Shen Yanchuan didn’t answer him, asking another question instead.
"You said she’s from the Capital City, but I recall there was a famine in the north three years ago, and the Capital wasn’t among the affected areas. If she didn’t flee a famine, why would she travel all the way south to Jiangling?"
Xie Anbai scratched his head.
"I’m not sure about that. How about—"
He chuckled. "You ask her yourself?"
’Since you like the girl, it’s always good to learn more about her!’
Shen Yanchuan leaned back in his chair, his long, elegant fingers gently stroking the teacup.
’He didn’t even have to think about it to know. Ye Chutang would never tell him. It would be pointless to ask.’
She seed to be guarding her family’s past with extre secrecy. Otherwise, after three years in Jiangling, people wouldn’t still know so little about them.
’If they were just simple refugees fleeing a famine, why all the secrecy?’
Unable to guess what Shen Yanchuan was thinking, Xie Anbai switched topics. "By the way, when are you planning to return to the Capital City?"
Shen Yanchuan looked up. "Why do you ask?"
Xie Anbai chuckled. "Well, what I an is, whenever you decide to leave, you have to tell beforehand. Leave so money for the road—"
’Otherwise, how is he supposed to survive, wandering around without a single coin to his na!’
Shen Yanchuan mulled it over for a mont before saying, "I’ll set out as soon as my injuries are fully healed. However... by then, I probably won’t have any spare money to give you."
Standing behind him, Lian Zhou nodded vigorously with a pained expression on his face.
’He’s right! Given how ruthless Doctor Ye is, if we stay any longer, we won’t just spend all our money—we’ll end up in a mountain of debt!’
’No matter how rich the master is, he can’t afford to be fleeced like this!’
Xie Anbai: "..."
’This is absurd. Truly absurd!’
’Who uses a girl he hasn’t even successfully wooed as an excuse to get out of helping a friend!’
He stood up indignantly. "Oh, you’re so high and mighty! Spending all your money to keep Doctor Ye happy while you couldn’t care less if your friend lives or dies! So this is what they an by ’new love makes you forget old friends’! I must have been blind to have misjudged you!"
’And here I was, eagerly helping him investigate Doctor Ye, trying every which way to set them up. Turns out I was the real sucker all along!’
Hmph!
...
By the ti Ye Chutang returned ho, it was already past noon.
But A Yan, A Feng, and Xiao Wu still hadn’t eaten. They were all sitting at the table, waiting for her.
The two brothers had wanted to accompany her, but Ye Chutang had said no.
It wasn’t that she was worried they’d be afraid of the gore; she just didn’t see the need.
’Why waste ti and energy on a foregone conclusion?’
"Big Sis is back!"
A Feng, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot Ye Chutang and cried out in delight.
A Yan imdiately looked up. Seeing her return looking so at ease, the knot of worry in his chest finally loosened.
Xiao Wu, unaware of the situation, only knew that she hadn’t seen her big sister in what felt like a long ti and missed her terribly. She scampered over and threw herself into Chutang’s arms.
Ye Chutang ruffled her little head. "Let’s eat."
Ye Yunfeng tried to hold his tongue, but failed. "Big Sis, what... what happened out there?"
Ye Jingyan looked over as well, clearly just as concerned about the matter.
"It was rather troubleso," Ye Chutang said.
The two brothers instantly tensed.
Ye Chutang tilted her head slightly. "Jiangling might be getting a new county magistrate."
"What?!" Ye Jingyan was stunned. He had thought the best possible outco today would be the Cao father and son paying the price for their actions. Who would have guessed the county magistrate would be implicated as well?
Ye Yunfeng, however, wasn’t thinking that deeply and imdiately brightened. "Well, that’s fantastic! He covered for the Cao Family when those three people died. He never deserved to be the county magistrate in the first place!"
After everything that had happened recently, he had co to understand a lot.
"With a local official like that, you’d be bullied to death if you didn’t have so skills of your own!" Ye Yunfeng huffed. "If Big Sis hadn’t found a way, how could we be sitting here eating peacefully right now?"
The more Ye Yunfeng spoke, the more agitated he beca. Yet, when he turned his head, he saw his sister still looked as calm and unconcerned as ever.
He couldn’t help but ask, "Big Sis, aren’t you happy? This is great news!"
’Good begets good, and evil begets evil. It’s not that karma doesn’t exist, it’s just a matter of ti!’
Ye Chutang raised an eyebrow. "What’s there to be happy about? Do you think the next one is guaranteed to be any better than this one?"
"Well—" Ye Yunfeng was at a loss for words.
He hadn’t actually considered that before. Now that his sister ntioned it, he realized it was a real possibility.
Ye Chutang continued in her calm voice, "The only person you can ever truly rely on is yourself. If you pin all your hopes on others, you’re bound to lose everything in the end."
Ye Yunfeng’s turbulent emotions instantly settled.
He lowered his head, sowhat embarrassed. "You’re right, Big Sis. I’ll rember that."
Ye Chutang shook her head. "That’s not important. Whatever kind of county magistrate cos to Jiangling next will have nothing to do with us."
A thought struck Ye Jingyan, and he faintly guessed her aning. "Big Sis, are you saying—"
Ye Chutang’s dark eyes were serene as she said, "Start packing your things. We’re returning to the Capital City."
"What!?"
Ye Yunfeng was the most shocked. "But Big Sis, we went through so much to..."
He didn’t finish the sentence, but they all understood what he ant.
’They had all thought they would never set foot in the Capital City again for the rest of their lives. Who knew their sister would suddenly decide—’
Ye Yunfeng’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Big Sis, did soone bully you? Just tell who, and I’ll go teach them a lesson!"
Ye Chutang shook her head.
"It has little to do with what’s happened recently. I’m mainly doing this for you two. A Yan is already thirteen. If he stays at the academy here, his potential will be wasted for the rest of his life. And as for you, A Feng, didn’t you used to love the Capital City? Don’t you want to go back?"
"But—" Ye Yunfeng didn’t know what to say. An inexplicable tightness grew in his chest.
’The Capital City was bustling and exciting, and he did like it, but that was nothing compared to what his sister and family ant to him.’
He wanted to argue further, but then he t Ye Chutang’s calm, gentle gaze.
In that instant, he suddenly understood.
"Big Sis, you... you’ve been planning to go back all along, haven’t you?"
Ye Chutang smiled.
"The ti is right. There are so old scores that need to be settled."
The previously silent Ye Jingyan suddenly spoke. "I’ll go wherever Big Sis goes."
Xiao Wu listened, completely bewildered, her big, dark eyes, like black grapes, darting from one person to the next.
She had no mory of the Capital City, so she had no idea what they were talking about. But—she was just like her third brother! Wherever Big Sis went, she would go too!
Ye Yunfeng clenched his fists. "I’ll do whatever Big Sis says!"
’No matter what they faced upon their return, he would protect his sister and their family to the very end!’
Ye Chutang nodded. Then, as if rembering sothing, she said, "It’s only April, which isn’t the official enrollnt period for the Imperial College. I’ll write a letter in a bit. Once we reach the Capital City, you two can go there directly so you won’t fall behind in your studies."
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