Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 898 - 459: Numerous Doubts

Second update, requesting pink votes.

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"Ah?" Lian Manman was taken aback, almost unable to believe what her ears had just heard. Instinctively, she asked, "Aunt Chunzhu, what did you say?"

It was as if by asking, Aunt Chunzhu might overturn her previous statement.

"Your grandmother is back. I just saw her enter through the door." Aunt Chunzhu repeated what she had said.

Lady Zhou had actually returned.

Aunt Chunzhu wasn’t one to speak nonsense. Even if Lian Manman didn’t want to believe it, she had no choice but to accept it.

"Aunt Chunzhu, let’s talk as we walk." Lian Manman gestured for Aunt Chunzhu to walk with her toward the shop.

"... I was feeding the pigs when I heard the sound of a horse-drawn cart at the entrance of your family’s old mansion. I started wondering who it could be, since you don’t live there anymore—just your third uncle’s family does—and usually, no one visits there. I went to the entrance to take a look." Aunt Chunzhu explained as they walked, "... your eldest aunt and Jizu were helping your grandmother down from the cart and into the courtyard."

"I was so puzzled—your grandmother, at her age, wasn’t she living well over in Taicang? If something had happened, there’s no reason for her to come back. As I stood there wondering, I saw Jizu come out of the courtyard again, hastily get back onto the cart, and the cart drove away."

When they entered the shop, the main hall had already cleared of customers. Lady Zhao, Lian Yeye, and two workers were tidying up and cleaning.

"Aunt Chunzhu is here." Lian Yeye greeted with a smile and added to Lian Manman, "Brother Jiaxing is here too; he’s in the back room talking to Fourth Uncle. Brother Jiaxing brought two fish."

"Oh." Lian Manman nodded. Earlier, she had seen a pack mule tied to the hitching post and had wondered who had arrived—it turned out to be Wu Jiaxing.

"Third Aunt, Yeye, just now a horse-drawn cart passed by the shop’s entrance. Didn’t you see it?" Lian Manman asked Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye.

"What cart?" Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye exchanged glances and both shook their heads, replying, "Nothing’s passed by here for quite a while."

"That cart must’ve come from the backstreet and headed to your home. When Jizu left earlier, I saw him tell the coachman to turn around, heading directly toward the backstreet." Aunt Chunzhu explained.

"Brother Jizu is back?" Lian Yeye asked.

Lian Manman’s mind was suddenly flooded with questions, and she didn’t hear Lian Yeye’s query.

To enter Thirty Mile Camp, there was only one main road passing by the front of Lian’s Shop. Logically, any cart coming from Jinyang County Town or even from far-off Taicang would need to pass through Qingyang Town, take the main road, and go by Lian’s Shop before reaching the Lian Family Old Mansion in the village.

If they avoided passing by Lian’s Shop, they would have to leave Qingyang Town, divert into a path cutting through the fields, then take the dirt roads used by villagers working the land before reaching the backstreet to get to the Lian Family Old Mansion.

That route was farther and harder to travel. Especially for horse-drawn carts carrying passengers, they would generally not choose that path.

They wanted to avoid Lian’s Shop!

Realizing this, Lian Manman felt her chest tighten and quickened her pace.

"Third Aunt, Yeye, come along." Lian Manman said as she hurriedly led Aunt Chunzhu toward the back room, gesturing for Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye to follow as well.

Upon entering the room, she saw Lian Shouxin and Wu Jiaxing sitting facing each other on the edge of the kang bed, chatting.

"Brother Jiaxing." Lian Manman greeted.

"Manman is back!" Wu Jiaxing said with a smile as he stood up slightly in greeting.

"Brother Jiaxing, I have an urgent matter I need your help with." Without any formalities, Lian Manman spoke to Wu Jiaxing directly.

"What matter?" Wu Jiaxing asked in surprise, hurriedly.

"Brother Jiaxing, I need you to quickly take the main road and help me catch up to Brother Jizu." Lian Manman said.

"Catch up to Brother Jizu?" Wu Jiaxing said, puzzled.

"Jizu is back?" Lian Shouxin asked, equally astonished.

"There’s no time to explain. Brother Jiaxing, please hurry and catch up to Brother Jizu for me; otherwise, things could get problematic." As she spoke, Lian Manman asked Aunt Chunzhu for details about the cart Lian Jizu had ridden.

"It was a blue cloth-covered carriage pulled by two blue mules. One of the mules had a white patch on its forehead." Aunt Chunzhu quickly described.

"Brother Jiaxing, got it? They shouldn’t have gone far. Brother Jiaxing, when you catch up to Brother Jizu, no matter what he says to you, don’t worry about it—just bring him back. If you have to tie him up with ropes, then tie him up and bring him back." Lian Manman instructed Wu Jiaxing.

"Got it." Seeing how anxious Lian Manman was, Wu Jiaxing knew the matter was critical. He didn’t ask further, agreed quickly, ran out of the room, jumped onto the pack mule, and whipped it to head down the main road toward Qingyang Town.