After leaving the house, she carefully put away her reply to Su Yan and picked up the calligraphy by Scholar Jiang, examining it for a moment.
He has excellent cursive script, his strokes are like dragons and snakes, flowing like clouds and water, carefree and unrestrained.
A gentle breeze caresses the mountain ridge.
She hung the calligraphy in her room and nodded with great satisfaction.
There was a knock at the door. "Miss."
It was the sound of a wild goose.
Ye Panjiu opened the door.
Yan Yu bowed respectfully, "I wonder if the young lady has finished writing her reply?"
He felt sorry for his family's anxiety as they waited for a reply.
"It's written, but I have a few things I need your help with."
Yan Yu readily agreed, "Just give the order, Miss."
Ye Panjiu nodded. "Thank you. Please keep an eye on Miss Guan for me and make sure she doesn't act impulsively. She might faint again."
Yan Yu didn't ask any further questions, simply replying with a single word, "Yes."
He just felt a little sorry for his family, that they would have to wait a few more days…
Guan Muning left the Ye family home after Ye Panjiu left.
Rather than recovering her health, all she wanted now was to kill that beast Zhou Xinran.
Yan Yu watched the girl's figure from the eaves of the Ye family's house, shook her head, and followed after her.
From Yejiacun to the county, Guan Muning didn't try to be brave and took an oxcart for two coins.
She had two taels of silver on her, all given to her by Ye Panjiu.
After getting off the oxcart and entering the county, she saw a crowd gathered in one place.
"Injustice! Give me back my parents' lives! Give me back my daughter's life! Zhou Xinran of Xiangxiangfang, he forcibly took a woman! He drove my daughter to hang herself, and together with that dog of a magistrate, he arrested my parents and even caused their deaths in prison!"
"Heavens above, open your eyes!"
Despite the cold weather, Du Shi was only wearing a white shirt with the word "wronged" written in bright red on it.
He had a white rope tied around his head, and his cries were so heart-wrenching that they brought tears to the eyes of all who heard them.
He was also holding a white flag with red lettering in both hands, which was waving in the wind.
The people surrounding him shouted angrily.
Du Shi started walking from this end of the busiest road in the county, and the crowd grew larger and larger.
Guan Muning stared blankly at this scene. Why did it happen at this time?
She had just been rescued when people on the street began shouting and denouncing Zhou Xinran.
She lagged far behind the crowd, listening to the deafening shouts.
"Zhou Xinran, prepare to die!"
"Even with the dead magistrate in the dog county, do you still think you can act with impunity?!"
Zhou Xinran was originally hiding on the second floor of Xiangxiangfang, listening to the scenes on the street, when he heard the shrill voice of the storyteller in the teahouse across the street.
"Speaking of that Fragrant Shop, they're really heartless! There's a man in Dujia Village who's hardworking and diligent! And his mother's cooking is famous throughout Dujia Village for its deliciousness!"
"Du Shi and his mother then set up a vegetable stall in the county, and business was booming! That's when Zhou Xinran had evil intentions..."
The storyteller was skilled at telling stories, and he recounted in detail how Zhou Xinran had harmed the Du family, in a vivid and detailed manner.
The people in the teahouse slammed their fists on the table upon hearing this, and some even openly said, "This kind of beast should be killed!"
Zhou Xinran was so frightened that his face turned pale and his whole body trembled.
For a moment, it seemed as if everyone was trying to kill him.
He looked at the waiter who was walking up with a look of surprise and suspicion, holding a sharp sword in his hand.
The waiter was taken aback. "Manager, for some reason, all the customers downstairs have left."
Zhou Xinran relaxed a bit. "Go close the shop. It's closed for the next few days. You should go home too."
The waiter was stunned; such a good thing had happened!
He turned around and prepared to go downstairs.
Zhou Xinran, however, held the sword to his neck. "How's that thing I asked you to do to the Ye family?"
The waiter stared at the sword, trembling all over. "It's...it's ready, don't worry, boss..."
Zhou Xinran snorted coldly, and without hesitation, the sword sliced across his neck. "Only then can I feel at ease."
Bright red blood gushed out, and the waiter clutched his neck and collapsed to the ground, staring wide-eyed at Zhou Xinran in disbelief, "You..."
His lips moved, but no sound came out.
Zhou Xinran, sword in hand, wiped the blood off his clothes. "You lowly thing, you know too much."
He ran quickly down the stairs; there was a door connecting the Xiangxiangfang and Zhou's residence.
Three guards immediately followed him, saying, "Don't be afraid, sir. We're here to protect you. No one can hurt you."
Zhou Xinran breathed a sigh of relief, but did not stop walking.
There's a secret passage in the Zhou residence. He can't stay in Qingshui County any longer; he needs to take the money and run away quickly.
He just couldn't understand who had harmed him.
Du Shi has lived like a walking corpse for more than ten years. How could he suddenly have a breakthrough and come out to the street to shout?
And then there's his most beloved Guan Muning, who's as hard as a rock. It's the most satisfying thing to win over a woman like that. Why couldn't I find her yesterday?
The storytellers in the teahouse must have been paid to tell their stories. Who has that much money to bother with such trivial matters?
Back at the Zhou residence, Zhou Xinran slumped into a grand chair, his clothes soaked with sweat.
The butler considerately stepped forward and poured him a cup of warm tea. "Master, there's no need to worry too much about those troublemakers outside. They don't have the guts to cause any trouble."
Zhou Xinran quietly sipped his tea. "You're right. We can just slip the money over after the new magistrate arrives. But to be on the safe side, I'd better lay low for now."
The old butler nodded in agreement, "I'll go prepare the master's luggage right away."
Zhou Xinran shook his head. "No need. Everything in the mansion remains the same. Any women in the inner quarters who dare to run away should be killed!"
The old housekeeper frowned and said, "This kind of woman deserves to be beaten to death."
Zhou Xinran waved his hand, and the old butler went downstairs.
He went into his study, turned the vase on the table, and revealed a dark room.
All his assets were in this dark room. He didn't feel comfortable keeping them in a money exchange, fearing the exchange would go bankrupt. He felt it was safest to keep them in his own hands.
He spread out a cloth, filled it with all the gold and silver, then opened the tunnel in the middle of the secret room and walked down step by step.
To be on the safe side, he took off his silk clothes and put on a set of fine cloth, and also removed all the gold locks and other accessories he wore.
He didn't trust his guards. With so much money involved, how could he be sure they wouldn't be tempted by the money and kill him to steal it?
Guan Muning looked at the closed Xiangxiangfang shop, then turned and walked back towards the Zhou residence.
After walking only a few steps, he fell straight to the ground like a lotus leaf in the wind.
Yan Yu was startled and quickly jumped off the roof to catch her.
He looked at Guan Muning's closed eyes, somewhat speechless.
Fortunately, the girl came out in an oxcart, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to ride a horse and would have had to carry her a long way back to the Ye family.
The streets were still bustling with noise, but Du Shi walked steadily toward the county government office, completely ignoring the shouts from the crowd, "Go to the Zhou residence and kill Zhou Xinran!"
The county magistrate was beheaded yesterday, and his entire family was executed. The blood in the market hadn't even dried yet, and the entire county government office was now silent.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
