The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 742 - 731 Relatives

Chapter 742: Chapter 731 Relatives

County Magistrate Tang instructed the steward to take people to count the wheat seeds, check their quality, and, once confirmed to be error-free, store them away. They then went to settle the payment on the spot.

Principal Clerk Ding scrutinized the bill, then hesitatingly looked towards County Magistrate Tang and said, "This..."

County Magistrate Tang said with a smile, "Pay them. In a few days, another batch of wheat seeds will arrive, and the same rule applies: delivery against payment, no arrears."

Seeing County Magistrate Tang’s insistence, Principal Clerk Ding could only nod in agreement.

Of course, the government wouldn’t settle accounts with copper coins, so Principal Clerk Ding had people bring out silver ingots, which made Manbao and the others couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Zhou Lijun looked at his eldest uncle and father, and then at his younger aunt. Receiving her nod, he went up to tally the accounts.

The accounts were quickly settled.

Zhou Dalang and Zhou Erlang seemed to conjure up two large pockets out of nowhere and filled them with the silver from the box.

Zhou Silang took out two ingots of silver and said, "Third Brother, Five, let’s go exchange this for copper coins. Lijun, you take your father and the others home first. I’ll return with the copper coins later to distribute the money."

Zhou Lijun agreed.

Zhou Dalang asked, "What about Manbao?"

Manbao was talking to County Magistrate Tang, who said, "Those who robbed your elder brother have been captured, but the wheat seeds they stole have already been mixed with their own seeds, which I reckon you won’t be able to use."

"However, I will sentence them to compensation," County Magistrate Tang said with a smile. "Now that the culprits are caught, and we have deterred other miscreants along the way, you can transport your goods with peace of mind."

Manbao naturally agreed happily.

Seeing her leave with joy, County Magistrate Tang allowed himself a slight smile.

This matter was resolved for Manbao and her company, but for them, it was only just beginning.

But for now, Manbao knew nothing. She ran home happily and saw Zhou Silang had already exchanged for two thousand coins and was distributing the day’s earnings to everyone.

Chen Erlang and the others were paid eighty coins per person per day, making it two hundred and forty coins for three days, while the six children had half that rate.

Those they’d hired from the village cost even more—a hundred coins per person per day. However, they would calculate their wages once they returned home.

Zhou Silang handed the remaining copper coins to Zhou Dalang, then said, "After you’ve eaten, take a rest tonight. Let’s set off early tomorrow morning. I’ve rented a courtyard in the next alley to accommodate everyone."

By "everyone," he meant the people from their village.

Chen Erlang and the others took their pay and bid farewell, agreeing to meet at the city gates early the next day.

Preparing the horses and carriages and dealing with various trivial matters was overwhelming, and even with Zhou Lijun’s help, Zhou Silang was extremely busy.

When he had finally settled everyone down and only his brothers were left in the entire courtyard, that’s when he could finally check on his wife.

Ms. Fang had been standing on the side with their child, waiting for him. When their eyes met, they couldn’t help but brim with tears.

Ms. Fang tenderly touched his bandaged hand and asked with concern, "Does it hurt?"

Zhou Silang shook his head, then nodded vehemently, whispering, "It hurts a lot, especially when Manbao was setting the bone."

Ms. Fang gasped in shock, looking ever so carefully at his arm, "The bone was misaligned?"

"Misaligned, hence the need for bone-setting."

Ms. Fang couldn’t help but curse, "Damn those bastards! Robbing is bad enough, but why did they have to beat people too?"

Zhou Silang nodded in total agreement.

Bai Shan and Manbao, resting their chins on their hands, sat on the steps watching the couple, their heads involuntarily turning this way and that.

The truth was they didn’t want to watch, but the couple happened to be standing right in front of them, making it impossible not to.

Bai Shan, who had had a lot of interaction with Zhou Silang—and often heard Manbao talk about him—found it amazing, "It’s like Fourth Brother Zhou has become a different person."

Manbao, "Fifth Brother says that all men change after they get married."

Bai Shan shuddered, then said, "That’s terrifying."

Manbao nodded earnestly in agreement.

Bai Erlang was searching through his luggage on the ox cart, with the help of Datou and Second Son, he finally managed to find the items his grandparents and parents had prepared for him.

Seeing Bai Shan still sitting idly, he waved and said, "Shanbao, hurry up. Our great-grandmother and aunts also prepared gifts for you. Come see what they are?"

Second Son pulled out a chest and a bundle, taking them off the cart and said, "Here, these two."

Bai Shan, who had been busy with guests and was tired, lazily got up and said, "It’s just some food and drink. What else could there be?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Dalang remembered something. "That’s right, young master. Old Madam Liu also wrote you a letter."

Hurriedly, he took the well-wrapped letter from his chest and handed it over with a sincere smile, "I was so busy earlier that I forgot about it."

Bai Shan quickly took the letter and smiled, "No hurry for this moment."

As Bai Shan opened the letter to read, he emitted a surprised sound.

Manbao, stretching her arms and legs on the stair, asked, "What is it?"

Bai Shan looked toward the neighboring Yan Residence and asked, "Isn’t that Kangxue Street, Lane One, Number Eight over there?"

Manbao thought for a moment and then nodded, "It seems so."

It seemed like the repairers of the wall had mentioned it.

Bai Shan handed the family letter to Manbao, "Look, my grandmother says there’s an uncle in my family who took office in Yizhou City and moved the whole family to Kangxue Street, Lane One, Number Eight, as it’s not too far from where my grandmother lives. They’ve invited her for a family gathering during the Winter Solstice, and all relatives from the Bai Family in Yizhou will go."

Manbao, surprised, "So the Bai Family who just moved in next door are your relatives."

Bai Shan himself was astonished.

After looking at each other, both couldn’t help but touch their chins in thought. Now that they knew they were relatives, perhaps it wouldn’t be a problem to occasionally use their wall for some footwork practice, right?

The two shook their heads, brushing aside the strange thoughts, and then Manbao asked, "I’ve noticed that next door has been bustling lately, look like they’re refurbishing. Once their family has moved in, should we prepare some gifts to congratulate them with a visit?"

Bai Shan put away the letter, "We’ll see when the time comes."

Manbao looked at him for a while, and even Bai Erlang couldn’t help turning around to ask, "You don’t get along with that family?"

Bai Shan thought carefully and replied, "I don’t know them. Although we’re clan members, it wouldn’t be appropriate to just show up uninvited."

But the relations of their household with the clan were not particularly good.

When he left Longzhou as a child, he was too young to know the details, only that his family had been bullied by the clansmen. There were memories of being mistreated, but he couldn’t remember who exactly was involved.

And that was just what he had witnessed; there was surely more that he hadn’t.

Though the letter from his grandmother mentioned this matter, she hadn’t instructed him to visit them. Even the aunt, who seemed to be on good terms with his grandmother, had only had Daji send gifts and calling cards since he arrived in Yizhou City six months ago and had not met him in person.

Bai Shan’s reluctance to meet them was one thing, and their apparent lack of interest in meeting was another.