Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 54 When will you come again?
Shen Qingzhou never expected that doing a good deed by chance would turn into a trap he himself had set for himself.

Looking into Lu Jia's eyes through the waning moon overhead, he asked, "Do you want to cure my illness, or do you want to hire a farmhand?"

"Yes, yes, I have them all." Lu Jia chuckled. "Qin Zhou, can you do me another favor?"

Just know.

"What kind of help?"

"Please help me get rid of the He family."

Shen Qingzhou looked at her: "What's wrong?"

“I don’t want her to have the chance to reveal how we cheated the Zhang family. But she doesn’t deserve to die. I’ve already cut off her tongue, so normally she can’t leak anything. But there are still people in the Zhang family. Better safe than sorry. Help me get her somewhere else and don’t let her have a chance to come back before the Zhang family is completely ruined.”

So that's what you were worried about.

He said, "No need. The Zhang family will be gone in less than three days."

Lu Jia was stunned: "You want to wipe out the whole family?"

Shen Qingzhou did want to.

I was worried that she wouldn't be able to clean things up after I left, so I helped her tidy up a bit.

He said, "The evidence of He's bad deeds is overwhelming, and she can hardly protect herself. In addition, she can no longer speak, so we can be absolutely certain of her safety."

"Next, you just need to keep a close eye on the Zhang family's news and act accordingly."

He handed her a piece of paper: "I've already returned the boat. The money, house deeds, and land deeds are all here. You can go and take a look first. If you're worried, you can take them now. If you're not in a hurry, you can move them after the sea calms down."

After a moment's thought, he added, "Keep that jade safe. Remember my words, be careful when using money. It would be best to have a reliable person recommend a few bodyguards you know well, so they can handle things if needed."

Lu Jia asked, "When will you come again?"

The girl's eyes shone brightly under the moonlight, filled with anticipation.

Shen Qingzhou clenched her hands behind her back repeatedly: "Wait until you're all ready. Aren't you still going to fuss over it for a while? I'll come over after you're done."

After today's farewell, he will disappear.

What if she insists on hiring him if he reappears?
“Then you must come,” Lu Jia said. “I also need to pay you a fee. I also need to get a doctor for you.”

Shen Qingzhou looked at her slender shadow cast by the moonlight and nodded.

The fate of the Xie family rested entirely on her shoulders, but she was just a little girl. If both her parents were alive, she would still be at the age where she should be clinging to them, acting spoiled and demanding.

He paused briefly, then raised his head again.

Lu Jia remained standing in the same spot, her thick, long eyelashes obscuring her eyes.

Lost in thought, her delicate shoulders slumped, the evening breeze ruffling her clothes. The rough woodcutter's knife tucked at her waist appeared and disappeared, its gleaming blade making her look both arrogant and adorable.

Shen Qingzhou sighed softly to herself.

She should be tall and muscular, with three heads and six arms, so that he could leave in peace.

He said slowly, "Three days. I will come in three days."

With the Zhang family's fortune, her current predicament has been resolved, and I should naturally withdraw from her life.

However, she currently lacks manpower, so properly handling the 120,000 taels of silver, along with the house and land deeds, will not be easy, will it?
If we're going to help, we should help to the very end.

Three days later, he returned again, personally helped her settle her family property, and then never appeared again.

"Really?" Lu Jia's eyes lit up again, and she happily took two steps forward: "Then I'll wait for you, okay? Don't go back on your word, and don't stand me up!"

Shen Qingzhou nodded.

As soon as they exited the alley, He Qu and his men were already waiting there with their carriage, and they could see the whole scene unfolding deep inside the alley.

Shen Qingzhou remained silent the entire way.

He Qu couldn't help but say, "Young master, I bet if you become a father in the future, you'll be the best father in the world." He had followed him for over ten years since he was a child and had never seen him so long-winded.

Where is Young Master Shen, who used to be so arrogant as to never say more than three sentences when saying goodbye to anyone?
No wonder Miss Lu said he looked like her father!
Shen Qingzhou, who had just closed her eyes, opened them again.

"From today onwards, the task of cleaning the toilets is yours."

He Qu: ...

……

Lu Jia watched Shen Qingzhou leave, and Qiu Niang and the others had already arrived beside her.

“This young master Qin doesn’t seem to be helping you,” Qiu Niang followed her for a while, then sighed and said, “It’s more like he owes you something from a past life.”

"I think so too."

Lu Jia crossed her arms.

He hardly seems like a shady character who takes money to do things.
Why would someone work so hard if they were paid to do so?
"But I've never seen him before..."

Lu Jia murmured.

She had no recollection of ever knowing such a person in her past life.

"Sister!" Xie Yi ran over breathlessly, "The constables from Tanzhou Prefecture are here! They say they received a report that He Shi forced women into prostitution and colluded with the madam of Wan Hua Lou to murder them for money. The evidence is conclusive, and they even have their own signed confessions. Now they want to arrest He Shi and imprison her!"

Lu Jia turned around and looked at the approaching constables: ...

……

The morning sun climbed into the sky above Shawan.

Zhang Qi, who hadn't slept well all night, got up at the sound of the rooster crowing. Only after getting out of bed did he remember to ask He Shi about the progress of last night's events. He saw that the bed next to him was empty, so he assumed that He Shi had already gotten up. He got up and went to the yard, but He Shi was nowhere to be seen.

He stepped out the door and asked a servant, "Where is the mistress?"

"Didn't Madam go out last night?"

Zhang Qi was surprised: "She didn't come back all night?"

The servant shook his head: "No, the steward ordered breakfast today."

Zhang Qi's heart suddenly jumped. According to He Shi, she only needed to go and hand over the business to the madam, and she would be home in one night!
Where has she gone?
Just as he was about to send someone to meet them on the way, the gatekeeper rushed in again: "Master! Master Su, Master Su has arrived with his men!"

Zhang Qi initially thought he had misheard: "Who did you say? Which Su family?"

"Naturally, it's the most powerful Su family in Shawan! The younger brother of Master Su, Master Su Ming'en!"

Zhang Qi was stunned!

They weren't usually this close to the Su family. The Su family was always high and mighty, considering themselves a family of officials and gentry. In the past, when they went to visit, Su Mingxing wouldn't even see them. Why did his younger brother suddenly come to their door so early this morning?

Yes!

Could it be that Su Ming'en heard about their contact with the Lu family from somewhere, and came to curry favor with them?
Zhang Qi was overjoyed: "Lead Master Su to the hall and have him sit down! And bring a pot of the best tea!"

After saying that, he hurriedly went to greet them.

The gatekeeper quickly grabbed him: "Sir! Master Su has come with his men to demand an explanation!"

"what?!"

The Zhang family and the Su family don't usually have much contact. They know the Zhang family is powerful and influential, and they have no reason to offend them. So why is Su Ming'en making such a fuss?

Just as he was about to ask what was going on, he heard a series of loud noises coming from the front door. Looking over, he saw Su Ming'en leading a large group of people and forcibly barging in!

"Zhang Qi! You come out here and face your death!"

(End of this chapter)