Chapter 112 – I Thank You on Behalf of the People of Dongfeng County

Chapter 112 - I Thank You on Behalf of the People of Dongfeng County

Mo Jiuya's eyes sparkled more and more as he listened, already guessing He Zhiran's intention.

Thus, he took over the conversation, continuing:

"As a result, Nan Qi will hold an even greater grudge against Nan Heng. With his narrow-mindedness, he'll surely find ways to cause trouble for Nan Heng when he returns to the capital.

Nan Heng will be preoccupied with his own troubles and, thus, temporarily cease his pursuit of me."

He Zhiran nodded with a smile.

"This is only part of the reason."

Mo Jiuya raised an eyebrow. "Do you have another motive?"

He Zhiran spoke with full confidence.

"I also plan to use this opportunity to help Fei Nanyu. When he returns to the capital, I hope he can spread the news of your conflict with Nan Qi. This way, Nan Heng will ultimately abandon his efforts to hunt you down."

Furthermore, didn't we plan last night to distribute the dog magistrate's wealth among the people?

I intend to involve Fei Nanyu in this matter as well. I believe with his capabilities, he can certainly make it happen."

Hearing her words, Mo Jiuya grew increasingly impressed by this woman's astuteness.

His tone inadvertently carried a hint of indulgence.

"It must be quite a challenge for you, carrying all these plans in that tiny head of yours."

Basking in the praise, He Zhiran nearly had her tail up in the air with pride.

"I call this killing two birds with one stone. Not only will we find a trustworthy person to return the dog magistrate's money to the people, but it will also alleviate Nan Heng's suspicions towards you."

Seeing her cheerful smile, Mo Jiuya couldn't resist ruffling her hair.

"Alright, you must be tired from being out for so long. Take a break, and we'll have lunch later."

He Zhiran relished in Mo Jiuya's affectionate care.

She obediently went to the restroom to wash her hands and then sat down at the dining table, awaiting the meal.

Mo Jiuya was in a fluster as he prepared two dishes with ingredients he found in the fridge.

One was stir-fried pork with cucumbers, and the other was stir-fried cabbage with eggs...

When the dishes were served, He Zhiran's eyes widened instantly.

She could tolerate the pork with cucumbers; such a combination was common in her previous life.

But what on earth was that cabbage and egg dish?

Putting aside the questionable taste of combining these two ingredients, it seemed Mo Jiuya hadn't quite grasped the cooking process.

The eggs were shattered into pieces as small as fingernails, some of which were even stuck to the cabbage.

Moreover, it was unclear how much soy sauce he had poured in – the entire dish appeared dark and gloomy.

The pork with cucumbers wasn't any better. Not only was soy sauce absent, but the ingredients were also covered in ants from the pan...

Looking at his creation, Mo Jiuya appeared somewhat embarrassed.

He scratched his head uneasily. "Um... my cooking didn't turn out as expected, but I tasted it just now, and it's edible."

He Zhiran wasn't the type to be overly picky. In her previous life, when she was young and her parents neglected her, she couldn't even have such a meal.

Moreover, Mo Jiuya had personally cooked for her; she couldn't reject his kind intentions.

"It's alright. You'll get better with practice."

With that said, she picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the food.

Although it wasn't particularly appetizing, He Zhiran decided to eat a few more mouthfuls.

Seeing that she wasn't repulsed, a smile lit up Mo Jiuya's face.

"Eat slowly. Let me help you with your rice."

When Mo Jiuya returned with two bowls of rice, the smile on his face transformed into another awkward expression.

He placed a bowl of rice in front of He Zhiran.

"I might have added too much water to the rice; it looks more like congee than rice..."

He Zhiran looked and indeed found it so.

The rice Mo Jiuya had cooked was too watery to be called rice, yet too solid to be considered congee...

Still, she encouraged him warmly, "It's alright, I can eat anything as long as it's cooked."

Mo Jiuya knew she was comforting him, and his heart swelled with warmth. His desire to cook for her for the rest of his life grew even stronger.

After their meal, He Zhiran began preparations to leave the space.

This time, she intended to take Mo Jiuya along.

After all, they were about to meet Fei Nanyu, and hiding Mo Jiuya would likely arouse suspicion.

The two of them appeared together in the abandoned room.

He Zhiran had purchased a large quantity of yellow foxglove from Taobao, filling nearly half the room with the pile.

Next, she arranged the stolen silver and copper coins from the county magistrate's residence on the other side of the room.

As for the banknotes, He Zhiran decided to keep them.

The reason was that banknotes were easier to store. There was no need for the corrupt county magistrate to hide them here, and if Fei Nanyu stumbled upon them, it would be like shouting "no silver here!"

By doing this, He Zhiran aimed to avoid potential complications.

With all the items in place, the two exited the room together.

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, clearly untouched for a long time.

He Zhiran pulled the cart around the yard in circles for dozens of times, aiming to create an impression that the place was frequently visited.

Once everything was set, she bought an antique-style lock from Taobao and secured the door.

Following that, she deliberately damaged one of the windows using a sharp tool.

Glancing at the large wall clock in the space, it was almost time for her meeting with Fei Nanyu.

He Zhiran purchased a few more antique-style cotton quilts and spread them over the carriage's interior, ensuring that Mo Jiuya wouldn't feel too much jostling while seated inside.

After driving the cart and paying the ten copper coins toll, the two returned to Pingyang County.

To make it appear as if she had come from the city, He Zhiran deliberately took a roundabout route before arriving at their designated meeting place.

Fei Nanyu was already waiting there. Upon spotting He Zhiran approaching with the cart, he hurried over to greet them.

Mo Jiuya lowered the carriage curtain for a brief conversation, after which Fei Nanyu suggested that He Zhiran sit inside while he and his servant would drive from outside.

During the journey, Fei Nanyu inquired with concern about how Mo Jiuya had sustained his injuries.

The pair had anticipated this question and decided to be truthful.

Upon hearing their explanation, Fei Nanyu didn't comment further but simply sighed, swiftly changing the subject.

As they continued chatting leisurely, they soon arrived at the abandoned mansion.

Mo Jiuya's injuries were still severe, and he was forcefully kept inside the carriage by He Zhiran.

He Zhiran led the two of them into the courtyard.

Seeing the trampled marks in the yard, Fei Nanyu indeed didn't suspect anything. Instead, he followed He Zhiran to the entrance of the main house.

He Zhiran pointed at a window beside it and said, "The door is locked. That's how I got in."

Without suspicion, Fei Nanyu strode up to the window.

He Zhiran pretended to struggle with the window for a moment before it swung open.

Fei Nanyu leaped through the window. Upon seeing so much yellow ginger, his usual composed demeanor vanished entirely.

"Madam Mo, you've truly done a great service this time. I thank you on behalf of the people of Dongfeng County."

"There's no need to be so formal, Mr. Fei. I have another favor to ask of you," He Zhiran replied.

"Madam Mo, please feel free to tell me what you need. If there's anything Nanyu can do, he'll spare no effort."

He Zhiran pointed to the pile of silver coins on the ground and said,

"I assume Mr. Fei is also aware that the Pingyang County Magistrate is a corrupt official. In his tenure, he has extorted a great deal from the common folk. These silver coins were undoubtedly seized from those innocent people.

Considering we've stumbled upon these coins, it's only right that we return them to their rightful owners."