Chapter 224 The Yang Family is Blatant
Su Ruojin didn't buy it, and glared at him, "If you dare to be clingy again, I will go back to Weizhou immediately." After saying that, he took the fruit out of the room and stood in the corridor to eat while enjoying the breeze.
Youth is always so carefree. How nice it would be if we never grew up!
The fifth day of August arrived quickly. Su Dalang asked for leave, and the brother and sister bought gifts and brought them to the Yang family's new house.
Yang Jingzi was promoted from a seventh-rank minor official in the capital to a vice-minister of the Ministry of Justice, becoming a third-rank official. His speed of promotion was legendary, and people came to congratulate him in an endless stream.
I thought the Yang family was lively, but I didn't expect it to be this lively. There was a table at the door, and a row of people stood there, greeting guests, accepting gifts, and welcoming people into the house...
The Su Dalang siblings, who were standing behind the crowd, looked at each other. The neighbors they once could visit at will had become wealthy and out of their reach.
"Sister, can we still go in on Dad's behalf?"
"Of course." Su Ruojin looked around. She had made an appointment with Yang Siniang, so the girl should ask the maid to come out to greet them.
Just as she was waiting for the maidservant beside Yang Si Niang, someone called her, "Ah Jin——"
The brother and sister turned around and found it was Lord Xue.
"Uncle Xue, you're here."
Lord Xue nodded, looking at the people coming and going, and couldn't help but envy, "I was the first one to be promoted in Guihua Hutong. I didn't expect that I would be stuck at the fifth rank, while Lord Yang would fly into the sky and become a favorite of the emperor."
Su Ruojin wanted to say to Master Xue, don't envy others, or maybe 'look at him building a tall building, watch him entertain guests', and the words that came out of her mouth turned into another sentence: "Uncle Xue, we will go in with you."
"good."
Lord Xue took the lead and came to the congratulatory table. He introduced his relationship and name, and Yinzan bowed and said politely, "So you are Lord Yang's old neighbor. Please come this way..." The ushering servant hurried forward, "Sir, please follow me this way."
The Su brothers and sisters followed and entered the Yang residence together.
It is worthy of being a house awarded by the emperor himself. It is magnificent and exquisite, much more luxurious than the house of Minister Fan.
Su Ruojin separated from her brother and Lord Xue in the corridor. They went towards the male guests, while she was taken to the inner house. As soon as she entered a moon-shaped door, she saw the maid beside Yang Si Niang.
When she saw Su Ruojin, she happily shouted, "Madam Jin, I've been waiting for you. My fourth daughter is waiting for you."
When Su Ruojin saw Yang Si Niang, she discovered that she and her sister were surrounded by a group of young ladies in the back garden, chattering away. Upon careful listening, she heard that they were all flattering and speaking in a fawning manner.
The eldest daughter-in-law of the Yang family was busy greeting this and that, and when she had time, she quickly wiped the sweat off her forehead. When she looked up, she saw the second wife of the Su family, and she came over with a smile, "Ajin, you're here!"
"Ajin greets sister-in-law Yu." Su Ruojin bowed, and Yang Dalang's wife quickly reached out to help her up. "We are all old neighbors, why are you being polite? Wait, I'll ask Arong to come over and accompany you."
"No need, Sister Yu, I'll just find a place to sit and have a cup of tea, you guys go about your business."
The entire back garden was filled with female guests, and it was impossible to entertain them all, so Su Ruojin asked Sister-in-law Yu to go and do it herself.
Yang Dalang's wife has always known that the second lady of the Su family is well-behaved and sensible, so she didn't bother to be polite with her. "Then I'll get busy. You sit down first. Arong will be here soon."
Sure enough, after a while, Yang Si Niang emerged from the flattery pile and complained to her best friend when she saw her best friend, "Ajin, why did you come just now? You made my ears poisoned."
Su Ruojin smiled and said, "I see that you are flattered by the praise. I was just thinking of finding a place to drink tea quietly. I will go home after I have had enough tea."
"See if you dare." Yang Si Niang pretended to be angry and reached out to pull her to her boudoir.
"Wow, what a big yard!"
Mrs. Yang was capable, and the Yang family had always lived a good life. Yang Si Niang had her own independent courtyard since she was a child, but it could not be compared with the current Minister's Mansion.
"What's so good about being big?" Yang Birong led her into the room and personally poured a glass of honey grapefruit water for her best friend.
Su Ruojin was thirsty, so she took the cup and drank a small portion of it. After taking a breath, she said slowly, "Are you unhappy?"
Yang Si Niang sighed, sat down at the table, leaned her elbow on the table, and held her chin with her hand. "You can see it too, there are a lot of flatterers. If you are not careful, you will be flattered. You don't know when you will get into trouble. It's so annoying."
"Getting into trouble?"
Yang Si Niang pursed her lips, "My eldest brother was called out for a drink and was flattered by someone. He was drunk and didn't even know whether he had agreed to anything. As a result, he came to my father to do something the next day after the dinner."
"Your father blames your eldest brother?"
"No."
"Since your father didn't make things difficult for your eldest brother, why are you still unhappy?"
"Because my father helped to get it done."
"Would it be bad if I did it?"
Yang Si Niang sighed again: "My brother met the victim, the old woman, she knelt in front of my brother and said that my father had ruined his family."
Su Ruojin was startled: "What's going on?"
Yang Si Niang was about to cry when she was asked, "My brother said that those people got him drunk for a case involving a silk shop. The victim said that these people tricked her son into gambling and used the shop to pay off the gambling debt. Her husband refused to give the shop back, so they put her son in jail. Her husband had nowhere to turn to, so he hanged himself in anger. Jingzhao Yin had no choice but to send the case to the Ministry of Justice. Unexpectedly, my father closed the case and ordered the old woman to produce the shop deed, otherwise her son would be sentenced to death. In order to save her son's life, the old woman had no choice but to produce the shop deed and close the case. Somehow the old woman found my brother, knelt down in front of him, told him the whole story, and then hit her head against the wall to commit suicide. Fortunately, my brother was quick and grabbed her and sent her to the clinic to save her life."
"Then what?"
"My mother sent the old woman to a farm in the countryside to be raised, and told her that as long as she was alive, her son would have a home when he was released. That's why the old woman didn't commit suicide, and she waited in the farm for her son to be released after serving his sentence."
Su Ruojin secretly took a deep breath. Lord Yang did the evil, and Madam Yang had to clean up the mess?
She unconsciously glanced at the exquisite mansion. The more she looked at it, the more it looked like an exquisite cage. No wonder she felt strange when she came in. It turned out that beneath the noise was Mrs. Yang's helplessness.
Even though her husband got promoted and became rich, she felt like she was imprisoned.
Su Ruojin didn't know how to comfort Yang Si Niang.
"Then your brother..."
"My mother said that my brother has a soft heart and is not suitable for the intrigues of the capital. After I get engaged in October, I will return to my hometown to guard the ancestral temple."
"Does your father agree?"
"If she disagrees, my mother will threaten to die, saying that my father is an official who kills people, and that she doesn't want to be without a family line, so if she doesn't agree, she will divorce."
Su Ruojin: ...
I didn't expect that the prosperous Yang family had so many things happen in unknown places. It's only been a few days since Lord Yang was promoted to the position of Minister? He's handling cases like this? What will the future be like?
She simply couldn't bear to think about it. She wanted to ask Zhao Lan right now, did the emperor know that he handled the case this way? If he knew, would he dismiss him from his position?
Su Ruojin had no appetite at all for the Yang family's promotion banquet.
After the meal, Su Ruojin said goodbye to Yang Si Niang and Madam Yang, "I will leave Beijing tomorrow and go to Weizhou to live with my parents. If you are free, please come and have fun, Aunt and Si Niang. You are always welcome."
Madam Yang nodded. She was obviously not in high spirits, but she managed to cheer herself up and smile. "In the blink of an eye, you have all grown up. A-Rong is getting engaged. A-Jin, you must come back in October to attend A-Rong's engagement party."
"Okay, auntie, I will definitely come back."
"There are still many things to do at home, so I won't send you off, Arong, I'll send Ajin off instead."
"Then Auntie, I'll leave first."
Madam Yang nodded slightly and watched the two young ladies leave hand in hand.
It's so good to be young! Madam Yang stared into space, thinking about her youth. How could she live like this? Others like their husbands to seek titles, so why is she so scared?
What went wrong? Was it because she was too unlucky to bear such a high position and high salary? No one could answer Mrs. Yang's answer. If there was an answer, it could only be time.
The two young ladies walked hand in hand to the door, "Ajin, when are you leaving tomorrow? I'll see you off."
"No need." Su Ruojin waved her hand. "I think my aunt is very tired. Please help her at home and make her feel better."
As if she had grown up overnight, Yang Si Niang said, "My mother is tired not physically but mentally."
Su Ruojin: ...
She looked up at the glittering golden plaque on the door of Yang's residence. For some reason, she suddenly hoped that there was someone like him in the world. If this Lord Yang was not the real Lord Yang, then Madam Yang, Yang Dalang, and Yang Siniang would not have such a scheming and corrupt father.
When Su Dalang and Master Xue saw Su Ruojin coming out, they came forward and said, "Let's go home."
Su Ruojin nodded with a heavy heart.
Lord Xue saw the bitter look on the young lady's face and laughed at her, "We are obviously having a wedding banquet, why are you acting like..." as if someone has died.
Su Ruojin curled her lips and asked him, "How did Uncle Xue get here?"
"A rented sedan."
Su Ruojin gave him an I-knew-it look and invited him, "Take our car and take you home first, Uncle Xue."
"Ah Jin, are you going back to the old house to get something and taking me with you?"
Su Ruojin snorted: "Okay, brother, let's go."
"No, no, no..." Lord Xue stopped teasing the children and got into the carriage with them.
Su Ruojin looked unhappy all the time, so Lord Xue asked again, "Lord Yang got promoted, but Yang Si Niang looked down on you. Are you angry about that?"
She shook her head, "Nothing."
"Then why are you unhappy?"
"nothing."
Now it was Master Xue's turn to snort, "Master Yang is very popular now. In my opinion, just for today's promotion banquet, I'm afraid it will cost 100,000 taels of silver."
What?
Su Ruojin sat up straight instantly, eyes wide open, "Uncle Xue, what did you just say? One hundred thousand taels of silver?"
Lord Xue agreed silently.
hiss!
"What does Lord Yang want to do?" It's so blatant, no wonder Aunt Yang is worried. Making arbitrary judgments and blatantly accepting bribes, is he really courting death?
Su Ruojin didn't think that there must be a deeper meaning behind his actions. So what was it?
She was just a thirteen-year-old girl and would be leaving the capital tomorrow. It had nothing to do with her originally, and would have even less to do with her in the future.
Lord Xue smacked his lips and said, “In the past, Lord Yang was incorruptible and always gave advice to minor officials. But now Lord Yang…” It’s hard to say whether this man was good or evil in the past.
"Why doesn't Uncle Xue continue?" Su Dalang wanted to ask but was too embarrassed to do so, so his sister asked for him.
"You won't understand even if I tell you." Lord Xue thought the little brat didn't understand.
Su Ruojin rolled her eyes and said, "What don't I understand? Do I not understand how to make a kang or how to run a shop?"
Mr. Xue: ...
After sending Master Xue home, Master Xue realized it belatedly and then remembered, "Ah Jin is going to Weizhou County to find Brother Su?"
Su Ruojin didn't even bother to reply to him.
Su Dalang smiled and replied, "Yes, Uncle Xue."
"What are you going to do?"
"I live in the Imperial College."
"Then..." The cost is not low! Lord Xue stopped talking in time. Mrs. Su is a good moneymaker. It's just a piece of cake to live in the Imperial College. Thinking of his son who loves to study, Lord Xue is proud and ashamed of his son. He waved his hand and said goodbye to the two children of the Su family.
The Su siblings said their goodbyes, got on the carriage, and disappeared into Guihua Hutong.
Lord Xue sighed deeply and kept his gaze away from the alley entrance for a long time.
In just a few years, the small Guihua Hutong has completely changed.
Things have changed and people have changed!
When I got home, I didn't expect Zhao Lan to come again.
When Su Dalang saw the young prince, he happily bowed and greeted him, "Anzhi greets the young prince."
"You're so polite, Anzhi. Don't be so polite when you see me next time. I'm your father's student, so you should treat me as a family member."
Su Dalang was immature and didn't hear the guy's hidden meaning at all, nor did he see his eyes towards his sister. He smiled slightly and said, "Etiquette cannot be abolished."
Zhao Lan smiled awkwardly.
Su Ruojin rolled her eyes secretly. He was tall and strong. From now on, you should call me brother. Let’s see how you call me.
"Brother, I'm tired. Please entertain the young prince." After saying that, he walked away with a swagger.
How could Zhao Lan let her go? He turned to Su Anzhi and said, "There are still some places that need to be revised on the last musket diagram. I wonder if Anzhi..."
"I don't know how to do this, you should go find Ah Jin!"
Sure enough, Su Anzhi followed Zhao Lan's wishes and pushed his sister towards him.
Hua Ping, Ye Huaizhen and others who were welcoming Zhao Lan..., they knew very well that this was just an excuse made by the young prince, but they did not expect Su Dalang to believe it.
Mao Ya was secretly happy to see that her young master had gotten rid of the young prince, but she didn't expect that as soon as they arrived at the yard, the young prince Zhao followed them.
A follower? Does this noble man have any shame?
Before she could roll her eyes, Shuangrui and his master walked in and passed by her, and glanced at her lightly, as if to say, crushing you to death is like crushing an ant.
Mao Ya: ...
Su Ruojin was also impressed by this young man. She was extremely tired, so she didn't say anything to him. She just lay down on the couch and fell asleep in a short while.
Zhao Lan: ...You treat me as a family member, but this is not the way you should treat me. Do you trust me so much?
Su Ruojin didn't wake up until dark and had dinner. After dinner, Su Ruojin took Zhao Lan to Su Dalang's study and studied the musket diagram for a long time. Even Su Dalang became interested and fiddled with it together for most of the night.
That night, Zhao Lan slept in the Su family's guest room.
On the second day, Zhao Lan and Su Ruojin sent Su Dalang to the Imperial College together. Naturally, the brother and sister said goodbye for a long time reluctantly.
Zhao Lan invited Su Ruojin to his restaurant for brunch before letting her go to Weizhou County, saying that he would send her out of the city, but in the end, she was still in her carriage until lunchtime.
"Brother Zhao, aren't you going back?"
"I'll take you to Weizhou County."
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