Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 714 Things Get Out of Hand

Upon not seeing his sister-in-law, Yang Qin's face immediately fell, his eyes filled with disappointment.

Liu Erlang reached out and ruffled Yang Qin's hair: "Madam asked me to bring some things for the two young men."

Upon hearing this, Yang Qin and Yan Sui finally smiled slightly.

They're just kids; they all like it when someone buys them little trinkets.

This is something that only happens during the New Year.

Liu Erlang handed the wooden box to Yang Qin and Yan Sui, who eagerly opened it, and a fragrant aroma immediately wafted out.

Inside was a blue sachet and a sandalwood hairpin.

Yan Sui's box was the same, except that the two sachets had different scents. Yan Sui's had a stronger sandalwood scent, while Yang Qin's had a stronger agarwood scent.

Liu Erlang said, "These are all good things from the sea."

Su Man followed the old lady every day and knew all the inside stories: "The hairpin craftsman has carved hairpins for many scholars to wear when they come of age. Among them, more than twenty people have passed the imperial examinations. The locals call him the master hairpin craftsman. The old craftsman is over sixty years old this year and is about to pass the shop on to his son and go home to enjoy his retirement. So the old lady prepared hairpins for the two young men in advance to bring good luck in the future."

Su Man's words made the two children grip the box even tighter. Yan Sui stared at the wooden hairpin, particularly fond of it. His master always said that his hair was growing stronger, and who knew that one day he might actually be able to wear this hairpin.

As they were talking, Zhang rushed out. She was overjoyed to see Liu Erlang and Su Man, but when she learned that Xie Yuyan had not yet returned, the light in her eyes dimmed considerably.

Zhang invited the man into the house and immediately inquired about matters in Fujian.

Su Man gave a general explanation, which Zhang found terrifying. She never expected that A Yan would actually go to capture people on a ship belonging to the Demon Cult. If the Demon Cult members went back on their word, their lives would be in danger. Fortunately... everything went smoothly.

After Su Man finished speaking, she looked at Liu Erlang.

Liu Erlang sighed inwardly. Although he was very unwilling, he still had to do his best to do what his mistress had asked him to do. So he said, "The mistress asked us to come back first because she has something for us to do."

Zhang nodded: "What does Ayan want us to do?"

Liu Erlang took out a letter and handed it to Zhang Shi, who immediately opened it to read it.

After waiting for Zhang to look at some of the items, Liu Erlang explained from the side, "Madam needs a lot of money, but she really can't raise it on hand, so she has no choice but to sell the shop."

This must be a huge deal for the Zhang and Yang families...

Sure enough, Zhang's expression changed: "We want to sell all the perfume shops, restaurants, and eateries in Bianjing, leaving only a porcelain shop and an inn."

Liu Erlang nodded: "Also, the house you and the young master live in, and the house you bought in the city, will also be sold."

"If that's not enough, we'll also sell several coal kilns in Luozhou."

The eldest daughter-in-law should have mentioned it in her letters... because she needed the money urgently, that's why she asked us to return to Bianjing first.

Zhang remained silent, staring intently at the letter in her hand.

Liu Erlang sensed something was wrong. Perhaps Zhang Shi was unwilling to sell these things. After all, Madam Xie was a daughter-in-law of the Yang family. What if Zhang Shi used the Yang family to pressure Madam Xie...

Just as Liu Erlang was thinking of this, he saw Zhang Shi stand up.

Liu Erlang was startled, his mind racing with words of advice. He had thought a lot along the way. Trading at sea could be profitable, but it was also extremely risky. If he were to be tricked, he would lose both the ship and the cargo. Therefore, he dared not tell Zhang that selling these shops would bring better results.

"Madam Zhang..." Liu Erlang was interrupted by Madam Zhang before he could finish speaking.

"When will you sell it?" Zhang asked. "I'll go pack my things now. Is this money enough? This courtyard is divided into front and back. The back rooms are for people from Daming Prefecture. We can move there and squeeze in with everyone."

Yang Qin also hugged the box and nodded along with Zhang Shi: "I'll go with Mother to move it. We'll be able to tidy up the yard soon. Has Sister-in-law said who you want to sell it to? I know there's a brokerage firm in the West Market. It was the brokerage firm that helped us find the house." Yang Qin paused for a moment, then added: "I don't need to go. You can leave this to Brother Xiaoshan."

Liu Erlang did indeed need Yang Xiaoshan's help, but unexpectedly Yang Qin had thought of it first. He stared blankly at Zhang Shi and Yang Qin, so they had agreed so easily?

This was much easier than he had imagined.

“You said your sister-in-law wants to buy a boat,” Yang Qin said. “Doesn’t that mean she’ll be staying in Fujian for a long time?”

Liu Erlang snapped out of his daze: "It won't be long, but we'll have to wait until things stabilize over there..."

"Should we go to Fujian too?" Yang Qin asked. "My sister-in-law definitely needs help there."

Zhang then remembered this matter: "Why don't we pack up and set off?"

“No need,” Liu Erlang finally interjected, “No need to rush, Madam… still needs to return to Bianjing.”

Yang Qin was skeptical. He was afraid that Fujian was dangerous and that his sister-in-law was having a hard time there. Even if he could do little, he could at least stay with her.

Zhang also said, "Ayan's letter says there's another petition to give to lawyer Liu?"

Liu Erlang said, "Madam Xie wants to sue Xie Yizhi for killing Old Madam Xie, Xie Yisong, and Madam Xu, and for colluding with the evil cult to try to kill Madam Xie."

Xie Yuyan did not mention her background to Zhang, but after Xie Yizhi was arrested, some members of the Xie clan came to her with many gifts, asking her to help persuade Xie Yuyan to let them go. Only then did Zhang realize that Xie Yuyan was indeed a member of the Xie clan, the granddaughter of Xie Lao Xianggong, and the biological daughter of Xie Yisong.

Zhang looked at Liu Erlang: "Has Ayan remembered anything from the past?"

"Probably not," Liu Erlang said. "However, the leader of the demon cult has already confessed to the court that she colluded with Xie Yizhi to harm Madam, which can be considered as confirming Madam's identity."

Madam Zhang nodded: "It's good that everything is cleared up, otherwise who will speak out for this injustice? Ayan is someone who can let things go, but if her family members are harmed, she will definitely seek justice, otherwise she will not be at peace."

Liu Erlang discovered that this seemingly unassuming Zhang Niangzi actually knew the eldest daughter-in-law very well.

Zhang said, "Then quickly send someone to invite lawyer Liu over."

Liu Zhi stayed in the capital and opened a shop, taking in many disciples. He led these people to write legal documents and go to court every day. Now his reputation is growing, and many people want to hire Liu Zhi, but they can't find anyone to hire him.

But if Ayan is in trouble, Liu Zhi will definitely put down his work and rush over immediately.

The servants in the courtyard went to find Yang Xiaoshan and Liu Zhi, while Zhang Shi instructed people to first go to the courtyard in the city to pack up their belongings.

When Yang Xiaoshan returned and heard Zhang tell Xie Yuyan's instructions, he immediately led his men out, and soon the entire South City Wharf was in motion.

The actions at the South City Wharf were too blatant and were quickly detected by spies in the capital.

……

The Xie family ancestral home.

Several elders of the clan sat together, and when they heard the news brought back by the servant, they were all struck dumb.

"Then Xie... Wenjing hasn't even returned to the capital yet, and she's already sent someone to file a lawsuit?"

The servant nodded and said, "That's right. Liu Zhi was originally Lady Xie's man. He brought several disciples to write the complaint, which attracted many lawyers from Bianjing to come to the door. It's being said that Lady Xie has supported so many lawyers, and now those lawyers are going to do everything they can to write this complaint for Lady Xie."

The fourth patriarch, seated, said, "What kind of mess is this... This is a matter for the Xie family; making such a scene will only make us a laughingstock."

That's secondary. Recently, many members of the Xie clan have been arrested, and they live in constant fear, not knowing when the soldiers will break in again. If Madam Xie makes a big fuss, it will attract more attention to the Xie family, and he fears that the officials, in a fit of anger, will kill the entire Xie clan.

(End of this chapter)