Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 11 Identity
What dowry did the Xie family have?
Would the Xie family provide gold and silver for a fake daughter?

Doesn't Mr. Xie know these things? How dare he ask so confidently?
Old Madam Yang and her steward glared menacingly at Xie Yuyan, making Zhang Shi tremble with fear, but Xie Yuyan seemed oblivious to their presence.

"If the Xie family won't provide a dowry, what right does the old master have to arrange a marriage with them?"

Xie Yuyan said, "We got a son-in-law who died for the country for free, and gained a reputation for loyalty and righteousness... Why did the old master choose the Xie family for such a good thing?"

Old Mrs. Yang was suddenly stunned; she couldn't refute what Xie had said.

"The dowry list is with me."

Yang Mingjing's wife, Madam He, walked over quickly. When Old Madam Yang saw Madam He, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, but her face also showed a hint of resentment.

Despite the commotion, Madam He didn't arrive until the patrol officers had left.

As she walked, Mrs. He coughed a few times, covering her mouth with a handkerchief.

Upon approaching, she first bowed to the two old ladies, then called Yang Mingjing, before looking at Zhang Shi and Xie Yuyan.

Ms. He had fair skin, a slightly round face, and gentle eyes, and looked very kind.

“It’s all my fault,” Madam He said. “I haven’t been feeling well lately, so I’ve neglected some things. I didn’t manage to send the dowry list to my third brother and sister-in-law.”

He had been ill for several months, a fact known to the Yang family, which was why Zou was helping to manage the household.

"The list shows everything the Xie family sent."

This marriage was a ghost marriage, and most of the dowry was made of paper figures. When Xie Yuyan woke up, he had already instructed Yang Qin to burn them.

He handed the dowry list to Zhang: "There are indeed two more loads of dowry, which are placed in the west courtyard and have not yet been handed over to my younger brother and sister-in-law."

Normally, Zhang would only nod in agreement. Once she got what she wanted, what else could she say?
But now Xie Yuyan is by her side.

"Besides that, has our family ever asked the Xie family for help, or have we done any business with them?" Xie Yuyan stared at Madam He. "Does Aunt know anything about this?"

Madam He thought that once she brought the dowry list, all the troubles would be resolved, but little did she know that her sixth brother's daughter-in-law had more to say.

"This... I don't think so!"

Xie Yuyan breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."

Everyone was staring at her, so what? Why did she stop talking after that? What did she mean by "That's good"?
Old Mrs. Yang couldn't catch her breath, and Mrs. He's face gradually turned pale.

Yang Qin looked at the people in front of him, his heart filled with joy. He never expected that his sister-in-law's few words would make them so embarrassed.

You should know that Old Mrs. Yang is always particular and has a bad temper. She would scold her mother at the drop of a hat. On the other hand, Aunt He always has a smile on her face and makes people think that she is easy to talk to. In fact... last winter when her mother was sick, Yang Qin also went to Aunt He to ask for some money on credit from the clan. Aunt He dragged her feet for three days before giving it to him.

If his mother's condition hadn't improved in time, he probably would have been all alone that winter.

Seeing that Xie Yuyan had no intention of continuing, Yang Mingjing braced himself and asked, "Sixth Brother's daughter-in-law, why are you asking these questions?"

Xie Yuyan said, "I'm going to the yamen to file a lawsuit against the Xie family."

Old Mrs. Yang gasped, about to faint, but Xie Yuyan's next words jolted her back to reality.

“As long as our Yang family has not received any benefits from the Xie family,” Xie Yuyan said, taking the dowry list from Zhang's hand, folding it neatly and putting it in his pocket, “there is no disguised exchange of benefits, then my case has nothing to do with the Yang family.”

"My fourth uncle and fourth aunt are still at the yamen and haven't returned yet, so there are some things I don't know. Therefore, I'm confirming this in advance. Since my second aunt says there's nothing wrong, I can write the complaint with peace of mind."

"This dowry is not what I wanted either. It's all evidence that I handed over to the yamen. Second Aunt, please keep it safe and don't lose it."

Old Mrs. Yang was truly out of breath. She stretched out her hand: "What kind of family is the Xie family? How dare you..." Xie Yuyan said calmly: "They harmed me, shouldn't I sue them?"

Old Mrs. Yang gritted her teeth: "You're...you're...you're going to cause more trouble."

"If you have nothing to hide, why are you afraid of causing trouble?" Xie Yuyan said, somewhat puzzled. "It's not just me; my fourth uncle and fourth aunt were also implicated and imprisoned. This is all the fault of the Xie family. Shouldn't we demand justice from the Xie family? If we don't file a complaint, people will say that our Yang family has something to hide and is trying to cover things up."

"Besides, Sixth Brother is gone, why should I agree to marry into the Yang family?"

“I don’t remember the past. In Daming Prefecture, not having a household registration meant being a vagrant. How could a woman like me, all alone, fight against the Xie family? Now it’s different. I have the Yang family as my backing. No matter where I appeal or how long I’m entangled with the Xie family, I’m not afraid. I am the daughter-in-law of the Yang family. My affairs are the affairs of the Yang family. With so many family members behind me, I can endure even the most difficult times until the day my injustice is redressed.”

Old Mrs. Yang was truly at her breaking point; she could almost foresee that the Yang family would be destroyed by "Xie Shiniang."

"Since you've married into the Yang family, you must obey the arrangements of the elders in the clan," Old Madam Yang's voice trembled, "If you dare to act recklessly..."

"Only when a virtuous person manages a family can the family prosper. Those who are shameless, arbitrary, and domineering, and who make decisions without distinguishing right from wrong or asking about the reasons, cannot be obeyed."

Xie Yuyan's face darkened, and her expression became more solemn: "The old lady may not understand me. I have lost my memory and do not know myself very well, but there is no doubt that I come from a scholarly family and am the daughter of a prominent family."

She spread her hands and said, "My hands are calloused from holding a pen, and my heart is filled with the principles of poetry and books. I entered the Yang family with dignity and have a formal household registration in the government office. In the future, when my family comes to investigate, whether I am alive or dead, they can use this to identify my identity."

Xie Yuyan paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Whether I am good or not is a matter of life and death, honor and disgrace for the Yang family. Second Grandmother, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, don't you agree?"

"You, you..." At this moment, Old Mrs. Yang could only utter this one word.

Xie Yuyan had no patience to beat around the bush with her; her smile vanished, and her gaze deepened.

Old Mrs. Yang wondered if she was seeing things, but at that moment she saw a certain elegance in Xie Yuyan. She immediately shrank back and felt a sense of fear, and dared not look Xie Yuyan in the eye.

Xie Yuyan asked, "Qin-ge'er, what did that registrar say to you just now?"

Yang Qin's voice was clear and crisp: "He said that I should go to the yamen tomorrow, and he would take me to see a teacher in the city who could teach me to read."

Xie Yuyan said, "What if you don't go tomorrow?"

Yang Qin responded simply: "That registrar will definitely send someone to inquire."

Xie Yuyan shifted her gaze to Yang Mingjing: "The registrar went to great lengths to make this arrangement, wasn't it just so that Qin'er could use studying as an excuse to report that he's safe? Second Uncle, why do you think the officials in the yamen are taking such good care of us?"

Yang Mingjing swallowed. What Xie said might be true. Once inside the yamen, a midwife would examine the person. The patrol yamen might really have some suspicions about Xie's identity.

With so many prominent families in Daliang, it would be difficult to pinpoint which family had lost a woman in a short time. Even so, to be on the safe side, we absolutely cannot act against the Xie family before we have a clear understanding of the situation.

Thinking this, Yang Mingjing put on a smiling face: "It's not that I don't want you to sue the Xie family, but some things need to be discussed in detail. Don't worry, now that you've entered the Yang family, the Yang family will definitely protect you."

When Old Mrs. Yang saw Yang Mingjing's shifty eyes, she knew that her son was afraid of Inspector He. She dared not say anything more and could only suppress her anger.

“Everyone’s tired after a long day,” Yang Mingjing continued. “Third sister-in-law and sixth brother’s wife should go back and rest first. I… will go and find out how far the case has progressed, and then discuss with sixth brother’s wife how to proceed.”

Xie Yuyan replied, "Then... thank you for your trouble, Second Uncle."

After watching Zhang and the others leave, Yang Mingjing and He helped the second old lady of the Yang family into the house.

After dismissing the servants, Old Madam Yang couldn't wait to speak: "Second son, do you really believe she's from some high-ranking family? Are you really going to help her deal with the Xie family?"

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(End of this chapter)