After winning the lawsuit against the Dou family, Pei Jing had Xing Qi follow Zhao Hui to the yamen the next day to hand over the dowry list. County Magistrate Ma hid in the back hall and didn't show up. The advisor sent a bailiff to follow Zhao Hui to the Dou family's house to count the belongings.
The Dou family's people went to the prison early in the morning to see Dou Hong, so only the Dou family's eldest son-in-law was there. The bailiff brought out the documents and forced him to open the storehouse and find the housekeeper to get the account books. Xing Qi's men moved everything that needed to be moved in one morning. The extra compensation was converted into silver taels. This amount was calculated by Pei Jing's people long ago.
Zhao Hui's dowry back then was quite rich because of the family's property. Because the Dou family's business hadn't been good these past few years, the family's wealth had decreased. In the end, after calculating everything, they still couldn't come up with less than six hundred taels. The eldest son-in-law originally wanted to deny it, but Xing Qi directly pointed at the family's ancestral home and estimated the location. He wanted the eldest son-in-law to get the land deed. The eldest son-in-law almost fainted. The bailiff, who had been bribed by Xing Qi beforehand, scolded him a few times and then signed on the promissory note Xing Qi wrote. He didn't even look carefully at what was written on it.
As soon as they left the Dou family's house, Xing Qi and Zhao Hui were watched. The people who were following them watched them bring the carriages of belongings back to a house in the south of the city before going back to report.
At lunchtime, Yu Shu lay on her stomach on the bed and took the promissory note from Zhao Hui. She looked at the black and white words on the note and smiled as she flicked the paper. She turned her head and said to Zhao Hui, "Tomorrow, have Mr. Pei send someone to the prison to pick up Doctor He."
Zhao Hui was happy but also worried, "Dou Lu isn't that easy to talk to. I'm afraid she …"
"Whether she's easy to talk to is Dou Hong's business." Yu Shu rested her head on her arm and said, "Mr. Pei has already investigated. The Dou family's shops are all losing money. Today, we moved the storehouse again and the yamen searched and confiscated it. There's only that shabby house left. With this promissory note, if they don't pay in cash in three days, we'll have people take over the house. Do you think they'll be willing to live on the streets and be beggars, or do us a favor and withdraw the lawsuit against Doctor He and guarantee them a house? No matter what, they won't make a loss. Even if Dou Hong doesn't consider herself, she has to consider her children. She can't expect the Ji family to help them."
With how harsh the Ji family was, if their reputation was ruined this time, they would definitely resent the Dou family as well. They wouldn't be relatives anymore.
When Zhao Hui heard Yu Shu's words, her heart calmed down. She lowered her head and lovingly tidied up Yu Shu's hair, which was a mess from sleep. She slowly said, "Before this, I didn't even dare to think that there would be a day in my life when I saw the Dou family get what they deserved. Xiao Yu, the heavens must have pitied me so they showed mercy and specially assigned me to be a lucky star."
When Yu Shu heard this, she smiled. She gently tapped her arm with her chin and said, "Is there a lucky star like me? I feel that you started to have bad luck because you met me. Your life used to be so peaceful."
"How can those days of suffering humiliation be peaceful?" Zhao Hui shook her head. "Now, my heart is really peaceful."
Yu Shu turned her head and looked at Zhao Hui's gentle eyes. She seemed to be able to feel the calmness in her heart. Suddenly, she asked, "Aunt Huei, when this matter is over, are you willing to leave Yiyang with me and go to the capital?"
This was the first time that Yu Shu had mentioned going to the capital in front of Zhao Hui. Because she had planned to leave for a long time, she had offended the Ji family without hesitation. Now Ji Hyotani must have recognized her and was thinking of ways to teach her a lesson.
As for Zhao Hui, Pei Jing had talked to her in private yesterday. He would find a day to hold a banquet and recognize Zhao Hui as his sworn sister. With his protection, the Ji family couldn't do anything to Zhao Hui. She was safe in Yiyang City.
But she couldn't stay in Yiyang for long. The Ji family wouldn't let her go no matter what. Once this matter was over, she would leave with Yu Xiaoxiu. Whether Zhao Hui was willing to go to the capital with them or not, she had to ask her personally.
"Go, go to the capital?" Zhao Hui was surprised. "You and your brother are going to the capital?"
Yu Shu's eyes lit up. "Yes, I'm going to the capital!"
It wasn't just to avoid the sharp edge, nor was it because she had promised to help Qing Zheng find the Book of Mystic Maiden's Six Rens. The capital was the place where all the exchanges in the world converged. There were many talents in the Great Yan Examination, and there were many hidden dragons and crouching tigers in Taishi Library. The Celestial Commissioner was the place with the highest exchanges in the world. She really wanted to see and learn for herself. She had a premonition that there would be more breakthroughs in the laws of algebra when she went there.
"I …" Zhao Hui looked awkward. She opened her mouth to say something, but when she saw Yu Shu's expression, she swallowed her words and nodded. "As long as you aren't afraid that I'll be a burden, I'll go with you to the capital to take a look."
Yu Shu's heart was yearning, so she didn't notice the hesitation on Zhao Hui's face. When she heard her agree, she smiled and grabbed her hand. "How can you be a burden? When your body gets better, we can walk slowly on the way. We can even have fun on the way."
Zhao Hui saw that she was happy, so she smiled as well. However, her smile didn't last for a moment before she suddenly stopped. She seemed to have thought of something and asked Yu Shu nervously, "If the third master of the Ji family recognizes you and your mother is still in the Ji family, will he take it out on her?"
Yu Shu shook her head and said calmly, "Ji Hyotani is the smartest one in the Ji family. He can't wash his dirty linen in public. If the first and second branch found out that I was the one who sued the Ji family yesterday, he would be scolded by Old Lady Ji first and be blamed. He would definitely hide this matter and wouldn't do anything to my mother. At most, he would scold her a little to vent his anger. The more guilty he is, the safer my mother will be."
She was sure of the relationship between them, so she could spit on Ji Hyotani yesterday and watch his blood vessels burst.
Not only that, when she left the Ji family, she deliberately asked Aunt Cui for her birth date so that she could predict her misfortune. Last night, she even divined for her. If something really happened to her, she would be the first to know.
After all, Yu Xiaoxiu still cared about his biological mother, so she wouldn't care about Aunt Cui's safety.
In the afternoon, Pei Jing sent someone to the prison with the IOU signed by the eldest son-in-law of the Dou family and "talked" with Dou Hong. Things went smoother than expected. Dou Hong took the initiative to ask someone to go to the Dou family to find Dou Lu. The two sisters talked in the prison. No matter what the process was, Dou Lu went to the yamen early the next morning to ask for the IOU.
At noon that day, He Fangzhi was released from the prison.
Zhao Hui was still sick and insisted on picking him up personally. In the carriage, the two met. Seeing the haggard and unshaven He Fangzhi, Zhao Hui cried again. Although He Fangzhi had spent a few days in prison, seeing that Zhao Hui was safe and in good spirits, He Fangzhi hurriedly comforted her for a while and asked her what had happened.
There were only the two of them in the carriage. Zhao Hui told him from beginning to end, including how Pei Jing owed her late father a favor and how Yu Shu sued the Dou family in court. He Fangzhi sighed repeatedly. Finally, when she told him about the Dou family's fate, He Fangzhi clapped his hands and shouted, "Evil people get what they deserve."
Zhao Hui smiled through her tears and said, "There is a person who punishes evil and upholds good."
He Fangzhi nodded and said, "Mr Pei knows how to repay kindness. Xiao Yu is affectionate and righteous. Indeed, she punishes evil for you." Zhao Hui looked at him and lowered her head, "I am talking about you."
He Fangzhi was stunned and blushed. Ashamed, she said, "How can I be called that? I hurt someone rashly and still need you to run around for me. I am really ashamed." "You were protecting me." Zhao Hui recalled that day when he stood in front of her bed. Because someone bullied her, he was not his usual gentle self and angrily hit the person. Her heart was still warm. She could not help but look up at He Fangzhi, her eyes revealing a trace of affection.
He Fangzhi was stunned. When she regained her senses, he was already holding her hand and holding it in his palm.
Both of them blushed.
Between the two of them, one died before she married, the other's first wife died young. They were both old and single. In the past few days, they had spent time together and developed feelings for each other. However, they did not say it out loud. Now that they were holding hands, there was nothing they did not understand.
"Hui niang, you, cough cough, if you don't despise me for not being capable, I, I am willing to always take care of you." He Lang Zhong mustered up his courage to say these words.
Zhao Hui's nose turned sour and she wanted to cry again, "With my body like this, I'm afraid I will drag you down in the future. It should be you who despise me." "I don't despise you, I don't despise you." He Fangzhi grabbed her hand tightly. After saying those words, he felt his skin was thick. He directly grabbed Zhao Hui's other hand and said seriously, "I will take care of your illness and it will get better. If you agree, when we go back, I will look for an auspicious day in a barter shop and hire someone to be a matchmaker. The sooner I can properly take care of you, my father passed away early. My mother's body is very good and she has a good temper. You can tell just by looking at me. A while ago, when I mentioned you to her, she even teased me. If we can be together, it will be her wish." He Fangzhi often stayed at the medical shop and didn't go home for days. Because of this incident, his old mother didn't know about it. She just thought that her son was busy and didn't go out to look for him. Earlier, Pei Jing had someone bring a message that he was safe, so the old mother didn't suspect anything.
Hearing this, Zhao Hui's eyes became wet again. She almost wanted to agree, but she suddenly remembered that Yu Shu had mentioned going to the capital yesterday. She froze on the spot, thinking, 'If I get together with Lang Zhong, then I will have to stay in Yiyang City to take care of his mother until she gets old. How can I go to the capital with Little Yu then?
He Fangzhi saw that she didn't say anything and panicked. He was about to say something, but his hand was pushed away by Zhao Hui. He was stunned and carefully probed, "Xi niang?"
"I, we don't match." Zhao Hui forcefully found an excuse, but her mouth was bitter.
The happiness on He Fangzhi's face suddenly disappeared. He knew that he was rejected. Looking at Zhao Hui with her head down and no expression, he was puzzled. He didn't know what he said wrong. Just now, it was still good. Zhao Hui was obviously interested in him. Why was she not willing when he said it clearly?
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
