Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 551 Wary_1

The three Princes chuckled and drank the wine in their cups, and the Second Prince signaled to the guard outside the door to hurry up with the drink preparations, "Since Mr. Zhou has said so, there’s no need to stand on ceremony."

It really hit home that the annual salary of a prince was not much at all. The maids and eunuchs in the service of the Prince Residence all had fixed amounts, and their monthly salaries were paid by the palace. Without this expenditure, a prince’s salary was genuinely not high, but of course, a prince who only relied on his salary would be utterly useless. They never lived off their salaries.

Zhou Shuren maintained a smile, feeling the ache intensified—better off feeling worse. Drink up.

Zhou Shuren glanced at Marquis Yao and smiled even brighter.

At the Zhou Residence in Jinzhou City, Zhulan carefully got up, saw that her son was still asleep, tiptoed out, donned a cloak, and went to the entrance of the courtyard. Her nephew, Wu Qiu, had arrived. Seven or eight horse-drawn carriages were parked at the door, Yang Wuqiu, wrapped in a cloak, quickly approached and said, "Aunt, why have you come out personally?"

Zhulan hadn’t seen the members of the Yang family for a long time, and their presence brought her the warmth of kinship, "I couldn’t wait in the yard and had to come out. You must have had a hard journey."

Yang Wuqiu smiled heartily, "It wasn’t hard. Aunt, please go inside. The wind is a bit strong today."

Zhulan indeed felt a bit cold, "Let’s go."

Back in the main courtyard, Zhulan waited for Wu Qiu to warm up with some hot tea before asking, "Is everything well at home?"

Wu Qiu felt not only warm in body but also in heart. Her aunt’s status had changed, but her care for her maternal family remained constant, "Aunt, everything is fine at home."

The aunt truly missed her grandparents, it was just unfortunate that they were too old to travel, making it difficult for the aunt to return as well.

Zhulan knew in her heart that all was well with the Yang family, but she couldn’t help but ask—it never felt quite right to not inquire, "If everything is good, then good. Stay for a few more days this time."

Wu Qiu shook his head, "With the New Year approaching, I need to rush back before it. Next time there’s a chance, I’ll definitely stay longer."

Zhulan expressed her regret, "How many days do you plan to stay?"

"I will leave the day after tomorrow."

Zhulan calculated the days, "It wouldn’t hurt to stay a few more days. It’s not too late to leave after your uncle returns."

Wu Qiu was taken aback, "Isn’t uncle at home?"

How could the Magistrate of a prefecture not be in Prefecture City?

Zhulan smiled, "What a coincidence, your uncle has gone to the capital. He left yesterday and will stay there for a few days."

Wu Qiu was no fool and quickly grasped the situation, asking with some concern, "Is there some trouble?"

Zhulan waved her hand, "No trouble at all, your uncle is just in the capital to report on his duties. Everything is fine at home; in fact, we received the rewards from the Emperor today."

At that, Zhulan paused a moment, later she would have Fourth Brother come over with the books given by the Emperor and have the children copy some of them. It would also be good for Wu Qiu to take some back; the Yang family was most in need of books. Zhulan still hoped the Yang family could excel in both literary and martial pursuits.

Wu Qiu’s anxiety was relieved, and he said with a laugh, "Uncle is quite capable."

Having received the Emperor’s rewards again wasn’t something just anyone could do. He felt immense pride and, recalling his grandmother’s admonition, looked at his aunt carefully. Her clothing and accessories were all of high quality, which put his mind at ease. His grandmother always worried his aunt wouldn’t tell the truth.

Eldest Brother Zhou came in, and announced, "Mother, the items Wu Qiu brought have been stored away."

Wu Qiu slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering, "Aunt, here are the account books and the list. Look at me, I got so caught up in talking that I forgot the main business."

Zhulan gestured for Old Madam Song to take it, feeling embarrassed as she said, "It’s been quite a trouble for the family this past year."

Wu Qiu shook his head, "Not a trouble, not a trouble at all."

The higher Uncle rose in rank, the better it was for the Yang family. Even though Uncle was far away in Jinzhou, he still managed to wield influence over Pingzhou City. Officials in Pingzhou all believed Uncle would climb even higher, so they were very polite to the Yang family—girls from the Yang family rarely faced any intimidation when they ventured out!

Wu Qiu saw Chang Yi entering and smiled as he said, "Chang Yi, this is the account book for your orchard."

Chang Yi’s eyes narrowed happily; he had accumulated quite a fortune, but the orchard remained his biggest source of income. He expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for looking after it this year, Brother Wu Qiu."

Yang Wuqiu smiled as he accepted the thanks. He had been responsible for overseeing all of the Zhou family’s industries in Pingzhou this past year, "In a while, you and I should definitely have a good drink together." freewebnøvel.coɱ

He and Chang Yi got along well; both enjoyed managing and operating their family’s enterprises.

Zhou Shuren laughed, "Good."

Wu Qiu also brought the rental revenue from the properties of the third branch and the income from their fields, which he handed over to Chang Lian, who arrived last.

Upon hearing her son’s voice in the room, Zhulan addressed her eldest few sons, "Eldest, with your father not at home, make sure to take good care of Wu Qiu. The meal should be ready by now; you can eat and chat."

Wu Qiu saw the little cousin being carried out from the room. The child had been well-nurtured, which put his mind at ease. He laughed and said, "Aunt, then we’ll head out first."

Zhulan took her son, "Go ahead."

Once everyone left, Zhulan played with her son for a while. Once he was seated and playing by himself, Zhulan picked up the account book. The year’s expenses and income were clear. The income from the fields wasn’t much; it all came from the orchard, totaling nearly three thousand and five hundred taels. Zhulan relaxed and calculated that the person Steward Ding had sent to Jingzhou should also be back by now.

Leaving the Tarven in the capital in high spirits, Zhou Shuren turned to the three princes and said, "Zhou has drunk too much and will take his leave first."

The teeth of the Second Prince and his companions ached; among the five of them, Master Zhou was the most sober. They felt sorry for Marquis Yao left in the private room, who not only had been made to drink excessively but also left to foot the bill.

Zhou Shuren climbed into his carriage and cast a sideways glance at the tavern’s private room, thinking that Marquis Yao was indeed quite an actor—falling into the trap he had laid out so willingly.

Inside the private room, Marquis Yao sat up straight, a cold expression on his face. Had it not been to put an end to that damnable meal, he wouldn’t have deliberately played into their hands, signaling for the bill. His face grew a shade greener; damn it, such an expensive meal, over a hundred taels! His gaze switched between the ginseng from the ginseng chicken soup and the fine liquors strewn about the floor, finally settling on the teapot. Gritting his teeth, he paid the bill.

Zhou Shuren returned to his residence, rested for a while to sober up, and rubbed his neck before taking a paper from Jingyan’s hand. It was from the Emperor and felt like a mixed blessing. He wasn’t returning to his post yet, but there were advantages too—now he had the Emperor’s men, which would make it more convenient to protect the Zhou family from covert attacks.

Zhou Shuren burned the paper and said, "Get ready. We’ll return home the day after tomorrow."

Jingyan felt relieved. The capital was a battleground for dragons and tigers, and the Master’s current strength wasn’t suited for a prolonged stay. It was better to return to Jinzhou Province.

Zhou Shuren felt his purse; he had saved some money today. When he got home, he could buy some gifts for his wife and son.

After breakfast the next day, Zhou Shuren went to the tea house arranged by Shen Shi. Entering the private room, he saw Shen Shi had already arrived. "Mr. Hou, Zhou apologizes for being late."

Shen Shi smiled, "I’m the one who came too early. As one gets older, one sleeps less. I couldn’t stay put at home, so I came out earlier."

Zhou Shuren sat down, "Me too; my sleep has decreased quite a bit these past two years."

Truth be told, it wasn’t Zhou Shuren’s first time meeting Mr. Hou. Mr. Hou was almost sixty, robust and hearty due to his military background. In comparison to Old Master Zheng, Mr. Hou had the unmistakable air of a military general.

Shen Shi sized up Master Zhou. He had often heard the Emperor speak highly of Master Zhou, and it was this admiration that inspired him to seek friendship. The Shen family had reached its peak; when the imperial power changed hands, they didn’t want to be feared by the new Emperor. To preserve themselves and inevitably to surrender power, they would need suitable partners.