First watch, seeking pink.

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

When Lian Manman heard this sentence, she couldn’t help but stop in her tracks. The amount of information contained in this sentence was too much. Among Officer Zhou and his group, who came back besides Officer Zhou? What are they back for? Is it a temporary return for some matters, or have they returned for good, never to go back to Taicang?

Lian Manman really wanted to keep listening, but with Wu Jiayu beside her, she could only close the door of the East Room and accompany Wu Jiayu to the West Room. Lian Zhizhi laid out a small cushion on the kang bed, while Lian Manman brought some snacks and fruits, and poured tea for Wu Jiayu. The three young girls sat around the kang bed, and Wu Jiayu picked up the partially finished needlework that Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman were working on from the Chinese basket beside them to look at.

"Jiayu, have some food." Lian Zhizhi offered Wu Jiayu. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Oh." Wu Jiayu replied softly, her eyes unable to move away from the flowers embroidered by Lian Zhizhi.

Lian Manman glanced at Wu Jiayu. The matter of Officer Zhou returning is different from Zhao Xiue’s matter; Wu Jiayu probably knew something too. Lady Wu Wang and Lady Zhang surely pushed them out because they wanted to discuss Officer Zhou’s return, which would involve talking about Zhao Xiue’s situation, fearing it was inappropriate for the young girls to hear.

So, everyone will just pretend not to know about Zhao Xiue’s situation, and asking Wu Jiayu about Officer Zhou’s return should be fine.

With this in mind, Lian Manman smiled and started talking to Wu Jiayu, quickly leading the conversation to the main topic.

"When my aunt came this time, did she hear any news from Taicang?" Lian Manman asked Wu Jiayu.

"Mm." Wu Jiayu nodded, "Officer Zhou’s family has come back."

"The whole family has returned, what’s going on?" Lian Manman asked further.

"Our family just found out, it is said that they already came back the day before yesterday and stayed in the county town. Today, Officer Zhou returned to the town, and everyone found out." Wu Jiayu told Lian Manman, "Officer Zhou, his wife, and his father-in-law all returned. It is said his father-in-law fell ill and couldn’t get treated in Taicang, fearing the worst, they resigned and came back. As a result, once they returned, they saw the county doctor, took medicine, and his condition improved."

"Officer Zhou also mentioned when he returned that he did quite well in his post in Taicang, but his wife and father-in-law constantly faced minor illnesses there. So now that they’ve returned, they don’t plan to go back to Taicang and are looking for work in our County Yamen."

Hearing Wu Jiayu speak this way, Lian Manman couldn’t help but get a bit suspicious. Officer Zhou and his father-in-law, who served as a legal advisor, have no intention of returning to Taicang. Things are definitely not as simple as they seem. How can an illness be cured just by returning and taking medicine, and how can there be constant minor illnesses in Taicang? If that were truly the case, why didn’t they come back sooner?

This matter is definitely related to the commotion caused by Zhao Xiue. It seems that due to that incident, a rift appeared between the group of Officer Zhou and the Lian Family Main House, making it impossible to continue working together, prompting Officer Zhou and his group to return, disguising it with such an official-sounding reason to save face and cover up the real situation.

However, is Officer Zhou’s return just because of such a reason at this time?

No, Lian Manman calculated the days; the date of Officer Zhou’s return is quite far apart from the day Lady Wu Wang came to inform of Zhao Xiue’s matter, making the time from the event even longer. If it was solely because of that incident, then Officer Zhou and his group should have returned from Taicang long ago. Given the awkward relationship between the host and the guest, why did they stay together for these days?

Officer Zhou and his father-in-law, the legal advisor, initially went to Taicang aiming for the positions of Chief Arresting Officer and Chief Legal Advisor. These two positions are highly lucrative. For them to give up such benefits, there must be a very strong reason.

The so-called illness and treatment should merely be an excuse, a buffer.

Lian Manman felt that the incident with Zhao Xiue when it escalated, was sufficient reason. But she couldn’t apply this standard to demand Officer Zhou’s group to sever ties with the people of the Lian Family Main House.

Is it merely out of necessity? Lian Manman wondered in her heart, hoping that was the case.

After talking for a while, Lady Wu Wang and Lady Zhang finally left with Wu Jiayu. Once those two ladies were seen off, Lian Manman again asked Lady Zhang what Lady Wu Wang said to her during this visit.

Lady Zhang did not hide anything and told Lian Manman pretty much the same as what Wu Jiayu had recounted.