The last thing Shen Jiamu did was to very wisely donate half of his family fortune.

Of course, we followed the path of charitable donations. After this incident, we built bridges and roads, and donated boats and other supplies.

Even now, Song Ren might not fully believe that the Shen family wasn't involved, but the Shen family had already lost its patriarch because of this.

Moreover, Shen Jiamu donated most of his family fortune to the government at that time. The key point is that he donated such a large sum of money.

It must be said that Song Ren was a good official; he was very diligent in investigating evidence, otherwise Wang Yan wouldn't have known his name. Later, based on her experiences over those days, she pieced together the truth.

Because Song Ren personally went to the interrogation, he listened to their defenses and self-justifications at each hearing before drawing conclusions.

Even minor figures like Wang Yan and Ye Zi, he personally questioned them to determine whether the Shen family was lying.

Furthermore, pleading with the Emperor to spare the Shen family was also for the sake of the common people. The family assets they donated, in terms of the verified amount, were almost half of the small salt mine's income over the past three years.

Therefore, Song Ren was willing to plead for the local economy to improve the lives of the people.

Furthermore, the evidence presented by the Shen family is plausible; they were unaware of the matter. Logically and morally, they have done enough!

…………………………………………………………

Back to the present, Wang Yan and the others sat facing Shen Jiamu, speechless, an awkward atmosphere filling the air.

It was Granny Qian who broke the silence, "Madam Wang, we are currently unavailable at our residence and cannot invite you and your two young ladies to stay here temporarily."

However, we've extended the room rate for the two ladies by one month, so they can stay here a little longer.

Upon hearing that they were even being invited to stay at her residence, Wang Yan jumped up from her chair, waving her hands in fright.

"No, no, no, we don't need it, we don't need it, we're going back tomorrow."

"Hahaha." Wang Ying and Aunt Wang couldn't help but burst out laughing first.

Wang Yan's expression was so funny that even Wang Ying, who had been keeping a straight face and not saying a word, couldn't help but laugh when she saw her like this.

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, Shen Jiamu and Granny Qian also chuckled across from them.

The atmosphere then improved. Hearing that they were leaving, Granny Qian went to the carriage shop and hired a very luxurious carriage for them.

How should I put it? The entire piece is made of rosewood, the carriage has doors with openwork carvings, and the roof is also magnificent.

The carriage was lined with two layers of plush carpets, and the curtains hanging on the windows were made of blue cotton.

Because the space was large, and only the three of them could sit there, the maids arranged for them to lay two more layers of cotton mattresses on the velvet carpet at the back, making three quilts in total, enough for two people to lie down sideways.

They even thoughtfully installed a curtain in the middle for them, and they could just pull it open.

The stools in front can be folded down to make soft stools, which are more than enough for the three of them to sit on. They can set up a table on them to drink some tea and eat some fruit.

Wang Yan loves the smell of fruit, and she even burned some incense. The orange scent lingering around her nose made her feel much better.

Wang Ying boarded the carriage to return home, and her heart settled down. Now she quietly peeled and ate an orange.

Aunt Wang, on the other hand, seemed more excited than the two of them, curiously looking at the carriage, touching this and looking at that.

He even lifted the curtain of the car and peered into the car behind him.

Granny Qian used her own carriage to take them, afraid they would be frightened. Otherwise, they could have ridden in a two-horse carriage.

The Shen family's prestige was such that by Grandpa Shen's generation, they had already obtained the right to drive a carriage with two horses.

Granny Qian went to rent a carriage from a carriage company, but it was the end of the year, and the driver the carriage company sent was a man.

So he also sent out his two female guards, a second-class maid, and a male guard who also served as a coachman to follow behind them and escort them home.

At noon, a maid from the second-class carriage came over with a food box.

"This is a meal that our young lady instructed me to pack in advance from Lewei Pavilion. However, it was only prepared and delivered this morning."

"I've already reheated it over there, Madam and Miss, please make do with this for now. We should reach the inn by evening."

Aunt Wang reached out and took it, "Oh, alright, girl, you should go back and have your meal too."

Chaolu smiled and said, "Yes, thank you, Madam."

Braised dried bean curd strips, stir-fried lily bulbs with snail slices, lotus root starch dumplings, pan-fried yellow croaker, and sesame seed mutton fritters.

Wang Yan had planned to try this braised shredded tofu dish during her trip, but she didn't get to eat it before heading back.

I never expected that this dish would be among the food I ordered to go. I quickly picked up a piece and tried it.

First, steam the dried tofu, bamboo shoots, dried scallops, shredded chicken, ginger, winter bamboo shoots, mushrooms, sea cucumber, and Jinhua ham in Shaoxing wine, then cut them into thin strips. Next, peel a bowl of shrimp.

The soup base is made by simmering shrimp, ham, lean meat, and old hen in butter to create a rich broth.

Then strain out all the solids, leaving only clear broth. Add the finely shredded ingredients from the above nine ingredients and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.

The dish is characterized by its rich and delicious broth, and the various dried bean curd strips are fresh, tender, and flavorful. Wang Yan drank three bowls of the soup and the dish together.

Now I have no regrets. I've also tried the other dishes. Overall, the food was refreshing, flavorful but not greasy, and light but not bland.

Wang Yan was quite able to eat well, because when she was in the Marquis's residence, the Marquis's wife preferred light and bland food.

Wang Yan had been eating at Aunt Sun's special kitchen for several years, and would often help try out the dishes to be presented to the Lady of the Marquis.

Therefore, her tastes changed, and the dishes she ate after leaving the mansion were generally stronger and more intense.

Since their own shop serves spicy and flavorful dishes, they are more likely to attract customers.

I suddenly arrived in Lin'an for a visit, and these past few days I've been enjoying dishes that are generally light and delicious.

Wang Yan had a great experience with these dishes. She really liked how delicious they were, and it made her feel good both in terms of appetite and mood.

On the tenth day, having traveled more than half the distance, they arrived at a proper shop.

As soon as Chaolu got off the carriage, she ran to book a room. All of Wang Yan's expenses along the way were paid for by the Shen family.

The inns where Wang Yan's family is staying now are equivalent to modern presidential suites, with the most expensive one costing ten taels of silver per night.

Even if it wasn't a proper inn or a small guesthouse, Chaolu always booked the best rooms for them.

Therefore, Wang Yan's family had a very leisurely journey back to the city. They didn't have to worry about anything. Everything along the way, including drinking water, a stove to warm their hands, and how much charcoal to use, was taken care of.

When people have free time, they tend to be more relaxed and carefree. The three of them got off the carriage, strolled around looking at the scenery along the road, and then walked towards the inn.

After booking the room, Chaolu also gave instructions on what dishes to cook, when to use hot water, and to brew a pot of their own tea, among other things.

Wang Yan and her friends were sitting at a table in the lobby waiting when suddenly, Wang Yan spotted a middle-aged man with a stubble beard and a chubby build.

She felt like she looked familiar. Wang Yan glanced at her again and again, then patted Wang Ying's arm.

"Hey sis, doesn't that guy look a bit like Dad?"

Wang Ying glanced at it, then squinted and examined it carefully for a while before suddenly slamming her hand on the table.

"What do you mean, 'looks like'? That's him! Wang Shucheng, Chef Wang!"

Fatty Wang heard a familiar voice and someone called his name. He turned around and it turned out to be his two best friends.

Wang Pangzi was overjoyed and rushed over, asking, "What are you doing here? Didn't you send me a letter?"

Wang Yan pulled him aside and briefly recounted the general events that had transpired.

"Okay, okay, it's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright."

Seeing his unshaven beard and haggard appearance, Wang Yan and her companion knew that their father hadn't rested well on the journey.

When Chaolu saw that Master Wang had also arrived, she turned around and added another superior room, booking four of the only five superior rooms in the entire inn.

“Miss Ying, I thought that Mr. Wang should wash up and rest after his long journey, so I booked an extra superior room, which is at the very back and will be much quieter.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Ying and the other woman nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, Father should go wash up and get a good night's sleep."

Fatty Wang also stood up, but ignored his two daughters' words and went to his room first.

Instead, she went to the driver she had hired and booked him a private room so he could also get some rest.

After washing up, Fatty Wang ate three flatbreads, drank two bowls of mutton soup, and went to bed.

He slept until noon the next day before waking up. He was really tired, not only physically exhausted but also mentally tense.

Once he relaxed completely, he fell into a deep sleep. However, when Fatty Wang woke up the next day, well-rested, he was full of energy.

He's back to being that good-tempered, always smiling, and kind fat chef.

However, the coachman Wang Shucheng hired frowned as he looked at the fat man.

"What? What did you say? It's almost Chinese New Year, I've already skipped the holiday to follow you all this way, and we're halfway there, and you're saying you're not hiring my car anymore!"

The coachman was about to explode with rage. He rolled up his sleeve, determined to beat the man until his head was a giant pig's head.

You know what he said next, which made the coachman so happy that he kept calling him "Master".

"You will still get the fare as agreed. If you want to go back to the capital, you can go back to the capital. If you want to go to Jiangnan to pick up more passengers, you can pick up more passengers. It's just that we won't ride in your car anymore."

"Oh my, I can tell you're a really kind man, brother. You're making sure my efforts aren't wasted at the end of the year. Thank you so much, sir."

"Alright, alright, when we get back to the capital, if your family needs a carriage, just come to me again, and I'll give the master a discount."

Fatty Wang smiled and nodded. How could he not pay the fare, or only pay half?

The coachman who followed him was truly exhausted from the journey.

These past few days, except when the horse was too tired to stay at an inn for a night, we haven't stopped. That's why we were able to cover half the distance in just ten days.

The driver was a very honest man. He was exhausted but never complained. He knew that Fatty Wang was looking for his family, and he would only ask the driver to stop and rest for a while when the horse was too tired to move.