Chapter 320: Sleep for a While (Make-up Update)

Chapter 320: Sleep for a While (Make-up Update)

Since Heng Lian is now useless, having been dragged onto a cart with his face covered by officers.

Hehehe, among those dragged onto the cart by the officers with their faces covered, he was one of them.

Another spot in the trade delegation for Xuancheng's paper industry chamber of commerce was reserved by Xianjin for the young Hengxi girl——the oral decree that summoned her clearly made Xianjin the leader but didn't specify how the team should be formed.

Naturally, this authority fell to Xianjin.

One must know how to seize power for themselves and give candy to others so they will follow you loyally.

The Heng family refused to let Hengxi out. The second wife of Heng Lian, a young and beautiful woman, stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, “Our fifth miss is already betrothed and will marry in June! She's not like those girls who think they're special. She's going to marry obediently, have children, and she's busy with her wedding embroidery. How can she possibly go overseas?”

The beautiful woman's eyes rolled around, “Her younger brother has just finished the provincial exam and is free. He can put the family business aside for a while and go on a voyage with you.”

The tone was like she was doing them a favor…

It was truly absurd.

Qiqiqi, who followed Xianjin, couldn't help but let out a sneer, “This is like cutting your own ass with a knife—what a revelation!”

“I think you're like a pig with a scallion in its nose, pretending to be an elephant; you've got eyes on your forehead, looking up at the sky! You're like an empty coffin at a funeral—a nobody inside!”

Xianjin glanced sideways, don't you want to live? You're so good at riddles, are you preparing for a graduate exam?

Qiqiqi continued with the sarcastic remarks, “A negotiation between two countries is a matter higher than the sky, and in your mouth, it's just some trivial thing to do! I think even if you counted the bones of your ancestors underground, the Heng family still wouldn't have enough heads for the court to chop off!”

The beautiful woman, hands on her hips, was trembling with anger, “You... you're just taking advantage of my husband's temporary troubles and coming here to pick a fight with me!”

Except for Aunt Zhong, Qiqiqi had always been indiscriminate in attacking both men and women, a professional and innovative troll.

Qiqiqi gave a "heyo" and was about to roll up her sleeves to start scolding.

Xianjin stood up and grabbed Qiqiqi, “Enough.”

Xianjin's gaze was deep and sharp, calmly looking at the beautiful woman, “First, Heng Lian isn't coming back—he'll either be exiled or imprisoned. If you're not deeply in love with him, you should go back to your family and seek a divorce; that would be the right thing to do.”

“Second, I planned to support the Heng family because of Hengxi. But if she can't lead, I'll support Liu's, Yun Kee, Fang's, Yuan's... It doesn't matter to me.”

“Third, I'm not generous—if I don't support you, I'll make sure the Heng family suffers.”

“Think about these three points yourself. If you're stupid and can't understand, then gather the elders of your clan to think with you. Tomorrow afternoon, I'm leaving with Prefectural Magistrate Xiong for Yingtian Prefecture. If Hengxi doesn't come, there's no point in sending anyone from the Heng family.”

Xianjin turned around and left, got on a mule cart, and headed straight to Li Sanshun's house in Jing County. As soon as she entered the house, Xianjin started crying, “You didn't want to serve the Chen family or come with me—you're blaming me!”

Li Sanshun was stunned, watching Xianjin shift the blame like Pigsy climbing a wall, “You ungrateful girl! I saw you being dragged in by the old madam, and I dropped everything to save you! I even skipped the trip to Yingtian Prefecture to beg people to help you! You left me, an old man, behind!”

Xianjin sniffled, wiping her eyes, “Then why didn't you come to find me after you left the Chen family?”

Li Sanshun roared, “Why didn't you change my contract when you changed Zhou Ergou's and the Zheng brothers' contracts?”

Xianjin gave a dry laugh, “I didn't want to tell you about my plan to leave the Chen family in advance, and I didn't want to manipulate you without your knowledge…”

Li Sanshun's eyes widened.

“Manipulate your contract…”

Xianjin took a deep breath, “You're the most righteous. If I had told you in advance that I was planning to escape from the Chen family, would you have come with me or stayed behind?”

Li Sanshun thought for a moment: There’s no way I’d go with her. He had always been stubborn and loyal. If that stubborn girl had told me ahead of time that she was planning to run off with others, I’d never betray the family! Not only would I not go with her, but I might also grab her ear and scold her until she was in tears...

Li Sanshun sighed and sat down, "She really is too much."

"She" referred to Madam Qu.

Xianjin, seeing that Old Man Li's tone had softened, immediately seized the opportunity, "Exactly! If I don't leave now, I'd be letting down my mother and Third Master!"

Li Sanshun sighed again.

Xianjin took the opportunity to mention the matter of joining the imperial negotiation team to go to Fujian.

The old man was instantly stunned, and before long, the corners of his eyes turned red. He rubbed his hands together, bowed his head, and after looking up, wiped his eyes with the back of his calloused hand.

"...Should I go? What am I even considered...? " Li Sanshun's eyes were bloodshot, and he forced a smile, "I'm just a laboring man. There are so many bosses in that trade association. You should pick two who can help you... You all go together, go together."

Xianjin angrily said, "The papers that are sent up to the imperial throne are all drafted by you. If I say you should go, then you should go!"

Li Sanshun blinked, and two clear tears fell from his cloudy old eyes.

Xianjin softened her tone and spoke for a long time. Watching Li Sanshun wipe his tears while chattering, just before leaving, she said, "Meet me at the entrance of the magistrate's office tomorrow evening. I've prepared your clothes and travel money. All you need to do is tidy your beard, bring your name card, settle your household affairs, and come directly."

Li Sanshun, with red eyes, nodded repeatedly, "I'll boil water for a bath right away, and first go burn some incense at the ancestral grave. I'll tell the Li ancestors that their unworthy descendant has finally amounted to something, following the officials to venture out!"

Xianjin nodded: As the one who established the family’s ancestral shrine, she didn’t have to worry about such things.

...

The next evening, as the sky turned dark, the back alley of the magistrate's office was bustling. A dozen mule carts made their way north from the southern end of the alley.

Hengxi, her face flushed red, held onto one of Xianjin's arms, leaning on her shoulder, chattering, "...Last month, they hastily arranged my engagement. After the engagement, they wouldn't allow me to leave the courtyard every day."

"My father completely sees me as a potential threat and rival. The marriage was arranged quickly and far away, to a man eight hundred miles off, a so-called scholar from a family of modest means but proud lineage."

"Some of the managers in the family's shop who were close to me, hearing about this, all spoke up for me. My father either sent them back home or fired them outright; the people around me were replaced, and the two maids I relied on were immediately sold off..."

"When you came yesterday, as soon as the door of my courtyard opened, I immediately brought back the two maids I had relied on, fortunately, they hadn't been sold to the red-light district..."

"I need to be strong, I have to be strong... But for now, I just need to rest..."

Hengxi nuzzled against Xianjin’s shoulder, yawned, and soon drifted off to sleep, feeling safe in her company.