Xu Lanyin asked Zhao Wu to go to Yiju Restaurant with her to buy two roast chickens and a pound of braised pork elbows for the New Year. She also brought two bags of dim sum with the Chinese character "Fu" (good fortune) on them for the shopkeeper Jin.
Xu Dashi added, "Please bring me a roast chicken and a pound of braised pork."
Xu Lanyin bought two roast chickens, one of which was for the elderly couple. She smiled and said, "I'll bring you a pound of meat, and my family will give a chicken to grandpa and grandma as a filial gift."
Business at Yi Ju Restaurant was better than usual. With Chinese New Year approaching, many people were treating guests to drinks.
Xu Lanyin was a neighbor of the restaurant. She would occasionally come here to buy braised food and occasionally pack a few dim sum for the shopkeeper Jin. The shopkeeper Jin seemed to like this young lady very much. Every time she went to buy food, the shopkeeper Jin would personally receive her.
Today was no different. She was accompanied by a man in police uniform, and Shopkeeper Jin was even more enthusiastic.
Xu Lanyin had listened to Shopkeeper Jin's thoughts before, but hadn't gained much. Today, while leaning against the counter, Shopkeeper Jin was casually chatting with Zhao Wu and Xu Lanyin, a thought flashed through his mind: "Why hasn't County Magistrate Wang arrived yet? He's so anxious..." Just as Xu Lanyin caught on to this thought, Zhao Wu's words diverted Shopkeeper Jin's thoughts.
Xu Lanyin was speechless and rolled her eyes at the talkative child in her heart.
The braised chicken and braised pork were takeout dishes from the restaurant, and they were cooked in large quantities and placed on a large plate. The waiter weighed them, wrapped them in oil paper, tied them with a hemp rope, and handed them to Zhao Wu.
Shopkeeper Jin thanked Xu Lanyin for the snacks and gave her a pound of braised pork head.
He walked them to the door and said with a smile, "I wish Mr. Zhao and Miss Xu good luck in the coming year in advance."
Xu Lanyin said some more words of blessing. When she turned around, someone lifted the door curtain and walked into the lobby from the backyard. The moment the curtain was lifted and fell, she saw a figure quickly passing by in the backyard.
While walking on the road, Xu Lanyin felt that the person who just passed by looked familiar, but it was too fast for her to remember who it was.
Zhao Wu saw Xu Lanyin's serious expression and asked, "What are you thinking about, sister?"
Xu Lanyin whispered, "When you have nothing to do, pay more attention to this restaurant and Shopkeeper Jin. No matter how big or small, they must not find out. Oh, and also pay attention to Shopkeeper Luo from the teahouse next door. Don't ask me why, just remember it. Don't tell anyone else about this for now, including my mother and my brother."
As long as Xu Lanyin put him ahead of Brother Xu Lanzhou, Zhao Wu was happy. He thought Xu Lanyin told him to pay attention to Shopkeeper Luo, perhaps because she wanted to find an opportunity to deal with Gu Wangchen, but she couldn't say it out loud. So he smiled and said, "Okay, I'll remember that."
It was getting dark, so they locked up the shop and hired a bullock cart to return to the village.
After returning home, Zhao Wu gave all the things he had been given from the yamen to Qin Shi as if they were treasures, and gave the balsam to Qin Shi and Xu Lanyin respectively.
Qin readily accepted the salt and sugar, thanked him, and pointed to the two rolls of linen, saying with a smile, "I'll make you clothes with these." She returned the balsam to him, saying, "I can't accept this."
Zhao Wu stuffed the balsam into her hand again and said with a smile, "Aunt has always treated me like a son. This is a filial gift from a son. If you don't accept it, your son will be sad." He added, "The color of the cloth is dark, so it's not suitable for you. I'll make some for you, my brothers Zhou and Ting."
After he handed the package of copper coins to Xu Lanyin, he went back home first. He knew that the Xu family wanted to settle the score.
Xu Lanyin handed all the money to Qin, and Xu Lanzhou explained the distribution. He also wanted to hand over the 800 coins he had received, but Qin refused to take them, letting him keep them for pocket money.
Qin gave Xu Lanyin another coin and said, "Take this for your pocket money. Don't be reluctant to spend it. I'll give you more when you've used it up. I know you built that shop all by yourself, and you've made the greatest contribution."
Xu Lanyin accepted it with a smile, took out the brocade box and said, "Mom, this bracelet was given to me by Mrs. Hu. Let's each have one."
Qin took out the bracelet, looked at it, and put it back, smiling, "This bracelet is really beautiful. I'll keep it for Yin'er as a dowry."
Xu Lanyin said, "In the future, our family will be richer and we can buy a better dowry. This bracelet is for mother to wear."
Qin shook her head and sighed, "Mom is a widow. If I wear such a beautiful bracelet, people will gossip about me."
This reason left Xu Lanyin unable to refute and she went back to the house.
After locking up her own coins and bracelet, she began to count Zhao Wu's money. It totaled five strings of cash, three hundred and sixty coins. She strung the loose coins together with string, kept track of the account, and placed the money and account book in a small wooden box. She then placed the box inside the kang cabinet. Later, when she had enough copper coins, she would exchange them for silver, and when she had more silver, she would exchange them for banknotes.
The food was placed on the table, and Xu Lanting went to knock on the west wing door, "Brother Zhao, it's time to eat."
Zhao Wuzheng was dealing with Wang Jincai impatiently, so Old Man Wang and Wang Sanni sent him to invite Mr. Zhao to their house for dinner.
Zhao Wu carried Wang Jincai out, locked the fence gate, and went to Xu's house.
Xu Lanyin opened the gate, and Zhao Wu whispered to her, "I gave all the money to my aunt. You can use my money as you like."
Xu Lanyin smiled and said, "You don't have to spend your money. My mother gave me some pocket money."
Zhao Wu said again, "Use my money after you spend it." He especially hoped that Xu Lanyin could use the money he earned.
Wang Jincai looked at the tightly closed door of the Xu family and walked towards his own home in a depressed mood. He was very confused. His sister was fairer than Xu Lanyin, and his family was richer than the Xu family. Why did Brother Zhao like the Xu family but not his own family?
Then I thought, if I were Big Brother Zhao, I wouldn't like my family either. My family quarrels and fights every day, while the Xu family is always happy. If Big Brother Zhao could marry my aunt, then my grandparents wouldn't dare bully my mother anymore...
Just after dinner, Xu Ershi came to call Xu Lanzhou to the main room to discuss tomorrow's ancestral worship. Xu Lanzhou was very happy that his grandparents treated him as an adult, and he went to the main room with his chest puffed out.
Xu Lanyin put the dishes into the kitchen and was washing them when Zhao Wu walked in.
After Xu Lanyin finished washing one, he took it and put it away.
Zhao Wu said mysteriously, "Sister, guess who in our Xiaozao Village is Uncle He's hidden agent?"
Xu Lanyin thought about it. Generally, hidden agents are those who like to talk and ask questions, and many of them are hooligans who are annoying. She said, "The third son of the Li family in the south of the village? The sixth son of the Yu family in the east of the village? Or maybe the second uncle of Min from the fifth grandfather's family..."
Zhao Wudu shook his head and said with a smile, "You won't be able to guess it in a hundred years. It's your uncle."
Xu Lanyin said in disbelief, "My uncle?" She was so surprised that she almost dropped the bowl on the ground.
She really didn't expect that Xu Qingming, who was honest and reserved and didn't like to join in the fun, could actually be the detective's hidden agent!
Zhao Wu smiled and said, "Unexpected, right? The people Uncle He is looking for are different from others. He says that such people know what's going on and are pretending to be stupid. They won't lie easily and won't be easily seen through. He also says that your father is so smart, so he can't be that stupid." He added, "Uncle He is most concerned about the Wang family in Xiaozao Village. He says that there are three abnormal people in this family and he wants to prevent them from getting into trouble. Xu Lizheng has been suppressing Old Man Wang and Mrs. Wang and helping Mrs. Xia, and it was also at Uncle He's behest. If Mrs. Xia is really beaten to death and a murder occurs, Uncle He will be responsible. He asked me to keep an eye on the Wang family and make sure nothing happens."
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