Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 932 - 476: Initial Victory_2

The dinner that evening was lavish and lively, as one might expect. After the meal, no one left immediately. The plates and bowls were handed over to Da Liangzi’s wife for cleaning, and then Lady Zhang and the others went back to the rear courtyard, where they all removed their shoes, climbed onto the heated brick bed, drank tea, and chatted.

"Wu Lang, that child, has been sensible since he was little, more perceptive than most. In the future, he’s bound to achieve great things," Lady Wu Wang remarked.

"The imperial examination isn’t something that’s easily passed," Lady Zhang replied rather calmly. "This child loves to study, and in the past, he missed out on some opportunities. Now that the family is in a position to support him, we’ll let him study as far as he can go."

After talking about Wu Lang for a while, the conversation naturally shifted to other topics.

"Have there been any recent letters from Taicang?" Lady Wu Wang asked Lady Zhang.

"We just received one not long ago. With Qingming Festival approaching, Jizu and his wife said they’d be coming back to pay respects at the ancestors’ graves, and they let us know in advance," Lady Zhang replied.

"Just Jizu and his wife?" Lady Wu Wang asked. "Your eldest is now a government official and can’t leave his post, but what about your second son and the other children? Are none of them coming to visit the graves?"

"It’s such a long journey, back and forth," Lady Zhang said. "Jizu is the eldest grandson of the main branch after all; the two of them coming is already representative enough."

"The letters from his father aren’t as frequent as they used to be. Matters on Taicang’s side aren’t mentioned much either. The Old Zhao family seems to know everything over there, while we know so little," Lady Zhang said and then asked Lady Wu Wang, "Have you heard any news from Taicang recently?"

"Nothing particularly noteworthy—just that your two branches in Taicang appear to be living quite lavishly," Lady Wu Wang lowered her voice as she spoke to Lady Zhang. "They say even the Magistrate isn’t as influential as your County Magistrate elder. As for your second son, though he doesn’t carry a formal title, in Taicang, he’s second only to the County Magistrate and the Magistrate in authority. He dares to take any money, spend any money..."

Lady Zhang was silent for a moment.

"The Old Master always said to keep a close eye on them—how did it come to this? Won’t this lead to disaster someday?" Lady Zhang frowned as she spoke.

"I’ve heard that the second brother-in-law hasn’t been well since before the New Year. They say he rarely goes out or shows his face in public," Lady Wu Wang added. "Even if someone wanted to take charge, I doubt they could control him now."

The two sighed together for a while, tacitly avoiding any mention of Old Master Lian and Aunt Ping’s situation.

"Oh, there’s some happy news," Lady Wu Wang said, perhaps trying to lift the heavy mood as she quickly shifted the topic. "From what I hear, that Wang Qi seems to be pregnant."

"That’s wonderful news," Lady Zhang said, genuinely delighted. "Sanlang and his wife seem to be doing quite well, don’t they?"

"I’ve heard they get along really harmoniously. Sanlang must’ve fallen into a patch of good fortune. They say at the shop, he’s spared most of the hard labor, and Wang Qi really dotes on him," Lady Wu Wang said with a chuckle.

"Sanlang’s a fine lad—kind and easygoing," Lady Zhang noted. "He didn’t inherit any of his parents’ bad habits. He’s a good child."

"Kind-hearted people will be rewarded—that’s how the saying goes, doesn’t it?" Lady Wu Wang nodded in agreement.

After the guests were all seen off and only family members remained, they gathered in the East Room of the Upper Room at the rear courtyard.

Wu Lang’s bundles had already been sent over, and Lady Zhang was busy opening them up one by one to sort through.

Though no one had been taking care of him out there, Wu Lang’s bundles of clothing and other belongings were neatly folded. Apart from the thicker garments he had brought and would now store away, there were gifts from the Song Family and Wang Family.

The Song Family and Wang Family had both given silver lockets shaped like the Ruyi, along with brushes and ink. Additionally, the Song Family had sent two fine lengths of cloth. Lian Manman carefully noted all of these in the ledger for social exchanges, then stored the items away.

Wu Lang then brought out another bundle and began taking out the gifts he had brought back for his family.

Within was a box of pastries from Gui Fang Zhai in the county town, a box of goose egg powder, a pearl hairpin, two handkerchiefs, two pairs of delicate pearl ornaments, a package of new tea, and a pair of figurines from a set called "An Inn at the Village of Almond Blossoms."

Wu Lang had clearly put thought into the gifts, which made everyone smile as they accepted their presents.

He then handed Lian Manman a small bundle.

Lian Manman opened it to find a pouch containing two silver lockets she had given Wu Lang for emergencies, still intact. Additionally, there were several strings of copper coins and some silver fragments—money left over from his trip.

"Brother, how did you manage to have so much money left over?" Lian Manman asked. Judging by the remaining amount, Wu Lang must have been extremely frugal.

Wu Lang explained his expenditure in the county in a general manner.

"...Visiting the Magistrate and hosting people for tea cost a bit more than expected; otherwise, three taels of silver would’ve been enough," he said, implying it had even exceeded his planned budget.

"And these didn’t cost anything?" Lian Manman pointed to the gifts Wu Lang had brought back, particularly the goose egg powder and the pearl hairpin for Lady Zhang—they certainly weren’t cheap.

"I earned some wages while working, and I hadn’t spent any of it," Wu Lang replied with a smile.

Night had fallen, and Lady Zhang lit a lamp. Sitting together under the light, the family finally had a chance to ask some of the questions they had refrained from earlier in front of others.

"When you went to the Song Family, did you see Lian Huahua?" Lady Zhang asked.

"I did," Wu Lang replied, slightly furrowing his brow. "She was very affectionate, which felt a bit unnatural."

Lian Manman nodded. She didn’t need Wu Lang to elaborate; she could already guess the situation. Someone who had barely acknowledged you before suddenly acting so close—calling you "Fifth Brother" this and that as if you were tight-knit—it would make anyone feel uneasy. Both parties knew it wasn’t genuine, which made it all the more awkward.

"Brother, how does she seem to be doing in the Song Family?" Lian Manman couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.

"Just so-so, I guess," Wu Lang thought for a moment before answering.

The reply, though brief, carried layers of meaning. Yet still, couldn’t he elaborate a bit more? He had no interest in fueling Lian Manman’s gossiping spirit, much to her inward frustration.

"Our eldest aunt came to the place where I was staying to find me," Wu Lang suddenly added.

***......***

Here’s the first Chapter update—please vote for pink tickets. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

There will be a second Chapter update tonight. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)