The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 807 - 785: Intimidation (Extra - 6 for the reward from the book friend "Jinyiwei: Rongrong")

Chapter 807: Chapter 785: Intimidation (Extra Chapter 6 for the reward from the book friend "Jinyiwei: Rongrong")

Manbao glanced at Zhou Lijun and asked, "Erya, do you still remember things from when I was little?"

Since Zhou Lijun insisted, Manbao seldom called her Erya anymore. Hearing it now, Zhou Lijun sensed that her niece wasn’t in a good mood. She sat down next to her and said, "I remember some things, but I’ve forgotten others. What’s wrong?"

"Do you remember anything from when I was just born?"

Erya tried hard to recall in her mind but could not remember anything and shook her head.

She hadn’t remembered things as early as her niece did. Now, she could only recall bits and pieces from when she was about five or six years old, and even those memories were fragmented and mostly forgotten.

Manbao’s shoulders slumped as she said, "Never mind, I’m a bit tired."

Zhou Lijun looked puzzled but still got up and said, "Then you should lie down, niece. I’ll go help in the kitchen and will call you when it’s time to eat."

Manbao nodded.

Zhou Lijun ran out to the yard intending to ask Bai Shan what he had done to upset her niece. After looking around and not finding him, she could only go help in the kitchen, visibly annoyed.

At that moment, Bai Shan was quietly pulling Zhou SiLang into his room for a secret conversation. With doors and windows tightly shut and their voices lowered even further, no one outside could hear their conversation.

Bai Shan whispered to Zhou SiLang, "... Now even County Magistrate Tang has been alerted, and both county officials are collaborating on the case. Manbao and I thought we could find out something, considering our relationship, but both lords have kept us in the dark and are unwilling to speak to us. To this point, we still have no idea what’s happened."

Bai Shan said, "Manbao cried this afternoon because she’s worried about her family. Fourth Brother Zhou, do you know what County Magistrate Tang is investigating? Is it related to your family?"

Zhou SiLang hadn’t expected things to develop so quickly. He had just returned yesterday, and today he received such unsettling news. His face went pale as he denied, "It has nothing to do with our family."

The atmosphere became tense for a moment, and perhaps realizing something was amiss, Zhou SiLang quickly said, "Perhaps there has been some misunderstanding."

He tentatively brought up the obituary of Zhou Yin, saying, "When the obituary for Uncle Zhou arrived, we didn’t examine it closely. Could it be that the obituary isn’t really from our family?"

Bai Shan’s curiosity was piqued, and he asked, "If the obituary isn’t Uncle Zhou’s, then where is he?"

Zhou SiLang lowered his gaze and said, "Who knows? Uncle Zhou never returned after leaving home, and that obituary was the only information we had."

Bai Shan tentatively said, "But the way County Magistrate Tang spoke, it seemed it wasn’t about that issue but rather something to do with money..."

As Bai Shan spoke, he carefully watched Zhou SiLang’s expression, noticing his face growing even paler and his demeanor more frantic. Bai Shan paused before saying, "Fourth Brother Zhou, you know we have some relatives who are officials. Not to mention the distant ones, just consider the Bai Residence next door. Even though we had a fight at the beginning of the year, who didn’t fight as kids? No matter how much we quarrel and fight, we are of the same clan, and when trouble comes, we can still help each other."

"Fourth Brother Zhou, although County Magistrate Yang has returned to the capital for his marriage, County Magistrate Tang is still here. If there’s really some misunderstanding, it would be better to clarify it sooner. How about this? You tell me, and I’ll have my grandmother step in and personally ask my uncles to talk to Lord Tang."

Zhou SiLang didn’t speak.

Bai Shan then sighed and said, "Fourth Brother Zhou, with these matters, sooner is better than later. If they really find something upon investigation, even if Lord Tang and Lord Yang are our friends, they can’t stop the mouths of all the other officials from talking."

Zhou SiLang clenched the corner of his garment, internally conflicted with no clear victor, so he kept his lips tightly sealed and said nothing.

Bai Shan watched him for a long time, and finally sighed, not wishing to disturb him further, and stood up to leave the room.

As he stepped out, he discovered Daji standing not too far away. Bai Shan didn’t take it to heart but ran across to knock on Manbao’s window.

Zhou SiLang and Zhou Lijun had come home, and since they were now of age, he remembered the propriety between men and women. It wouldn’t be appropriate for him to run directly into Manbao’s room anymore.

Manbao opened the window.

Bai Shan leaned in halfway and whispered to Manbao, "I scared your Fourth Brother a bit, and I suspect this is all connected to one person."

"Who?"

"Your Uncle Zhou," Bai Shan said. "County Magistrate Tang mentioned Lai Tou bringing up your uncle’s name, and he also inquired about your uncle. And just now when I mentioned County Magistrate Tang was investigating an old case, your Fourth Brother instinctively brought up your uncle too."

"A name that comes up this frequently definitely indicates a problem," Bai Shan looked up at Manbao and asked, "Do you think you could be your Uncle Zhou’s child? After all, you do resemble Fourth Brother Zhou and Sixth Brother Zhou quite a bit. Not to mention Datou and Second Son, your eyes are especially similar."

Manbao’s spirits lifted, and she began to reflect carefully, finally recognizing a difference, "These past two years when we’ve gone to sweep the tombs, father has always made me kowtow to Uncle Zhou’s grave, but my elder brother and his sons never kneel to kowtow; they only bow and offer incense."

The two exchanged glances, both sensing their hearts skip a beat as if they had grasped something.

Bai Shan urged her, "Think carefully, from childhood to now, are there other special things that you had to do, which your elder brother and his sons didn’t have to do? Things that were just specific to you?"

"I always had eggs to eat, and they didn’t."

Bai Shan said, "That’s because they doted on you. What else?"

Manbao was silent for a moment before looking up at Bai Shan and said, gazing into his eyes, "Every year during tomb sweeping, I have to offer incense on a particular grave, inviting him to come eat the food from our ancestral rites."

"Who is in the tomb?"

"I don’t know. Father said it was an unmarked grave that has been there for a long time. It’s just nearby our home, and there’s a certain fate to that. Since they’re here to sweep graves, it’s fitting to help clean the grave and offer incense, and then invite them to share a meal with our ancestors; it’s good to have a lively atmosphere."

Bai Shan remarked, "... Is there such a custom?"

Manbao said, "My family has always been hospitable."

It was because she had been raised with such teachings that Manbao was so hospitable. She even helped clear the grass on the neighboring unmarked graves and offered incense during tomb sweeping, inviting them to join her family’s ancestors for a meal — not to mention being generous with people.

Bai Shan went quiet for a moment before asking, "Then, haven’t you asked the villagers whose grave that is?"

"I’ve asked, but they all say they don’t know," Manbao replied. "If they don’t know, then they don’t know. Why should I try to uncover the truth?"

It was mainly because the grave had been there even before she could remember; in her mind, it was something that had always existed naturally, so she wasn’t inclined to delve into its origins.

Having asked once, she would not ask again.

On reflection, she could now think of many inconsistencies.

For instance, who would build a grave in their village?