Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 894 - 456: Climbing the Family Tree_2

"What else were Auntie and the others gossiping about?" Lian Manman asked.

Er Ya was clearly hesitant and unwilling to speak, but under Lian Manman’s persistent questioning, it wasn’t long before the young girl let slip everything she knew.

"...And Uncle, really, if he had to find someone, why choose Yingzi? We’re all from the same village; people are talking. Even if Yingzi has a good reputation, things like this aren’t done..."

Lian Shouren and Wu Yuchang were cousins, so Er Ya should address Lian Shouren as Cousin Uncle. However, among tenant farmer families, to express closeness, the "cousin" part was often omitted.

Lian Manman nodded silently. As the saying goes, rabbits don’t eat grass near their burrow. What Lian Shouren had done was utterly disgraceful, showing complete disregard for propriety. Generally speaking, rural families adhered to simple values: if they had daughters, they’d rather marry them off to someone impoverished than let them become concubines. Families daring to take such steps were usually indifferent to their face or reputation and became the object of ridicule and disdain in the village.

Yingzi’s family was already looked down upon, and Lian Shouren’s actions weren’t doing anything to redeem himself. Having just left the village and served as County Magistrate for only a few days, he took a young woman from the same village as a concubine — behavior unfit for anyone claiming respectability.

Moreover, Lian Shouren’s actions didn’t just cast Lian Shouli and Lian Shouxin’s families into an awkward situation, but also implicated those related to the Lian Family, like Wu Yuchang’s family.

Yingzi marrying Lian Shouren immediately raised Yingzi’s father to equal standing with Old Master Lian. That put him a generation above Wu Yuchang and two generations above Er Ya. For Wu Yuchang and his wife to say anything good about this matter would have been unthinkable.

With this weighing on her mind, Lian Manman only sat briefly at Er Ya’s home before taking her leave.

"Sister Manman, is something bothering you?" Lian Yeye asked Lian Manman as they walked home.

"...Do you remember what Yingzi’s father asked us earlier? I’m afraid he’s on his way to our house now to see my parents," said Lian Manman.

The three girls passed by the gate of the Lian Family Old Mansion without going in, heading straight to Lian Manman’s newly-built home.

When they arrived near Lian’s Shop, they saw Xiao Qi stepping out from inside.

"Sis," Xiao Qi ran over and pointed toward the shop, "Yingzi’s father is inside, talking to Dad."

Just as feared, Lian Manman stamped her foot in frustration.

"When did he arrive? Why let him into the house?" Lian Manman asked.

"He’s been here for a while; ran into Dad at the door. Dad didn’t want to let him in either, but thought chatting outside might look shabby," Xiao Qi whispered to Lian Manman.

"Come on, let’s go see what’s happening inside," Lian Manman said as she strode toward the house.

As soon as they entered the shop, they saw Yingzi’s father sitting on a stool, talking to Lian Shouxin.

Clearly, Lian Shouxin didn’t like him either since he hadn’t invited him into the inner room. The shop’s main hall, not yet open for business, lacked a heating stove, leaving the space cold and unwelcoming.

"...Nephew," Yingzi’s father was saying, peppering his speech with overly familiar terms like "nephew." Though Lian Shouxin was a good-tempered man, even his face seemed darkened with displeasure now.

"Who are you calling nephew? Do you think you have the right?" Lian Manman raised an eyebrow and snapped at Yingzi’s father, before looking at Lian Shouxin and saying, "Dad, why are you talking to someone like him? You should’ve chased him out with a stick."

As she said this, Lian Manman actually began looking around for a stick, joined by Lian Yeye and Xiao Qi, ready to drive Yingzi’s father out.

"What do you mean I don’t have the right? My Yingzi is with your Uncle County Magistrate now, becoming an official’s wife. This makes me your Old Master’s equal at the very least; it’s only right that we can talk as peers..."

"Yingzi?" Lian Manman interrupted, "Wasn’t she the one who stole from Scholar Wang’s household, destroying a treasure worth thousands of silver? Yingzi is still alive? Where is she? We should go tell Scholar Wang right away..."

"...Scholar Wang, I’m not afraid of him," Yingzi’s father puffed out his chest, "Let him take it up with the County Magistrate. If any compensation is needed, it’ll be his responsibility."

Lian Manman almost laughed in anger at this response.

"In our family’s hierarchy now, I’m still your elder. You didn’t come visit me during New Year; I won’t bother holding it against you... I see your shop lacks management, so here’s what I propose: let me take over, and don’t worry about wages — just give me a share of the profits," Yingzi’s father brazenly demanded.

"Chase him out." Lian Manman finally found a stick and shouted.

Several kids grabbed sticks, ready to strike as they advanced on Yingzi’s father, scaring him into leaping from his stool.

"What are you doing? What are you doing? I’m the County Magistrate’s father-in-law!" Yingzi’s father protested, shielding himself with his arms as the sticks came down.

With someone like him, reasoning was futile. Either you scared him off, or...

Thinking of this, Lian Manman suppressed her anger, lowered her stick, and stopped Lian Yeye, Xiao Qi, and Lian Zhizhi, urging them to back down as well.

"...Regarding what you just said, if it’s true, then we might actually consider your proposal," Lian Manman said to Yingzi’s father.

"This..." Lian Shouxin looked worried upon hearing Manman’s words.

Manman quickly gave Lian Shouxin a signal to stay calm.

"Of course it’s true. Look at these clothes I’m wearing — didn’t the County Magistrate wear them back at home?" Yingzi’s father said eagerly, pulling at his tunic to showcase it.

"This is no small matter. If it were true, why hasn’t Grandpa mentioned anything about it in his letters?" Manman said. "If you want us to believe you, your clothes alone won’t suffice; you need to bring real evidence."

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