Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 243 A Bolt from the Blue! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Lu Jie's figure quickly disappeared from sight. Yan Shu gritted his teeth and stood there for a moment before stamping his foot and walking out as well!
Shen Qingzhou raised an eyebrow at them, then turned back to look at the hall, casually stuffed a few account books into his brocade robe, and got up and walked out.

……

On his way back to his residence, Yan Shu made a special detour to the front of Shuntian Prefecture. Good heavens, the huge square in front of the government office was now packed with people in three or four layers. The gates of Shuntian Prefecture were tightly closed, clearly indicating that they dared not act rashly without Lu Jie's instructions. However, the noisy shouts, the jeers and curses of the onlookers were like waves. Vendors and passersby from all directions, including shopkeepers and clerks, stopped trying to make money and all gathered around. The sound of cursing the Jiang family and the Yan family was so loud that it felt like their eardrums were about to burst!

After circling around for a while, he returned to his residence without stopping. As soon as he entered, he ordered his servants to summon Madam Yan to see him.

Such a commotion naturally reached Madam Yan's ears.

Since returning from the Lu family yesterday, she had immediately summoned a group of servants who had served her in the past for questioning. She had just finished clarifying the matter this morning when news came from the street. Then Yan Shu sent someone over, so she immediately left the messenger behind and went to Yan Shu's study with a shocked expression.

"How's the situation you were asked to verify?" Yan Shu asked her directly.

Madam Yan said, "The person in charge of this matter only saw the fire at the time, and afterwards saw the charred remains, but they did not carefully verify whether it was the person in question. Therefore, it is indeed possible that Jiang Mingyi has hidden our incriminating evidence!"

"That bitch!" Yan Shu slammed his hand on the table. "She's really cunning. She deceived the Yan family and then made a move on the Lu family's young lady, but she didn't have the ability to control herself. She couldn't even clean up the mess! Now that Guo Lu has done this, it's like she's been driven to a dead end. The Lu family can't tolerate her anymore!"

Madam Yan frowned and stepped forward: "This time she has committed a serious offense, and Lan Chu will definitely not forgive her."

"Wouldn't it be better if we allowed the Lu family to secretly kill her in the name of upholding justice and putting aside family ties? That would save us a lot of trouble!"

"But will she do as you wish?" Yan Shu stared intently at her. "Have you forgotten what she told you yesterday? She used our weakness to get back into the Lu family. Now that she's cornered, what will she do?"
"Whether the Lu family demands her death or forces her to divorce them, will she abandon her bargaining chips and obediently accept her fate?"

Madam Yan suddenly fell silent...

Yan Shu gritted his teeth: "This bitch can't be allowed to live! Go. Be quick, you must be quick!"

Madam Yan looked up: "But there are only three days left until Ying'er and Qu'er's wedding. If she dies suddenly at this time, the wedding will have to be postponed!"

Yan Qu is already in such a state; if the wedding is postponed and something goes wrong along the way, what will become of his life?

"Who cares about all that now?" Yan Shu's gaze was icy. "Dealing with the people is the priority!"

……

After sending the man to jail last night, Jiang lay down.

I tossed and turned for half the night, finally managed to close my eyes, and before I knew it, it was morning again.

After finishing her morning routine and having breakfast amidst her discomfort, she was wondering when news of Guo Lu's death would arrive from the prison, and whether she should wait for Lu Jie to return to the mansion before taking the initiative to ease tensions. Just then, a bolt from the blue struck her!
Guo Lu is still alive!

Not only did he not die, he even went to Shuntian Prefecture with the person who delivered the food last night to expose her secrets!
Jiang suddenly got up from the couch, then staggered several times. She grabbed the person who came and was about to ask what was going on when someone else said that Guo Lu had taken all the witnesses to Shuntian Prefecture. Immediately afterwards, the mansion was in chaos. People from the second and third branches of the family came, as did Yang Bonong and his wife. It turned out that Lu Jia from Yixia Courtyard had hanged herself!

Before Jiang could even settle in, news came from outside that Cheng Wenhui and his wife had also arrived!
The Cheng family… Madam Jiang gritted her teeth. Even though she was no longer in charge of the household, she was still Madam Lu, the mistress of the house!

When trouble comes at home, she has to step in!

Her relatives have arrived, and she has to greet them!

But how could she possibly go with such a large group of people?!
She slammed the door shut.

But soon Qinghe arrived, leading a group of people to "push" open the door and ask her to come forward!
“Our young lady has suffered a great injustice today. As her stepmother and mistress, how can you remain indifferent at this time? Isn’t that too cold-blooded and derelict in your duty?”

These lowly servants, who used to fawn over him and flatter him, are now all under Lu Jia's command!

They stood on either side, ready to use force if she didn't move.

After several attempts, Madam Jiang managed to compose herself and step out the door. Just as she reached the outside of Yixia Courtyard, she heard Cheng Wenhui cursing Lu Jie as "a worthless scoundrel," and the voices of Madam Cheng and her two sisters-in-law from the second and third wives trying to comfort Lu Jia, who was wailing loudly.
The two ladies of the Lu family had already harbored resentment towards Jiang Shi after the misunderstanding that Du Mama was not found in the well. Later, after the Wei Shi incident, the two ladies stopped showing their faces altogether. Now, with news of Guo Lu's affair circulating on the street, Jiang Shi's vicious behavior was a matter of the Lu family's reputation! How could the two ladies possibly have a pleasant expression?

Second Madam Zhou roared, "You vicious woman! Guards, keep an eye on her! Then go see where the master is!"

In an instant, countless people surrounded Yixia Courtyard, making it impossible to move.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Lu Jia nestled against Madam Cheng's chest, looking so fragile that she seemed like she could be crushed at the slightest touch.

How could Jiang be so cruel to harm such a pitiful little girl!

The crowd grew even more indignant, and Yinliu shouted from the side, "No wonder our girl went missing back then, she was abandoned! No, this is not abandonment, it's clearly murder!"

The gleam of greed in the eyes of the Lu and Cheng families was once again directed at us!
Madam Jiang gritted her teeth and looked around: "Where is Granny Hu? Where is Granny Hu!"

"Stop calling me Granny Hu! Look at me, Granny Du!"

Amidst the pauses in Jiang's shouts, a familiar voice, long unheard of, suddenly broke through.

Immediately afterward, a man rushed over like an arrow: "Madam, how cruel you are! I've done so much for you, been loyal to you, and in the end you just want to take this old woman's life without saying a word!"

As soon as these words were spoken, gasps of surprise immediately rose from the crowd!
Even Lu Jia, who was nestled in Madam Cheng's arms, stopped crying and raised her head...

The old woman shouting wildly in front of them was indeed Granny Du, who had been intercepted halfway! At this moment, she was tightly gripping Jiang's neck with both hands, and her shrill voice almost ripped through the eardrums of everyone present!

"Master! The master is back!"

Someone shouted at the door, and everyone looked towards the entrance. Sure enough, Lu Jie strode in with a cold expression! Behind him was a group of people, including Guo Lu and two women who looked remarkably like Lu Jia!
The sudden appearance of Granny Du had already turned Jiang's face ashen, and now seeing this scene, she immediately took several steps back, bumping into a thick osmanthus tree in the corner of the courtyard...