Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 135 Sending Letters
Wang Yan looked at the clay stove on the table.

"Xie Chonghai's wife was reported to have gone to the Liu family."

He Tan couldn't help but wonder, "Did the women of the Liu family get involved?"

Wang Yan said, "It is Liu Erniang, the legitimate daughter of Prefect Liu."

I thought the Liu family and the Xie family would never have any contact again, but I didn't expect that the women's side would open up a channel.

The fact that the Liu family is giving the Xie family this face must mean they have some instructions.

He Tan asked, "What does Liu Erniang want from the Xie family?"

The water on the clay stove had just boiled, and Wang Yan reached out to pick up the kettle and pour the water.

He Tan's gaze sharpened, and he suddenly understood: "A clay stove?"

He leaned back in his chair, and after a long while chuckled: "Do you think this is a coincidence, or did Madam Xie set a trap for the Liu family from the very beginning?"

Wang Yan looked at the document in his hand again: "Xie Yuyan said that she would stir up trouble in Daming Prefecture so that you and I could find an opportunity to act."

How can we stir up trouble? Naturally, we should change the rules and situation of Daming Prefecture.

“In the past, whatever good things Daming Prefecture had would be sent to the homes of high-ranking officials and nobles, and the Liu family was one of them.”

"What if one day they aren't the first to get the good things?"

"Even if I didn't care before, I'll still care a little."

"That's how it is with the Liu family. Xie Yuyan delivered the clay stove to Liu Erniang a long time ago, but she probably didn't care. Now that she's found it in someone else's house, and she knows nothing about it, she'll only feel ashamed."

"If you can't even control the affairs of Daming Prefecture, how can you say you have a position in Daming Prefecture?"

"Liu Erniang sent someone to the Yang family, but Xie Yuyan drove them out again, so she couldn't swallow her anger."

"Miss Xie drove away the people from the Liu family?" He Tan was unaware of this, and after a moment he laughed, "That's something she's capable of. Before she had even established herself in the Yang family, she dared to sue the second branch of the Yang family and the Xie family. It's not surprising that she's now going after the Liu family."

He Tan said, "So now this matter has nothing to do with the clay stove, but rather with the reputation and status of the Liu family, at least that's what Liu Erniang thinks."

“It’s not just Liu Erniang who thinks this way,” Wang Yan said. “Having done whatever she wanted in Daming Prefecture for so long, even a small thing that doesn’t go her way becomes unbearable. Many wealthy and powerful families are like that.”

"Oppressing the people and using public office for private gain have become commonplace."

"Life is full of disappointments, eight or nine out of ten. But they insist on having everything go their way, and at least within their reach, they don't allow anyone or anything to go against them."

Now Xie Yuyan is retaliating in kind, putting them in her place, and explaining her reasoning to them.

Wang Yan couldn't help but smile at this thought. If he hadn't once held a high position, how could he have developed such a demeanor? Nor would he have understood these people so well.

After speaking, Wang Yan picked up the note in his hand and looked at it again.

What are you busy with?

Wang Yan said, "The Salt and Iron Bureau should present the methods for refining coal into coke and for blast furnace ironmaking to the court after New Year's Day."

He Tan said, "Why are you in such a hurry? If you keep going like this... the Salt and Iron Bureau might not even be able to celebrate New Year's Day."

Wang Yan still felt it wasn't enough: "It would be best to forge a batch of weapons as soon as possible and send them to the capital together."

If you do it too slowly, you might be disliked by others.

Since it was inconvenient for him to appear in person, he could only rely on the court's influence. The more influence they had, the more stable their ship would be, and it wouldn't capsize even if they encountered the biggest storms.

After He Tan left, Wang Yan continued to stare at the paper in his hand. After examining the iron smelting furnace in Sanhe Village, he instructed the craftsmen to draw up designs, aiming to make the furnace as tall and large as possible. However, after several attempts, he still felt the designs were not good enough.

As I was pondering this, I heard a crashing sound coming from the window behind me.

Since the cat ran away to the Yang family, Wang Yan has not heard any more such noises.

Wang Yan looked over and sure enough, there was a furry shadow standing outside the window.

I didn't want to pay attention to it...

It ran away, how could it possibly want to come back? He's treated it too well all these years, it's become so ungrateful that it doesn't recognize him anymore.

Now that he has another home, there's no need to look for him anymore. Thinking this, Wang Yan heard a meow from the window, but it was quickly drowned out by the wind.

Wang Yan remained unmoved.

Sang Dian, who was guarding the courtyard, looked at the cat that was locked outside the window and sneered intentionally: "See, I told you, once you ran away, you wouldn't be coming back, right?"

"I'll catch another raccoon dog in a while, so it can use your bowl, sleep in your den, and eat your jerky."

Sang Dian watched as the raccoon's fur fluttered in the wind, and continued to mutter softly, "Or you could bark twice more and swear to heaven that you'll never run away again, and I'll beg my husband..."

Before Sang Dian could finish speaking, he noticed that the window had been pushed open a crack. The raccoon dog glanced at him intentionally, then slipped into the room through the crack.

Sang Dian couldn't help but sigh. Everyone outside said that her husband was heartless, but little did they know that her husband actually had a softer heart than anyone else. Even though the heartless creature ran away, her husband still remembered to make it jerky. If he spoiled it like that... wouldn't it run away whenever it wanted?
If it were someone else, they would definitely lock it up.

house.

The cat jumped onto the table and rubbed its furry head against Wang Yan's sleeve. Its claws left a faint mark on his official document.

Those familiar claw marks...

These years have passed in the blink of an eye, and because of this, he has wasted countless words of his writing.

Wang Yan reached out and touched the cat's cold nose, then glanced at its bulging belly.

"You've eaten your fill, what are you doing back here?"

The cat meowed, burrowed out of Wang Yan's arms, and jumped onto his lap.

The man and the fox stayed together, and everything seemed just like before.

After an unknown amount of time, when Wang Yan's legs began to warm up, the cat stretched, stood up again, looked up at Wang Yan with its big cat eyes, and then stretched out a paw to reach for his arm, as if to comfort him or urge him on.

"What are you doing?" Wang Yan asked in a low voice. "Don't tell me you still want me to take you back?"

The cat cried out.

Wang Yan lowered his eyes and noticed that the cat seemed to have gained weight and its fur was much shinier, which showed how happy the cat was by her side.

“I misspoke,” Wang Yan said. “You do not disown your master.”

It's not that he doesn't acknowledge her, but that she's the only one in his heart. Even after so many years, now that he's found her, he wants to go back to her side.

"Do you remember how she abandoned you?" Wang Yan asked. "She disappeared in the blink of an eye."

The cat closed its eyes, as if it had fallen asleep.

Wang Yan couldn't help but chuckle. He found it strange that he would secretly speak ill of Xie Yuyan to a cat.

The cat looked out the window, yawned, and then looked at Wang Yan.

Wang Yan understood; Li Nu was in a hurry to return to the Yang family.

“You should bring something with you when you come here,” Wang Yan said. “Why don’t you just pass something on to her for me?”

Pushing open the window, Wang Yan watched the departing figure of the cat. The cat turned back every few steps, calling out to him as if asking him to follow.

It’s different in the past.

We used to be together, and we could go anywhere in the house.

Things are different now; you can go, but I can't.

……

The Yang family of Yong'anfang.

Xie Yuyan sat in the main room, with Madam Yu, Madam Yang, and Cheng Qi sitting beside her.

Xie Yuyan instructed Cheng Qi: "Tell Seventh Master to acquire nearby pottery kilns just like we acquired coal mines. Those who don't want to sell their kilns can rent them to us; the price is negotiable."

Cheng Qi knew that Madam Xie was plotting against the Xie family again, but if she used the same trick once, would the Xie family fall for it again?
(End of this chapter)