"I reckon the Wang family has already been kicked out of their home by now. You know how ruthless the people at the gambling den are. The women of the Wang family might be sold to a brokerage firm. As for Wang Guangyao, I know he can't pay back the money. At the very least, he'll have a finger chopped off by thugs. They dare to mess with me? Do they really think I, Deng, am someone to be trifled with? I've discussed it with the gambling den manager. The Wang family must leave Jiangnan County. I never want to see them again. However, I plan to go and ask them again tomorrow. I need to hear with my own ears that they've left Jiangnan County before I can feel at ease."
Deng Qiuzhi narrowed his eyes.
His expression was somewhat complicated.
"Aren't you afraid that Wang Shufang will cause trouble at Bizhong's school?" Yan Xia took a sip of tea. It was her first time drinking Cuijian tea. The taste was a bit bland, not very bitter, but the aroma was very strong. It wasn't bad, but it was too hot. She stuck out her tongue slightly and said softly.
"I'm afraid you'll laugh at me if I tell you this, but back in Shuangqiao Town, she only knew how to go shopping or attend various banquets with her group of old friends. She was never seen all day. It was a little better when she came to Jiangnan County. She didn't have any familiar friends, so she just went shopping and bought clothes and jewelry. She never did any housework, and she never cared about Bizhong. She didn't even know which way Bizhong's school was located."
To be honest, I felt much more relaxed after the divorce. It wasn't just because of her troublesome family, but also largely because of her. Husband and wife are one; I am the upper body, and she is the lower body. I strive forward, but she uses both legs to run backward. Our family will never prosper. The divorce is good. After the divorce, I can work hard without worry. Once I save some money, I'll buy a house. As for love and affection, I've seen through it all; they're all bullshit.
I just hope my son, Bizhong, will pass the imperial examination soon, get married, and give me a grandson or granddaughter. That would make me content. As for my Bao'er, she's already married, so I can't control her anymore. She can come back to visit during holidays. I've already written to her about my divorce from her mother, and she supports me. Sigh, neither of the two children is actually close to their mother. This is a relief for me.
Deng Bizhong chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"You know what I mean, I won't say any more. The food is here." Yan Xia's ears twitched slightly; she heard the sounds coming from the hallway.
"How did you know? I didn't hear anything." Deng Qiuzhi turned around and looked back. Sure enough, the next second, the door to the private room opened, and the maid named Hong'er came in again with a tray.
"Sir, here are your orders: Mixed Fruit Cake, Stir-fried Shredded Vegetables, Crystal Pork Knuckle, and Chrysanthemum-flavored Shredded Pork. The rest are still cooking and will be served soon. Would you like Hong'er to drizzle the Crystal Pork Knuckle with her special honey sauce?"
All four dishes were prepared in advance, so they were served very quickly.
Yan Xia and Deng Qiuzhi both nodded.
Hong'er smiled and picked up a small condiment dish, drizzling the condiments over the crystal pork knuckle.
It smells a bit sour, so vinegar must be the main component.
"Just call Hong'er if you need anything. Please enjoy your meal." Hong'er took out two sets of tableware from the cabinet inside the room, placed them in front of Yan Xia and Deng Qiuzhi, and then retreated, facing them again. After closing the door of the private room, the two began to eat.
This meal took a full two hours.
On summer nights, many people row boats on the river, and some light lanterns and release them into the river without making any wishes, just for fun.
Yan Xia chatted with Deng Qiuzhi while admiring the scenery in the river.
When they left the restaurant, one walked east and the other west.
They each went home.
"Knock knock knock—"
Yan Xia knocked on the back door of her house. She had come all the way back from Linhe Street, so she was closer to the back door.
“Master, you’re back. I had Qian Shan waiting at the front gate. I’ll go and tell Bao Qiu to tell her, ‘Master, would you like to take a bath?’” Bao Dong asked, opening the back door.
"No need, I just showered this morning and didn't sweat much. Just bring me a basin of water, I'll just wipe myself down a bit, I'm too lazy to wash again." Yan Xia waved her hand and went upstairs.
"Yes, Master."
Bao Dong quickly brought the water and waited outside the door until Yan Xia finished washing up before taking the water away.
Yan Xia lay on the bed, closed her eyes and dozed off for two hours before slowly waking up.
At this hour, all the maids and servants in the mansion are asleep.
Yan Xia flashed into the space.
She sat on the floor and opened the jewelry boxes one by one, without needing to make a key to unlock them.
Just clench your fist and give it a light tap.
The box was opened, and even the wooden lid was broken.
The first box is Madam Xu's jewelry box.
Inside are more than a dozen hairpins and small ornaments, including a gold hairpin with cloud patterns, a silver butterfly jade hairpin, a sapphire blue jade hairpin with a swaying ornament, a purple gold jade wing earring, six hair ornaments, eight hairpins, five pairs of gold bracelets, five pairs of jade bracelets, three hairpins with swaying ornaments, and countless earrings. There is even a complete set of headdress, all made of turquoise.
This box of jewelry is definitely worth no less than six thousand taels.
Good heavens, just the jewelry box belonging to the county magistrate's mother is worth six thousand taels of silver! Just how much silver did Xu Wenyan embezzle?
Yan Xia smacked her lips and began to examine the second jewelry box.
This jewelry box belongs to the county magistrate's wife.
Compared to the enormous number of Madam Xu's possessions, it's not even half as many.
Moreover, they are all simple jade ornaments with slightly lower prices. Apart from the slightly better material, there is no sign of heavy craftsmanship, and there is not a single piece of gold jewelry.
It seems that the county magistrate's wife is usually very simple and elegant.
Yan Xia lost interest. She opened the third jewelry box, made of rosewood with copper clasps, which belonged to Xu Wenshan.
Like Madam Xu, the mother and daughter share the same aesthetic, both loving a luxurious and opulent style. Therefore, they have the most gold jewelry, followed by various jeweled pieces, and finally three or four pieces of jade jewelry.
However, it wasn't as expensive as Madam Xu's.
It's worth over a thousand taels. Yan Xia closed the broken lid and went to the official leather trunk.
The box was locked with a small brass lock.
Yan Xia smiled contemptuously and yanked the lock off.
It's as simple as pulling a loose thread off your clothes.
"Whoa—"
When the official's briefcase was opened, the various fabrics inside made Yan Xia's mouth drop in amazement.
She picked up two sets of ready-made clothes made by Xu Wenshan and threw them aside.
They were the first to admire the fabrics from the border region.
The first piece of silk felt cool to the touch, and it would be extremely comfortable to wear in the summer. Moreover, the fabric was the color of the sunset, and it was embroidered with peonies and mandarin ducks in gold thread. Yan Xia planned to keep it as a treasure, and when Magistrate Xu fell from power or died, she would take it out as part of her daughter's or granddaughter's dowry, whichever they used to make clothes or bedding.
The second piece was even more beautiful. The base color was blue phoenix, embroidered with star and moon patterns. You could vaguely see the stars on the fabric shining. Upon closer inspection, you could see that the stars were embroidered with silver thread, while the moon was made with gold thread. The craftsmanship was superb. If this were in modern times, even a price of tens of millions would not be enough to justify it.
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