Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 700 Involvement
Zhou Lanqi felt a little flustered when she heard her husband say this.

“That woman has many people around her,” Zhou Lanqi said, “and none of them are simple.”

Apart from one man with a dark complexion who was either lazy or had his mouth stuffed full... and who didn't seem very reliable, the rest of the men looked no worse than servants in wealthy households.

Especially that headmistress, she was very perceptive and quick to understand.

Of course, their mistress was even more formidable.

Cao Yu didn't care: "People give your daughter gifts, so you have to reciprocate in kind. We're just chatting casually, we're not doing anything, why should we worry about this?"

Zhou Lanqi knew that her husband was always bold and thoughtful, and she probably couldn't persuade him otherwise. After a moment of silence, she said, "I heard that Lord Sun was taken out of the prison by an angel. Why don't we go and ask Lord Sun?"

Zhou Lanqi was referring to Sun Yuan, the supervisor of maritime affairs in Zhangzhou. Sun Yuan had known what they were doing all along, but he had never told anyone because he couldn't bear to cut off their livelihood. He had promised them that one day the court would allow them to work properly and have enough to eat, and he warned them never to act like those pirates, doing whatever they wanted and taking lives.

Later, when Supervisor Sun was arrested, they went to the yamen to plead for him, but they couldn't even get to court. Instead, the group of people were arrested and beaten by the yamen runners.

Since their appeals were unsuccessful, they discussed sending some money privately in the hope that the jailers would keep an eye on them. However, Cao Yu stopped them. Cao Yu's idea was that Supervisor Sun was now being framed, and the court was worried about not being able to find evidence. If they started with them and said that Supervisor Sun had used them to smuggle goods, wouldn't that be an ironclad case?
Their actions, in turn, harmed Supervisor Sun.

Upon hearing this, everyone broke out in a cold sweat. It was one thing for them to be arrested, but if they harmed a good official like Supervisor Sun, that would be a truly grave crime.

The same principle applies now.

Cao Yu said, "Supervisor Sun has finally managed to get out, and we don't know what the court will do next. It would be inappropriate for us to approach him rashly."

“That’s true,” Zhou Lanqi said. “Quanzhou only has such a good official. If Supervisor Sun can be reinstated, he can bring benefits to the people of the region.”

Even if they aren't the local officials, they can at least do something practical for the people, right?
Zhou Lanqi had essentially agreed with Cao Yu's arrangement.

"Then I'll make some pastries tomorrow and take them to that lady."

After the two of them discussed it, they went to check on their daughter again, only to find that the little girl had already fallen asleep.

Zhou Lanqi reached out and touched her daughter's cheek, saying affectionately, "She's just a child, she doesn't have any worries."

Cao Yu looked at his wife with some guilt: "Back then... you were willing to run away with me, and I promised to give you a good life. So many years have passed in the blink of an eye, and you are still living in fear with me."

Zhou Lanqi comforted Cao Yu: "If I hadn't met you, my father would have already betrothed me to that old scholar, and I might have already taken my own life..."

Before Zhou Lanqi could finish speaking, Cao Yu reached out and covered her mouth: "Don't talk nonsense."

Zhou Lanqi said, "It's good as it is now. As long as we are both safe and sound here, I am content." When her husband left home, she knew that it would not be easy to live a peaceful life. She was willing to suffer as long as her daughter could grow up smoothly, have children, and have a husband who could love and cherish her. So they had to try again.

……

Xie Yuyan sat under the lamp reading the documents sent by Wang Yan.

I should have felt tired, but after seeing Zhou Lanqi and her daughter, I couldn't sleep at all, and their faces kept appearing in my mind.

The little girl is still too young to tell much, but Zhou Lanqi has delicate features and looks very much like a woman from Jiangnan.

In her previous life, two of the palace's chief cooks hailed from Jiangnan, and Zhou Lanqi still retained a regional accent when she spoke. Xie Yuyan thought about it carefully; she had never met such a person in her previous life. However, there was something about Zhou Lanqi's demeanor that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but it felt somewhat familiar.

Xie Yuyan subconsciously looked at the bronze mirror on the table.

The person in the mirror is Xie Wenjing in this life, but through Xie Wenjing, she seems to see herself in her past life.

When she is deep in thought, she will unconsciously raise her eyebrows slightly, just like Zhou Lanqi.

After her rebirth, she didn't care about her past life and had no desire to pursue it. But when she met this mother and daughter today, something deep inside her was pulling her back, making it hard for her to let go.

“Madam,” Mother Yu called out, “Su Man is back.”

Xie Yuyan nodded, and Yu's mother immediately had Su Man bring her into the house.

Before Xie Yuyan could ask, Su Man said, "Those people are villagers from Quanzhou who make a living by smuggling goods by sea. They came to the government office to gather information and find out if the imperial court will investigate them."

Xie Yuyan did not interrupt Su Man.

Su Man continued, "They must have really been desperate, with no land to cultivate, which is why they took such a risk. It seems they haven't done anything to harm anyone."

Xie Yuyan asked, "How do you know?"

Su Man was taken aback. Normally, the eldest daughter-in-law would never have asked such a question. He could see it clearly, and the eldest daughter-in-law must have understood it long ago as well. Why would they need to say anything more?
“They’re really taking lives. They’d either run away at the first sign of trouble, or they wouldn’t dare send so many people to gather information, lest they be targeted,” Su Man said. “Besides, those people are all pale and thin… How profitable is smuggling goods by sea? If they were truly focused on making money, they wouldn’t look like this anymore.”

That's what's obvious. Besides that, Su Man continued, "I also looked through their belongings. The things they carried with them weren't valuable, so they couldn't fake it. They also ate coarse grains."

“I understand,” Xie Yuyan said, looking at Su Man. “They will come again tomorrow, and you will continue to keep an eye on them.”

Su Man responded and left.

Xie Yuyan looked at the flickering candlelight. Today, she had deliberately given Nannan a rattle drum and let Zhou Lanqi misunderstand, hoping to get information about the government office from her.

That way they will come again.

To figure out their identities, she needed to gain their trust more during their second meeting, so she needed to make some more arrangements.

Xie Yuyan picked up a pen and wrote a letter, handing it to Mama Yu: "Have Sang Dian deliver it to Wang Langjun."

Wang Yan was tied up with official duties and found it difficult to leave the government office, yet she still needed him to help her with these matters. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

Xie Yuyan pondered for a moment, then looked at Madam Yu: "Is there anything else to eat in the kitchen? Why don't I make a bowl and send it to Young Master Wang as well?"

Madam Yu smiled and said, "There's still quite a bit left." No matter what the eldest daughter-in-law does, Lord Wang will be overjoyed.

Understanding Wang Yan's hard work, Xie Yuyan did not ask Yu Mama for help this time. It took her more than an hour to finally make a plate of pastries that looked presentable.

Xie Yuyan felt a pang of reluctance. She felt that sending the pastries over might not be an act of gratitude, but rather a plot to harm her. Just as she was about to pick them up and throw them away, she heard footsteps, followed by a voice saying, "It's so late, why aren't you asleep? What are you doing?"

(End of this chapter)