Chapter 126 Trap
With only a quarter of an hour until noon, Lin Yuesha had no chance of leaving the house, no matter what Xuan Yao wanted to talk to her about.
"Just ignore it and pretend you don't know anything about it."
Lin Yuesha looked indifferent. She wasn't an important person, so what could she say to her? At most, she could accuse her older brother of being unfaithful. Lin Yuesha suddenly felt that the most pitiful people were those who were delusional.
She reminded herself that in the future, no matter how much she liked a man, she should never take the initiative to speak to him, not just because it was a matter of saving face.
A beautiful and graceful lady is sought after by gentlemen; she wants to be the one being pursued!
The old monk said, "My husband is either rich or noble, and he's right here in front of me. But where is he right here in front of me?!"
Lin Yuesha rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought, her mind filled with the results of the divination, and chuckled to herself for a long time.
Zhang Qing'er and Jiang Baozhu exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and fell silent.
The three of them took off their shoes and stepped onto the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed). Qianlu took out the calming incense she had prepared, lit it, and the room was immediately filled with a delicate fragrance.
Lin Yuesha drifted off to sleep.
Not long after, someone knocked on the door, and Lin Yuesha woke up from her sleep.
"Sister Qianlv, are you here to deliver another message?"
Lin Yuesha rubbed her eyes and leaned against the pillow, asking.
"They're not looking for your Xuan family, but rather the women of the Zhenbei Prince's residence. The prince is in a separate courtyard and told us to stay home as much as possible and avoid any potential clashes."
She could stay home as much as possible, but she couldn't skip dinner. So she was going to the kitchen to see what food they could serve.
"You're here?"
Lin Yuesha suddenly came to her senses, opened Zhang Qing'er's box, touched up her makeup again, and only felt at ease after confirming that it was still so gaudy.
A little while later, Zhang Qing'er and Jiang Baozhu also woke up. The three of them sat at the small kang table, enjoying tea and chatting.
"These are some snacks I prepared."
Lin Yuesha opened the small package, which contained her stockpile of food: dried fruit, candied fruit, and jerky—all individually wrapped in oil paper.
"Well, you've got some nerve! You didn't give everything when you came, and you dare to hold back!"
Like a little squirrel, Zhang Qing'er put the spiced melon seeds in her mouth, and soon spat out a lot of the seed shells.
"Miss, I'll go to the main kitchen and get some vegetarian food. The Prince of Zhenbei is at Yutan Temple, so I'm afraid he won't be able to take care of dinner there."
Qianlu stood up on her own initiative, and Jiang Baozhu asked Xiaoxi to go with her.
Inside the room, only the three sisters remained.
"Yue Sha, your family is doing alright now, would you like to hire a servant?"
Jiang Baozhu knew that Lin Yuesha was rich, and that she herself had some savings. She thought it would be better to buy a maid to keep by her side so that she could relay messages if needed, rather than being alone.
“We can afford to buy a maid, but we have to provide her with food and drink, clothes and fabrics for all four seasons, and most importantly, a place to live.”
The yard at home is so small, and we're already staying at my older brother's house; there's no room for another person.
Not to mention the houses in the village, which had collapsed and were only being rebuilt next spring, so her family really didn't have the means.
Unlike the Zhang and Jiang families, their family only ran a small business and barely made ends meet.
We're not considering maids for now. My older brother is going to study in the prefectural city next year, and he'll be taking the provincial examination in August. He doesn't have a useful servant by his side.
In short, the family has escaped poverty, but has not yet become wealthy.
“My family owns a shop in the county. My mother gave me a decent shop as part of my dowry. How about we rent it to you and you can start a snack business?”
Jiang Baozhu pointed to the food on the table. It didn't sell well in town, but it was different in the county. There were many wealthy people there who also liked it.
As for the money for renting the shop, Lin Yuesha can owe it to her first and pay it back when she makes money in the future.
"The idea is good, but my mother won't let me show my face in public and wants to send me to a girls' school."
Lin Yuesha felt wronged, and her always open-minded father was very supportive, so she couldn't struggle anymore.
“That’s easy. Just teach your aunt how to do it.”
Jiang Baozhu remembered that she had a small shop in the prefectural city, a two-courtyard house with a shop in the front and living quarters in the back, which was very spacious.
If Lin Yuesha goes to a girls' school in the future, she will have to go home anyway. Why don't the family move to the prefectural city together and take care of her nearby?
"Let me think about it. I need to discuss it with my parents."
Lin Yuesha touched her chin, agreeing that this was a feasible approach.
Both towns and counties are too small, but the prefectural city is different; it is the most prosperous city in the north.
Our family is different from ordinary villagers. We have no land, no constraints, and can go wherever we want, as long as the family is together.
My elder brother is studying in the prefectural city and preparing for the provincial examination. He will probably be coming home less and less often, so it would be better if he could have a place to stay in the prefectural city.
Lin Yuesha wanted to buy a courtyard house for her family, but when she looked at the money in her hand, she still couldn't afford it.
In the month leading up to the New Year, we received several hundred taels of silver, but our family was still poor because we had very little savings.
Madam Xu had already begun saving up a dowry for Jiang Baozhu, while she herself was two years younger than Jiang Baozhu and had no idea where her dowry was yet.
In the unlikely event that, just as the old monk predicted, Lin Yuesha marries a wealthy and powerful man, she will need to bring with her a large sum of money—the very capital she needs to secure her livelihood.
It doesn't matter if a man has a concubine, just divorce him! She's rich, what does she have to be afraid of!
Qianlu and Xiaoxi entered carrying food boxes. Both of them looked unwell, especially Xiaoxi, who was trembling uncontrollably.
"What's wrong?"
Jiang Baozhu immediately realized something was wrong.
"This servant..."
Xiao Xi stammered, unable to articulate the specifics.
At crucial moments, Qianlv appeared much calmer, after all, she was a maid in the magistrate's mansion and was more knowledgeable than Xiaoxi.
“Miss, there has been a murder. One of the Prince of Zhenbei’s concubines fell into the well in the backyard and died. This has enraged the Prince of Zhenbei, who has sent his guards to investigate. They may be here soon.”
As Qianlu spoke, she glanced at Lin Yuesha with a subtle look in her eyes.
"Sister Qianlv, just tell me."
Lin Yuesha wasn't stupid; she quickly realized something and now wanted to confirm her guess.
"Next to that shed is the place where Miss Xuan arranged to meet Miss Lin."
Light green revealed an expression of appreciation. Miss Lin was indeed incredibly intelligent, understanding things immediately.
If it was Zhenbei King's concubine who slipped and fell into the well, it could only be considered an accident, and Zhenbei King wouldn't be able to trace it back to the worshippers. However, they found a white cloth above the well.
Covering the well with a white cloth and letting snow fall on it creates a perfect trap, and first-time visitors would have no idea such a place exists.
"Could it be that Miss Xuan's design was originally intended for Sister Yue Sha?"
Zhang Qing'er turned pale. If Lin Yuesha fell for the trick, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Fortunately, the group was together, and none of them were fooled.
If that's true, Xuan Yao's intentions are far too malicious! Even if the two of them have some disagreements, it doesn't warrant taking someone's life!
When the Prince of Zhenbei's men come to investigate, what should Lin Yuesha say? Will she reveal this clue?
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