The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity-Chapter 779 - 741: Passing By, Asking for a Drink of Water (Third Update)
Song Wei saw Yuanbao hesitating and said gently, "Since you have already told your mother-in-law beforehand that you don’t want to see Lu Yanqing, I suppose even if we go to pay a New Year visit, she wouldn’t arrange for you to meet him."
Wen Wan listened and thought it made sense, nodding in agreement, "That’s true. If Mother really goes against my wishes and secretly arranges for me to meet Lu Yanqing, then I’ll surely turn against her on the spot."
Song Wei chuckled and patted her head, "Such heavy resentment."
Wen Wan raised her eyebrows, "That’s right, the resentment of eighty lives has gathered on me now. If I see that person, I’ll eat him alive!"
The next day, the second day of the new year.
Wen Wan, along with her husband, plus Yuanbao, Jinbao, and Qi Bao, the three children, boarded a carriage to the Changning Marquis Mansion.
The Changning Marquis Mansion was just a street away from Song Mansion, not too far. After turning a corner from Rongsheng Street, they arrived.
Upon getting off, a housekeeper was specifically waiting outside.
Seeing Wen Wan, she smiled warmly, "The Eldest Princess heard you were coming and was so happy. She got dressed and ready early in the morning, Commandery Princess, Mr. Song, Young Master Song, please come in."
Wen Wan and her group followed the housekeeper to the front hall.
Lu Xingzhou was not there, and Lu Yanli, being someone who didn’t cry or cause trouble, made the whole mansion quiet as if no one lived there.
As Wen Wan stepped into the hall, she first scanned around and quickly confirmed that Lu Yanqing was not present, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, her mother was considerate enough not to force her to do anything against her will.
Zhao Xunyin saw through Wen Wan’s thoughts at a glance and laughed, "That boy left yesterday."
Wen Wan was startled, "Left? Where to?"
"Ningzhou."
Wen Wan remembered Zhao Xunyin once saying that once Lu Yanqing returned, he’d be sent to Ningzhou immediately to bow and apologize to Wen Guangping.
Thinking about this, it wasn’t surprising that Lu Yanqing left the Capital as soon as he arrived. It was just uncertain if this "apology" was willing or forced.
After greeting several people to sit down, Zhao Xunyin slowly added, "I went to the Lu Family the day before, when I got back, Dou Kou told me he left. No one in the yard could stop him; he left so suddenly that I only found out later."
Wen Wan was very concerned about Wen Guangping, "He wouldn’t be going for his foster father, right?"
"I’ve already had a Hidden Guard follow." Zhao Xunyin spoke honestly, "Moreover, judging from his behavior since returning, this child seems much steadier now, not likely to do anything too wild or rebellious."
...
Lu Yanqing left the Capital, heading south quickly toward Ningzhou.
The money he had on him wasn’t much. That day, Zhao Xunyin gave him a hundred taels. He spent fifty taels on gathering information, and the rest on buying a straw hat, spent a few dozen coins, went to a teahouse costing two taels, and before coming bought a protective dagger and pair of knee guards, leaving him with forty-three taels now.
He was used to the harsh conditions of the Northern Desert, so he stayed in ordinary inns along the way, even sleeping in wood rooms when full, eating steamed buns with pickles.
The Hidden Guards following in secret watched with worry, several times wanting to rush out to treat him to a good meal.
Lu Yanqing had never met Wen Guangping, so once entering Ningzhou, all information needed to be gathered from asking around. When encountering kind-hearted people, they directed him directly; greedy ones demanded silver before opening their mouths.
After a round of inquiries, by the time he reached the Wen Family in the county town, he had only thirty-five taels of silver left.
Standing outside the Wen Family door, looking at the fresh couplets on both sides and the fresh firecracker scraps on the ground, Lu Yanqing hesitated to step forward. He was about to knock when he heard a rooster crowing inside.
Subsequently, a young voice spoke, "Dad, let me be the one to slaughter the chicken. You go to the kitchen to boil more hot water for me to use later."
The speaker was Wen Shun, calling Dad to Wen Wan’s foster father, Wen Guangping.
Upon hearing, Father Wen obviously disagreed, "You haven’t been home for the New Year, and now you want to see blood your first day? Go stand aside!"
"Oh, but wasn’t I just busy with business? Dad, you don’t know, in the Prefecture those wealthy women love to choose rouge and powder as New Year gifts, the more expensive, the more face they have, the more they love it. Guess how much I made in just those days?"
Father Wen hummed, "I run a small business. How would I guess your rouge shop’s profits?"
With this said, Wen Shun felt even more accomplished, "From New Year’s Eve to the sixth, just those few days, I netted a profit of three hundred taels, how about it, impressive right?"
Father Wen asked him, "Net profit of three hundred taels, excluding the costs?"
"Of course!" Wen Shun had a face full of pride, "I’ve always said, it’s easiest to earn money from women in this area, especially those important wealthy women. As long as the counter ensures quality products, they’re not afraid they won’t come back. Whether for themselves, for family members, or sending to close friends, they all want top-quality, since giving it shows face, I earn money with face too."
Having said this, he grinned at Father Wen, then, gripping the chicken’s neck with one hand and holding a kitchen knife with the other, with a swift chop, that red-feathered rooster flapped twice and stopped breathing.
The task was taken away; Father Wen could only sit aside, examining him, "Alright, kid, you’ve really made a mark."
Wen Shun, plucking the chicken feathers, responded to Father Wen, "The three hundred taels, it’s gifted to you as filial piety, I’m not keeping a coin."
Father Wen asked him, "Give it all to me, and let your shop staff starve?"
"Listen to you, short three hundred taels, will my shop close down and prosper no longer?" Also said: "Originally, I went to the Prefecture because my mother secretly gave me two hundred taels of silver, allowing me to have today. This money, being returned, counts interest, making it three hundred overall."
Father Wen smiled, "Since you’re so attentive, I won’t be modest."
"Don’t be modest."
Wen Shun said this, humming a tune while continuing to scald the chicken feathers.
The dialogue between father and son inside reached Lu Yanqing’s ears word for word. He slowly withdrew his hand preparing to knock on the door, turning to leave.
At this moment, the door suddenly opened.
The person emerging was Father Wen, who, seeing a young man with dark skin outside, asked him, "Young man, do you have something to say?"
Lu Yanqing stood rooted on the spot, staring blankly at Father Wen.
Father Wen didn’t hear a response for a long time, so asked again.
Lu Yanqing moved his lips, speaking softly, "Just passing by, asking for a bit of water to drink."
