Chapter 134: Fluorescence

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 Chapter 560: Persuasion

With Chu Heng showing signs of being drunk, it was highly likely that he wouldn't back down.

Thinking about Chu Heng's temperament, Ye Muyu felt that she shouldn't challenge his limits. Going along with him would clearly benefit her, so she called out to Ye Zhao directly.

Chu Heng held her hand in a half-protective manner, gently rubbing his fingers against the back of her hand while his gaze locked with Ye Zhao's. His dark eyes were deep and calm like water.

Ye Zhao pursed his lips, avoiding eye contact and looking at Ye Muyu. "I have a private matter to discuss with you, Second Sister. Do you not trust Big Brother?"

"Well..." Ye Muyu hesitated for a moment. Thinking that Ye Zhao wouldn't bring up anything significant, she turned her head to look at Chu Heng, squeezing his hand in her own and speaking in a consultative tone, "I'll go first. You take the two children and Mother back to the room to rest. I'll come back in a while."

Chu Heng furrowed his brows, lowering his head to look at her. "How long?"

"Not more than a quarter of an hour." Ye Muyu thought for a moment and replied.

Chu Heng was satisfied with her sincere attitude and reached out to pat her head.

Ye Muyu hesitated for a moment before saying, "My hair will get oily if you touch it, and it's hard to wash."

"It's okay, I'll help you wash it." Chu Heng's voice was low and casual.

"I'm worried about hair loss." Ye Muyu shook her head.

Chu Heng's hand paused for a moment, then he withdrew it and pinched her cheek. "Alright, I won't touch it."

"Sister..." Ye Zhao's brows furrowed as he watched, his emotions unclear from start to finish. But this time, even those around them could tell that he was angry.

Ye Zhaoming and Su Shi stopped whispering to each other, looking at Ye Zhao in confusion.

And Han Shi, who came in right after, had her gaze fixed on Ye Muyu.

Ye Dejiang, having eaten and drunk his fill, lay on a reclining chair, dozing off.

Ye Pozi moved her lips, afraid that the two would have a conflict. After all, in her heart both Chu Heng and Ye Zhao held high positions.

"Or..." Ye Pozi hesitated, not sure what to say.

Ye Muyu calmed Chu Heng's emotions and then turned to Ye Zhao. "Big Brother, let's talk downstairs. Mother, could you please take Chu Heng and the children back to the room to rest?"

"Alright, alright." Ye Pozi breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly agreed.

Ye Zhao grunted and turned to leave, stepping out first.

Ye Muyu followed closely behind, slowly entering the side room.

"Second Sister, please have a seat." Ye Zhao spoke up.

Ye Muyu didn't know what he wanted to say, but she was curious. She kept a neutral expression and found a chair to sit down.

They remained silent for a while.

Ye Zhao said, "Second Sister, do you know about Chu Heng's background?"

"Why do you ask?" Ye Muyu looked at him in confusion.

"He... is very capable. When I came back this time, I encountered danger along the way and he saved me. You might not believe it but even though I was trained in the military, his skills are even better than mine." Ye Zhao's expression was somewhat skeptical.

Ye Muyu never expected Ye Zhao to doubt Chu Heng's abilities because of his skills. She explained earnestly, "Big Brother, that's not surprising. Chu Heng exercises every day and learns some martial arts. He's not just a weak scholar."

"It's different. Without seven or eight years of training, his skills wouldn't be at that level." Ye Zhao looked at Ye Muyu intently, reminding her, "Second Sister, I know you'll enjoy more benefits marrying him compared to other ordinary men in the countryside."

"But have you ever thought that with his current abilities, could he have been working for someone else all along?"

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 Chapter 559:Second Sister, I Have Something to Tell You

Ye Zhao saw his casual attitude, taking advantage of their father's kindness so easily, and felt somewhat speechless. He wanted to scold him, but considering that he hadn't recovered his memory and felt somewhat unfamiliar, he didn't say anything.

He also stopped toasting Su Shi.

Su Shi had been holding a teacup all along. Seeing him put down his wine glass, she hurriedly smiled and also put down her teacup. At the same time, she reached out and pinched Ye Zhaoming's arm, giving him a stern look.

Ye Zhaoming took a deep breath and smiled, "Wife, what's wrong? Let's eat. Mother cooked a lot of meat today."

"You only care about eating. You didn't even take Big Brother's toast seriously just now." Su Shi complained softly.

Ye Zhaoming waved his hand indifferently, "It's fine. We're so close, Big Brother won't mind."

"You forgot that Big Brother lost his memory? You're not that close." Su Shi glared at him.

Ye Zhaoming paused for a moment, then scratched his head and grinned, "That's even better. Big Brother won't mind a stranger like me."

Su Shi was taken aback by his bold reaction and couldn't help but try to argue with him.

Meanwhile, Ye Muyu had finished eating, so she put down her bowl and chopsticks. Chu Heng turned to her and asked, "Finished eating?"

Ye Muyu nodded, "Yes, I'm full."

Seeing this, Chu Heng took the remaining rice from her bowl, transferred it to his own, and started eating slowly.

"I see Mother seems upset. I'll talk to her for a while before going back." 

"No problem, you're used to taking a nap, right? You can rest before going back." Chu Heng said generously.

Ye Muyu felt relieved hearing him say that and sat down with her tea cup, slowly sipping.

Chu Ziluo and Chu Jin finished their meal and went to play on the side.

Also accompanying them were Ye Mengjie and Ye Hai.

By the time they had all finished eating, it was about fifteen minutes later.

Ye Hao got up and left the main hall, followed closely by Han Shi.

Ye Muyu glanced at them briefly and then withdrew her gaze, not paying much attention.

When Chu Heng finished his meal, he thought about how he had drunk two or three cups of wine with his father today and wasn't sure if he could handle it. He didn't usually drink much, so he voluntarily poured himself a glass of tea and put it in front of him.

Chu Heng picked up the teacup but didn't drink. "I'm not drunk."

"Hmm?" Ye Muyu realized that Chu Heng was explaining to her. Considering Chu Heng's personality, he didn't seem to have a habit of lying, so she believed him. "Do you need to rest then?"

"Is the room ready?" Chu Heng asked.

Ye Muyu whispered, "Wait a moment. Let me ask Mother."

Turning to Ye Pozi, Ye Muyu asked, "Mother, is the room ready?"

Ye Pozi quickly got up, "Yes, it's your old room. It's clean, but there's no bed. I'll go over and make it now."

"Mother, I'll help you." Ye Muyu offered.

"Second sister, wait a moment. I have something to tell you."

At this moment, Ye Zhao walked in from outside. His face was stern and expressionless, but Ye Muyu sensed that he wasn't in a very good mood. Although he was talking to her, his gaze was fixed on Chu Heng.

In that moment, the two men locked eyes and the atmosphere became somewhat tense.

Ye Muyu blinked, "Big brother, what's the matter? You can just say it here."

In this short moment, Ye Muyu also noticed that Chu Heng was slightly intoxicated. If she hadn't paid close attention, she wouldn't have noticed. After all, usually Chu Heng was deep in thought and wouldn't inexplicably clash with others.

But now it was obviously an exception, indicating that Chu Heng was a bit drunk.

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  Chapter 112

"What are you guys up to?"

Seeing this group of people, the man became instantly wary.

Zhou Ping stood nearby, not wearing handcuffs at the moment. Obviously, someone among them could unlock them and had taken the handcuffs off.

"Your name is Wu Zhang, right? We asked you to join us before, and you refused?" Zhou Ping asked back.

"I won't collaborate with you!" On one hand, he didn't want to do this, as such behavior was against his principles. On the other hand, he felt that if he did, it would eventually be discovered, and the consequences would be severe. He didn't want to involve his wife and daughter in such matters.

So, he refused Zhou Ping.

He didn't expect them to come knocking again.

Upon hearing his words, Zhou Ping sneered, "Is that so? Then hand over what you stole from us."

"Nonsense, when did I steal anything from you!" Wu Zhang was getting angry.

Zhou Ping snorted and pointed to the crabs in his arms, "There, isn't that it!"

Obviously, they had their eyes on the crabs that Wu Zhang had caught.

They had also thought about catching fish, but because of the cold weather, they hadn't seen any fish, and they didn't want to go into the water to catch them.

Unexpectedly, when they saw Wu Zhang catching quite a few crabs in the water, they became tempted. They hadn't seen these crabs before.

But now, even getting enough food was a problem, so how could they be picky? After all, they hadn't eaten meat in a long time.

"Nonsense!" Wu Zhang was instantly furious. These crabs were what he had worked so hard to catch, nearly freezing his legs to feed his wife and daughter with some nutrition.

Now, Zhou Ping and his gang were blatantly lying. How could he not be angry?

"I'll ask once more, hand over what you stole, or we won't be polite."

Zhou Ping said, and the others quickly spread out and surrounded Wu Zhang.

Naturally, Wu Zhang couldn't hand over the crabs. Seeing their actions, he turned and ran.

"Trying to escape!"

Zhou Ping and the others were already prepared. Seeing the man trying to flee, the people lying in ambush nearby rushed out and knocked Wu Zhang to the ground.

"Help!"

Wu Zhang reacted quickly, knowing he wasn't a match for these people. He shouted loudly, hoping to attract the attention of others.

"Damn it!"

"Shut up!"

Zhou Ping and the others' faces changed. They quickly picked up sticks from the ground and smashed them at Wu Zhang, trying to silence him.

But Wu Zhang reacted swiftly, covering himself with his clothes, dodging the attack, and continued shouting.

Zhou Ping and the others didn't expect the man to be so agile, actually dodging their attacks. As they wanted to continue their assault, they heard rustling from the forest, indicating someone was approaching.

"Stop, what are you doing!"

Soon, several bailiffs ran out of the woods, seeing Zhou Ping and the others, and immediately took out their weapons, aiming at them.

"Drop your sticks, or we won't be polite!"

The bailiffs shouted at Zhou Ping and the others, while the man took the opportunity to slip away from Zhou Ping and approached the bailiffs.

"Help, they're trying to kill someone!"

Upon hearing this, the bailiffs' expressions changed. They recognized Zhou Ping and remembered that he had been put in shackles for murder. Why were they now missing?

So, they angrily shouted, "Drop your sticks and squat on the ground, don't move!"

Zhou Ping and the others glanced at each other, with some showing a fierce look, while Zhou Ping shook his head slightly. As long as they didn't act recklessly, Xu Tian wouldn't kill them.

Soon, they put down their weapons and squatted on the ground, while the bailiffs had already sent someone to find Xu Tian.

When Xu Tian arrived, he found a group of people tied up and squatting on the ground, with the bailiffs watching them closely.

"What's going on?"

The bailiff looked at Wu Zhang, letting him explain, and Wu Zhang naturally recounted the whole incident like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, then begged Xu Tian to make a decision.

Upon hearing that Wu Zhang had spent over an hour in the freezing water just to supplement nutrition for his wife and daughter, Xu Tian was deeply moved.

After hearing about Zhou Ping and the others' behavior, he became furious and rushed over to them.

"I spared you once, and yet you not only haven't repented but also..."

Anger, regret, disappointment, various emotions surged in Xu Tian's heart.

"You guys are really something!"

Xu Tian gritted his teeth, a blaze of anger rising in his heart. He had originally wanted to give Zhou Ping a chance to change, but who knew that instead of repenting, he would only worsen his behavior.

A thought of punishing Zhou Ping severely instantly emerged in his mind.

"Captain Xu, spare us!"

Zhou Ping and the others saw this and immediately knelt down, crying and begging for mercy, "We were just confused for a moment, give us another chance, we won't do it again."

"Yes, please give us another chance. We had no choice; we couldn't even eat enough. Winter is here, and there's nothing to eat in the wilderness. This was just a last resort. We were forced into it..."

One after another, they expressed their grievances, revealing the bitterness in their hearts, which instantly poured cold water on Xu Tian's fiery anger.

He fell silent. Zhou Ping was right; it was impossible for them to eat their fill with this little food.

But the problem was, he wanted them to eat their fill, but the key was that there was only this much food. If he let them eat freely, they wouldn't last until the next county. Perhaps halfway there, these people would starve to death without food.

By then, most of these people would likely die of hunger. Therefore, having something to eat was still much better than starving to death.

Thinking this way, Xu Tian also understood that Zhou Ping and the others were indeed acting out of desperation... but... Xu Tian was still somewhat angry.

"Tie them up and keep them under strict guard!"

In the end, Xu Tian didn't order them to be killed. After all, although he was the captain of the bailiffs, he didn't have the right to arbitrarily execute prisoners.

Unless the prisoners insisted on escaping, then they could be killed.

"Captain Xu, please make a decision for us..."

At this moment, some other prisoners surged forward from nearby, apparently running over when they heard the commotion.

Seeing Zhou Ping and the others being captured, those people seemed to have found someone to vent to and complained to Xu Tian.

They didn't want to associate with Zhou Ping either. Although they were exiled, most of them were just servants and the like, only implicated.

Hearing that Zhou Ping and the others had done so many bad things behind their backs, Xu Tian trembled with anger.

But returning to that phrase, Zhou Ping and the others changed their clothes to get more food, it was just to eat a little more, not illegal. The only mistake was coercing and enticing others to join them.

And after others got food the second time, they also had to pay a certain interest, which meant they had to give up half of their food.

"Sigh!"

Zhou Ping sighed, had the bailiffs guard Zhou Ping and the others, and finally went to find Chen Yuan to seek a solution.

Chen Yuan remained silent for a moment, then turned to Xu Tian and said seriously, "So, do you want me to be the good guy or the bad guy?"

Xu Tian was stunned, not understanding what Chen Yuan meant.

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 Chapter 1058: Zhao Xi Is Still Here

When Shu Yu sent Meng Yunzheng out earlier, she passed through the front yard but didn't see Zhao Xi, assuming he had gone ahead to prepare things.

She didn't expect him to have only gone to the county office??

Zhao Xi was taken aback and uncertainly asked, "Shu Yu, are you saying that he... he has already gone to the capital?"

"Don't you know?"

Zhao Xi slapped his thigh, "He never told me."

His expression suddenly became unpleasant. "When did he leave?"

"Just a moment ago."

Zhao Xi turned and was about to run out, but he turned back again. "I remember that Lady Fan sent you two horses today. Give me one."

There was only one horse at home, and by now it should have been taken away by Meng Yunzheng.

Shuyu quickly led Zhao Xi to the stable. The other members of the Lu family watched them in confusion.

"What's going on? Did Yunzheng go to the capital?"

"I heard he had some business to attend to in the capital, but he didn't say he was leaving today."

Shu Yu remained silent all the way, her brows furrowing tightly. So, Meng Yunzheng went to the capital and only told her, not even Zhao Xi.

Seeing her worried expression, Zhao Xi understood her concern and quickly said, "Don't worry. I think Yunzheng wants me to spend more time with your sister now that I'm engaged. That's why he didn't bring me along. He's fine, and he has people to protect him, so don't worry."

Shuyu nodded. "I know."

The two of them arrived at the stable, where the two horses were happily munching on hay, looking spirited.

One was an adult horse, and the other was still a young one.

Zhao Xi led the adult horse out and said to Shu Yu, "I'm going to catch up with him. Don't worry, take care of your sister, and we'll be back soon."

Shu Yu sister, Shu You, also ran over. When she saw Zhao Xi mount the horse and head towards the side gate, her heart couldn't help but feel anxious.

Zhao Xi waved at her. "Shu You, don't worry. We'll get married when I come back."

After saying that, he flicked the reins and galloped out, rushing to catch up with Meng Yunzheng.

Shu You took a few steps forward but could only watch helplessly as he disappeared. "Be careful..."

Zhao Xi waved at her without turning back.

Only when he was completely out of sight did Shu You grab Shu Yu's hand and asked in a low voice, "Shu Yu, did something happen in the capital?"

"No, it's just that Yunzheng had something to attend to in the capital. Originally, Zhao Xi was with him all the time. Now that Zhao Xi is engaged, Yunzheng didn't want to disturb you two. Besides, their bet has expired, and Zhao Xi is no longer his attendant. So, he went back to the capital without telling Zhao Xi."

Shu You knew about the bet between Zhao Xi and Meng Yunzheng.

Hearing Shu Yu's explanation, she felt slightly relieved.

"Let's go back and not worry our parents."

The two of them returned to the main hall, where the Lu family members were still gathered and asked about the situation.

Shu Yu explained it again, and everyone finally felt at ease.

In the evening, Xiang Weinan sent Hu Li to report on the situation with  County Princess Zhang.

"Zhang Maolin committed the crime, and there is solid evidence against him. He has even admitted it himself and received twenty strokes of the cane. However, County Princess Zhang didn't actually cause any substantial harm, and her accusation against you wasn't true."

Hu Li sighed. When Xiang Weinan asked about the cause and effect, Zhang County Princess was so startled by the gifts sent from the capital that she couldn't speak.

The person who accused Shu Yu of offending County Princess Zhang was a bystander among the common people.

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Chapter 286: Securing the Shop, Trapping the Zhang Family (Part 8)

Mo Yan had someone tear down the wall between the front and back halls, creating a spacious room with the kitchen still intact. This way, Li Zhong could guard the shop, and Mo Yan could also cook hot meals for herself.

The walls on either side of the main door were also removed, and carpenters from the lumberyard were hired to measure and make sliding doors. With the door open, the room was bright, and even if customers stood at the entrance, they could easily see the items on display.

After carefully explaining the key points and details of the renovation to the workers, Mo Yan began searching for a warehouse.

Since the Mo family's land had not yet produced any grain, Mo Yan couldn't mix the grain from the space with others to sell at the shop. Just like when she supplied the refugee camp with food, she had to rent a warehouse, stack the grain from the space inside, let Li Zhong take it to the mill for processing, and then put it up for sale in the shop.

But doing this might make Li Zhong suspicious, thinking she didn't trust him enough to handle the grain procurement. It was unavoidable for now, but it would be fine once their land started producing grain.

The location of the warehouse also had to be relatively concealed, without arousing suspicion from others. Fortunately, there were many warehouses available for rent within the city, mostly used by merchants to store goods.

Through the help of a brokerage firm, Mo Yan searched for several days and finally settled on a warehouse of about fifty square meters. It was located at the edge of the warehouse area, with goods coming in and out nearby every day. As long as nobody was specifically watching, nobody would notice anything unusual happening there.

Apart from being a bit far from the shop, Mo Yan was satisfied with everything else. The rent was also reasonable, at two taels of silver per month, and she paid for a whole year upfront. After a year, they wouldn't need the place anymore.

With the warehouse sorted out, Mo Yan still had to keep an eye on the shop renovation. Li Zhong would send her to the city every morning, and if he couldn't pick her up in the afternoon, she would take a carriage back herself. At noon, she would go to Mo Qingze's place to cook and eat, which made Han Zhiyun very happy, and she would come over to have lunch every day.

Mo Qingze wasn't informed in advance about the shop and land purchase. When he found out, he didn't blame her for making decisions without consulting him. He only asked if there was enough money at home and even suggested moving to the academy to save some money.

His father's openness and trust made Mo Yan very happy, but Han Zhiyun was amazed at the enlightened mind of his classmate and the kindness of being a father. He was even more envious that he didn't have a capable son early on. Otherwise, wouldn't it be great if they could become in-laws?

...

In the blink of an eye, it was late October, and the weather was getting colder. You had to wear thick cotton clothes to avoid feeling cold.

By now, the Mo family's shop was already renovated, and the grain from the space had been stacked in the rented warehouse by Mo Yan in advance. After Li Zhong processed what needed to be processed, he transported it to the shop. In addition to rice, wheat, and corn, there were also various grains such as millet, red beans, green beans, and eggs.

Everything was ready, and they were only waiting for the opening day on October 30th.

On the afternoon of October 28th, Li Zhong hurriedly drove a carriage to Changshan Academy to pick up Mo Qingze. The end of the month was a holiday for Changshan Academy every month.

Mo Yan deliberately set the opening day of the shop on October 30th so that the whole family could attend.

However, when Mo Qingze returned, he brought very bad news: Half a month ago, the Ba Ren tribe's army invaded the border of Da Chu!

Next Chapter▶▶

While the Qi Wangfei was listening to Feng Xuanrui's recent experiences, Suisui was already with Feng Xuanrui and Aunt Qiu, getting cleaned up.

Physician Liu had previously allowed the children to be cleaned with the screen separating them. But Aunt Qiu would not permit such a thing. Upon hearing that the children were being cleaned together with a screen in between, she shook her head with a smile, saying, “That’s not appropriate. It’s not good for Suisui’s reputation. Since conditions were simple before, it’s different now that she’s back. They need to bathe separately.”

Hearing that it was for his sister’s reputation, Feng Xuanrui reluctantly followed Qing Shan and Qing Shui to another cleaning room. 

Aunt Qiu, along with two maids, helped Suisui bathe. Aunt Qiu had already guessed that Suisui was likely a pitiable child, but she was still shocked when she saw the extent of Suisui’s injuries after she undressed.

Her eyes couldn’t hide the pity and distress. Seeing the old wounds on Suisui’s small body, Aunt Qiu thought, “Such a young child with so many injuries. Is this family heartless?” She used bath beans gently and carefully on Suisui.

The sweet, familiar scent wafted through the air, and Suisui quietly noticed it. It was the same pleasant scent she had encountered earlier from the beautiful aunt.

Suisui liked it very much. As she got dressed, she subtly lowered her head to smell it a few times.

The household didn’t have any suitable clothes for a girl of her age, so Suisui was still wearing the clothes she had brought with her. Aunt Qiu was dissatisfied with the clothes, finding them not soft enough, not stylish enough, and not good enough. She thought that Suisui needed softer silk or fine cotton due to her injuries.

While helping Suisui get dressed, Aunt Qiu wondered what her lady would decide. If necessary, she thought, “I can take care of her myself. Such a pitiful child. I can’t imagine how she would grow up if she were sent back.”

Suisui, behaving obediently, thanked Aunt Qiu: “Thank you, Aunt.”

The polite and well-behaved child made Aunt Qiu’s heart ache even more. She lovingly patted Suisui’s head and asked gently, “Are you hungry?”

Aunt Qiu had already prepared some milk and red date porridge before they started cleaning, fearing it might delay dinner. So, she had only prepared a light snack for the children.

Suisui was a bit hungry, having eaten only a modest meal at noon. However, as she was not familiar with Aunt Qiu and her brother wasn’t there, she hesitated to speak up and softly shook her head: “Not hungry.”

Aunt Qiu could tell Suisui was a bit hungry from her flat stomach. Seeing her reluctance to admit it, Aunt Qiu shook her head and said, “Suisui, you need to be honest. It’s not good to lie.”

Hearing she shouldn’t lie made Suisui anxious. She shook her head and whispered, “I’m a bit hungry.”

Seeing Suisui’s timid look made Aunt Qiu’s heart ache again. She gently patted Suisui’s head and then took her hand to lead her outside. “Aunt will take you to have some milk.”

Milk? 

Suisui had only had milk once before, back when her brother had someone bring it from outside the inn. It had tasted a bit off, and her brother said it had an unpleasant smell. He promised that once they returned to the capital, he would let her taste the milk prepared by the household cook, which would be much better with red dates or fruits added.

After that incident, Suisui had never had milk again.

Now, hearing Aunt Qiu mention it, Suisui was curious but didn’t dare to ask.

Feng Xuanrui had finished his bath by now, cleaned up, and put on his jade pendant and headband, adding a touch of nobility to his appearance.

When Suisui saw him, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Brother looks so beautiful!”

Feng Xuanrui appeared completely different at home compared to on the road. While he looked like a regular young noble on the road, at home, his appearance was marked by a layer of wealth and nobility.

Hearing Suisui’s praise, Feng Xuanrui was quite pleased and walked with a bit more swagger, proudly lifting his chin and saying, “Not bad, not bad!”

Seeing that Suisui was still wearing her old clothes, Feng Xuanrui was somewhat dissatisfied. “Later, I’ll have Mother find someone to measure you and make some new clothes. Then, you’ll look beautiful too, okay?”

Suisui couldn’t imagine wearing such luxurious clothes, but hearing her brother talk about it made her excited. Her eyes sparkled even more than the precious stones on Feng Xuanrui. “Yes, I’ll listen to Brother!”

Her obedient and cute demeanor made people want to pat her on the head again and again.

Aunt Qiu, watching the interaction, hesitated to correct Feng Xuanrui’s overly indulgent behavior but ultimately decided against it. “Let the child enjoy it.”

Having seen her brother and now feeling more at ease in the luxurious residence, Suisui was less afraid. She was still thinking about her clay pot.

Because Lele had said that if she took good care of the plants and transplanted them outside, she might get some surprises in the summer. 

Suisui wondered if the surprises were truly something exciting. She wasn’t sure, but she was newly interested in planting and wanted to know more.

So, as they walked, she didn’t forget to ask Feng Xuanrui, “Brother, what about our flowers? Do they need watering? Why aren’t they sprouting? Is it too cold?”

Suisui had many questions, and Feng Xuanrui showed no impatience. For what he didn’t know, he turned to Aunt Qiu and asked, “Aunt, what should we do?”

“Do we need to heat them if it’s too cold?”

……

Aunt Qiu patiently answered all the children’s questions. For things she didn’t know, she promised to find out from others.

Suisui listened intently, trying her best to remember the answers.

While she was focused, a sound of running footsteps and a child’s excited shout, “Sixth Brother!!!” came from nearby. 

Next Chapter▶▶

Next Chapter▶▶

Chapter 285: Securing the Shop, Trapping the Zhang Family (Part 7)

Xiao Zhu chuckled, "Those several deceived shopkeepers gave them a lot of thanks silver. When I went there, they said it was all thanks to Miss. They couldn't accept that silver and gave me some of it."

Mo Yan was taken aback. She hadn't expected this, but Xiao Zhu had indeed found some good people. There might be places to use them in the future. So she pushed fifty taels of silver over again. "Those thanks silver are rightfully theirs, and I can't ignore my share. If they refuse to accept it, please use this silver to host a banquet, as a token of my gratitude to them. In the future, if they need any help, I can also open my mouth."

With the conversation reaching this point, Xiao Zhu couldn't refuse anymore, but he only accepted thirty taels, refusing to take the remaining twenty taels. Thirty taels of silver could provide quite a lavish feast at Huixian Residence!

Seeing this, Mo Yan took back the twenty taels of silver and let Xiao Zhu have a meal at home before letting him go.

A few days later, two yamen bailiffs were sent by the yamen, saying that Mo Yan was needed to testify in the case of the Zhang family's fraud.

The shop was legally acquired, and Mo Yan knew this was just a formality. After comforting the worried Li Zhong and others, she followed the bailiffs to the yamen.

When Mo Yan arrived, Zhang Fugui, Yao Taohua, and the other two from the Zhang family were already kneeling on the cold ground, with several deceived victims standing by.

The magistrate didn't trouble Mo Yan much, only asking her to recount the process of buying the shop. Mo Yan honestly recounted everything, of course, omitting the transaction with Zhang Fugui.

However, it was unclear whether Zhang Fugui suspected Mo Yan of mischief, causing their attempted escape to be discovered, or if he wanted to drag someone down by revealing the transaction himself, hoping to implicate Mo Yan.

Mo Yan naturally refused to admit it according to his wishes. After all, Zhang Fugui had no real evidence, the testimonies of the other Zhang family members were not credible, and the Zhang family had committed several offenses before. It was quite normal for them to be anxious and try to frame innocent people.

Moreover, Mo Yan had purchased the shop at a normal market price. Without evidence, the magistrate could only assume that the Zhang family was unwilling and randomly implicated others.

Mo Yan returned home safely, but the Zhang family was not so fortunate. In court, Zhang Fugui took all the blame upon himself. In order to lighten his punishment, he returned the total of twenty-four thousand two hundred taels of silver swindled to the deceived victims.

Zhang Fugui was quite capable. In court, he kowtowed to the victims, holding his one-year-old grandson, hoping they would forgive him for his momentary confusion and spare his life.

The victims, seeing his pitiful old age and thinking of their own similarly aged grandchildren, now that the silver had been recovered, decided not to investigate further, considering it an act of accumulating virtue.

In the end, Zhang Fugui was sentenced to thirty strokes but was not banished and was only sentenced to ten years in prison. As for the other members of the Zhang family, because they were aware of the situation but didn't report it, they were beaten a few times and then released.

Mo Yan was quite satisfied with this outcome. Although she looked down on the Zhang family, she didn't harbor deep hatred towards them. Now that they had received the punishment they deserved, they shouldn't come out to harm people again in the future.

...

In order to open the shop as soon as possible, Mo Yan asked Li Zhong to continue overseeing the land-clearing work, while she herself ran back and forth between the shop and home. Besides arranging for the renovation of the shop, she also had to find a suitable warehouse. Otherwise, how would she manage to get all the grain out of the space?

The shop had a relatively large area, with the front hall and the back hall totaling more than eighty square meters. The front hall had been used by the Zhang family to sell grain, while the back hall served as a temporary storage for grain, with a small kitchen for cooking.

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