The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 328 Joyful Money
Chase?
How to chase?
It's dawn!

It's raining!

After a whole night of work, do they still have the energy to chase after them?

But when they tried to object, none of them dared to utter a sound in the face of Kuroiwa Nami's eyes, which seemed to want to devour them.

"If the Shen family goes this way, they will be further away from the capital."

Kuroiwa Nami gritted her teeth so hard they almost broke. "With Yamashita Harumori on her side, she can forget about returning to Kyoto."

She stared at the group of idiots. "Today is our only chance."

She would never allow the Shen family to slip out of her control.

Whoever Shen dares to ask for help, she will spare no effort to kill their entire family.

"Gentlemen of the delegation, we are waiting for you. So many of our people who are imprisoned are waiting for us. Take your swords, and if necessary, do not let anyone you see go unpunished."

"Hi!"

Nagayama Keio and others agreed at the same time.

Kuroiwa Nami was worried about Yamashita Haru, who was guarding the main road, so she went to see him first and asked him to keep a close watch on all the passersby. She then went directly along the main road and asked everyone she met in the villages on both sides if they had seen any strangers or if they had discovered anything strange the night before.

In her opinion, if Shen Ning wanted to escape and didn't want to attract attention, she could only ask the farmers down the mountain for help.

As long as she finds it...

While gritting her teeth inwardly, Kuroiwa Nami greeted everyone with a sweet smile, calling out to this auntie, that uncle, this brother, and that young man, asking them all questions.

If you encounter a difficult person, you can give them ten or twenty coins. Once you run out of copper coins, you can offer them silver coins instead.

In short, she was willing to do anything to find Shen Ning.

But at this moment, Shen Ning had already eaten a bowl of rice porridge that could barely be considered thick.

Of course, she also took out the steamed buns and mung bean cakes from her bundle.

There weren't many items, but mung bean cakes were a rare treat even in rural areas.

The family enjoyed their meal happily.

Shen Ning was worried that Gou'er would go out and brag, which could lead to his death, so she simply invited the whole family to come to the capital together.

Whether you're taking a ride or a family, it's all the same.

Moreover, Wang Gou'er should be a decent person. If he had objected when the elderly Granny Liu sold her property to save Qiao Jie, it wouldn't have been so easy for her to succeed.

So it's better to be safe.

“Grandma, it’s so nice to be all together as a family. Whether or not we can go to the Rongguo Mansion, my uncle will be incredibly grateful to see you all take me there. We can all get to know each other and become familiar with each other. That way, when we go to the capital in the future, no matter what, we’ll have a place to stay. Besides…”

Shen Ning racked her brains to get the whole family to travel together. "There are many businesses in that mansion. My uncle can get the wholesale price. Even if he only buys some cloth to wear himself, he can save at least 30%, if not half."

To be frank, though it may seem strange, making a living by digging in the soil may be stable, but it's ultimately a poor existence.

Why don't we all come and meet my brother-in-law? If all else fails, even opening a small general store in the village would be better than him toiling in the fields forever.

This?
Wang Gou'er was truly moved.

He couldn't help but look at Granny Liu.

According to him, it would be best to agree immediately.

But this Lady Shen was a guest of my mother-in-law, and she spoke with great respect for my mother-in-law.

He dared not cross his mother-in-law's path, and pleaded only with his eyes.

"Wouldn't this be too much trouble for your uncle?"

Granny Liu was also tempted. She hadn't done anything for this Madam Shen, yet the whole family was relying on her. If it were just her, and she had personally invited her, that would be fine. But her uncle-in-law was also involved.

"No, no!"

Shen Ning waved her hands repeatedly, "My uncle had no children of his own and always treated me like his own granddaughter."

"Mother~"

Liu was pulled by Wang Gou'er and hurriedly called out to Granny Liu.

"Then let's go together!"

Grandma Liu slapped her thigh and agreed, "Gou'er, go call a car, let's get ready."

"Eh~"

Wang Gou'er jumped up with joy.

He hurriedly ran to find his car.

Although it was raining outside, the official road was still passable.

To prevent his family from getting wet, he and the old man driving the cart built a makeshift shed using tarpaulin.

Shen Ningqing sat on the donkey cart with a clear conscience. It was the first time Ban'er and Qing'er had ridden in a cart. Being honest children, they were well-fed and watered and did not cry or make a fuss. They were very well-behaved.

only……

Looking at the direction the donkey cart was heading, Shen Ning felt increasingly uneasy.

"Is this the direction to Beijing?"

As she watched the donkey cart cross a village and turn onto the main road she had been avoiding, her heart sank.

"Yes!"

Seeing that her expression was off, Granny Liu quickly asked what was wrong.
"That person is definitely looking for me too. He's afraid that if my uncle really goes down that path, I'm afraid..."

Shen Ning didn't answer directly, but looked at Granny Liu pleadingly, "Granny, can't we wear these clothes around the village? We can even give you more money."

This?
Grandma Liu hurriedly said to the old man driving the cart, "Sixth Brother, let's take the old road. My eldest niece is having some trouble with her now."

Uncle Liu had already seen Shen Ning's appearance.

My left cheek is swollen high, and the handprint is still very obvious.

hum~
If you hit someone, why are you afraid they'll go back to their parents' house and complain?

When you see injustice, you should speak out.

Although I'm old and can no longer roar, a silent roar is still a roar.

"Xu~"

The old man didn't utter a sound, but with a tug on the reins, the donkey turned in a different direction.

"Thank you, Uncle Liu."

Once she realized they were getting further and further away from the main road, Shen Ning quickly put her hands together in a gesture of gratitude to Uncle Liu!

Good heavens, this time, she escaped with her life, right?

She didn't enter the Red Mansion to savor the delicacies; she came to undergo tribulations.

Having barely escaped, Shen Ning was terrified of falling into another trap.

……

At Rongguo Mansion, Grandmother Jia looked at Granny Lai, who was crying and trying to explain herself, and wanted to find a reason for her, but she couldn't.

"The Japanese kidnapped your grandchildren, so you gave in to them and even helped them enter and leave the Rongguo Mansion, simply because the Ningguo Mansion was beyond your reach."

The old lady was so angry that she was trembling all over.

She's forgiving, even forgiving mistakes?

In other words, the Japanese are mainly targeting the Shen family, and they don't dare to make any moves that might alert them, otherwise her family...

The thought that all the children and grandchildren of the household had almost lost their lives because of this old woman made Grandmother Jia unable to forgive them. "Very good, very good!"

The Japanese delegation was detained in Tianjin, and her son and daughter put in a lot of effort.

Don't those Japanese hate them?
They must hate them to death too.

However, neither She'er nor Min'er can compare to Shen Shi.

Therefore, they chose the more distant option over the more nearby one.

Upon realizing this, Grandmother Jia felt both relieved and angry, declaring, "From now on, we have no further relationship."

Given her temper, she might as well kill the whole family. But considering how much the Great Zhao Law and Great Edict that Madam Shen was promoting at home, the old lady knew very well that even if she gave the order, Zhu'er and the others would not listen to her.

"Grandma, Grandma, that's not how it is."

Granny Lai wanted to argue further, "Please listen to me..."

"If you can tell me where those Japanese are, I'll listen," Grandmother Jia stopped, turning to leave. "Otherwise, you should know the consequences!" Granny Lai: "..."

“I know that with your abilities, if you were willing to inquire, you could get a general idea even if you didn’t know the specific direction.”

Having served as mistress and servant for many years, Grandmother Jia knew Lai Mama's abilities. "Unless... you are so determined to kill Shen Shi that you don't want to ask any questions at all."

"..."

Granny Lai could cry no more.

"You chose this path yourself."

There was no reply, only a pause in Granny Lai's sobbing. What else could Grandmother Jia not understand?
She's the one who ruined the Shen family!
It was also she who almost ruined her family.

No, she has already ruined an entire family.

If Shen doesn't come back, how will Zhu'er face Zhen'er and Rong'er in the future?
she……

Thinking of the way You Shi had looked at her just now, Grandmother Jia's steps became unsteady.

How will her children and grandchildren look after her in the future?

As Jia Min, who was supporting her, felt her hand sink, the old lady collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"old lady……"

Granny Lai cried out in a shrill voice, and as she tried to rush forward, she was kicked back by Jia Zhu, who arrived at the scene.

"uncle……"

"I can't accept that!"

Jia Zhu waved his hand, and several strong young servants quickly entered. "Hand them over to Chief Constable Lu."

Before she could finish speaking, Granny Lai was dragged outside.

Lai Shangrong and the others fared no better. They didn't even have a chance to stand up. As they were violently dragged out, the streaks of blood became more and more obvious amidst their cries.

Lady You watched all this with indifference; Grandmother Jia's fainting spell had no effect on her whatsoever.

Her mother-in-law is in the hands of the Japanese.

For the mother-in-law, even fainting might be a pipe dream.

She didn't even jump up; she was already using all her strength by crying, shouting, and making a scene.

……

Meanwhile, Kuroiwa Nami was still investigating bit by bit.

She dared not miss a single village on either side of the main road.

However, as time went by, the more she investigated, the less confident she became.

If she could think of something, couldn't the Shen family have thought of it too?

Madam Shen must have anticipated this; she would investigate from both villages, so…

Just as she was about to abandon the villages on both sides, Kuroiwa Nami considered that her health was poor. No matter how good her mind was, if her body couldn't keep up, she couldn't run far.

She didn't believe she could go very far in that outfit.

As Kuroiwa Nami diligently continued her investigation, Nagayama Keio and others on the mountain also sent people to investigate whenever they passed through the village, but all they received was disappointment after disappointment.

How did a woman who never even had shoes and had been pampered since childhood manage to escape?

Or is she hiding somewhere, watching their breakdown from afar?

They were really devastated.

Yesterday during the day, they excitedly watched the Jia family's commotion.

When I came back at night, I was met with a bucket of cold water poured over my head, and then I pretended to be a ghost and ran around in the mountains.

Now they're on a relentless pace...

Physically exhausted and mentally hopeless, they were still clinging to life, but after repeated disappointments, they had no idea how much further that life could take them.

Time slipped away slowly amidst their anxiety and Shen Ning's anticipation.

A light drizzle fell outside, and the distant mountains and forests looked like a dream.

Even the donkey's braying of "Ah-oh, ah-oh" could make the two children, Ban'er and Qing'er, giggle.

Although the official road left by the previous dynasty has been abandoned for many years, people still use it, so it is still relatively smooth.

Shen Ning looked at the distance behind her as it receded further and further away, feeling extremely happy.

If one survives, there will be future fortunes!
Now it's time for her to enjoy her later years, right?
Those Japanese...

Just thinking about how they were still frantically searching for her made the pain in my feet seem insignificant.

Granny Liu noticed that she was in a good mood and couldn't help but ask if she had seen Madam Shen of the Ningguo Mansion.

"Speaking of which, Madam Shen and Lady Shen might have been from the same family five hundred years ago."

Normally, they, being country folk, wouldn't hear the gossip about the wealthy families in the capital. But ever since Jia Jing was stripped bare by Shen Ning and all his private wealth was taken, the gossip has been endless.

"I've heard that this Madam Shen is this one."

Grandma Liu gave a thumbs up, "She has two muskets, and with a few bangs, she can kill several people."

"Hahaha!"

Old Liu, the driver of the cart, was amused by her. "A musket doesn't make a crackling sound, it makes a 'bang bang' sound, and when you fire one of those things, your arm will usually hurt from the shock." Two muskets? That made him laugh so hard.

"I've heard that when Madam Shen killed someone, the musket was the least powerful one."

"Could it be that she can use cannons?"

Grandma Liu was full of curiosity.

Even Shen Ning couldn't help but look at Uncle Liu.

What hurt her most about being robbed was not having a musket.

Without your life-saving friend, you lack confidence in everything you do.

There's a saying: "Madam Shen's mouth is like a cannon in the sky, and Madam Shen's slap can sweep away a whole area."

He frequently travels to Beijing and knows far more than Granny Liu.

"Knowing that the Jurchen princes came seeking help, how did they end up losing their country in the process?"

Uncle Liu chuckled, "That was all thanks to Madam Shen's sharp tongue; she drove them all away."

Shen Ning: "..."

She didn't know what expression to make.

After being gossiped about by Uncle Liu like this, how could she ever face Granny Liu again?

"How were they destroyed? Uncle Liu, stop keeping me in suspense and tell me!"

Wang Gou'er also got excited.

So Uncle Liu started babbling on and on...

From Shen Ning's repeated attacks on the Huitong Hall, to Suo Jin and his men delivering betrothal gifts to the Jia family, which drew out beggars and children from all over the capital.

"Look!"

He pulled a red string from around his neck, with a gleaming copper coin tied to it. "That day I went to join the fun and picked up eighteen copper coins. Everyone said it was lucky money and also good fortune; nowadays, one of these coins is worth twenty."

"Each person in our family now has one, and some even have several; our future great-grandchildren will have them too."

Uncle Liu was especially proud.

"Oh dear, I can't believe I didn't encounter such a big event."

Wang Gou'er slapped his thigh repeatedly, "Uncle, can I borrow your money to take a look?"

"Yes, these are all newly made large coins from last year."

Uncle Liu lent him the money to look at. "Don't be fooled by its appearance; it looks just like the other large coins. It's said to be one of the last batch of newly minted coins. It's slightly different from the previous coins. Look, it gets yellower and yellower the more you wear it, like gold."

In the market, some people take other money and speculate on it as "lucky money" or "wealth money," but people like him who have received lucky money or wealth money know that they would never sell such money.

"So lovely!"

Wang Gou'er liked it more and more as he looked at it. "Oh, I wish my family had a few coins like these."

I've personally tested it, and soaking my feet in Huoxiang Zhengqi Water (藿香正气水) can provide some relief for colds and headaches.