Standing at the entrance of the cellar, Song Lao Er was somewhat dumbfounded, while Song Xiao Bao, without any hesitation, murmured with his mouth wide open, "What a huge cellar door, and it's even carved."
The old cellar door had long been destroyed by the Di barbarian bandits; the new cellar door was meticulously crafted by carpenter Mu.
The cellar door, one meter wide and one and a half meters high, is made entirely of three-inch-thick solid wood, with shallow relief carvings depicting a bountiful harvest.
The cellar has two floors.
The top layer was filled with grain and various dried meats. The bottom layer of ice was almost exhausted, but the remaining cold air still caused frost to form on the blue brick walls. Inside were refrigerated fresh meat, frozen pears, fresh dates, and large persimmons. Stepping inside, one was immediately struck by the chill.
Song Lao Er's head was buzzing; he had only one thought: he was about to become rich, with lots of grain and lots of meat.
As soon as he entered the cellar, Song Xiaobao's eyes were fixed on something. He couldn't hold back any longer and pounced on the jar of pears, grabbing two and taking a bite out of them.
The first bite is an intensely refreshing combination of cold and sweet: delicious, absolutely delicious. Even though Xiao An beats me up every day, I'd rather stay here and not leave.
Looking at the overflowing grains, oils, rice, and flour, the constables from Songfeng County and Qili County who were walking behind were also dumbfounded.
The yamen runners of Qili County were naturally well aware of the Song family's background.
Tianxianglou was thriving. Song Liyun said that Tianxianglou was managed by two people, and there were only two owners.
One was the county government office, and the other was the garrison. It was impossible for them to embezzle money from each other; these things were all distributed as dividends.
The yamen runner from Songfeng County swallowed hard: So that's why the magistrate said he had to bring Song Liyun back.
These grains and meats together are worth at least a hundred taels of silver.
The Song family is truly not to be underestimated.
Meanwhile, Madam Gu and Song Liyun went to check the side courtyard, which is the inner courtyard.
Seeing that the outer court couldn't find anything out, Chief Constable Jiang personally followed along.
Here, she witnessed Hei Jin tear off a person's scalp. Even with others following her, Xiao Gu was timid and hesitant, staying close to Constable Jiang and not daring to take another step.
Seeing that Constable Jiang had drawn his sword before even stepping into the side courtyard, looking as if facing a formidable enemy, Song Liyun said calmly, "The one who injured someone yesterday was my family's pet that guards the house. Constable Jiang, there's no need to be afraid. As long as you have no ill intentions and come in honestly, it won't hurt anyone."
Looking at the undisguised mockery on Song Liyun's face, Chief Constable Jiang felt his old face flush red: "That kind of ferocious beast should not be kept at home. It should be killed as soon as possible to avoid trouble in the future."
Song Liyun curled her lip: "According to Constable Jiang, humans are more ferocious than hairy wild beasts. They chase people for hundreds of miles and still try to hurt them. Shouldn't they be executed as well?"
Jiang, the head constable, sensed the sarcasm in the words and his face darkened. He said, "If someone colludes with thieves to steal family property, they should be executed immediately."
The two main rooms in the side courtyard were occupied by the two brothers and Song Liyun, while Yunniangzi lived in the side room.
As soon as she entered the brothers' bedroom, Madam Gu's eyes were glued to her.
The kang (heated brick bed) was neatly arranged with light blue bedding and a brand-new off-white reed mat.
Although the kang cabinet and kang table are not new, they are finely crafted pieces of furniture.
This kind of arrangement is hardly suitable for two boys; it's even more elaborate than what a young lady in her boudoir would have.
Compared to the dark, crumbling room where the Song brothers used to live, with half of the kang (heated brick bed) collapsed, it was a world of difference.
Little Gu rushed to the edge of the kang (heated brick bed) and tried to touch the pillow, but Yun Niangzi grabbed her and said, "You can only look, but you can't touch!"
That wary expression fueled Madam Gu's anger.
She yielded to Yunniang yesterday because of Hei Jin's influence. Now that Constable Jiang is backing her up, jealousy instantly made her lose her fear. She raised her hand and scratched at Yunniang: "You old slut raised by the Song family, what right do you have to point fingers at me? This is my Song family's territory. I can make you get out anytime."
Before her slap could land, Song Liyun swiftly pulled Yunniang behind her, causing Xiao Gu to miss her target. She angrily shouted, "Song Liyun, I am your second aunt! How dare you side with an outsider?"
Song Liyun looked at her coldly, not even wanting to answer a word to such a shameless person.
Yunniang was almost hit and was also annoyed: "Whether I'm an elder or not is hard to say, but at least I'm not an outsider!"
Little Gu jumped up and down and started cursing back.
Song Liyun turned to look at Constable Jiang: "Constable Jiang, are you here to confiscate my property? Or are you looking for stolen goods? If you continue to make trouble like this, I will kick you out. We can discuss this in court."
Without stolen goods or evidence, what's the point of going to court? It's all just empty talk.
Seeing that Madam Gu was about to cause trouble, Officer Jiang raised his hand and slapped her across the face: "Fool, if you can't find your own things, then wait to go back to Songfeng County and go to jail."
The slap sent Gu Shi spinning twice before she fell to the ground. Before she could even open her mouth to wail, Constable Jiang had already drawn his sword and pressed it against her neck, saying hatefully, "If you make another move, I'll chop you in half with this sword."
Little Gu's wailing stopped abruptly, and she choked, gasping for breath.
Nothing was found in the brothers' rooms, so next up was Song Liyun's room.
Almost identical to the brothers' bedroom, Song Liyun disliked brightly colored decorations.
The difference was that she had a wool felt blanket on her kang (a heated brick bed) and a cashmere quilt.
Several bolts of unprocessed cloth lay on the kang (heated brick bed); they were Shu brocade.
The pale yellow cabinet was coated with clear varnish, so shiny that it reflected one's image.
Officer Jiang's face was ashen as he stared intently at Madam Gu.
Madam Gu's face was ashen as she stared intently at the boxes and trunks.
Yunniang stared intently at the two of them, afraid that the madwoman would rush over and dirty the girl's cushion.
Song Liyun's gaze fell on Constable Jiang's face, and she was pleased to see his expression change from full of expectation to utter disappointment.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
