Zhulan got on the carriage, closed her eyes, and thought about the land in Pinggang. Thinking about the possible return on the investment, she felt better.

When she got home, Yang Zhumu asked, “You went out with our mèifu, why did you come back alone?”

Zhulan untied her cloak, “Someone invited Shuren to the restaurant. Brother, when will our parents arrive?”

Yang Zhumu counted the days, “It’s been ten days since I sent the letter. I guess they will leave soon.”

Zhulan hummed, sat down, and poured tea to warm herself up. Zhulan counted the money in the family. Excluding the investment in Pinggang, the family still had 9,700 taels. Later, some of it was spent. The boss got more than 300 taels for the gifts, and Zhulan bought the best ginseng and spent it all. The current deposit was 9,500 taels.

This time, it cost 4,900 taels to buy two houses, plus the commission and transfer fee, it was almost 5,200 taels. After buying the houses, there were 4,300 taels left.

Zhulan touched the teacup, hoping that after the palace examination results were released, Zhou Shuren would be able to pass the exam, and the house in Nancheng would increase in value again. Thinking of passing the exam, Zhulan scolded Yao Zheyu again. He really thought that the Emperor would not check. The Emperor would definitely check the candidates. Today’s events must be recorded. They really don’t want to have anything to do with the male protagonist!

She just hoped that Zhou Shuren could get away from Yao Zheyu, otherwise, it was hard to say whether it would affect the palace examination. He could even lose the second place that he despised for a long time!

Zhulan didn’t think there was anything wrong with the second place now, it was obviously very good!

Zhulan was so angry that she put down the cup with great force, which scared Yang Zhumu. He didn’t notice that his sister was angry just now. Yes, his sister was a person who hid her emotions. He rarely met her sister before, but now he met her every day. Yang Zhumu found that Zhou Shuren was scheming, and his sister was no worse than Zhou Shuren.

No wonder their father didn’t worry about his sister at all. There was really nothing to worry about such a sister!

Sometimes he even thought maliciously that it was unknown who would be able to outwit the other if his mèifu and the sister were to confront each other!

Zhulan looked up and said, “Brother, you are still here!”

Yang Zhumu was silent. He was quite tall. “I want to tell you that I will go back to live in the house in Wuchun to add some people to it so that my parents won’t feel it is too deserted when they come.”

Zhulan was speechless. Not to mention that the eldest brother was alone, even if there were ten or eight more people living there, it would still seem deserted. Moreover, she was also afraid that the eldest brother would think too much when he was alone. When he was alone, he was most willing to think about things, especially people or things that made him feel uncomfortable!

Zhulan said, “Brother, Mingteng likes you very much. Your little grandson is not around. If you take Mingteng to live there, it will add some people to the house.”

Yang Zhumu was happy. Mingteng was a very noisy child. He liked those who could make noise. The more noisy he was, the more popular he would be. “Okay, I will take Mingteng with me.”

Xuehan hugged her fat niece and looked at the dumbfounded Mingteng.

Mingteng frowned, he didn’t want to go, there were delicious food and fun things at home, but what was there in the house in West City? Nothing!

But he didn’t dare to refute his grandmother’s words, he didn’t even need his mother to tell him, he knew that he had to listen to his grandmother’s words!

Xuehan smiled with her eyes bent, and when Mingteng wanted to go in but didn’t dare to, Xuehan bent down and said, “You’re only going to go there to sleep at night, you are not been asked to stay in the house in West City all day.”

Mingteng’s eyes lit up, and he walked in with his fat legs, “Grandma.”

Zhulan had very good ears, and she knew that Xuehan and the others were outside the door a long time ago. Zhulan liked to pinch Mingteng’s little fat face, “Good grandson!”

Mingteng thought to himself, that it was good that his elder brother was not around, no one cared about him, and his grandmother loved him the most. He completely forgot that it was his grandmother who loved him and gave him away.

In the afternoon, Zhou Shuren didn’t come back until almost four o’clock according to modern times. Zhulan had been waiting for half a day. She knew that Yao Zheyu’s visit would not be so simple. “What is his purpose in looking for you?”

Zhou Shuren didn’t drink a few glasses of wine or eat a few bites of food. He felt full after watching Yao Zheyu. He returned home to relax. He felt a little hungry. He picked up the snacks on the table and ate while saying, “He came here for the land in Pinggang.”

Zhulan paused as she poured the water. “Are all the rich and powerful eyeing Pinggang now?”

Zhou Shuren took the water Zhulan poured and slurped the cake in his mouth. “Everyone wants to tear off a piece of the fat meat!”

Zhulan sat on the chair. “I knew that ten thousand taels of silver would be hard to get. Yao Zheyu must have used ten thousand taels to make a fuss. Yao Zheyu is not only black-hearted but also becoming more and more shameless.”

Zhou Shuren chuckled; he knew how much Zhulan cared about turning the Pinggang investment into silver. Yao Zheyu’s goal was clearly the land, which made Zhulan furious. “He doesn’t hold back when slapping his own face. He’s given me two choices: one is to join his side, and the other is to use the land to offset ten thousand taels of silver.”

Zhulan clutched her chest, thinking about the eighty mu of land. Given the future trends of Pinggang, its value could easily multiply several dozen times. “Hmph, he’s got it all planned out. Even if the land is used to offset the silver, he can still bring up the life-saving favor. Who’d let us repay the silver, only to owe another life-saving debt?”

Zhou Shuren held Zhulan’s hand and said, “That’s why I only gave forty mu of land, on the condition that he’s not allowed to bring up the life-saving favor again.”

“Will he agree? He is not stupid. Since you have been a Gongshi, will he let you go?”

Zhou Shuren curled his lips, “Of course, he doesn’t want to let go of me, but I have to tear it down, otherwise it may affect the palace examination!”

Zhulan pursed her lips, “How to tear it down?”

Yao Zheyu was not stupid! She hoped Zhou Shuren could be more powerful!

Zhou Shuren curved his eyes, “We only gave Yao Zheyu 40 acres of land, instead of the full 80 acres, which shows how unwilling we are. Although we cannot completely tear down Yao Zheyu, as long as we can show that we are dissatisfied with him, I will sell the remaining 40 acres of land after giving him the land deed tomorrow. After venting my dissatisfaction, my goal will basically be achieved.”

Zhulan felt a pain in her heart, “Although the land has increased a lot now, I can make a lot of money by selling it, but why do I feel like I’ve lost money!”

She bought the land in Pinggang at a total price of 500 taels, and now it had only increased tenfold. She estimated that it would increase thirty times by this summer. Well, if she had known earlier, she would never have taken Yao Zheyu’s money!

Zhou Shuren knew Zhulan was distressed, “I will earn it back in the future.”

Zhulan sighed; there was nothing more she could do. Right now, the most important thing was the imperial examination. However, she had made a mental note of Yao Zheyu, that treacherous scoundrel who went back on his word. “Hmm,” she acknowledged softly.

At night, Zhulan had a dream where silver taels kept flying past her eyes, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t catch them. When she woke up in the morning, her heart still felt empty— the silver was gone.

After breakfast, Zhou Shuren left with the deed for eighty mu of land. Right now, land in Pinggang was the easiest to sell.

An hour later, the yazi came to the door, “Madam, the price of the house has been negotiated, and it will be sold according to the money you offer.”

Zhulan smiled; finally, there was something to be happy about, “Let’s go!”

The yazi was stunned. Didn’t they have to wait for Zhou Gongshi? He was a small person and didn’t dare to ask, but he thought in his heart that the status of the Zhou family’s wife was very high, and Zhou Gongshi didn’t show up for such a big thing as buying a house.

Zhulan followed the broker to pay the silver and then went to the yamen to exchange the house deed. Her name was written on the house deed.

Yazi was dumbfounded the whole time. He wanted to ask several times, but he kept his mouth shut. As an outsider, he shouldn’t ask about Zhou Gongshi’s family affairs. But he was very curious. Nearly five thousand taels, was this going to be Madam Zhou’s dowry?

(End of this chapter)

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