Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 82

Since he had already retrieved his daughter, there was no need to stay any longer. Bai Chuyu bid farewell while holding Bai Lefu in his arms, though Officer Zhou did not leave with him.

Although little Bai Lefu had previously said she disliked Ying Su and her son, when it came time to part ways, she still felt reluctant. Before leaving, she even reminded Ying Su to bring Huzi to visit their house sometime.

Ying Su only smiled and didn’t agree. From Bai Chuyu’s actions just now, it was clear he didn’t want them to have further contact in the future. A life-saving favor had been repaid in full; he had no wish for her to use it to build a relationship or act high-handed. Truly a merchant, his calculations were precise.

At last, the drunken village head arrived. Upon hearing that county officials had come to the village, Zhang the village head sobered up instantly and rushed over, just in time to see Bai Chuyu’s carriage racing past.

A sharp-eyed villager shouted, “The village head is here!”

Village Head Zhang, who had been to the county office several times regarding land taxes and household registers, recognized Officer Zhou and knew that he had the county magistrate’s ear. Smiling broadly, he said, “Officer Zhou, what brings you here at this hour?”

Officer Zhou looked at him and said, “By order of the county magistrate, I came to deliver a reward to Madam Shen. Young Miss Shen drew her blade in righteous aid, helping us wipe out a human trafficker’s den. The county magistrate greatly admired her and asked me to deliver silver as a reward.”

Though a mere ten taels of silver could not compare to the five hundred taels Bai Chuyu had earlier taken out, the meaning was different. This reward came directly from the county magistrate. With his praise, Madam Shen’s reputation would rise in everyone’s eyes.

“The county magistrate also heard that Madam Shen is raising her child alone and asked me to convey a message, you are all neighbors, please lend her a helping hand whenever possible.”

Officer Zhou glanced at the gathered villagers. Those words weren’t truly from the magistrate, he had added them himself.

“Yes, yes!” Village Head Zhang nodded repeatedly.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.” Officer Zhou turned to Ying Su and added deliberately, “I’m heading back now. If you ever need anything, come find me at the county office.” He leaned closer and whispered so only the two of them could hear, “If I were you, I’d also choose the jade token from Second Young Master Bai.”

With that, he mounted his horse and rode off smiling.

After he left, Village Head Zhang asked Ying Su about the matter in detail, but she brushed it off with a few words. This only deepened his impression that she was not to be underestimated. Indeed, the saying “Those who survive calamity are destined for future fortune” seemed true.

The villagers were all curious about what exactly Ying Su had done. Some wanted to strike up conversation and build ties, so they lingered at the Li family’s old residence.

Ying Su, however, ignored them. She simply told Madam Li she was heading home first and then left with Huzi.

The villagers instead surrounded Madam Li and her family, pressing them for details about Ying Su. But she knew nothing more. Someone even asked, “Madam Li, did you realize long ago that Cuihua wasn’t an ordinary woman?”

Madam Li was dumbfounded. She spent half an hour chatting about Ying Su before finally leaving.

Old Man Li regretted things inwardly. Before Madam Li left, he even instructed her, “Pick a good day to enter Cuihua and her son into our Li family genealogy!”

Madam Li couldn’t help but purse her lips. All her persuasion had been useless before, but now that the county magistrate had shown favor, they suddenly wanted to include her in the clan records. What opportunists!

When they got home, Huzi asked with confusion, “Mommy, why didn’t you take the five hundred taels of silver?”

Ying Su never missed a chance to teach her son not to value money too highly. She said earnestly, “Silver is dead, but that jade token is different. If I took the five hundred taels, we’d have wealth for now. But if we faced true danger, matters of life and death, no amount of silver could save us. With that jade token, we could turn to the Bai family for protection. From what I hear, the Bai family is very powerful, wealthy, and influential!”

Most importantly, they were imperial merchants. In this world, if you grew rich enough to stir the emperor’s envy, that was a deadly thing, one false charge could mean your family’s ruin and your assets seized. 

But imperial merchants were different, their patron was the emperor himself. No matter how wealthy they became, the emperor wouldn’t begrudge them. What’s more, they could expand their businesses anywhere without opposition, who would dare compete with imperial merchants?

“But Mommy, that was five hundred taels of silver! In our lifetime, we might never earn that much!” Huzi said seriously.

Ying Su stroked his head and smiled. “Don’t worry. If that jade token truly goes unused, I’ll just ask them for a centuries-old ginseng root and sell it. That would be worth far more than five hundred taels.”

Huzi’s face lit up with excitement. “Mommy, you’re so clever!”

Ying Su shamelessly replied, “Of course. I’m your mother, after all!”

The next morning, before Ying Su was even out of bed, heavy pounding on the door woke her. The knocks were urgent, irregular, and frantic, clearly, something had happened.

She dressed quickly and ran to open the courtyard gate. Liu Chuncao stood outside, pale-faced and anxious. At the sight of Ying Su, her eyes reddened with relief. “You must hurry to town. A clerk sent word the shop has been burned! Dalang rushed there immediately and told me to inform you.”

“Borrow me an ox cart. Here are ten coppers for the trouble. I’ll take Huzi to your house, and we’ll meet at the village entrance,” Ying Su said calmly, arranging matters without panic.

She woke Huzi, sent him to Madam Li’s house, and then waited at the village entrance for Liu Chuncao.

Soon Liu Chuncao arrived with the ox cart. Ying Su jumped aboard, and the two sped toward town.

On the way, Liu Chuncao kept glancing at her. Seeing Ying Su’s expression remain steady, she couldn’t help but ask, “Cuihua, aren’t you worried? You don’t look anxious at all.”

Ying Su turned her gaze to the distant mountains. “Worrying won’t help. What’s done is done.”

“Oh,” Liu Chuncao murmured, saying nothing more.

Before long, they reached town. A crowd surrounded the front of Weixuan Textiles. The entire shop was charred black, the air thick with the smell of burning. The store was ruined beyond recognition. Inside, Li Dalang stood pale-faced amid the wreckage.

The neighboring shops had also been affected, but only lightly scorched, and they could still operate.

“Master, you’ve come!” Wang Guaizi called out when he saw Ying Su.

Because the shop sold furniture, nothing could really be stolen. With Fengyang County’s usual good security, Ying Su had never arranged for anyone to stay overnight as a guard. 

Li Dalang and his wife occasionally spent the night there, but last night he had drunk and not gone to town, only for such a disaster to happen.