Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Dead Duck
Wu Yong didn't dare to tell the truth. He denied it again and again, and said aggrievedly that Xiaoman had hurt his feelings.
"I felt a strong connection the moment I met you, and I sincerely treat you like a younger sister. But you don't trust me at all. It's so sad."
Xiaoman responded with a skeptical look.
Wu Yong had no choice but to continue making up his story: "Okay, actually, I'm just trying to atone for my sins. I used to speak ill of you in front of the adults, trying to sow discord between you two, causing them to misunderstand you."
"What did you say?"
"I said, I said...I said you and Liu Jinshu were in love."
Xiaoman smiled and said, "You're not wrong, I am indeed in a relationship with Master Liu. This is the truth. It's not provocation, nor is it a misunderstanding."
Wu Yong sucked in a breath of cold air and subconsciously looked towards the corner of the street again.
Xiaoman asked him what he was looking at?
This time Wu Yong didn't dare to speak nonsense. He mumbled a few words and ran away.
He did not go back to the yamen directly, but walked around outside for several times, thinking for a long time about what his boss might ask and how he should answer. Only when he felt that he had made up his mind did he go back to report.
He carefully pushed open the door of the signing room and said with a smug smile, "Sir, Madam Jiang's affairs have been dealt with. No one will disturb her again."
Chen Lingan hummed, handed him a case file, and said, "Find someone to tell Liu Jinshu about it."
Wu Yong flipped through the documents and found evidence of Chen Lingyi's misappropriation of treasury funds, embezzlement and bribery, which they, the Jinyiwei, had presented to the emperor some time ago.
He didn't understand. "What's the point of giving it to him? The emperor has already kept it and not released it. How can he convince the emperor to open a case for investigation?"
Chen Ling'an patiently explained to him, "Liu Fang is working within the Ministry of Personnel, intending to have Liu Jinshu transferred to Jiangling, away from the spotlight. He possesses a certain intellectual pride, and if he were to see this incriminating evidence, he would surely disobey."
Wu Yong clapped his hands excitedly, "Let them fight each other! But..."
Today, his boss's attitude was gentle, and he felt a lot bolder. "Actually, it's good that Liu Jinshu is gone. At least he won't be bothering the third lady anymore."
Chen Lingan smiled, "You really care about her."
When he smiled, Wu Yong's scalp went numb. "No, no, I'm just concerned about you, sir!"
Chen Lingan's smile deepened. "Thank you so much, big brother..."
Wu Yong immediately broke out in a cold sweat and wanted to shout for help!
When he came out of the signing room holding the case file, his eyes were blurry and his whole body was numb.
His friends gathered around him, teasing him with concern: "Look at you, you've been scolded by the adults again, right? Are you sweeping the streets or cleaning the stables this time?"
Wu Yong shook his head. "Neither. He calls me Big Brother."
Everyone was surprised: "Who?"
Wu Yong sighed, "Dead duck."
-
Summer evenings always come late. Even after the hour of You, the sun still shows no sign of setting.
Chen Ling'an put away the processed documents, stood in front of the window, and looked aimlessly at the lush green willow forest.
Bright white spots of light slid between the leaves, leaving traces in the eyes.
He closed his eyes involuntarily.
What I saw before me was Zhang Xiaoman smiling sweetly at Liu Jinshu!
Chen Lingan suddenly opened his eyes.
My blood and energy were boiling, and my chest felt stuffy and uncomfortable.
What a sick person! Cursing silently, he simply went out for some fresh air.
I tried to make my mind blank, not think about anything, and just strolled slowly.
I looked up in a daze and found myself at the entrance of Zhang's alley!
Chen Ling'an was stunned for a moment, then turned and left.
This crazy girl just smashed Zhang Wen's head and slapped Zhang Bi's face. The Zhang family must be very angry, and she will definitely not go home and be punished.
Where can she go? She will come back sooner or later.
Should we warn the Zhang family?
He slowly stopped and turned around...
But they are neither relatives nor old friends, and they even broke up after a big fight not long ago. What qualifications does he have to care about her affairs?
Forget it. Liu Jinshu will clean up the mess for her anyway. Even if he helps, she won't thank him.
Maybe they'll even make fun of him.
Chen Ling'an turned back again.
The bright white sunlight gradually turned dim, and the steaming earth also had a hint of fresh coolness.
The night market has begun, and small vendors pushing carts and carrying loads appear on both sides of the streets. Wonton dumplings, glutinous rice cakes wrapped in duck fat, steamed buns with duck blood soup... accompanied by the vendors' long and short shouts, the tempting aroma keeps emitting.
Chen Ling'an never eats out, but for some reason today he bought some brown sugar glutinous rice cakes.
He didn't eat anything, but just walked slowly carrying the lotus leaf bag.
In front of us is Jubaomen Street, and we can even see the eaves of Zhang Xiaoman’s three shops.
Once Mrs. Jiang left, the Zhang family would lose their gold mine and would definitely cut back on spending. She was short of money and might even go to the accounting office to withdraw money.
More than a month has passed, and it's time for him to get some dividends.
Of course, since the shop had just opened, it was normal that we didn’t have any money to give him.
He went there to remind certain people that he had a share in the shop and no one else could take it.
A few laughs came from the noisy crowd, and they sounded strangely familiar.
Chen Ling'an paused and looked in the direction of the sound.
Where the milky white smoke and the gray twilight intertwined, she stood there prettily, with a smile on her face, her skirt fluttering, and a plate of pan-fried dumplings in her hand.
Chen Lingan couldn't help laughing.
This little foodie never forgets to eat!
Inexplicably, his whole body felt lighter, and he walked towards her.
Zhang Xiaoman looked around, apparently looking for someone.
Could it be that... she noticed him?
It seemed that every time, she could see him in the crowd.
Chen Ling'an slowly raised his hand.
But Zhang Xiaoman waved in another direction, "There's a seat here."
Liu Jinshu, carrying two bowls of steaming duck blood and vermicelli soup, struggled to squeeze through the crowd.
Chen Lingan was stunned.
A sharp pain rose from the bottom of his heart, followed by a panic. He couldn't tell whether it was grievance or anger that was rampant in his chest, almost making him lose his mind.
He had to hold his breath and endure silently, waiting for the frenzy to slowly pass.
Looking at the glutinous rice cake in his hand, he felt like a fool!
The bustling crowd rushed over and I couldn't see anything.
At the other end of the crowd, Zhang Xiaoman hurriedly took the bowl from Liu Jinshu's hand, "Aren't you afraid of the heat?"
"Don't pass it on." Liu Jinshu walked around her and put the bowl on the table, touching his earlobe with his fingers. "The store is too busy. I'm afraid you'll be anxious, so just do it yourself."
Xiaoman: "I can't wait any longer. Be careful not to burn your fingers. If you can't lift a pen and write tomorrow, how will you report to the emperor?"
Liu Jinshu: "It's a ready-made excuse. It's just right for taking two days off."
Xiaoman smiled and handed him the chopsticks, "Eat it while it's hot."
The duck blood is delicate and tender, and the soup base is fresh, salty and fragrant. Although it is just the "leftovers" eaten by ordinary people, it tastes really good.
The pan-fried buns are made with a crispy icy bottom that is perfect. Take a bite and it makes a crunchy sound. The unique crispy and burnt aroma of the noodles bursts on your tongue immediately. Paired with the fresh, fragrant and juicy wild vegetable filling, it is no worse than the exquisite dishes at home.
Liu Jinshu enjoyed the meal very much.
Xiaoman suddenly looked up and looked around.
"What's wrong?" Liu Jinshu asked.
Xiaoman whispered, "It seems like someone is watching us."
At this time, someone called out "Cousin".
Qin Jueping approached with several young men, chatting and laughing. He was still wearing the scarlet official uniform with a patch on it, and it seemed that he had just finished his shift.
Liu Jinshu's expression relaxed.
"You're actually eating at a roadside stall?" Qin Jueping's eyes widened.
A trace of embarrassment crossed Liu Jin's face. "It's just a meal, why are you making such a fuss?"
"Aren't you afraid that your aunt will scold you if she finds out?" Qin Jueping laughed. "You don't know, my aunt thinks street vendors are unclean and never lets my brother eat there."
"When we were little, we went to the temple fair. Everyone had a lot of food and drinks in their hands, but my cousin had nothing in his hands. He looked at us eating and drinking, and his mouth was watering with envy!"
Qin Jueping winked at Xiaoman playfully, "Cousin has broken his rules again in front of my sister-in-law."
He said it so bluntly that Xiao Man blushed. But she couldn't afford to offend Liu Jinshu, so she could only scold him, "You're always teasing me. Wait until I tell my aunt, and you'll get a beating."
The three of them chatted for a while, and Qin Jueping prepared to leave.
Liu Jinshu warned, "The Zhang family went to Madame Jiang's place and made a scene today. I am not free in front of the emperor. You should go to Madame Jiang's place more often when you have time."
Qin Jueping smiled and said, "Need I tell you? I was just about to go! But I just heard that Beizhen——"
He suddenly paused and his eyes fell on somewhere in front of him.
Xiaoman looked back curiously.
The sky was dark, with dots of dim yellow light winding through the air. Chen Ling'an stood with his hands behind his back where light and shadow intersected, his expression indifferent. He didn't know how long he had been standing there.
With a snap, the chopsticks in Xiaoman's hand fell.
Liu Jinshu calmly handed her a pair of new chopsticks, intentionally or unintentionally blocking her view of Chen Ling'an.
"Hey, Mr. Chen." Qin Jueping was the first to break the subtle awkwardness. "What a coincidence, you are here for dinner too."
Chen Ling'an: "Nonsense, are we going to arrest you if you don't eat?"
Liu Jinshu said coldly, "If you have any problems, come to me. There's no need to be sarcastic and bully others."
"You talk as if you can hold your own." Chen Ling'an snorted. "Chen Lingyi alone forced you to leave the capital, and you still boast about protecting others, aren't you afraid of getting your tongue lashed out?"
Liu Jinshu was stunned. "Who said I was leaving? That's not true!"
"The transfer order your father personally requested from Chen Shao is now on the table of the Imperial Household Department. All that's missing is the Emperor's approval. Everyone knows about it, but you're the only one who doesn't? Ha, you're playing dumb to fool a fool."
As he spoke, Chen Ling'an unconsciously glanced at Zhang Xiaoman who was still in a daze.
Knowing that he was dancing with a sword, Liu Jinshu could not care less at this moment. He had to find his father immediately and cancel the transfer order!
He hurriedly told Qin Jueping to send Xiaoman back, and left with a serious expression.
Qin Jueping looked around. One was sitting there blankly, the other was standing there stiffly. No one showed any intention of leaving.
He suddenly became worried about his cousin...
Fortunately, Xiaoman didn't let him feel embarrassed for too long. She stood up and said, "I'm leaving now. You can go see your mother. You don't have to see me off."
Qin Jueping looked at Chen Lingan and didn't move.
Xiaoman also looked over and said, "It was you who asked Brother Wu to come and help mother out, thank you very much."
Chen Ling'an laughed coldly, "Isn't this Lord Liu's fiancée, the future Grand Madam? How can I possibly deserve your thanks? Please don't kill me!"
Xiaoman's face froze and she turned and left.
Without saying a word, he didn't argue with him as aggressively as before.
Chen Ling'an's lips trembled, and he wanted to say something, but he couldn't say anything.
Qin Jueping raised his eyebrows in surprise, and quickly withdrew his worry about his cousin.
With that mouth, there's no way you can ever get a girl!
In the blink of an eye, Chen Lingan was the only one left there.
He walked forward slowly with a wooden face, passing through the bustling crowd, and the streets gradually became quiet.
"Chen Ling'an!" It was Zhang Xiaoman calling him.
He looked back excitedly.
There was no one behind him.
Chen Ling'an was stunned for a moment, and suddenly threw the brown sugar rice cake in his hand hard.
With a splash, a huge splash of water appeared on the surface of the river, startling countless wild ducks.
-
The night was dark, the Zhang family's main courtyard was brightly lit, the warehouse was wide open, and the servants were running around in a swarm, making it as noisy as a vegetable market.
Old Mrs. Bian sat in the corridor with a gloomy face, while Aunt Sun stood beside her, her face pale but her expression relatively calm.
In front of the warehouse, Zhang Wen was leaning on a crutch, cursing Mrs. Jiang.
Zhang Bi saw this scene as soon as he came in.
"What's going on?" he asked, pulling the servant over.
The servant pointed towards the storehouse and said, "The mistress has run away with all the belongings. There's not a hair left in the storehouse. The master is furious."
Zhang Bi raised his hand and slapped him. "You little bastard, what do you mean by 'ran away'? This is the mistress's private vault! It's you bastards who are stirring up trouble, causing discord between the master and the mistress!"
The servant was still unconvinced. "These are the master's exact words. Go argue with the master, why hit me? I've done a lot of work, but I haven't received any pay. Which servant would be as troublesome as us..."
Zhang Bi was so angry that he wanted to ask a human trafficker to sell him.
The servant was not afraid, "I signed a living contract. If you sell me out, I will sue you in the government."
Aunt Sun came over to try to reconcile them, "Please stop talking, the old lady and the master are still here."
Zhang Bi was furious. "There are no rules. How did our family become like this? It wasn't like this when my wife was here!"
Aunt Sun lowered her eyebrows and said, "The eldest master is right in his teachings. It is my fault for not managing the household well."
Zhang Bi's mind was in turmoil, and he spoke with resentment, "How can a concubine be the housekeeper when the principal wife is here? If not, the principal wife wouldn't be so angry that she left home."
He flicked his sleeves and left.
Aunt Sun stood there, her face turning pale and red, then red and blue. It took her a while to recover and she moved her feet to the corridor.
When Zhang Bi got stubborn, he didn't care about the person and gave Old Lady Zhang Wen a long lecture.
"I thought Third Sister was talking nonsense. It turns out Grandmother and Father really did have their sights set on the Madam's dowry. A gentleman loves money, but he gets it in a proper way. Listen to my advice, close the treasury door, apologize to the Madam, and ask her to come back."
Zhang Wen laughed in anger. "I apologize to the Jiang family? How dare you say that? Whose son are you? You're so ungrateful."
Zhang Bi said bluntly, "My biological mother is Yao, and my legal mother is Jiang."
This sentence choked Zhang Wen so much that he was speechless.
"Father, we are all students of the sages' books. How can your son hold his head up in front of his teachers and classmates if you are branded as greedy and profit-seeking for a few taels of silver?"
Zhang Bi knelt down, the light shining on his raised face.
"What's wrong with your face?" Old Lady Bian pulled her grandson over to take a look at it in the candlelight and exclaimed, "It's swollen. Who hit you?"
Zhang Bi said in a muffled voice, "My grandson deserves it. I don't blame anyone."
"I'm afraid it's the Third Miss," Aunt Sun interrupted softly. "She left in the afternoon, most likely to go see the mistress."
Old Madam Bian was furious and slapped Aunt Sun in the face. "How can you manage the household? Who let her go out? You didn't even report it to me. You are so bold!"
Aunt Sun's face, which had just calmed down, turned red again.
Old Lady Bian was busy worrying about her grandson, Zhang Wen was anxious to find out the result of "carrying a thorn stick to apologize", and the servants looked at the things that had not been moved out of the main courtyard, their eyes rolling around...
No one cared about her feelings at all.
Aunt Sun clenched her fists, then unclenched them, then clenched them again, then unclenched them again.
Finally, when Zhang Bi once again tried to persuade the master to repay the dowry he had spent on his wife, she spoke coldly.
"Repay? That's easy for you, eldest son. Why don't you pay me back first? From childhood to adulthood, I've had sixteen sets of clothes for each season, two taels of silver per month, three-year-old education, and two taels of silver for writing materials. The tuition for board and lodging at the academy is twenty taels a year, and the social obligations are another one or two hundred taels!"
"You have four maids, six maids, two old ladies, four personal attendants, and twelve servants. Just these servants who serve you cost at least thirty taels a month, not counting the red envelopes for festivals and holidays."
"The ancient books, calligraphy and paintings in your house, Song Dynasty paper and Hui Dynasty ink, Duan inkstones and Huzhou brushes, Jun kiln porcelain, rosewood furniture, Shu brocade and Hangzhou silk... if you add them all up, it would cost at least 30,000 to 50,000 silver coins."
"All of this came from the Madam's dowry. Young Master, why don't you calculate how much money you should pay back to the Madam after twenty-one years?"
Zhang Bi knelt there stiffly. As the expenses came pouring in, he went from being shocked and unable to believe it at first to being dazed and almost numb now.
Aunt Sun still refused to let him go, "Also, the 7,000 taels of silver your aunt used to redeem herself was also Madam's money."
Zhang Bi felt a bang in his head, and all the blood rushed up, making him see stars, hear ringing and almost faint.
"Shut up!" Old Mrs. Bian finally spoke up and ordered someone to help her grandson go back to rest.
Zhang Bi pushed the maid's hand away and stood up staggeringly.
He went to Zhang Junyi.
After not seeing each other for a few months, the flesh on Zhang Junyi's cheeks had disappeared, his eyes had bulged out, he looked withered and skinny, and had lost all his vitality.
There were two steamed buns and a plate of pickled shredded radish on the table. Not to mention meat, there was not even any oil or water.
Zhang Junyi pushed the steamed bread towards his eldest brother and said, "It's made with sorghum and bean dregs. It has a unique flavor. You should try it too."
"I'm in no mood to eat." Zhang Bi shook his head and sighed, "I wish you and I were born to my wife."
Zhang Junyi was stunned, and then a hint of sarcasm appeared at the corner of his mouth.
The two sat opposite each other in silence. Zhang Bi felt bored and left again.
Zhang Junyi broke the steamed bread into small pieces, chewed it a few times, and forced himself to swallow it with his neck straight. He accidentally choked on the bean dregs and started coughing violently.
As she coughed, she burst into laughter.
Tears streamed down his face.
-
The night was hot and humid, which made people even more irritable.
Xiaoman flipped over pancakes all night long. When she closed her eyes, she saw Chen Lingan's infuriating face. When she opened her eyes, it was still the same face!
After that day, she forced herself not to think about Chen Ling'an, forced herself to forget everything about him, and tried to make a new start.
She almost thought she was going to succeed.
But as soon as he showed up, he exposed himself in just one sentence!
She cursed herself for being useless, but couldn't help but wonder what he meant.
Is he simply angry and dislikes himself, or does he feel uncomfortable seeing her and Liu Jinshu together?
If it's the latter...
Her heart was pounding.
Suddenly, Chen Ling'an's cold voice rang in his ears: "Don't think that just because I'm kind to you, you're special. This makes you seem very casual."
The bubbling head immediately calmed down.
Instead of thinking about the man’s weird thoughts, it’s better to think about how to help your mother get a divorce!
Judging from the current situation, the Zhang family will never sign the "divorce letter", and the method of suppressing the Zhang family with public opinion of appropriating the dowry is not effective. What's worse is that Yingtian Prefecture will not accept the lawsuit!
What should I do?
Xiaoman sighed long and short, tossing and turning, thinking, until dawn broke, and then she fell into a drowsy sleep.
With something weighing on her mind, she dared not relax the string in her brain. Half awake and half asleep, a white light flashed through her mind and she sat up suddenly.
Jiangning County Government Office!
In the capital, in addition to the Yingtian Prefecture government office, there were two affiliated counties, Shangyuan County and Jiangning County. The Qinhuai River was the boundary, with the north belonging to Shangyuan County and the south belonging to Jiangning County, and the same city was governed separately.
Zhangjia is located under the jurisdiction of Jiangning County.
The magistrate of Jiangning County had some friendship with Chen Ling'an, so even if he had to use his power as a pretext, he had to let the county government accept the lawsuit.
He owes it to himself anyway!
Xiaoman did it right away and quickly washed and changed her clothes.
When she reached the second gate, Aunt Sun stopped her and said, "There's a lot of talk outside about the Madam getting a divorce. It's best not to go out for a while. If word gets to your in-laws, it could affect your marriage and that'll be terrible."
"We haven't decided yet, so where do we get relatives from?" Xiaoman looked her up and down. "Auntie, you're so concerned about my marriage, I'm really surprised."
Aunt Sun's expression remained unchanged. "Since the old lady has asked me to be the housekeeper, it is my responsibility to take good care of every girl in the Zhang family."
Xiao Man said, "Thank you so much! But instead of caring about me, why don't you go see Fifth Sister? I saw her the other day. She's lost a lot of weight and looks very listless. She speaks weakly and doesn't eat much."
Aunt Sun smiled and said, "Girls grow up and know what is beautiful and what is ugly. You can't persuade them."
Xiaoman raised her eyebrows and walked around her.
Aunt Sun caught up again and said, "At least let me know where you are going. If the old lady asks, I will have something to say."
"Liu family, go and pay your respects to Madam Qin." Xiaoman didn't even turn his head.
After going out the door, she walked in places where there were many people, turning left and right, and soon disappeared.
The doorman who was following behind was dumbfounded.
Xiaoman hid in a corner, smiled, and leisurely went to the Jiangning government office.
-
When he heard that it was Chen Ling'an's sister who came to visit, the county magistrate Zheng Dicai was puzzled. His sister had been missing for almost ten years, so where did this sister come from?
But whoever dares to impersonate Chen Ling'an will die.
Following the principle of "better to miss than to let go", he came out not long after he hesitated, looked at Xiaoman and asked, "Excuse me, young lady, who are you..."
As soon as he showed up, Xiaoman knew that today's event was likely to be a drama, so she smiled and said, "My last name is Zhang, I'm the third in the family, and I came from Xuanfu."
Zheng Dicai suddenly realized: It turned out to be the childhood sweetheart who smashed a hole in Chen Lingan’s head!
"I've heard so much about you." He sighed from the bottom of his heart and asked, "What brings you here today, young lady?"
Xiaoman looked troubled and lamented, "It's about my mother's divorce, and the government won't accept the petition. I really don't know what to do."
Zheng Dicai coughed twice and said, "The government office won't answer it, so my county office can't answer it either!"
Xiaoman's eyes sparkled, and she whispered, "Brother Ling'an gave me some advice: just go find Master Zheng and tell him what I said. If he dares not to accept, I'll tear his head off and kick it like a ball."
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