemnly warned Xiao Hua, "Without my permission, you can't eat this thing secretly. Otherwise, don't expect to come in again in the future."

Xiao Hua looked at Mo Yan plaintively, then at the lingzhi, and finally, with a sigh, it agreed.

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 Chapter 885: Preparing to Repair the Ancestral Graves

"As for the Ge family, they seemed pretty good before, but now it seems they're the type of people who can only share wealth but not hardship. There's a saying, 'When a couple faces great difficulties, they each fly away.'"

As she spoke, she kept glancing at Li Shi, emphasizing her words and asking her, "Right, sister-in-law?"

Li Shi's face turned dark. She knew what Liang Shi meant. Wasn't it because she knew about Shu Yu's exile and also caused a scene about divorce?

But wasn't it all for the sake of their children's well-being? Who knew that Shu Yu's fortune would turn around.

Liang Shi snorted, thinking that it was a reunion day today, so she didn't want to ruin the atmosphere by arguing with her.

She turned her head and continued speaking to Lan Hua, "You, recognize the true nature of the Ge family early on, so you won't be harmed by them in the future. Besides, you're still young, Shu Yu hasn't even been engaged yet, so you don't need to rush, right, Shu Yu?"

Shu Yu, "..."

She had nothing more to say after Liang Shi had said everything. But she did agree with what Liang Shi said, so she nodded and said to the pitiful Lan Hua, "Third aunt's words make sense. The Ge family is indeed not a suitable match. Besides, you're still underage, so there's no need to be in a hurry."

Lan Hua was a few months younger than her. Although it was considered prestigious for a girl of fourteen or fifteen years old to be engaged, it wasn't advisable for girls at this age to get married as their bodies hadn't fully developed yet.

Shu Yu said to her, "When we returned from the southwest, we passed through the capital. There's a female doctor in a big medical clinic there, and I happened to meet her. She told me that it's actually better for women to marry after they turn eighteen. Having children too early not only increases the chances of the child being unhealthy but also affects the woman's lifespan. So don't rush, take your time, you're not lacking suitors anyway."

Lan Hua was surprised. "There's such a saying?"

Shu Yu nodded affirmatively.

Lan Hua let out a sigh of relief. She couldn't help but admit that she was greatly comforted by Shu Yu's words.

During this period, neither Li Shi nor Er Niu had left the house. The reputation of a woman whose engagement had been broken would inevitably be greatly affected.

She even felt that she might not be able to marry in the future and could only stay at home as an old maid. That feeling was truly unpleasant.

But now, with Shu Yu's affirmation, she suddenly felt that it wasn't such a big deal.

The Ge family was not worthy of her.

Seeing that her mood had improved, Shu Yu didn't say anything more.

However, the matter of Er Niu being expelled from school was different. If he still wanted to study, the original private school was indeed not suitable.

Teacher Wen's place would be a good choice, but there was no rush now. It would be better for her to discuss it directly with Da Niu.

The group of people chatted, and Old Madam woke up.

Seeing that it was getting late, Old Madam asked Lu Sanzhu to go to the village chief's house and bring back Lu Erbai. They should return to the county town.

Two mule carts, carrying a group of people, left the village in a grand manner.

The people from the main house saw them off, feeling a bit reluctant to part.

Shu Yu stood next to the mule cart and said to Lu Dasong, "Uncle, I want to repair the ancestral graves. I'll trouble you to think about it and consider what kind of regulations and how much money we'll need. We'll recruit some people and choose a date to make proper preparations."

Lu Dasong was stunned. "What... what did you say? Repair the ancestral graves?"

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 Chapter 382: Ordination

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 Chapter 381: Stirring Trouble

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 Chapter 136: Seeking Help (1)

The shopkeeper didn't inquire about what had happened, only asking, "Miss, how many people do you need? Do you need some who know a bit of martial arts?"

"It would be best if they know some martial arts. Shopkeeper Xing, however many you can provide, please do. I express my gratitude in advance," Mo Yan said, bowing solemnly.

The shopkeeper quickly stepped back, repeatedly saying, "It's not a problem," and asked Mo Yan to wait a moment before leaving. After a while, he brought in eight sturdy men dressed in short clothes, their faces solemn.

"Miss Yan, these few men know some martial arts. Dealing with thirty to forty ordinary people won't be a problem."

Mo Yan thanked them again with gratitude, feeling a bit more relieved with these eight men. Who knows, there might be a fierce battle ahead.

Without further delay, Mo Yan hastily left Huixian restaurant with the men. Along the roadside, she hailed two horse-drawn carriages and headed straight to the brothel in the northern market.

Based on Li Yan's description, Mo Yan guessed that Li Zhong had already found the brothel as guided by the beggar and confirmed that the woman there was his daughter.

Coming back suddenly at noon was probably to ransom his daughter with money, but since he hadn't returned all afternoon, it was evident that something had gone wrong. The most likely scenario was that the brothel was holding him captive or trying to extort more money from him.

Going alone, those people probably wouldn't even regard her, and if something happened, she wouldn't even have a helper. Borrowing people from the shopkeeper was also a last resort.

Huixian restaurant was a distance from the brothel. When the group got off the carriage on the street and walked through several narrow alleys to the place, an hour had passed.

At this time, there were two red lanterns hanging on the door, and the light from the house shone through the windows, with the faint sound of men and women laughing and chatting inside.

"I'll go in alone first. If I don't come out after a while, I'll trouble you all."

Mo Yan instructed them, hoping that the situation could be resolved peacefully. If not, they could enter and rescue her directly.

The eight men exchanged glances, and one of them, feeling uneasy, said, "Why don't I go in with you, Miss?"

Mo Yan hesitated for a moment and agreed.

The remaining seven men concealed themselves, and Mo Yan approached the door and knocked. After a while, the door was opened, revealing the sleazy short man who had let Li Xiu in last time.

"Miss, what's the matter?" The short man squinted at Mo Yan, his face full of lecherousness as he asked with a smirk.

Disgust flashed in Mo Yan's eyes as she coldly said, "Has an old man in his fifties come here today?"

The short man's eyes shifted. "There was indeed such a person. He said he wanted to redeem his daughter. Our lady boss is personally entertaining him. Miss, do you want to come in?"

The lady boss was planning to send him to Xinger's house for the money tomorrow morning, but unexpectedly, this person came to the door in the evening, saving her the trouble.

Mo Yan's eyes narrowed. "Take me in!"

...

The door was pushed open, revealing a cramped space, and Mo Yan immediately saw Li Zhong tied up in a chair.

"Yan girl, why are you here?" Li Zhong was surprised to see Mo Yan, then his face changed drastically. "This isn't where you should be. Go back quickly."

"Oh, where do you want me to go? Isn't it good that I'm here? Pay the ransom, and your family of three can reunite." A young woman with heavy makeup walked out from behind Mo Yan, giggling.

Relieved to see that Li Zhong hadn't been beaten, Mo Yan said, "Madam, are you not afraid of me reporting you for kidnapping?"

"Reporting me?" The madam chuckled as if she had heard something amusing. "If the miss wants to go, then go!"

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