"Why does this voice sound so familiar?" Lady Zhang said as she slightly lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.
Lian Manman also heard the commotion outside. She found the voices sowhat familiar too, so she joined Lady Zhang in looking out.
The carriage was traveling along a rather narrow alley, flanked by houses on both sides. Smoke curled up from the courtyards of varying sizes, and the aroma of als filled the alley—it was ti for dinner.
But the group of people at the alley’s entrance, along with the noise they made, seed completely out of place in this harmonious and peaceful setting. As Lady Zhang and Lian Manman looked out, one person from the group suddenly broke free and ran towards another alley. The people behind him gave chase but soon gave up. A few others followed and cursed at the fleeing figure.
Lady Zhang only watched for a mont before lowering the curtain. She turned back to look at Lian Manman.
"Manman, did you see that?" Lady Zhang asked Lian Manman.
"Yes, mother, I saw it." Lian Manman nodded at Lady Zhang.
They both recognized the disputing parties. The person who ran away was Si Lang, wearing clothes made from fabric given by Lady Zhang. With the Lantern Festival over, most shops in the county had reopened. The Paper Craft Shop where Si Lang worked was different from other shops as it had work even during the festival, opening earlier than others. Hence, Si Lang had co back to the city for work.
And the ones arguing and causing a scene with Si Lang were Lian Lanlan’s family. The person who initially held onto Si Lang was Jin Suo, followed by Luo Baocai and Lian Lanlan.
"... Looking well-dressed, but he’s nothing but a scoundrel," Lian Lanlan’s insults echoed even as Lian Manman’s carriage moved further away. "A drinker, gambler, visits brothels, he steals—there’s nothing bad he hasn’t done, and nothing good he does... I’m not falsely accusing him, nor am I afraid of being laughed at by others; he’s my nephew. I know exactly what he’s like..."
Lian Lanlan’s tirade abruptly stopped when Lian Shouxin and Wu Lang, having heard it from the carriage, sent soone to make Lian Lanlan quiet down.
The carriage reached Willow Tree Well Alley where Chiang Zhanggui and his attendants welcod them. After a brief wash-up and while sipping hot tea in the room, Lian Shouxin’s face still held an angry expression.
"... All that cursing, how does that look, as if Si Lang wronged her, she’d get the upper hand..."
Lian Shouxin was displeased with Lian Lanlan’s public altercation and mutual insults with Si Lang.
"Is this settling old scores, or has sothing else happened?" Lian Manman asked.
"Her aunt isn’t soone who takes loss easily. Last ti, they caused a scene in the village and got nothing in return. The Old Master didn’t agree to her terms. Can she swallow this humiliation without retaliating? In my opinion, she’s here to settle old scores," Lady Zhang comnted.
Lian Manman nodded slightly, agreeing with Lady Zhang that Lian Lanlan was getting back at Si Lang. Since Si Lang tarnished Yin Suo’s reputation, she’d tarnish his in return.
"From the looks of it, perhaps sothing else happened too," Lian Shouxin frowned. "What could have happened? Si Lang and the others have already had a falling out; coming to the city for work, he couldn’t possibly be staying there. How have they ended up entangled again?!"
"We’ll know once Xiao Hetao returns," Xiao Qi said. After Lian Shouxin and Wu Lang stopped Lian Lanlan’s outburst and sent her family ho, Xiao Qi had the foresight to send Xiao Hetao to blend into the crowd to gather information.
Being young and quick-witted, Xiao Hetao was well-suited for such tasks.
Having been in high spirits upon arriving in the city, encountering such a scene dampened the mood for everyone. However, Lady Zhang, Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi didn’t dwell on it too much, so it didn’t affect their spirits deeply. They only talked about it briefly. But for Lian Shouxin, given his different sentints towards the old house, it weighed slightly on his mind.
Soon, Xiao Hetao returned.
"Did you find out what’s going on?" Xiao Qi asked Xiao Hetao.
"Yes, Second Master," Xiao Hetao quickly replied.
"Tell us, what’s the situation?" Lian Shouxin also inquired.
Xiao Hetao reported back on what he overheard and purposely investigated. It turned out that after the New Year, when Si Lang returned to work at the Paper Craft Shop, Lian Shouxin had left word with Chiang Zhanggui, who then inford the shop’s steward that Si Lang could stay at the shop after work.
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