Gou Zai Xianwu Wenjing Search for Opportunities

While waiting, Lin Yuan learned that the maid who had cried for help was Zhang Yu'er's wet nurse, surnamed Zhang. Zhang Yu'er called her Seventh Aunt. She was from the same clan and generation as Zhang Dengfeng, but they were only five degrees of kinship apart.

Zhang Qigu married a man surnamed Zhou from the neighboring Sanshan Village in her early years. Because her family was poor, she worked as a long-term servant in the Zhang family and later became Zhang Yu'er's wet nurse.

In wealthy families, wet nurses held a much higher status than long-term laborers and servants, and consequently received more benefits, leading to greater ties between the two groups.

Even though the Zhang family has now committed a crime, Aunt Zhang Qi still comes to help, precisely because of their past relationship.

After waiting for a while, the fourth master of the Zhang family had Zhang Dengyun placed in a coffin and put it in the main hall with his wife. In accordance with Zhang Dengyun's last wishes, the funeral was to be simple and there was no banquet. He was buried the next day.

Finally, Master Zhang took Zhang Yu'er back to his home and adopted her.

Seeing that he was still a man of some sense of righteousness, Lin Yuan, together with Hu Cai, burned paper money for Zhang Dengyun before leaving.

Lin Yuan politely invited Hu Cai to return to the Lin family home, but Hu Cai declined. The Lin family home was extremely poor, and going there would only cause trouble, plus there was nothing fun to do there.

Lin Yuan didn't insist. He crossed the stone bridge over the Lishui River alone, glanced at the river, and said, "I hope the water level doesn't rise this year."

Back home, my sister-in-law was busy in the yard with Gou Dan.

"Is Sister washing locust flowers?" Lin Yuan walked to the well.

"Oh, Erlv's back! You haven't been back in so long. I'll steam some locust flowers for you. There are still some eggs at home, so I'll make locust flower and egg stir-fry, you used to love it..." The sister-in-law always had so much to say.

Gou Dan rushed over and hugged Lin Yuan's leg. Lin Yuan patted his head and apologized, "Zhang Dengyun and his wife from Shangwei Village passed away today. I helped the Hu family carry the coffin there and was in a hurry to come back, so I didn't have time to buy you a candy figurine. Uncle promises you he will next time!"

Upon hearing this, the sister-in-law, forgetting to scold her gluttonous son, pressed, "What happened to them? Did both husband and wife pass away? Sigh, their father was a good man, and Zhang's second son was also a good person. Before, when other families asked him for help, he always helped them if he could..."

Lin Yuan immediately recounted everything that had just happened at the Zhang family's house.

"Alas, what a pitiful daughter! I don't know what her father did wrong to implicate the whole family. I've heard of that Fourth Master Zhang; his family was incredibly poor back then. If it weren't for Old Master Zhang giving him a hand, he'd still be a bachelor..."

After listening for a while, Lin Yuan asked, "Zhang Qigu married into the Zhou family in Sanshan Village. Which family is it? Sister, your Zhou family is from Sanshan Village, right?"

Sanshan Village is under the jurisdiction of Jiuling Township. Although it is a village, it is actually a collective name for three or five small villages scattered in the mountains, and there are many Zhou clan members in it.

"We're not from the same village. Her husband is called Black Bear, and he's my uncle. He used to have connections with my father and his family, but they moved to Shangwei Village a long time ago, so they don't see each other as often anymore."

Lin Yuan thought for a moment and then instructed, "I feel sorry for Yu'er. If you hear any news, please keep an eye out for her."

"Why are you asking about her?" the sister-in-law asked curiously, her expression instantly changing. "You wouldn't happen to have taken a liking to her, would you? She's a rich man's daughter; do you think she can handle our poor life?"

"Sister, what are you saying? She's only seven or eight years old!"

"Hey, just raise her for a few years. Now that you're in a job, she'll be your child bride, so don't mistreat her." The sister-in-law said with a smile.

"Sister, I'm just kind-hearted. I've always felt sorry for orphans and widows, I don't mean anything by it. Last time, Lin San'er and her mother were in the same situation, and I even asked my older brother to send them some food and drinks. Just keep an eye out for news for me, you don't need to do anything else."

Lin Yuan then warned his sister-in-law, "Sister, don't mess around with this. Yu'er's father has committed a serious crime. If I get involved, how can I face anyone in the pavilion afterward? Don't tell anyone else about this, lest someone come after me."

"I'm not stupid, I'll keep an eye out for news for you." The eldest sister-in-law sighed, "Alas, San'er's mother has passed away."

"Yes, I heard it from my older brother." Lin Yuan was curious about his third sister-in-law's family, who had been in contact with the copper lock. "How is your third sister-in-law doing now?"

"She seems normal, but she doesn't interact with people much anymore. The village found her a new husband, but she refused. Instead, she learned some scriptures from that sorceress and spends all her time chanting them in her room. I advised her to get married and settle down, but she got upset."

"It's a kind of emotional support, I suppose," Lin Yuan sighed.

"It's just that her room is so gloomy that I was too scared to go in. The last time I went to deliver food, it was your brother who went." The sister-in-law said with lingering fear.

Lin Yuan immediately became alert. The longevity copper lock in Third Sister's hand could absorb Da Mao's yin spirit and had been refined by the mysterious person, so it must not be an ordinary object.

He was willing to lend a helping hand, but he didn't want his family to be in danger. After thinking for a moment, he instructed, "Sister, you shouldn't go there anymore, and don't inquire too much about her family's affairs."

The older sister-in-law suddenly became wary and whispered in her ear, "I heard that when you rescued her from the river that day, she was tainted with something unclean?"

Lin Yuan nodded slightly, startling his sister-in-law who cried out, "Ouch!" She patted Lin Yuan repeatedly, asking, "Erlu, are you alright?"

"I am a martial artist, I am not afraid of this. You all be careful."

After giving his instructions, Lin Yuan went back to his room, lay down on the bed to rest, and waited for dinner. He found that the blankets on the bed had been washed and dried, and there was an extra new blanket.

Looking in the mirror with my eyes closed, Zhang Dengyun is still there.

"Fairy Mirror, Fairy Mirror, tell me everything about Zhang Dengyun's experiences."

Immediately afterwards, the clouds and mist on the mirror dispersed, and the scene unfolded:

Zhang Dengyun had been farming honestly with his father since he was a child. Later, his elder brother became successful. He studied and became a clerk, and gradually rose to the position of secretary. He had a very deep relationship with his wife. When his wife gave birth, she suffered severe bleeding and could no longer have children. Fortunately, Zhang Zhenjian was able to give birth smoothly.

As Zhang Zhenjian grew up smoothly, the family of three lived happily and harmoniously.

One day, his eldest brother sent him a message that the Zhang family was in grave danger and that he should flee at any time and hide his identity. He did not mention his other brothers.

He immediately wrote a letter to his son in the capital, telling Zhang Zhenjian to hide, but he himself stayed behind. In his words, "I'm getting old, I don't want to escape anymore, I just want to return to my roots."

Not long after, his father passed away, and he realized something was wrong.

One night, during his vigil, he opened his father's coffin and discovered that his father had died of poisoning.

At that moment, he understood that the disaster his elder brother had mentioned had come, but he did not make a fuss or report it to the authorities; he simply buried his father in silence.

Having worked in the county government for many years, he knew all too well that the disaster that even his elder brother, a top retainer of the Marquis's mansion, had to flee for his life could not be resolved by reporting to the authorities.

So he told Xu Niang to go back to her parents' home and take Yu'er with her, but Xu Niang didn't listen.

Zhang Dengyun returned to work at the county government office until he was reported and dismissed from his position as clerk. At that point, he realized it was his turn.

He returned to town and urged Xu Niang to take Yu'er away again. However, before the New Year was over, he heard that his son Zhang Zhenjian had secretly returned to his hometown without telling him, and an accident had occurred.

His wife fell seriously ill, and shortly after the New Year, the Zhang family's home was ransacked.

He repeatedly urged Xu Niang to take Yu'er away, but this time Xu Niang did not insist and left with Yu'er. A few days later, someone brought Yu'er back.

He understood that Xu Niang's family only wanted to protect Xu Niang.

He moved back to his old home in Shangwei Village, back to his thatched hut. In a daze, life seemed to have returned to its starting point. He couldn't help but sigh, "My elder brother was a strong-willed man, determined to rise above others and revitalize the family. Thanks to him, we enjoyed wealth and honor for half our lives, but in the end, it was all for naught. Such is fate!"

The people in his clan were extremely wary of him, but he didn't care and ordered coffins for himself and his wife.

Until his wife passed away and the coffin arrived, he placed her in the coffin, then silently returned to the east room, closed the door, tied a white cloth over his head, and kicked away the stool.

Just as he was waiting to die, he felt the pressure on his neck ease, and there was another person in the room.

A masked man lifted him up, his voice hoarse as he said, "Tell me your elder brother's whereabouts, or hand over what he stole, and you can live, marry, have children, and live a life of wealth and honor!"

"Who are you? Did you kill Jian'er?" Zhang Dengyun asked in shock.

"No, there are others watching you," the masked man said calmly.

Zhang Dengyun told the truth: "My elder brother only told me to run away, he didn't say anything else, I don't know anything..."

The masked man shook his head in disappointment and lowered his hand, and Zhang Dengyun was instantly pulled into the rope.

"He was a real man, what a pity. Blame it on your good older brother!"