Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 316 Changes
Mrs. Lin felt a pang of worry when she thought about her son's marriage.

Perhaps it was because her son had had such a smooth life from childhood to adulthood, whether it was his studies or his official career, that she never had to worry about anything. Before she could even react, everything was already taken care of.

Nothing in this world is perfect. If everything goes smoothly, other problems will arise.

For example, when her son encountered the immortal, everyone praised him after tea, saying that Yan-ge was extraordinary and that it was something very rare. But what they didn't know was that she was extremely worried every day, fearing that her son would become obsessed with cultivating Taoism and one day leave home for a Taoist temple and never come back.

So much so that she would feel uneasy whenever she had many Taoist scriptures at home, and she secretly hated the so-called immortal. Why did he have to come looking for her son when there were so many other people to look for?
After Yan Ge'er returned from the mountains that time, everything changed. He would sit there all day, lost in thought, and would run back into the woods every few days, returning dejected each time. He picked up a raccoon dog and raised it himself, taking it everywhere he went.

Many people outside also speculated that the "encounter with the immortals" was fake. She didn't see it with her own eyes, but she knew it was real because that incident did leave a mark on her son.

Could this be what people mean when they say, "You can't have everything"?

Good fortune has come to Yan Ge'er, but Yan Ge'er must also endure the corresponding hardships.

As Madam Lin was thinking, she saw her husband's sedan chair stop at the door. She immediately went out to greet him, but her eyes did not fall on Wang Bingchen. Instead, she looked into the distance.

"Where is Yan-ge'er? Where did he go?"

The servant hurriedly replied, "The young master is behind us; we'll be there soon."

As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Lin saw Wang Yan and He Tan, and a smile immediately appeared on her face.

Wang Yan and He Tan dismounted and bowed to Madam Lin.

"Mother."

"aunt."

"Good," Madam Lin carefully looked her son and nephew over before saying, "It's good that you're back safe and sound. Being out all day long really made me worry sick."

After Wang Bingchen entered the door first, Wang Yan and He Tan then walked forward, one on each side of Madam Lin.

Madam Lin had already had hot water boiled and clean clothes prepared, just waiting for them to wash up before having a meal together.

When Wang Yan returned to the house, he first saw several boxes on the table. These were items that his family had prepared for him during the New Year's Day celebrations. Since he was not at home, they were simply piled up inside the house.

The rest of the house remained the same as before.

Without immediately washing up, Wang Yan looked at Sang Dian, who understood and said, "It just entered the courtyard and then disappeared. In my opinion... it..."

Sang Dian's words came to an abrupt halt because a furry creature suddenly jumped down from the windowsill, its chubby paws landing on Sang Dian's boots, and its two large eyes staring at him.

Sang Dian felt like he'd been caught red-handed talking behind someone's back.

The cat followed Madam Xie all the way, but when Madam Xie was about to change boats, the cat immediately wilted.

This raccoon hates boating the most; no matter how smoothly the boat is moving, it will still vomit several times.

Madam Xie couldn't bear to torment it, so she simply let it go back to the Wang family with her husband first.

So this time... Tanuki isn't going home, but staying temporarily.

After glaring at Sang Dian for a while, the cat swaggered into Wang Yan's room, found its blanket, plopped down on it, and began licking its fur with its eyes half-closed.

Whether it was just his imagination or not, Sang Dian felt that the cat had become increasingly arrogant ever since it started following Madam Xie.

Judging from this, if they were to follow Madam Xie one day, wouldn't they also be able to be superior to others in the Wang family?
Wang Yan opened the porcelain jar on the shelf, and sure enough, there was some dried meat inside. Even when he wasn't home, the manor would prepare food for the cat.

Wang Yan took out a piece and handed it to the cat. The cat sniffed it, licked its lips, and hesitated for a while between eating it and not eating it. Although it was somewhat dissatisfied with the dried meat, it had no choice but to reluctantly take it since it was not with the lady of the house and there were no better dried fish.

"Don't lose weight," Wang Yan said, looking at the cat, "so that she'll feel sorry for her."

Then he stood up and began to wash and change his clothes. The servant noticed that Wang Yan was missing his jade pendant and wanted to ask, but in the end he didn't dare to speak. He could only go and get another one. "No need," Wang Yan said, "I'll just wear the tassel I brought back."

It would be better to string another piece of jade on the net, but she hasn't prepared one yet, so she'll just wear it like this for now. Maybe she'll buy it for him when she feels it's time to add something.

Wang Yan was still changing clothes inside the house, while Sang Dian was already surrounded by Sang Zhi and Sang Ji outside.

What happened in Daming Prefecture?

"My lord seems different this time since he came back. He's even picky about what to wear..." In the past, my lord never cared about these things.

"Didn't you write in your letter that Li Nu wasn't coming back? How come she's back now?"

Sang Dian covered his mouth with his hand, a determined look on his face, as if he could not reveal his husband's secret no matter what. However, his eyes were full of smugness; he was the only one who knew these things, and that feeling was indescribably wonderful.

Others want to figure it out? Well, take your time. Just don't be so shocked you'll drop your eye.

Madam Lin sat in the room, talking to He Tan.

After waiting for a while, Yan Ge'er finally appeared. He was wearing a new robe with a tassel around his waist, and he looked exceptionally smart.

"It's rare to see someone dressed up like that," Madam Lin said with a smile. She was certain that the tassel on Yan Ge'er's head was not taken from home.

She only had one son, and she always took care of his clothes and everything in the house. She knew everything about the household.

Thinking of this, she looked at her son again, and wondered why it seemed that a piece of jade pendant was missing.
Mrs. Lin wanted to ask, but in the end she couldn't bring herself to say it. Her child was too old to tell her everything.

Wang Yan and He Tan respectfully kowtowed to Wang Bingchen and Madam Lin.

Having been away from home for so long, it's only natural to perform a grand ceremony.

"Get up quickly!" Madam Lin said with a smile, handing the purse in her hand to Wang Yan and He Tan.

Just as they finished doing all that, Wang Bingcheng and his son Wang Zheng arrived.

"Everyone's here, time to start the banquet."

Wang Bingchen was always serious at home, but he always listened to his wife's arrangements.

As soon as Wang Yan arrived home, members of the Wang clan came to visit, but Wang Xiangong turned them all away, saying that no one else would be staying at home that night; it was just a family gathering for a meal.

During the meal, He Tan glanced at Wang Yan from time to time and noticed that Wang Yan looked outside several times. He knew without having to think about who Wang Yan was thinking about.

He Tan wanted to talk things out with his aunt and marry her as soon as possible. If that were possible, their later years would surely be filled with a loving mother and filial son.

"What are you thinking about?" Madam Lin looked at He Tan. "We're home now, so let's not think about court affairs anymore."

Before He Tan could speak, Madam Lin added, "What difficult thing are you thinking about? Your eyebrows are all furrowed."

He Tan chuckled and said, "It is not easy." But the one who found it difficult was not him, but Wang Yan.

After the banquet, Wang Bingchen looked at Wang Yan and said, "Come with me to the study."

Madam Lin had long known that the father and son insisted on speaking alone, and she had been trying to stop them so that Yan Ge'er could have a proper meal. Now... she would just let them have their way.

Wang Yan walked into the room, turned around and closed the door.

Then Wang Bingchen spoke up: "What were you trying to do by saying those things in court? Were you trying to bring up the trade of coal from Daming Prefecture with the Emperor?"

By steer the case of Daming Prefecture onto the topic of an empty national treasury, what else could they be trying to say? Naturally, it's about how to make the imperial court rich.