Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 869 - 443: Shocking News

The third watch, seeking pink vote.

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Upon hearing Lian Shouxin put forth such a question, Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi all turned their heads away, pretending to be busy. Lady Zhang couldn’t avoid it, but she found it difficult to answer.

Lady Zhang’s hesitation aroused suspicion in Lian Shouxin.

"What’s going on? What happened over there?" Lian Shouxin hurriedly asked.

Lady Li, Caiyun, Lian Zhizhi, Lady Zhao, and Lian Yeye all looked at Lady Zhang, equally eager to know what had occurred in Taicang.

"His grandparents are all well, everyone in that big family is fine," Lady Zhang finally said. "The family Xiuxiu married into isn’t bad either..."

"So, is there a problem?" Lian Shouxin inquired.

"...it’s just that he’s a bit old," replied Lady Zhang.

"How much older than Xiuxiu?" Lian Shouxin asked again. Lian Lanlan had married an older son-in-law in the past, and all members of the Lian Family were aware of Old Master Lian’s temperament; they believed that an older man wasn’t just fine, but was, in fact, more steady and reliable.

Lian Shouxin wasn’t naive, glimpsing at Lady Zhang’s expression, he guessed that the new son-in-law must indeed be quite old.

"He is twenty-seven or twenty-eight? Surely not over thirty. Is it a second marriage? Has he been married before?"

Lian Xiuxiu was fifteen, so her partner would be at most twenty-seven or twenty-eight, Lian Shouxin thought. After all, even if a man’s age was to be considered older and steadier, there were limits to it. And a male from such age in an official’s family, having not been married before was nearly impossible.

With these speculations by Lian Shouxin, it was even harder for Lady Zhang to speak up.

Seeing Lady Zhang remain silent, Lian Shouxin guessed that the situation was likely dire.

"Mom, just say it, look how anxious dad is," Lian Manman said, "Everyone here is our own family."

"Xiuxiu’s groom was born in the year of bingzi," blurted Lady Zhang.

"That would make him as old as Jiaxing, you scared me," Lian Shouxin breathed a sigh of relief.

"Not sixteen, it’s seventy-six," Lady Zhang whispered.

"What?" Lian Shouxin jumped up abruptly.

Aside from the mother and children who just returned from Taicang, everyone else in the room was completely stunned.

"How could this be, how could this be?" Lian Shouxin began pacing agitatedly, "Even if that family has a high status and we could strike an arrangement with them, his age should not be so much; even if he is in his forties that would be the limit. Seventy-six, to speak bluntly, how many years could he even live? What is Xiuxiu marrying him for? What will she do in the future? Isn’t this ruining her entire life?"

Lian Shouxin’s reaction reminded Lian Manman of the despair and anger Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou felt when they first learned of the age of the Third Old Master Zheng in Taicang.

Even if Lian Shouren wished to curry favor with the local Taicang elite, even if the Zheng family held a higher status than the Lian family who served as the county magistrate, even if Lian Xiuxiu didn’t marry a sixteen-year-old and instead married the father of a sixteen-year-old, the age of that father was far too great.

If it were forty, or even fifty, Lian Xiuxiu’s future might still hold some hope.

Seventy-six years old, he could be Lian Xiuxiu’s great-grandfather; this was almost like directly placing Lian Xiuxiu into a tomb through a bridal sedan. Even if selling a daughter was meant to curry favor with the Zheng family for personal gains, at the very least, for the sake of familial ties, they should have left a way out for Lian Xiuxiu and preserved some dignity for the Lian Family, shouldn’t they?

"What’s going on?" Lian Shouxin stopped pacing and turned back to question Lady Zhang, "Grandfather and grandmother dote on Xiuxiu the most, how could they agree to such a match?"

"You’re asking me?" Lady Zhang, seeing Lian Shouxin’s reaction and suddenly feeling irritable, snapped back, "Why don’t you go ask your beloved elder brother?"

"What? ... Ah..." First, Lian Shouxin was puzzled, his gaze wandering, then he let out an exclamation.

Then, like a deflated balloon, he sank back into his chair, holding his head in his hands.

"Manman, what actually happened?" Lian Zhizhi, Caiyun, and Lian Yeye gathered around Lian Manman and quietly asked.

"...What exactly happened?" Lian Shouxin also lifted his head and questioned Lady Zhang, "Even if elder brother had such thoughts, grandfather and grandmother could not agree."

"Speak clearly, this is a big issue, everyone wants to understand it clearly," Lady Li addressed Lady Zhang.

"This matter, even now I’m still confused and afraid..."

Subsequently, Lady Zhang, Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi each shared in turn the events that had occurred after they arrived in Taicang.

As their voices faded, the room plunged into dead silence.

"It was his great-uncle who sold Xiuxiu! This..." Lian Shouxin raised his fist and heavily smashed the armrest of the chair, "His second uncle also helped in it. Previously, they deceived us, wanted to sell Manman. Manman was lucky, but now they succeeded in selling Xiuxiu off."

"The Old Lady knows nothing, and the Old Master was also deceived by him!... Ah, the Old Master still trusts him, suffering losses because of that trust."

This statement wasn’t wrong, Lian Manman thought to herself. It seemed that when Old Master Lian said Lian Shouren had no ill intentions, he wasn’t just trying to pacify them or merely saying it; Old Master Lian truly believed that Lian Shouren had no malice. Or perhaps, Old Master Lian knew that Lian Shouren was not without malice, but was unaware to what extent Lian Shouren could be malicious, especially towards his own people?

"Is there also the matter of his aunt?" Lian Shouxin then asked Lady Zhang, "Did she already know beforehand, and she had the heart not to tell the Old Master and the Old Lady?"

"We can’t say such things confidently, after all, we have no proof." Lian Manman replied, "My aunt arrived here earlier than us, and my grandmother must have confided everything to her. My aunt has been on good terms with my uncle and aunt-in-law for more than just a day or two. We felt something was off just half a day after arriving, but my aunt is much shrewder than us."

Lian Shouxin frowned and remained silent.

Did Lian Lanlan know in advance that Lian Xiuxiu was marrying an old man? Lian Manman was skeptical about this, but she was certain that Lian Lanlan must have sensed that something was off.

Were the valuable jewels sent over early in the morning by Lady Gu intended to make Lian Lanlan turn a blind eye?

When several people accompanied Lian Xiuxiu to settle accounts, neither Lady Gu nor Lady Chiang would expose anything. Lady Zhou stayed inside, crossed only the main door, not the second, and once there, she simply sat without moving. But Lian Lanlan was different. She was very good at socializing and fearless in exploring places she shouldn’t; if she was willing to investigate, she could uncover the truth.

"...I’m bringing a few children back immediately, not for anything else, but because I feel cold and scared. That night, I hardly dared to sleep soundly..." Lady Zhang whispered to Lady Li and Lady Zhao, "Thank goodness you didn’t go, lady. From now on, whatever happens there, I will absolutely not go. The children cannot go either."

"What has happened at home during these days we were gone?" Lian Manman found a moment to ask Lian Zhizhi.

"Nothing much, just that Steward Zhong sent someone to notify that he will come to transport the grape wine in a couple of days." Lian Zhizhi replied.

The grape wine had already been brewed, and even if Steward Zhong hadn’t come, Lian Manman was just about to write to him anyway. Thinking of the winery full of barrels of grape wine, Lian Manman almost saw heaps of silver, and her mood instantly improved tremendously.

"I’ve been keeping the accounts these days, Manman, I’ll give you the ledger later for you to check if there are any mistakes," Lian Zhizhi added.

"Hmm," Lian Manman nodded.

That night, everyone had dinner early, then retired, and the night passed without conversations. The next day, Zhang Qingnian drove a large cart and brought Lady Zhang Wang to pick up Lady Li and Zhang Caiyun to go home.

The family tried their best to persuade them to stay, but Lady Li felt she had stayed long enough and with many things to tend to at home before the year’s end, she adamantly refused to stay longer.

Lady Zhang thus organized two tables for a feast, inviting a few people from the Wu Family and the Lu Family. Firstly, it was because they had come back and it was good for everyone to gather, secondly to see off Lady Li, and thirdly, to thank the Lu Brothers for their care along the way.

Everyone enjoyed the meal thoroughly, and afterward, Lady Li’s family, due to the long journey ahead, bid farewell.

The Lian Manman family sent off quite a few gifts, besides the few that Lian Manman had brought for Zhang Caiyun, Lady Li and Zhang Caiyun each received a new set of cotton clothes, undergarments, and middle garments, commonly known as ’three new from inside out’. Additionally, Lady Zhang also gave away four pounds of cotton, two cotton cloths, a leather hat purchased for Zhang Qingshan, newly brewed grape wine, and several pastries.

Then the Lu Family and Son also took their leave, and Lian Shouxin handed over the sealed travel expenses. At first, the Lu Family and Son were reluctant to accept it, until Wu Yugui spoke up, stating that friendship is friendship, but business is business, and they agreed to take it.

The Wu Family didn’t hurry to leave but instead stayed to chat leisurely. Lian Zhizhi then took out the gifts Lian Manman had brought from Taicang for the Wu Family.

Aside from the items given to Wu Jiayu, Wu Yugui, Wu Jiaxing, and Lady Wu Wang each received gifts. Naturally, this made the whole family very happy.

Lady Wu Wang and Lady Zhang sat on the kang bed and chatted. Lady Zhang inevitably told Lady Wu Wang about Lian Xiuxiu’s matter.

"It’s enough that our own family knows, our Old Master instructed us not to tell others if they ask," Lady Zhang said, which also implied that she wanted Lady Wu Wang to keep the secret.

Lady Wu Wang was not very surprised.

"We all know this matter already. I didn’t believe it at first, but hearing you say this, I have to believe it," Lady Wu Wang remarked.

"Spread so fast, how did it get here?" Lady Zhang was surprised.

"In the county, in our town, those who run businesses, those who travel here, and those who have relatives over there," Lady Wu Wang listed, "this matter has spread faster than anything else."

Lady Zhang sighed.

"I still know something you guys don’t know," Lady Wu Wang added.

"What is it?" Lady Zhang eagerly asked.

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Delivering the third update, seek support.

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Ruoyan’s completed farming novel recommendation:

Title: "Rebirth: A Full Blossom in the Bright Moon" (complete text and extras) (click below for a direct link)

Description: Traveling to an era as a wrongly accused divorced woman carrying a small child, together with an economically suited man for a sweet life. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets or monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)