Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 739 Arriving Home
Upon hearing Madam Lin's words, Zhang immediately raised her eyes, her face full of surprise.

Madam Lin smiled and said, "What? Don't you want to see A-Yan sooner?"

Zhang naturally thought so, but... what if Ayan had other things to do? Wouldn't she just be causing trouble if she went over?
"Aren't you worried about Ayan's health?" Madam Lin said. "It would be more reassuring to pick her up as soon as possible. Before she leaves, have the steward clean the house and prepare the food so that there won't be any delays."

Why would she need to instruct the steward? She cleaned the house herself and checked on it every day.

In the kitchen were the millet, glutinous rice, and red dates she had selected, and in the backyard she kept several hens. In addition, the cabbage, shepherd's purse, and yam were all the best she could find in the West Market.

Tomorrow, someone will deliver fresh mutton and pork liver...

Upon careful consideration, there really is nothing that needs to be instructed to be done.

“I will come to pick you up early tomorrow morning,” Madam Lin said. “You can take my carriage.”

Zhang was tempted: "Okay."

Madam Lin said, "Bring Qin'er along too. He must miss his sister-in-law too."

The fact that Madam Lin so casually referred to Ayan as "sister-in-law" shows that, at least in Madam Lin's eyes, Ayan's past marriage was not a big deal.

After the two had discussed it, Madam Lin stood up and said, "Then I'll go back and make some preparations too."

Zhang was afraid that Madam Lin had prepared a meal and wanted to say something, but Madam Lin immediately grabbed her hand.

“I know,” Madam Lin said with a smile. “Ayan has just returned, so I won’t compete with you for her. After they’ve settled down for a couple of days, I’ll bring the elders to visit and have a proper meeting with Ayan.”

Zhang was a little embarrassed, and Madam Lin continued, "I'll just say it directly."

Zhang nodded.

Madam Lin said, "No matter what, you will always be Ayan's family. If anyone does anything wrong or mistreats Ayan, just tell me. Like me, if I do anything inappropriate, you have to tell me so I can understand, right?"

Having spent so many days together, Zhang had come to know Madam Lin's character. She replied, "I understand, but... Madam's thoughtfulness is commendable..."

“No one can be perfect in everything,” Madam Lin’s smile deepened. “No need to rush, we can get to know each other slowly.”

After seeing Madam Lin off to the carriage, Zhang returned to the courtyard. Chen Shangjun greeted her, saying, "The account books in the accounting office have all been sorted out. Madam can look at them when she returns."

They've been through a lot lately, selling shops, fields, and restaurants, and dealing in porcelain all the time, meticulously keeping track of every penny that comes in and goes.

Zhang asked, "How's the porcelain shop?"

They only had one porcelain shop in Bianjing, and all the pieces on display were decorative porcelain. Ayan set extremely high prices, and they sold very little each day. The money they earned was barely enough to rent the shop.

"I was just about to tell Madam Zhang this," Chen Shangjun said happily, "We sold a total of ten pieces of porcelain today."

Zhang was taken aback: "Who...who bought the porcelain?"

Chen Shangjun shook his head: "Judging from their clothes, they are merchants. I sent someone to inquire, and they said that they not only bought our porcelain, but also purchased a lot of jade and calligraphy and paintings, probably for collection purposes."

"Our shop manager asked him why he bought so much at once?"

Decorative porcelain is not like ordinary porcelain; buying three or five pieces is already quite a lot. I've never seen such extravagance before, no wonder the manager asked. Zhang asked, "What did that person say?"

Chen Shangjun smiled and said, "That person said that the lady sold our porcelain at sea and in the border markets. Once these places sell well, the price of our porcelain will naturally increase. Especially the decorative porcelain, which may take several kilns to fire one piece, is very rare. Buying it will definitely not be a loss."

"He also asked us when the new porcelain would arrive, and said he would come again in a month or two."

Zhang's heart skipped a beat. She had previously thought that if she couldn't make money after closing the shop, she would take Qin Ge'er back to Daming Prefecture. Qin Ge'er's schooling would cost a lot of money, and she couldn't let him become a burden on A Yan any longer.

Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better so quickly. "Madam told Zhang Niangzi to rest assured," Chen Shangjun said, "the money spent will surely be earned back." Madam didn't sell the shop because she lost money in business, but because she wanted to buy a ship. When the merchants outside found out, they would only think that Madam was amazing and would try every means to do business with her.

Many merchants are waiting for Madam to return. With the maritime trade going smoothly, Madam will have even more "South City Wharfs" under her control within three years.

Having heard and seen so much, Zhang Shi naturally understood these things. Her only concern was… what Liu Langjun said: In the past, A Yan had many businesses; even if one shop didn't do well, the others would help. Now, most of her money was tied up in shipping, and if something went wrong with the shipping, it could cause serious problems.

Zhang recited a few Buddhist chants, hoping that Buddha would bless Ayan and ensure his well-being.

……

Outside the northern city of Bianjing, on a manor.

Jiang Zhenru's sister-in-law, Wu Niangzi, was sitting in a chair, and several men in their thirties were also sitting in the room.

"Will they arrive in Bianjing tomorrow?" Madam Wu asked.

The steward replied, "I've sent someone to check; they should be able to enter the city by noon at the latest."

"They're moving really slowly," said Madam Wu. "If it weren't for the fact that we have to escort prisoners, we'd probably be sightseeing along the way."

The people inside the room chuckled softly.

Madam Wu said, "Tomorrow, everyone should go about their own business."

Everyone responded.

“Remember to be careful,” said Madam Wu. “She has found all the people we planted in the porcelain business. We must always remind ourselves not to give anything away.”

After the others left, Madam Wu took out her hairpin and fiddled with the lamp. She had come all this way because she was worried about Jiang Zhenru. Once everything was arranged in Bianjing, she would leave with her people immediately.

……

That night, Zhang didn't sleep very well, always afraid that she wouldn't be able to get up and would miss the appointed time. After all this, she looked quite tired when she sat in the carriage the next day.

"Didn't sleep well?" Madam Lin said with a smile. "Me too." She tossed and turned in bed, and the master was so disturbed that he almost went to sleep in the study.

Zhang said with a smile, "It will be fine once we see the person."

After the carriage left the city, it headed towards the post station five miles away, where it planned to meet Wang Yan and Xie Yuyan.

Not long after they stopped at the post station, Sang Xing came to report: "I saw your carriage and horses, young master."

Madam Lin and Madam Zhang immediately left the post station and, sure enough, saw a group of people approaching. After waiting a moment, Wang Yan stopped, escorting a carriage.

Madam Lin watched as her son dismounted and then helped Xie Yuyan down from the carriage. The two of them stood together, truly a perfect couple.

Madam Lin's eyes were slightly blurry; she had waited far too long for this moment.

“Sister-in-law,” Yang Qin ran a few steps to Xie Yuyan, and without caring about anything else, reached out and grabbed Xie Yuyan, “You’re finally back. Mother and I have missed you.”

Xie Yuyan reached out and gently patted Yang Qin's shoulder: "You've grown taller."

Yang Qin deliberately stood between Wang Yan and Xie Yuyan, reaching out to pull Xie Yuyan's arm: "Sister-in-law, let's go home quickly."

Wang Yan looked at Yang Qin, who was distant from him, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly. He took a step forward and said to Yang Qin, "Why don't you speak to your brother?"

(End of this chapter)