Chapter 902: Didn't See It Coming

Shu Yu couldn't help but chuckle as she listened from the side. She could see that Da Ya might not actually be indifferent to Zhao Xi.

If that's the case, why not let them have a good talk?

With that thought, Shu Yu reached out and pulled Ruan Shi and Zhou Qiao, who were also in the kitchen, out with her.

However, as soon as they stepped outside, she suddenly remembered that the food was still cooking in the kitchen, and the fire behind the stove was still burning.

She quickly pulled the two back and then pushed Da Ya and Zhao Xi out, saying, "Alright, you two can have a good talk here."

Then she clapped her hands and returned to the kitchen on her own.

Everyone else was left dumbfounded.

Ruan Shi finally reacted and approached Shu Yu, whispering, "Um, is it true that Zhao Doctor... has feelings for Da Ya?"

Shu Yu nodded. "Yes."

Ruan Shi widened her eyes and turned to look at the doorway.

She really hadn't seen it. Although Zhao Xi had become close with their family, he had hardly spent any time alone with Da Ya. Whenever he came to their house, he either looked for Ah Yu or San Ya, discussing serious matters. He had only exchanged a few words with Da Ya, so there was no way to tell if he was interested in her.

Ruan Shi murmured, "I really didn't see it."

"Not even big sister herself noticed, let alone all of you." It was only Shu Yu's cleverness and insight that allowed her to see through Zhao Xi's disguise.

Shu Yu was quite satisfied with her own perceptiveness.

Ruan Shi asked, "When did this happen?"

"Back when we were still in the southwest."

"So early?"

"Why do you think Doctor Zhao didn't take San Ya as his apprentice himself? It's all because he cares about seniority," Shu Yu replied.

Ruan Shi was even more shocked. So San Ya would become Zhao Xi's junior sister, and there was this consideration as well?

Seeing that Ruan Shi seemed lost in thought and appeared stunned by the news, Shu Yu wiped her hands and whispered, "Mother, let's not meddle in this matter. Let Zhao Xi handle it himself. We'll just keep an eye on it. If big sister isn't happy about it, then let Zhao Xi give up. If big sister doesn't object, then we can continue observing."

Ruan Shi nodded repeatedly. "That's only natural. Your father and I won't force Da Ya."

How long had it been since Zhang Shu's incident? Ruan Shi couldn't help but feel a tremor in her heart when she thought about how emaciated and lifeless Da Ya had been back then.

Although unmarried girls would be criticized in this day and age, she would rather have her daughter stay at home for the rest of her life than risk losing her life after getting married. So even though Da Ya was getting older and it had been almost a year since her divorce, they hadn't mentioned her marriage at all.

Ruan Shi was quite satisfied with Zhao Xi.

If he and Da Ya could have a good outcome, it wouldn't be a bad thing.

With that in mind, Ruan Shi gradually calmed down. "Zhao Xi's character and temperament are not a problem."

"We shouldn't mention this in front of Da Jie, so as not to put pressure on her."

"Understood, Mother." Shu Yu nodded.

Then she looked at Zhou Qiao beside her, who immediately put on a serious expression. "I won't say anything either."

Today was the first time Zhou Qiao had met Zhao Xi. She only knew that he was a doctor with excellent medical skills and had a close relationship with her second uncle's family.

With such qualifications, he was already quite good.

After Shu Yu finished speaking, she continued with her tasks, and the kitchen was filled with the sound of bustling activity.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xi and Da Ya, who had been chased out by Shu Yu, were feeling a bit disoriented.

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 Chapter 901: Miss Wei's Betrothal

Shu Yu returned home a bit late, and everyone else had already arrived, including Meng Yunzheng and Zhao Xi.

From their conversation, it seemed that everyone already knew about San Ya's intention to learn medicine from Zhao Xi, and at the moment, San Ya was surrounded and had become the center of attention.

Shu Yu didn't join them; instead, she went to the kitchen to help prepare dinner.

Seeing Da Ya there, but with a slightly absent-minded expression, Shu Yu was puzzled. What had happened?

She walked over to Da Ya and started picking vegetables, asking, "Sister, have you seen Miss Wei?"

"Huh? Yes, I've seen her."

"What happened? You two didn't get along?"

Da Ya shook her head and smiled. "No, it's not that. After not seeing each other for so long, Lan pulled me aside and made me sit with her for the whole afternoon. She wanted to know every detail about what has happened during these days and was especially curious about you becoming the village chief. Now, everyone in the county knows about it."

"What are you thinking then?"

Da Ya pursed her lips and whispered, "Lan told me that she's engaged."

"Engaged?"

"Yes, she'll get married in about two months."

Shu Yu nodded, not surprised by this news. After all, miss Wei had not experienced the hardships that Da Ya had gone through. When she found out the truth, miss Wei had just gotten married a few months ago, and although it was a big shock, she could quickly adjust with the comfort and care of her family.

The Wei family's conditions were also good, and being the only daughter, miss Wei would naturally be cherished and taken care of. They would find a good match for her again.

It had been almost a year since she was divorced, so it wasn't too early for Miss Wei to get engaged now.

"Do you think the groom's family isn't good?" Otherwise, why would you have that expression?

Da Ya immediately denied, "Of course not. I haven't even seen the groom, so how would I know if he's good or not? It's just... It's just that..." Her voice trailed off as she lowered it. "Lan has been persuading me all this time to let go of the past and move on. Actually, I don't care about Zhang Shu anymore. After going through so much, in my heart, he's just a small person."

As someone who had seen the world and had family protection, Da Ya had long felt that those past events were far, far away from her.

But...

"Lan said she wanted to introduce me to her older brother. She even said she would come to our house as a guest and bring her brother along to meet me."

Da Ya had declined immediately, saying that for now, she wanted to focus on earning and saving money and learning more skills. But Wei Lan thought that she hadn't moved on yet and had tried to persuade her for a long time, even thinking that Da Ya wanted to keep herself busy to forget about the past.

No matter how much Da Ya explained, it was useless, and she felt very troubled.

Shu Yu knew that it was inevitable for such things to happen after her identity was exposed, but who would have thought that Wei Lan would be the first to bring it up?

She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly, a nervous voice sounded in her ears, "Did you agree?"

Shu Yu and Da Ya turned their heads abruptly to see Zhao Xi standing at the doorway.

He quickly walked in and anxiously asked, "Did you agree to meet her brother?"

Da Ya was stunned for a moment and instinctively shook her head.

Only then did Zhao Xi let out a long sigh of relief. "It's good that you didn't agree. Let me tell you, most men nowadays are unreliable. Some people may appear righteous on the surface, but their hearts are despicable. If you want to get married, you should find someone you know inside out. Making a decision after just one meeting is simply unreliable."

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 Chapter 56 Coercion

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Chapter 406: It's Arrived


After working on making ink for a while, Ye Muyu saw Hu Shi and Zhang Shu returning, each carrying a basket of vegetables.


Ye Muyu beckoned Hu Shi over.


Quickly approaching, Hu Shi asked, "Madam, is there something you need from me?"


"On the sixteenth of July, my sister-in-law's daughter, Qingxiang, is getting married. I'm afraid we'll need your help at the old house. When the time comes, just go directly there. Someone should assign you tasks, just do your work quietly and there shouldn't be any issues." Ye Muyu explained discreetly.


Hu Shi understood that Ye Muyu was trying to protect her and nodded with a smile, expressing her understanding.


"Madam, I'll go cook now."


Hu Shi and Zhang Shu carried the baskets of vegetables to the well. Zhang Shu washed the vegetables, while Hu Shi took them to the kitchen, boiled them, and then dried them in the yard.


Ye Muyu continued with her ink-making tasks.


The three of them were busy with their respective chores.


Passersby, including those building houses next door like Chu Xueqin and others, would occasionally be stopped by villagers who had heard about Chu Qingxiang's wedding, striking up conversations.


Approaching noon, Hu Shi and Zhang Shu were about to go out to harvest the second batch of vegetables. As they opened the courtyard gate, they heard the sound of a mule cart.


Hu Shi straightened up and looked towards the village entrance "Is that a mule cart convoy?"


Zhang Shu also looked in that direction. Initially, they couldn't see clearly but as the convoy approached, Zhang Shu suddenly realized "It's the mountain pepper trees that the master instructed to be brought back. The one leading the convoy is also Luchuan."


Hu Shi, upon hearing this, also reacted. She clapped her hands and said, "You go quickly and inform the madam. I'll finish harvesting the last bit of vegetables and then go back to help."


"Alright." Zhang Shu turned around and ran towards the courtyard.


Passing by Chu Xing's house, he almost tripped over the gravel at the door.


"Uncle Zhang, be careful. Someone is coming? Who is it? It seems like a convoy of mule carts." Chu Dongyu said while working and looking for a conversation.


Now that Chu Xing's house was almost finished, and with the money earned from selling Zhuge Suo, Chu Xing had no time to look after the house. It was usually Qian who took care of things and she hired three people to help with the construction.


So, the progress was quite fast.


However, daily tasks such as cooking for these workers and paying them seventy-five wen in wages still needed to be arranged.


Zhang Shu knew that Ye Muyu had a good relationship with the fifth house, so he willingly answered him, "It's the master bringing back the mountain pepper trees he purchased outside. The one leading the convoy is Luchuan."


Upon hearing this, Chu Dongyu was slightly stunned. Thinking that his sister had bought some mountain pepper trees and remembering that his mother had wanted to send some to his sister, he had thought about finding an opportunity to give her some. He didn't expect that his brother-in-law would directly buy mountain pepper trees to bring back for planting.


Chu Dongyu, although curious, said, "Uncle Zhang, you should hurry back. I won't delay you."


Zhang Shu, after answering with an apology, didn't stand on ceremony and quickly ran back home, entering the courtyard.


Ye Muyu was in the yard drying ink strips. When Zhang Shu entered, he went straight to Ye Muyu and slowed down, "Madam, Luchuan is back and the mountain pepper trees have arrived. They're about to reach the gate."

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 Chapter 405: Zhang's Boast

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 Chapter 900: A Large Sum of Money

"Not an exaggeration, not an exaggeration. Since you've become the Village Lord, I'm honored to be associated with you. After all, we're still collaborating to sell scar-removing ointment, right?"

Speaking of scar-removing ointment, Shu Yu couldn't help but ask a few questions. "How is the ointment selling now?"

"Good, very good." Doctor Xu stood up. "Just wait a moment, I'll fetch the account book for you to take a look."

"Huh? I didn't..." She didn't expect to see the account book now.

However, Doctor Xu had already gone out. After a while, he came back with the account book and a familiar box.

He placed the account book in front of Shu Yu and opened the box, pushing it forward. "Here, this is your share of the money you earned during your absence. I heard that the Emperor rewarded you with a grand mansion. I suppose you'll need money for various expenses, and this sum can come in handy."

"So much?" Shu Yu couldn't be bothered to look at the account book. She immediately took out the silver notes from inside.

After counting, she found that there were five thousand taels of silver.

Doctor Xu happily took a sip of tea. "I found a merchant route to Jiangnan. There are many wealthy people there who are willing to buy, so the orders came in all at once."

However, scar-removing ointment was not an everyday product. While there were many orders in the beginning, they would need to find other routes for future sales.

But Doctor Xu's acquaintances were limited, and he couldn't expand too quickly, as it could easily invite trouble. If someone stole the formula for the ointment, it would be disastrous.

Fortunately, things had taken a turn for the better now that Shu Yu had become the Village Lord. They could consider expanding further.

Thinking of this, Doctor Xu asked her in a low voice, "Miss Lu, you've been in the southwest for a while. You must have met many people, right?"

Being attentive to his words, Shu Yu immediately understood Doctor Xu's intentions.

"Do you want to sell the scar-removing ointment in the southwest?"

"Do you think it's feasible?"

Shu Yu pondered for a moment and said, "It's feasible, but the southwest is remote and impoverished. There aren't as many wealthy people as in Jiangnan, so the sales volume might not be as good as in Dong'an Prefecture."

"That's fine. One route is enough."

Shu Yu actually thought about selling it in the capital, but she had just sent a sincere letter to Xiang Weinan, admitting her mistake. It wouldn't be appropriate to make big moves at this time, so she didn't mention it to Doctor Xu.

However, the two of them discussed the business in the southwest quite a bit. After Doctor Xu formulated a general plan, Shu Yu would send a letter to the Heichang County's Huifeng Escort Agency.

She didn't know many merchants in the southwest, but the Huifeng Escort Agency had broad connections and a certain amount of influence. They could receive a share, and the deal could still be done.

Shu Yu had spent quite a long time at the medical clinic, discussing with Doctor Xu. When she realized how late it had become, she immediately got up to bid farewell. "I should be going now. If there's anything, have someone come to Liufang Lane to find me."

"Alright."

Doctor Xu saw Shu Yu off at the door and hurriedly returned to the backyard.

He needed to quickly devise a plan, and the first issue to address was the distribution of profits. Previously, Shu Yu had sold him the formula directly, and he handled the production and sales, so she only received a 10% share.

Now, things were different. They relied on her for the sales in the southwest, so her share couldn't be so small anymore.

As Doctor Xu pondered over this, he began to write it down rapidly. After finishing, he realized a problem—he was a doctor, not a businessman!

Shu Yu didn't care about Doctor Xu's thoughts. With 5,000 taels of silver notes in her arms, she couldn't wait to hurry home.

  Chapter 150: Uncovering the Real Culprit (1)

"Ah—"

There was a collective gasp, and the timid ones had already covered their eyes, afraid to witness the bloody scene that might unfold.

Hong Shi was lying on the ground, with Xiao Hua's four paws on her, dizzy from the fall. When she opened her eyes, she was met with a terrifying sight—a pair of bloodshot eyes and a hot, moist breath on her neck, causing goosebumps to rise all over her body. Those cold, eerie eyes frightened her to the core, making her unable to utter a single word.

"Xiao Hua, come back!"

Mo Yan reacted quickly, calmly calling out. Just a scare would be enough; causing real harm would only complicate matters.

Just as Xiao Hua was about to take a bite, curious about the taste of human flesh, it hesitated upon hearing Mo Yan's words. It stared at the plump neck of Mo Hongshi for a moment, then reluctantly removed its claws from her chest.

Just when everyone thought Xiao Hua would let Mo Hongshi go, it suddenly opened its mouth, sinking its fangs into the neckline of Hong Shi's clothes. With a sudden force, it easily tore Mo Hongshi's clothes apart, revealing the gray inner garment underneath.

Holding the torn fabric in its mouth, Little Flower looked as if it were holding a piece of rotten meat, a hint of disgust flashing in its eyes. It spat out the fabric, as if rinsing its mouth, and then opened its mouth, pretending to use its claws to clean its teeth.

The onlookers stared dumbfoundedly for a moment before bursting into laughter. The women near Hong Shi exaggeratedly took a few steps back, as if Hong Shi had been contaminated with something disgusting.

Mo Yan's eye twitched as she dragged Xiao Hua back by the ear.

"Yan'er, is this how you treat your elders?"

Old Mo's face was dark, and his gloomy eyes stared disapprovingly at Mo Yan, as if she were a heinous criminal.

"Grandfather, everyone here has eyes. It's clear that Second grandma wanted to hit me. Xiao Hua couldn't stand by and watch, so it knocked Second Grandma down. Does Grandfather think I should just stand there and let Second Grandma hit me?"

Mo Yan couldn't help but retort. At this point, instead of thinking about how to resolve the issue with the seedlings, he was still trying to find fault. Then, he shouldn't blame her for being slapped in the face.

Insulting him for not having eyes?

Old Mo was so angry that he nearly fell backward. He turned to Mo Qingze and asked, "Qingze, is this how you teach your daughter?"

In the past, Mo Qingze would never allow his daughter to speak to his uncle in such a tone.

Unfortunately, this time, he was destined to be disappointed.

"Uncle, it's a fact that Yongxi broke our precious seedlings and was disrespectful. It's also a fact that Second Aunt insulted Yan'er and wanted to hit her. It's also a fact that Xiao Hua couldn't stand by and wanted to help Yan'er. It's also a fact that Yan'er stopped Xiao Hua from harming Second Aunt."

Mo Qingze looked at his uncle, who had aged more than ten years in just a few months, closed his eyes, suppressed all emotions, and calmly stated the facts.

Ever since the incidents involving 'Mo Yongshou plotting against the Mo family' and 'Old Mo forcing the secret formula', Mo Qingze had exhausted all the affection he had for this so-called uncle. All that remained was the slight connection of blood ties.

"Qingze, you... you..."

Old Mo couldn't believe what he was hearing from Mo Qingze. It was as if something important was slipping away from him, leaving him with an inexplicable sense of panic.

Mo Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She was really worried that her father would continue to be soft-hearted toward Old Mo's family.

With this thought in mind, her disgust towards Old Mo grew stronger. This time, she had no intention of letting him off easily.

"Grandfather, let's not dwell on irrelevant matters! Your daughter broke so many precious seedlings in our house. If you don't give an explanation, I'll have to call the village head to uphold justice."

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 Chapter 899: Da Ya's Friend

Da Ya didn't have many friends before. Although she had good relations with a few girls from the same village before she got married, her family had a lot of household chores to attend to, so she could only interact with them during festive occasions.

Over time, their relationships naturally grew distant.

Later on, everyone got married as they reached the appropriate age. They dispersed to different places, and their meetings became even rarer.

Moreover, Da Ya had hardly any opportunities to go out during her two years at the Zhang family. She rarely visited her natal family, let alone other people's homes.

Therefore, Da Ya was actually quite lonely. Besides her family, she didn't have anyone to talk to and confide in.

After experiencing the incident of Zhang Shu and Zhou Jian being caught in bed together, and being victims themselves, Da Ya and Wei Lan naturally became closer.

One was gentle, while the other had a lively personality. They complemented each other and became good friends.

This time, when Da Ya returned from the southwest, she naturally brought some local specialties for Wei Lan.

Although Shu Yu had met Wei Lan first, their relationship was not as close as Da Ya's.

Now that Da Ya had a good friend, a harmonious family, and Zhao Xi protecting her, her future would undoubtedly become better and better.

Shu Yu was also happy about this. She smiled, greeted her grandmother, and left the house with the gift box for Doctor Xu.

As she returned to the entrance of Liufang Lane, she saw Zhao Xi standing there, but Shopkeeper Qiu was nowhere to be seen.

When she saw him, Shu Yu thanked him. "Thank you."

Zhao Xi smiled and said, "No need. I heard some commotion and came to take a look. Ah Yun accompanied Da Hu to buy things, so there was no need for this hero to save the beauty."

Shu Yu was surprised. "Have you been keeping an eye on the entrance all this time?"

Zhao Xi coughed lightly. Why was she always so good at grasping the main point? "I saw Da Ya leave."

Shu Yu suddenly understood. "Oh, waiting for my sister, I see."

Zhao Xi turned and walked away, while Shu Yu chuckled softly. She was happy to see someone caring so much about her sister.

Without Shopkeeper Qiu blocking her way, Shu Yu's walk became smoother.

Doctor Xu's medical clinic was as quiet as ever, with hardly any customers, but it hadn't closed down due to its expensive fees.

When Shu Yu entered, she even noticed the newly renovated counter and medicine cabinet.

Hmm, not only did it not close down, but it seemed to have prospered. They even renovated the place?

"Ah, Lu, Lu, Village Lord Lu." The assistant's eyes widened in astonishment upon seeing her.

"I guess you also saw the notice at the city gate? Where is Doctor Xu?"

"He's in the backyard. I'll go get him." The assistant was about to run towards the back.

Shu Yu stopped him. "No need. I'll go find him myself."

Carrying the gift box, she was about to leave but hesitated and asked, "Does he have any patients at the moment?"

"No, none." Even if there were, they would have to entertain you first.

Satisfied with the answer, Shu Yu turned and headed for the backyard. Before long, the assistant heard Doctor Xu's laughter coming from behind.

He shook his head and continued with his work.

In the backyard, Doctor Xu scrutinized Shu Yu for a while and excitedly said, "I had a feeling that you were someone with great potential. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come up with such a good scar-removing ointment. But I never expected you to be even more capable than I thought, going from an exiled prisoner to the Village Lord. What's this called? Rising from the ashes."

Shu Yu covered her forehead and said, "You're exaggerating."

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  Chapter 149: Causing Trouble (2)

Mo Yongxi naturally heard the murmurs of the crowd, almost spitting blood out of anger. She looked at Mo Yan, whose clothes were almost new and exquisitely crafted, and her beautiful appearance, with eyes burning with jealousy, wishing she could tear her apart on the spot.

Mo Yan seemed to sense something and glanced at Mo Yongxi. Naturally, she didn't miss the jealousy in her eyes. She just smiled indifferently and shifted her gaze to the broken seedlings.

There were about twenty broken seedlings, almost each one broken into three segments. How much hatred must Mo Yongxi have for their family to do such a foolish thing?

Before long, Mo Qingze arrived. Mo Yan briefly explained the situation to him and showed him the broken seedlings. Mo Qingze's expression changed immediately. He didn't say anything, just looked at Mo Yongxi with a cold gaze.

Shortly after, Old Mo, supported by Hong Shi and Mo Yonglu, hurried over. Wu Shi and Niu Shi, along with several older children, followed behind them.

"Those damn bastards are falsely accusing my daughter of doing bad things. Why don't they all rot their tongues?"

As they were still halfway up the mountain, Hong Shi's loud curses could already be heard.

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces turned ugly. If they had previously not cared about how the Mo family would handle Mo Yongxi, now they all wished the Mo family would take this opportunity to teach Old Mo's family a lesson.

"Shut your filthy mouth!"

Old Mo glared at Hong Shi fiercely. He shouldn't have let this idiot follow along.

Hong Shi shrank her neck and reluctantly closed her mouth. Since being scolded by Old Mo a few times, she dared not be as presumptuous in front of him as she used to be in Mo Village.

As the Mo family approached, Mo Yan didn't even bother with pleasantries. She directly asked Old Mo, "Grandfather, your daughter intentionally broke the seedlings in our house. How do you think we should handle this?"

She didn't even want to address Mo Yongxi as "aunt."

Old Mo's face had already put on a deliberately kind smile, intending to talk about family affection with Mo Qingze. But Mo Yan interrupted him, and his smile froze on his face. "Yan'er, Yantou, your, your aunt was just fooling around. She didn't mean to..."

Mid-sentence, he met Mo Yan's expressionless gaze and the mocking faces of the villagers. Even Old Mo, with skin as thick as a city wall, couldn't continue.

"Aunt is fifteen this year. If it weren't for last year's disaster, she would probably be married by now! Grandfather, do you think a fifteen-year-old girl would just be fooling around, breaking the seedlings in our house like this?" Mo Yan said emotionlessly, picking up the broken seedlings and throwing them in front of Old Mo.

Old Mo looked at the seedlings that had been broken into several pieces on the ground, his face turning ugly. He blamed his daughter for being stupid, for being caught doing bad things, and secretly resented Mo Yan for not giving face, insisting on making this matter public, and embarrassing their family in front of everyone.

"What do you want? With your few dying seedlings, can they compare to your aunt's preciousness?" Hong Shi stepped on a broken branch, pointing at Mo Yan and shouting.

Mo Yan bent down, picked up a seedling from under her feet, and smiled meaningfully, "Second Grandma, you're right. These twenty or so seedlings were transported from thousands of miles away. Just the transportation costs alone were exorbitant! Moreover, this Longan seedling in my hand, only I have it in the entire Da Chu. It's much more precious than your daughter, who only knows how to cause trouble and embarrass the Mo family."

In just a few words, Mo Yan belittled Mo Yongxi to nothing, but no one thought she was wrong.

"You bitch, how dare you slander my daughter like this! I'll kill you, you wild seed with no mother!"

Hong Shi was furious, her chubby body pouncing toward Mo Yan, wanting to crush her to the ground and teach her a lesson.

But before she could reach her, a white figure rushed out from behind Mo Yan, directly knocking Hong Shi to the ground, and opened its bloody mouth, biting toward Hong Shi's neck...

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