When Tao Wanniang got up, Zhang Tiehao had already disappeared. As for whether the hundred taels would really be wasted, she believed that time would tell.
After replenishing their supplies in the city, the group set off. This time, Tao Wanniang insisted on taking the official road to Shanhai Prefecture. Regardless of whether Zhang Tiehao's matter was true or false, she was concerned about it. What if they encountered bandits if they took the back road?
Moreover, this time, following the principle of not entering any forests and checking in before dark, Tao Wanniang finally arrived at Shanhai Prefecture without any major incidents.
Returning to the same place evoked a unique feeling in everyone's hearts.
Tao Wanniang went to the brokerage firm to find Xiao Lu, as the house was still temporarily being managed by Xiao Lu.
"Aunt Tao!" When Xiao Lu saw Tao Wan Niang again, he looked surprised and delighted. The house was now under Tao Wan Niang's name, and he was the one who handled it. This made many people who had looked down on him before gasp.
"Little Lu, you have the key to my house, right? We're coming back to stay for a few days," Tao Wanniang said directly. "How are my chickens and ducks?"
"Auntie, you're doing great. If you ask me, no one's chickens or ducks grow as well as yours. I don't even have to feed them. All the vegetables you grow are plump and healthy." Xiao Lu said with a smile as he picked up the keys.
Outside the brokerage, the Ling family members were waiting. When they saw Tao Wanniang and Xiao Lu come out, they immediately called out to them.
"You all go ahead first, I'll talk to Xiao Lu as we walk," Tao Wanniang said, dismissing the group.
"Auntie, what are you planning to do when you return to Shanhai Prefecture this time? Just look at the house?" Xiao Lu asked. "If you want to resell or rent it, you can also list it with our brokerage firm, and I'll help you find a buyer."
"There's no need to resell them. Finding a customer is fine. Little Lu, you've worked hard these past few days. If you want these chickens and ducks, take a few home."
"I can't accept this. The old lady gave me a tip back then," Xiao Lu declined. He explained that even if someone else had bought the house, it would have been counted as a sale by him, and he would have received a commission plus a bonus!
The young man's humble and pragmatic attitude was something that Tao Wan's mother appreciated, so she was naturally willing to take care of him.
“It seems the prefect of Shanhai Prefecture committed a crime before, but he’s back now and Shanhai Prefecture looks different. It seems the new prefect is quite good,” Tao Wanniang said tentatively.
"You mean the former Prefect Zhang? When he was paraded through the streets, the people cheered. Do you know how much grain was found when Prefect Zhang's granary was opened?"
"That's enough to feed our entire city for a year! These officials don't serve the people; they're worse than pigs and dogs!" Xiao Lu said indignantly. "Since then, prices in our Shanhai Prefecture have dropped, and a dou of rice only costs eighty wen."
"That's not bad," Tao Wanniang nodded. "I wonder how my wonton shop is doing now."
"Haha, Sister Tao, why don't you go take a look? That wonton shop is back to the same owner, but it can't taste as good as yours," Xiao Lu said with a smile when he heard this.
"No, it's not easy for anyone running a small business. Xiao Lu, come inside with us for a walk later. You haven't encountered any ghosts these days, have you?"
Speaking of this, Xiao Lu's expression changed, but he said sincerely, "I don't know why there were such rumors before, but I really didn't encounter any ghosts."
"There was no ghost to begin with, but there was a grievance. Never mind, it's no use telling you." Tao Wanniang thought for a moment, and decided it was best not to say anything more about Bai Yumei.
Chatting along the way, the two arrived at the house, where the Ling family's carriage was already waiting outside.
Xiao Lu unlocked the door, gave the key to Tao Wanniang, and went inside.
“Aunt Tao, did you hear that? As soon as the gate opens, the chickens and ducks know someone is coming to feed them,” Xiao Lu said, walking ahead. “I didn’t do anything about it before, but the chickens and ducks were pooping everywhere. So I had someone reinforce the fence and separated the chickens and ducks. Listen to the noise, it’s quite loud, isn’t it?”
"Ha, Mother, this huge house is just for chickens and ducks to live in," Ling Dahu joked. "Everyone else is comfortable."
Tao Wan's mother also noticed that the house was quite clean, which meant that Xiao Lu had helped them clean quite a bit.
"Xiao Lu, thank you so much for all this time. I really mean it. If you ever want to eat chicken or duck at home, just catch some here," Tao Wanniang said gratefully. "Once we return to the capital, you can rent out this house. You can set the rent."
"Alright, Aunt Tao, I won't bother you any longer. If you need anything, just come find me at the brokerage." After leading Tao Wan's mother to the back of the kitchen to check on the chickens and ducks, Xiao Lu took his leave.
Tao Wanniang saw that all the vegetables she had planted were gone, but the chickens and ducks were growing quite well. She immediately decided that she would kill a chicken and a duck tonight to satisfy her hunger.
With so many people in the family, everyone got to work at Tao Wan's mother's command, even little Qiao'er started cleaning the room in a very professional manner.
"Yu Mei, would you like to go back to your old home for a visit?" Tao Wan Niang asked, noticing that Bai Yu Mei looked somewhat downcast as soon as she entered the Shan Hai Mansion.
“I don’t even have a home anymore. If my old friends saw me like this, they would probably be terrified. I’ll just have to look at me from afar,” Bai Yumei said with emotion.
"Then let's go take a look," Tao Wanniang suggested. "Qiao'er, are you tired? If you are, rest in the room. If you are not tired, come with your mother and Aunt Mei to take a look."
"Mom, I've made my bed. Let's go out and have a look together," Little Qiao'er said excitedly after finishing her chores, showing no signs of fatigue.
Seeing this, Tao Wanniang called the two of them and went out.
“When I went to that secondhand market street before, I mentioned your story, and some people knew about it,” Tao Wanniang said on the way. “Yumei, I’ve also inquired about you with some people before.”
“I can understand, after all, I really looked like a ghost back then,” Bai Yumei replied suddenly. This familiar street, she hadn’t set foot on it for almost three years.
The two adults and one child walked down the long street without attracting much attention. As they approached their former home, Bai Yumei's pace slowed down.
“See that dilapidated house with only half a wall? That’s my home. But I haven’t come back since my father passed away,” Bai Yumei said, pointing to a dilapidated house. “What good would it do to come back? There are no relatives left in my family.”
"If you want something to remember it by, then have someone renovate this house; if you don't think it's necessary, then just leave it as it is. In another three to five years, that half wall will probably be gone too," Tao Wanniang said casually.
"No, if it's not there, it's not there." Bai Yumei said decisively, having completely severed ties with the past. "There's no need to go any further; there's nothing to see there."
"Yu Mei?" Just as Tao Wanniang and the others turned to leave, a trembling voice rang out. Tao Wanniang turned around and saw a young man who looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old.
Looking at her again, Tao Wanniang could clearly feel that Bai Yumei's body had stiffened.
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