Chapter 014: Lost the Opportunity

Wen Yan returned to the room and began to pack the things she brought back.

Hui Niang brought Pei'er to help.

Looking at the mother and daughter, Wen Yan began to worry. How to settle them?

There are many people in the family but not enough houses to live in.

Now there are two more people and it’s impossible to squeeze in.

When Ying Zhilin came back in the afternoon, she asked him whether he should rent a house in the village for them to live in, or build one next door.

Hui Niang seemed to see her embarrassment and said, "Pei'er and I can live in the woodshed, or we can sleep on the floor under the eaves."

Wen Yan would never let his subordinates sleep under the eaves.

"I have my own ideas about this matter." Wen Yan hooked a stool with his foot and asked Hui Niang to sit down and talk.

Hui Niang knew that although Wen Yan was young, he was very organized and always kept his word.

She then pulled her daughter to sit down obediently.

Wen Yan looked at her for a while and asked, "Do you know why I spent so much money to save you?"

"Yes... Miss is kind-hearted." Hui Niang didn't dare to look up and held her daughter's hand nervously.

"I'm not a philanthropist, and I never do business at a loss." Wen Yan said calmly, "I only keep useful people around me. Hui Niang, what value can you create for me?"

Pei'er was so scared that she knelt in front of Wen Yan: "Master, Pei'er can wash clothes, cook and clean the room. Please don't drive me and my mother away."

During the two days she followed Wen Yan, not only was she able to eat her fill, but no one also beat her, scolded her, or despised her.

These were the happiest two days she could remember.

She didn't want to live the same life with her mother as before.

Wen Yan turned sideways and did not accept her kneeling.

Hui Niang also slowly calmed down.

After a few days, she figured it out.

Wen Yan must have known about her situation long ago and came here specially.

Her gambling husband was just an opportunity for her to buy herself away.

That’s fine!

Although I became a slave, I was able to completely get rid of that beast.

The master is not a violent and cruel person. As long as you are loyal and do your job well, your life will be better in the future.

She knelt beside her daughter and bowed deeply to Wen Yan: "Master, you saved our lives, mother and daughter. We will be loyal to you for the rest of our lives.

My family has been making ink for generations. If you don't mind, Hui Niang is willing to make ink for you."

As she spoke, she took out a pair of ink sticks from the pile of old clothes she had brought and gave them to Wen Yan as a token of her loyalty.

Wen Yan took the ink stick without looking at it carefully, and said to the two of them, "As long as you work for me wholeheartedly, I will not treat you unfairly.

When Pei'er reaches adulthood, I will free her from slavery and find her a good marriage partner, so that she can live a worry-free life."

Pei'er is Hui Niang's weak spot. As long as she holds Pei'er's future in her hands, Hui Niang will definitely do her best.

Hui Niang was indeed very excited and swore to the sky that she would devote herself to her.

Wen Yan said gently, "You should take good care of yourselves first. We will be busy in two days."

Hui Niang agreed repeatedly and took Pei'er to sort out the things Wen Yan brought.

Wen Yan was playing with the ink ingot in her hand, and suddenly a faint fragrance filled her nose.

Smelling the familiar scent, Wen Yan felt as if he was in another world.

In her previous life, she used them to help Huo Yaoxing embark on the path to becoming the third place in the imperial examination.

In this life, without them, how could Huo Yaoxing become Professor Fang Daru? How could he get the third place in the palace examination?

At this time, Huo Yaoxing and Wen Ruyue came to the town where Hui Niang lived and asked around for news about Hui Niang.

But he got the news that she had sold herself into slavery and left this place with her master.

They did not give up and spent money to search the house of her gambling ex-husband.

Not to mention ink sticks, I didn't even see any tools for making ink.

Huo Yaoxing's expression grew increasingly gloomy, and a strong sense of unease suddenly welled up in his heart.

Seeing this, Wen Ruyue quickly pulled his arm and coaxed him, "Husband, don't be anxious! That Hui Niang will appear in the capital sooner or later. We just need to send more spies out and wait and see."

It was unknown whether Huo Yaoxing was comforted or not. He got on the carriage with a cold face and said, "Let's go back to Beijing first."

**

As Mrs. Qiao eagerly awaited, lunch time finally arrived.

The Ying family only ate two meals during the slack season.

Because Wen Yan said there was a gift, Mrs. Qiao cooked a pot of wild vegetable dumpling soup. Except for the three siblings Ying Zhilin and the two male students, all the members of the Ying family were present.

Everyone sat together, looking at Wen Yan eagerly.

The more greedy she was, the less anxious Wen Yan became.

She finished her meal slowly and then opened the wooden box.

Each female member of the family is given a hairband.

The adult's was embroidered with flowers, and the little girl's was pendant with a small silver bell, which jingled when shaken gently.

Men each received a bag of snacks.

Everyone in the Ying family looked gloomy.

It was such a big deal, I thought they would give away some valuable treasures.

The result, is this?

Just sew a few pieces of rags together to feed beggars!

Now only Mrs. Qiao is left.

Having learned from the previous experience, Mrs. Qiao no longer holds out hope.

However.

What Wen Yan took out made everyone's eyes light up.

It turned out to be a gold bracelet as thick as a little finger.

Mrs. Qiao was so excited that her breathing became heavier.

How heavy must such a thick gold bracelet be!

It will definitely sell for a lot of money!

She rubbed her hands on her clothes before taking it.

However, as soon as she got the bracelet, Mrs. Qiao's expression changed.

This weight is wrong!

She flicked the bracelet ring with her fingernail again and found that it was hollow inside!

Mrs. Qiao questioned her with a dark face on the spot.

Wen Yan was surprised. "Grandma, what are you talking about? Who wears a solid gold bracelet? Wouldn't it make your wrist feel heavy? The carvings on it are more valuable than the bracelet itself."

Wen Yan stuffed another piece of fine cloth into the hands of Mrs. Qiao and then got up and went back to the house.

Mrs. Qiao looked at the thing in her hand, her face turning pale and blue.

afternoon.

Wen Yan came to the big peach tree at the entrance of the village carrying a basket.

The place is already full of aunts chatting.

What a coincidence, she is the center of the topic again.

"Wen Yan returned to the Ying family because she was abandoned by a strange man."

Aunt Li glared at the man and was about to retort when she heard the clear voice of a young woman behind her: "I didn't even know I had a man!"

Aunt Li saw her and quickly comforted her: "Don't listen to the gossips of a bunch of idle gossipmongers."

Wen Yan refused to let it go so easily and pressed on, "Who is this wild man? Do I know him? Is he as good-looking as Ying Zhilin?"

When the gossip was caught by the person involved, the aunts blushed and said, "We...we were also deceived."

He quickly explained and ran away in shame.

After those people left, Wen Yan took out a piece of crabapple red cloth from the basket and gave it to Aunt Li: "Thank you, Aunt Li, for helping me find me last time."

"Oh, it's just a piece of cake, and you gave me such a valuable thing." Aunt Li said, but she couldn't let go of the cloth. "The color is so bright!"

Wen Yan smiled and said, "It's fine cotton cloth from Tianyi Cloth Shop in the capital. The color and feel are both top-notch, and it's perfect for making underwear."

"I'll take this cloth. My daughter is getting married next year, so I'll make her a new dress then."

Wen Yan distributed things to others.

Those who helped her were given cloth, while others were given a small bag of preserved fruit.

Everyone was so lenient with others that they praised Wen Yan to the hilt.

"Aunts, you are praising me, why don't you do me a favor?" Wen Yan took out a few stones from the basket: "I am collecting these stones. Aunts, please find them and I will buy them for one penny per pound."

This is her real purpose today.