Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 607 Helping_1

The next day, as Zhulan woke up to the sound of rain outside the window, she commented, "The candidates this year are not very lucky."

Zhou Shuren sat up, set foot on the ground, and pushed open the window to look, "Indeed, it’s not good. It’s the heaviest rain of the whole autumn today."

The maid and Old Madame Song, hearing the noise outside, had already brought in basins of water and pushed open the door.

Zhulan got off the bed with concern, "I don’t know if it’s raining in Pingzhou."

Zhou Shuren said, "Rongchuan and Chang Lian are quite lucky. I guess it’s not raining there."

Zhulan instructed, "Let’s wash up."

After breakfast, Zhou Shuren braved the rain to go to the government office, while Zhulan taught her son how to recognize animals. These small creatures were all drawn by her, not in modern illustrations, but in ink paintings.

An hour later, Xue Han and Wu Ning came over. Xue Han’s legs were a bit wet, "Mother, I really hate rainy days. No matter how careful you are, you can still get caught in the rain."

Zhulan pointed at the table, "This is ginger tea. You and Wu Ning drink a cup to dispel the chill."

This autumn rain had brought down the temperature quite a bit, and once it stopped, it would be hard for the temperature to rise again. The ancient times already had lower average temperatures. Zhulan, who was nurturing her health, was quite susceptible to the cold, so she had Old Madame Song light a brazier.

Xue Han obediently drank the ginger tea, looking at the brazier inside the house, "The bamboo charcoal for this year was bought from someone Second Brother knows. It seems quite good."

Zhulan smiled, "Yes, the charcoal fire is nice."

Wu Ning looked at the rain outside the door curtain, "With such heavy rain, can the second young miss of the Yao family still come?"

Xue Han replied, "She will definitely come."

Therefore, Xue Han understood Yao Yao very well. Before long, Yao Yao arrived. Yao Yao wore plainly-colored clothes, her appearance slightly austere, which added some color to her otherwise not-so-remarkable features. Along with her unique charm, she still attracted people’s attention.

After paying her respects, Zhulan gestured for Yao Yao to sit down and drink some ginger tea first.

Xue Han asked Yao Yao, "Has Sister Yao been well lately?"

Yao Yao’s lips curled into a faint smile, "Thank you for your concern, sister. I am quite well."

Xue Han believed Sister Yao’s words—who else but Sister Yao could be so extraordinary!

In Zhou Village, Jiang Miu once again circled around the Jiang family’s residence. At this time, Jiang Muchen would always get up early to gather a bundle of firewood and bring it home. From just one glance, she saw Jiang Muchen coming out the door.

Jiang Miu ran over quickly, "Big Brother Jiang."

Jiang Muchen heard the voice and turned around, "Oh, it’s you."

Jiang Miu smiled, "I’ll go with Big Brother Jiang."

Jiang Muchen stood still, watching Jiang Miu, struggling within. The girl had a fondness for him, and he could take advantage of that, but no, that would not be right. He vowed never to become a man like his father. In the end, he sighed, "The mountainside is no place for you."

Jiang Miu paused, her lips pressed tightly together as she said nothing. She had been observing for some days now, and today she had taken the initiative to speak for the first time. She felt disheartened but did not have the shamelessness to linger, "Then I’ll head back. Big Brother Jiang, take care."

Jiang Muchen watched the girl who spoke and then ran off, the smile at the corner of his mouth fading. She was the first person to show him kindness since he had been cast into the dust. His eyes drooping, he walked toward the mountainside. Just look— the children of Zhou Village were all avoiding him. Even after moving to Zhou Village, the affairs of their family continued to spread, thanks to the visit from his old uncle’s family a few days ago.

In the Jiang family, Xue Mei took advantage of her youngest son’s nap to dry some mushrooms her in-laws had picked. She then saw her daughter coming in with her head lowered. She arched an eyebrow, "You’ve returned quite early today."

Jiang Miu knew she couldn’t hide it from her mother, and she had no intention to hide it, "Mother, the eldest brother of the Jiang family doesn’t like me getting close."

Xue Mei looked at her daughter, "Mother doesn’t like you getting close to him either."

Jiang Miu hung her head low, "If they really wanted to utilize me, they wouldn’t have rushed me back today."

Xue Mei was relieved, knowing her daughter wasn’t foolish, which was why she hadn’t stopped her. She was clear in her mind that the more she forbade, the more curious her daughter would become. However, she had never considered a child from the Jiang family as a son-in-law, "Come over and help."

In Jinzhou Province, because Miss Yao, the second daughter, was staying for a meal, Xue Han went to prepare, and Wu Ning also left with Xue Han.

In the room, only Zhulan and Yao Yao remained. Seeing Yao Yao looking at her, Zhulan spoke directly, "Your visit today isn’t just a simple courtesy call, is it?"

Yao Yao stood up, "Indeed, I’ve come today to ask for a favor."

Zhulan uttered "Oh," "You so readily call upon past favors?"

She still remembered the letter Yao Yao had written.

Yao Yao’s eyes curved in a smile, "Yes."

Zhulan pondered inwardly, "What is it that you are asking for?"

Yao Yao gestured for the old woman behind her to take out something wrapped in oiled cloth, a square shape. Yao Yao unfolded it herself, "Here are Fifteen Thousand Silver Notes, and I’d like to ask the Zhou residence to help me purchase some properties and then register them under the name of the Zhou house."

Zhulan took the silver notes, fifteen one-thousand-tael notes, "What are you implying?"

Yao Yao hung a faint smile on her lips, "I’m merely securing more fallbacks for myself."

She had initially planned on becoming a nun this year and had almost made all the arrangements when her eldest brother, with no alternatives, informed her that the Emperor intended to grant her a marriage. Becoming a nun was no longer possible, and she would have to change masters for this chess piece that she was, therefore she needed more fallbacks. Since she wasn’t going to die, silver was the most important thing. It was a pity that it took her a whole year to discreetly amass just fifteen thousand taels.

Zhulan accepted the silver notes, "Do you have any specific requirements for the properties?"

Yao Yao smiled softly, "I’ll leave the decisions to you."

Zhulan chuckled. She had said it, Yao Yao wasn’t just here to look after Magistrate Shen. This lady Sho had leveraged Marquis Yao’s intentions to secure a future for herself in Jinzhou Province.

That evening, when Zhou Shuren returned, Zhulan brought up the matter, "From Yao Yao’s tone, it seems like she’s about to be married soon."

Zhou Shuren, "This girl is no ordinary person. Since she has expressed her intentions, it’s almost certain."

Zhulan remarked, "It’s still unknown whom she will marry."

Zhou Shuren hummed, "That will depend on the Emperor. The capital has been quite lively recently!"

Zhulan inquired, "Has something happened?"

Zhou Shuren, "It’s just a dog-eat-dog affair. However, Yao Wenqi has been completely exposed. Recently the fifth Prince has eliminated a number of people, and Yao Wenqi, who had been holding back, couldn’t do so any longer. The excitement in the capital is indeed spectacular."

Zhulan laughed softly, "He faces his own son competing with him up front, and the fifth Prince from behind. It’s not that Yao Wenqi doesn’t want to hold back any longer, but that he can no longer afford to. If he does, he’ll completely lose the people’s support."

"My wife is right. So, it’s the Emperor who is formidable, using the chess pieces at his disposal to push Yao Wenqi into rebellion, waiting for him to show his true colors."

Zhulan spoke somberly, "Let’s wait and see, there will be even bigger excitement next year!"

Zhou Shuren also thought of Shen Yang and indeed, there would be significant excitement!

This year’s candidates from Jinzhou Province were rather unlucky. Apart from the fine weather on the first day of the exam, the ensuing days never ceased to rain. Their cotton quilts, once brought inside, soaked up water, and even without being directly drenched, the blankets absorbed the dampness and became wet, their clothes never dried, and by the end of the exam, quite the majority of the delicate scholars had fallen ill.

He Shu was also unfortunate to have gotten sick. With an injury that wasn’t severe to begin with, he now fell ill with an onset that seemed fierce.

Wu Ning returned from Lord Wang’s residence, and Zhulan inquired, "Did you meet with him? How is He Shu?"