Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 23 Good thing
Yang Qin knew what was going on, but he still thanked Grandma Li first before running home again.

As Yang Qin rushed into the Yang family's gate, he saw Yang Mingjing talking to Fang Fangzheng.

Yang Qin stepped forward and bowed to Fang Fangzheng and Yang Mingjing: "Fangzheng, Second Uncle."

“Qin-ge,” Fang Fangzheng said, looking at Yang Qin, “your second uncle will be the deputy magistrate of Yong’an Ward from now on.”

"Congratulations, Second Uncle." Yang Qin said this willingly, without the slightest reluctance.

Yang Mingjing had been looking forward to this day for a long time, and now it had finally come true. However... there was a strange atmosphere in the Yang family. Because the second matriarch was too excited in her joy, her headache worsened. He Shi rushed to serve her, but accidentally tripped and fell in the room, hitting her nose and causing it to bleed profusely.

Of course, all of this happened when Yang Qin was not at home. Yang Qin was unaware of the details, but he saw an uncontrollable resentment on the face of his second uncle's youngest son, Yang Shen.

Old Master Yang sent Yang Mingjing's second son, Yang Shen, and Yang Mingshan's second son, Yang Yu, to the clan school of his good friend, the Lu family. Yesterday, Yang Shen and Yang Yu heard that the old lady was ill, so they rushed back from the Lu family to visit her. Even Yang Ji, who was away from home, entered the Yang family gate early this morning.

In this way, apart from Yang Mingjing's eldest son Yang Cheng who was away from home, all the male members of the second and third branches of the Yang family arrived.

Fang Fang reached out and patted Yang Qin's head: "I heard you're studying under Mr. Tong?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Shen and Yang Yu, who were standing nearby, looked up at Yang Qin.

A hint of surprise appeared in Yang Shen's eyes.

Yang Shen is fourteen years old this year, which is the perfect age for studying. He studied very hard during his time at the Lu family academy. Although being born into a merchant family inevitably leads to being ostracized, his father was different. Once his father became the head of the ward, he would have the opportunity to obtain a certificate and take the imperial examinations just like the children of ordinary families.

With this burning ambition in his heart, Yang Shen gradually gained the favor of the teachers at the clan school. The teachers would often give him books to read, including Tong Chen's "Poems of Prodigies." Yang Shen treasured it, carefully copied it, and studied it every day.

This collection of poems was compiled by Mr. Tong; the actual author of these poems was someone else. Even so, Tong Chen was already an unattainable figure in Yang Shen's mind, not to mention that Tong Chen knew the person who wrote the poems.

The teacher of Lu family studies said that as long as one can learn one or two things from this book of poems, it will be no problem to pass the poetry exam in the future. If people can tell that you have benefited from the book of poems, you may even be able to become a tribute student. This is also the reason why the author of the poem is not marked in "Prodigy Poems".

Yang Shen could almost imagine how he would enter officialdom through these connections in the future. This was probably the greatest benefit he would receive from the Lu family. Who knew...

The ninth brother of the third branch of the family actually took Tong Chen as his teacher.

“Indeed,” Yang Qin replied to Fang Fangzheng. “As your disciple, I will certainly work harder in the future and live up to your teachings.”

Fang Fangzheng praised, "Based on these words alone, he is sure to have a bright future."

Yang Shen felt his mental walls crumble at that moment, and he remained stunned for a long time, still unable to believe it was all real.

"Which Mr. Tong is it?" Yang Shen heard himself ask aloud.

Yang Qin could not casually mention his teacher's name, and Fang Fang was also displeased with Yang Shen's interruption, saying indifferently, "Who else? Naturally, it's Tong Zixu."

Yang Shen's face grew even uglier. He turned to Yang Mingjing for confirmation, and seeing his father's tacit agreement, his heart sank completely.

Yang Mingjing smiled and saw Fang Fangzheng out the door. Once Fang Fangzheng was completely out of sight, Yang Shen couldn't help but look at Yang Qin: "Why were you able to become Mr. Tong's disciple?"

Yang Shen's aggressive demeanor and questioning tone reminded Yang Qin of the time he was falsely accused of stealing ancestral offerings.

Seeing this, Yang Mingjing rebuked Yang Shen: "How can you speak to your ninth brother like that?"

His voice sounded stern, but his gaze was remarkably gentle.

Yang Mingjing continued, "That was the pension given by the imperial court for your sixth brother who died in battle for the country."

Yang Mingjing's words did not quell Yang Shen's anger: "Sixth Brother is a member of the Yang family. Even if there is any compensation, it should be given to the clan. Why..."

A voice rang out, interrupting Yang Shen.

“If you feel it’s unfair, you have an older brother. Why don’t you let your brother join the army and earn a pension?”

Yang Mingjing immediately frowned, and Yang Shen subconsciously turned his head to look. He saw a girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old slowly walking over. The girl had her hair tied in a simple bun, wore ordinary clothes, and did not wear any decorations. However, she looked exceptionally bright, especially the brilliance in her eyes, which was almost dazzling to look at directly.

Yang Shen went to the Lu family and met the two young ladies. He felt that the women of scholarly families were indeed different. However, compared with the person in front of him, the Lu sisters' graceful demeanor and polite speech seemed to have become stiff and fake.

"Seventh Brother," Yang Qin interrupted Yang Shen's thoughts, "this is Sixth Sister-in-law, aren't you going to greet her?"

Yang Shen suddenly realized that this was the woman who had a ghost marriage with Yang Yi, the one who had come back to life, "Xie Shiniang".

Yang Shen instinctively bowed in greeting.

Having suddenly experienced these changes, Yang Shen momentarily forgot Xie Yuyan's words, but Yang Mingjing could not tolerate it. He sternly reprimanded Xie Yuyan: "In the future, do not make such reckless remarks again."

Xie Yuyan did not refute, but instead followed Yang Mingjing's meaning and said, "Now Second Uncle is not the same as before. He must carefully discipline the children in the family, so that people will not think that the Yang family is cold-hearted and only cares about interests and has no feelings."

"It's bad enough that the youngest son is mentally disabled, but people will think that Second Uncle got his position as Deputy Director of the Ward by stepping on his own nephew. How will Second Uncle stand on his own two feet in the future?"

Yang Mingjing's eyes darkened, anger rising within him. He was about to say something more when he saw Xie Yuyan's slightly upturned lips. He immediately remembered that Xie Yuyan had said a few days ago that he was capable of obtaining this position as deputy magistrate.

Now that he has the deputy magistrate's documents in his hands, his situation is different from before.

The Xie family must have already become suspicious of him; the only person he can rely on is He Tan.

No matter how much he disliked the Xie family, he couldn't do anything to them now. At least until he broke free from his shackles, he had to endure it.

"Qin-ge'er, let's go," Xie Yuyan said, "Mother is waiting for you to eat!"

Watching Xie Yuyan leave with Yang Qin, Yang Shen's face had already turned red. He looked up at Yang Mingjing and said, "Father, she was disrespectful to you. Why didn't you reprimand her? You are the head of the Yang clan and now you've become the deputy magistrate of the district. Can't you just do whatever you want with the people of the third branch of the family?"

“You should restrain Yang Qin and forbid him from studying with Mr. Tong again.”

“Make that woman come to the second branch to apologize, otherwise cut off the third branch’s expenses and forbid the third branch’s third aunt from doing any work in the clan in the future.”

"If they want to live in their tribe, they have to bow their heads."

Yang Shen was about to continue, saying that there were many ways to deal with the third branch of the family, and that's what they had done before.
"Father, don't forget, we are merchants. Even if we are recommended to participate in the imperial examination, we can only have one son. Yang Qin has been recommended by Mr. Tong. What am I supposed to do?"

"father……"

"Shut up."

Yang Mingjing gave a rebuke, and Yang Shen didn't say anything more. But he really didn't understand why things would be different after his father became the deputy magistrate.
Why is it not as good as before?
Faced with a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl from the third wife's family, he could only be silenced by her retorts.

Is this really a good thing, Deputy Envoy? Were the documents not mixed up?
Having been given a position, why does it feel like someone has a handle on me, making me feel frustrated?

“Master, Seventh Master, please go and see Madam!” The head maid next to Madam He ran over and said, “Second Madam fell quite badly, and the bleeding still hasn’t stopped.”

Yang Mingjing was surprised that He Shi had fallen so hard and hurriedly asked, "Where is she?"

"Still in the old lady's yard."

Yang Mingjing clenched his fist and strode towards the courtyard of the two old ladies. The steward jogged along, just about to announce his arrival, when Yang Mingjing pushed open the door.

The two old ladies sat in chairs, their faces somber. Soft rustling sounds came from inside the room, mixed with He's cries of pain.

Just as Yang Mingjing was about to head straight for the inner room to see Madam He, the two old ladies slammed their hands on the table: "Second son, I have something to ask you."

"Tell me, how did you get this deputy magistrate position? Your fourth brother still hasn't returned home. Did you say something to Inspector He? Did you use your fourth brother to secure your future?"

(End of this chapter)