Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 86 Timing

Zhang recalled the situation when her third branch of the family was pressured by their clansmen.

The amount of money that could be compensated was already limited, and everyone was afraid of not getting their money back, so no one would reason with them or speak up for them.

Anyone who sides with them will be blamed by their own people.

Zhang was terrified that this kind of thing would happen to Xie Yuyan again. In her nervousness, she reached out to pull Xie Yuyan, but didn't know what to say.

Xie Yuyan could see through Zhang's thoughts.

“The current third branch is different from before; they can’t be manipulated,” Xie Yuyan said calmly. “I can earn back all the money I spend. As long as you keep good accounts, sir, you can make sure that every single transaction is accounted for.”

The old accountant nodded. He had said everything he needed to say; whether or not Madam Xie would listen was up to her.

As he was leaving, he saw Liu Zhi rushing over in the courtyard. Liu Zhi was accompanied by a woman in her forties, who had a bruise on her face, indicating that she had been injured.

The old accountant could roughly guess what was going on, and shook his head again.

After all, Madam Xie was only sixteen or seventeen years old, and no matter what, she was not mature enough.

Perhaps they thought they had everything under control after sending the two old men to prison and opening a water shop and a morning and evening market... But it's not that simple.

Before even having the entire Yang family under their control, they've already started fighting the Xie family. Do they really think they can overpower the Xie family of Daming Prefecture?
Inside the house, Madam Yang served the woman hot tea.

The woman thanked Xie Yuyan and Zhang Shi, saying, "You two ladies are truly kind people; you even helped us find a lawyer."

“It does have something to do with me,” Xie Yuyan said. “If you hadn’t mistaken them for me, this wouldn’t have happened.”

The woman looked exceptionally simple and honest, like an ordinary village woman. However, after entering the room, there was no trepidation or curiosity in her eyes as if she were in a strange place for the first time, and she spoke very fluently.

This was done on purpose for her to see.

Just as Xie Yuyan had thought, these were the people arranged by Seventh Master Xie.

Xie Yuyan asked, "Has the Xie family sent anyone else to visit?"

“No,” the woman paused slightly, then changed the subject, “families like theirs certainly won’t let this go easily. Who knows if they might bribe the officials…”

"That's bad enough, but they might even come to our door to intimidate us and force us to withdraw our lawsuit."

The woman seemed to have thought of something particularly terrifying, and her whole body trembled: "All the men in my family are injured, leaving only the elderly, women, and children. How can they possibly stand a chance against them? I'm so afraid..."

"Don't worry," Xie Yuyan said, "I'll help you think of a solution."

The woman said with a happy expression, "Thank you, madam, you are such a kind person."

"Are you still selling your mountain land?" Xie Yuyan asked. "If you're willing, we'll price it at ten strings of cash per mu."

The woman kept saying, "Sell, sell! That Xie family, relying on some money in Daming Prefecture, has been extorting and robbing us. They only offered five thousand coins per mu of land and forced us to sign the documents immediately."

“We paid several strings of cash when we bought it. How could it be sold like this? It was because we refused that our family was beaten. Now that we’ve sold this land, we won’t have to live in fear anymore.”

The woman wiped her eyes with her sleeve as she spoke.

Xie Yuyan said, "Once the yamen has settled the case, come to the Yang family. I will give you money and process the land documents for you."

The woman bowed to Xie Yuyan and immediately asked Liu Zhi to help her write the petition before leaving the Yang family.

Xie Yuyan watched the woman's back. The woman said that someone would come to the house to coerce them, and that was definitely going to happen. Even if the Xie family didn't want to make a big fuss, Seventh Master Xie would find a way to push things along.

"Take Wang Zhubu's waist token to the patrol office," Xie Yuyan instructed Yu Mama, "and tell them I need two people."

There's no need to rush the rest. Let's wait until the Xie family's reputation spreads a bit more. These things are like the offal in Grandma Li's big pot; they only become fragrant when they're cooked to the right consistency.

……

Border town military camp. Wang Yan looked at the secret letter in his hand by the campfire. A burnt smell came from his nose. He subconsciously looked over and saw a rabbit placed on the fire, wisps of smoke rising.

"Oh dear," He Tan stepped forward quickly, "I just wanted you to look for a little while, how did it get into such a state?"

As He Tan used a knife to cut off pieces of the charred rabbit meat, he said, "You've been distracted ever since we left the city. What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"

Wang Yan said calmly, "If you're not in the government office, those people might do something shady."

"Wouldn't that be perfect for catching them red-handed? It's not like you don't have spies around..."

As He Tan spoke, he looked at Wang Yan's hand and his expression turned serious: "There's news? They really made a move?"

“No.” Wang Yan handed the secret letter to He Tan.

He Tan looked over carefully, then slowly raised his eyebrows: "We've only been out for a few days, and this Miss Xie has already caused such a commotion. I still remember what she said at the yamen, and it really does match up with the Xie family."

He Tan suddenly realized something: "Did you foresee this happening when you left Sang Dian and the others in Daming Prefecture?"

“I guessed she would do something, but I didn’t expect it to be so fast,” Wang Yan said. “I thought she would slowly lay the groundwork and then make her move against the Xie family after New Year’s Day.”

He Tan smiled slightly, feeling that Wang Yan's words were insincere. He really hadn't expected that such an arrangement would be made in advance, and that his subordinates would report on Miss Xie's affairs every day.

They acted as if they were afraid the person would disappear if they turned around.

He Tan said, "If you're worried that those people will take advantage of the situation, you might as well go back sooner."

After patrolling the border town, they planned to go to Zongcheng to meet the garrison commander who had nephews and sons in Dashun Prefecture and would surely know about the situation there.

“No need,” Wang Yan said. “They only dare to act when we’re not around.”

He Tan's eyes lit up: "You mean the Xie family dares to use those people at this time?"

Wang Yan cut off a piece of rabbit meat and put it in his mouth: "When people are blinded by anger, they may do foolish things. If they are also in fear, they will only take risky moves."

"In other words... a stupid move."

He Tan pondered these words: "I suddenly realize that Daming Prefecture is more interesting than our place."

The firelight flickered in Wang Yan's eyes, but he was determined to go to Zongcheng to confirm his suspicions.

“Brother, eat quickly,” Wang Yan said. “We still have a long way to go… We won’t have anything to eat before dawn.”

……

The Xie family of Daming Prefecture.

Xie Chongjun looked at the accounts in the steward's hands.

"What did the Yang family say?"

The steward said, "Old Madam Yang sent word that Xie Yuyan has bought another ten mu of land. In just these few days, he has bought over a hundred mu of land. At ten guan per mu, that's over a thousand guan. And that doesn't even include the land in Sanhe Village."

"By all accounts, she should have used up most of her money..."

Xie Chongjun frowned: "The Yang family can't possibly only have this much money." He couldn't act rashly; he had to plan carefully to crush the Xie family and prevent them from ever recovering.

"Master."

There was a knock on the study door, and then the steward walked in with another person.

The steward said with a smile, "We have discovered a coal mine in Daming Prefecture, which is larger than the one under Sanhe Village."

(End of this chapter)