Zhong Jin replied without hesitation, “Then all of you come and stay in my house.”

Yang Xi glanced at Zhu Shi out of the corner of her eye. Zhu Shi’s expression remained unchanged, indicating that the couple had reached an agreement at home. She breathed a sigh of relief; her sister-in-law was easy to get along with.

Zhong Jin looked at Yang Xi, “Sister-in-law, Zhou Yu isn’t home. What do you say?”

Yang Xi shook her head. “We’ve already settled in Shanghe Village. We’ll have a long time to get to know each other. The house is under construction now. Once it’s finished, we’ll invite your family to have a warm meal and get acquainted with the place. We won’t trouble you anymore.”

Zhu Shi looked surprised. She thought the Zhou family would take the opportunity to move into the county government office, but then she thought that the Zhou family hadn’t gone to Quanzhou because they didn’t want to rely on them. She admired the Zhou family’s integrity.

Zhong Jin had asked Zhou Yu the same question, and Zhou Yu had also refused. He had been thinking of having his aunt stay at the county government office while Zhou Yu was away, but then he remembered Zhou Yu’s ambiguous smile. She knew his sister-in-law wouldn’t agree.

Ye Shi’s voice was heavy with nasal congestion. “Xi’er is right. There’s a long road ahead. We should keep in touch.”

Zhong Jin was impressed by the Zhou family’s backbone and glad that the family hadn’t been completely destroyed by the tragedy. He didn’t press the matter further. “Alright, we’ll keep in touch.”

Yang Xi took the opportunity to introduce the new members of the Zhou family. Zhong Jin was stunned and frowned, but then he thought that Zhou Yu was quite shrewd. Being registered in the household must have earned Zhou Yu’s approval, and his expression softened considerably. “Very good.”

Zhou Bing breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that they weren’t pressing him for answers. He quietly stood in the corner, trying to minimize his presence.

Third Yang, on the other hand, was very enthusiastic. He followed Zhou Xiaodi around, occasionally chiming in on his conversation and sharing some of his observations from his trip south.

Seeing the county magistrate looking at him, Third Yang sighed, “This world is chaotic; who knows when it will affect this area?”

Zhong Jin’s eyes gleamed with amusement; this lad was quite interesting. He turned to Yang Xi. “I only learned of Zhan Peng’s accident yesterday. After my corvée labor is over, I’ll accompany Zhou Yu to Yizhou.”

Yang Xi replied, “Brother Zhong is busy with official duties; my husband can go by himself. Thank you for your concern.”

The more Zhong Jin learned about everything the Zhou family had discovered, the more he couldn’t help but think of his father. Had his father not resigned from his official post? Would they also have become like the Zhou family? Could Zhou Yu today be himself?

Zhong Jin genuinely wanted to help. “I understand the great changes in your family, and I understand your caution. You still have enemies and dare not use Uncle Zhou’s connections. Our Zhong family’s connections are unattended; you’ll have to find Zhan Peng yourselves.”

He had met Yang Zhan Peng a few times. After the boy left the capital, he heard some news from Zhou Yu, and later the Zhong family also left the capital.

Yang Xi’s eyes were a little red. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

She stood up and thanked him, “Thank you, Brother Zhong.”

Zhu Shi quickly helped her up, knowing she shouldn’t let her sister-in-law bow, as it would make her feel uneasy. She helped her sister-in-law sit down, saying, “Thanking me is too formal. What kind of relationship do our families have? Quickly wipe your tears; you’re pregnant.”   

Yang Xi had been thinking of her brother and mother every day, suppressing her feelings, but today it all burst forth, and she couldn’t control her tears.   

This frightened Ziheng. “Mother, don’t cry. Mother, waì pó and jìu jiu will definitely be safe.”

Third Yang felt a pang of sadness. He also missed his lost second sister and wondered how she was doing. He had considered inquiring about her, but she was a single woman, and even with connections, he didn’t dare to ask.   

Zhong Jin’s family stayed for lunch. After the meal, Zhong Jin took out a box containing neatly arranged silver ingots, totaling fifty taels.   

Yang Xi refused, saying, “Absolutely not! Uncle Zhong has been honest and upright all his life. We can’t accept this money. Brother Zhong, although the confiscation was sudden, we’ve hidden some jewelry. You’ve seen we have a carriage and a new house. We’re not short of money.”   

Seeing Zhong Jin about to speak, Yang Xi interrupted, “Once the house is finished, we’ll find ways to earn money. We won’t live off our savings. Don’t worry, brother.”   

Ye Shi also hurriedly said, “Take the money back quickly, or don’t come back again.”   

Zhong Jin knew Zhou Yu wouldn’t accept it, so he took it out when Zhou Yu wasn’t looking. But his plan failed. Seeing his aunt’s serious expression, he quickly put away the box, saying, “Nephew will put the money away now.”   

Ye Shi pointed to the tonics and said, “Don’t bring expensive tonics when you come to visit in the future. It’s not easy for you to support your family.”

Zhong Jin’s gaze fell on his wife’s nearly new hairpin, and he sighed inwardly. His father was an honest official, and when he left the capital, the family didn’t have much money. After returning to their hometown, they bought land and supported their son’s imperial examinations, almost depleting their remaining savings. His father was also stubborn, rejecting all the gifts offered.

The family was only financially secure because of his father’s official position. He wasn’t as rigid as his father, but he had his own principles and had managed to save some money. With his brothers’ children in school, including his son, there were many social obligations, resulting in considerable expenses over the years. His wife rarely bought new jewelry.

Yang Xi got up and went out, returning with four purses filled with loose silver. She smiled and said, “The children call me Auntie. This is a greeting gift.”

Zhong Jin had four children, the oldest twelve and the youngest five, three sons and a daughter. None of the children dared to reach out.

Seeing her husband nod, Zhu smiled. “Your auntie gave you these; quickly take them and say thank you.”

The four children took the purses one by one and said thank you.

Yang Xi smiled. “They’re all good children.”

That afternoon, after Zhong Jin’s family left, Ye Shi felt a pang of emptiness but forced herself to cheer up, “On the bright side, we have someone to rely on now.”

Seeing her mother-in-law was tired, Yang Xi said, “Mother, please rest for a while.”

Ye Shi replied, “Okay, you should rest too.”

Yang Xi waited until her mother-in-law lay down before coming out, only to see Third Yang squatting at her doorway. “Did you wait for me because you need something?”

Third, Yang’s eyes held many thoughts. “Sister, may I ask Brother Zhong some questions about Ruizhou in the future?”

Yang Xi gestured for Third Yang to come inside. “Sure.”

“Jie, does the Zhou family have many connections?”

Yang Xi warned, “Don’t get any ideas. You need to know that connections need sufficient benefits to be maintained. The Zhou family is in trouble, and not everyone is as reliable as the Zhong family.”

Third Yang got up to pour hot water for his sister. “I know, I’m just curious.”

Yang Xi took a sip of hot water. “Do you know the meaning of ‘haste makes waste’?”

Third Yang knew. “Jie, don’t worry.”

Yang Xi wasn’t at ease. This kid had just asked Zhong Jin about the pirates in Ruizhou. If it weren’t for building a house and Zhou Yu keeping him in check, this kid would have been running around everywhere long ago.

Zhong Jin didn’t wear official robes to visit, and the Zhao family wondered where the Zhou family’s relative came from, but they didn’t dare to ask too much. They became more and more cautious about the Zhou family. Even Second Zhao’s daughter didn’t dare to mention learning embroidery. The way people get along was amazing. The Zhou family hadn’t achieved any official rank on their journey south, but they had shown their abilities. The Zhao family respected them and wasn’t afraid of them. Now that they had a relative, and one who clearly had status, the Zhao family’s ulterior motives completely disappeared.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Zhou Yu had been serving his corvée labor for seven days. Yang Xi wanted to visit him, but her stomach was upset from holding it in last time, so she could only think about it.

Hearing their mother talking about their older brother, Zhou Xiaodi said, “Mom, sister-in-law, I’m going to see my brother and bring back his clean clothes.”

Zhou Xiaomei quickly added, “I’ll go too.”

Zhou Xiaodi glared at her. “What are you, an unmarried woman, going there for? The dike is full of men.”

Zhou Xiaomei was a little unhappy; she also missed her older brother. Without him at home, she felt a lack of support!

(End of Chapter)

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