Chapter 191: Chapter 173, A Stroke of Good Fortune_1
In the dim, damp prison, several villagers from Panshan Village, including Qin Wu, lay in despair, waiting for fate to decide their lot.
“Brother Wu, do you think we can still go home?” A young man in his twenties asked, his eyes lifeless as he lay on the cold ground, blankly staring at the small window on the prison wall.
Qin Wu’s face was stern, his lips pursed; he didn’t speak.
The young man suddenly laughed foolishly: “Yu Niang is still waiting at home for me to return. I wonder if she’s gotten used to living with us since she just married into our family?”
At those words, a guilty conscience appeared on Qin Wu’s face.
“Stop talking, Thirteen!”
Someone spoke up to stop him. The more Qin Thirteen said, the more they all suffered, the more they longed to return home.
After a while, a slightly older and larger man moved next to Qin Wu: “Old Wu, do you think Xiaoliu can come up with a way to save us?”
Upon hearing this, everyone in the cell looked up in unison, their eyes filled with hope.
Even Qin Thirteen, who had been lying on the ground, sat up: “Xiaoliu is so clever; he must be able to save us, right?”
Looking into each pair of hopeful eyes, Qin Wu struggled to shake his head, his voice hoarse as he said, “What can he do? Here in this city, we are strangers without any connections; we don’t even have someone to ask for help.”
Instantly, the light in everyone’s eyes dimmed.
“Are we truly going to be exiled, never to see our families again?”
Someone collapsed, burying their head between their knees, starting to cry quietly.
Listening to the suppressed sobs in the prison, Qin Wu felt as if his heart were being thrown into a frying pan, the pain made it hard for him to breathe.
Just then, the Government Official arrived.
“Get up, get up, hurry up and stand!”
Seeing the Government Official opening the prison door, Qin Wu and the others had varied expressions.
“Sir, didn’t you say you would give us a few more days? Why are you exiling us now?”
Although everyone knew in their hearts that Xiaoliu couldn’t have come up with any plan, they still held onto a sliver of hope.
Hoping for mercy from the heavens, praying for their ancestors’ blessings.
The Government Official watched Qin Wu and the others panic and said without emotion, “Exile? Who said anything about exiling you? Come on, follow me, don’t hog the cell any longer; it’s been rather crowded these past few days.”
At his words, Qin Wu and the others were dumbfounded.
If not for exile, then why were they being released?
Having a lot of experience outside, Qin Wu was the first to come to his senses, quickly bowing and scraping as he asked the Government Official, “Sir, what exactly is going on?”
Seeing Qin Wu’s good attitude, the Government Official smiled and said, “You lot, you’ve struck dumb luck. That brother of yours, Xiaoliu, isn’t it? Somehow, he managed to bring the children of the Prefectural Governor of Xingzhou to speak on your behalf, and they’re discussing the terms of your release now.”
At this, Qin Wu and the others were completely flabbergasted.
When had Xiaoliu become so capable?
Seeing their dumbfounded looks, the Government Official shook his head: “Alright, don’t waste any more time; just follow me.”
Qin Wu snapped back to reality and quickly called his companions to follow.
Soon, the group saw Xiaoliu, along with Daohua and others, in the main hall.
“Brother Wu!”
Seeing Qin Wu and the others, Xiaoliu rushed over, inspecting everyone through tears and laughter.
Qin Wu looked at Daohua and the others. He didn’t recognize Daohua and wanted to ask Xiaoliu what was going on but felt it wasn’t the right time to speak, so he stood silently with his head bowed.
Daohua noticed the injuries on Qin Wu and the others, furrowing her brow as she turned to the Government Official, “Did you subject them to punishment?”
The Government Official immediately shook his head, “It wasn’t us who hit them; they got hurt fighting with the bandits over their goods.”
Daohua didn’t say anything more and took out her purse from her waist, preparing to pay with silver.
“What are you doing?”
Seeing her like this, Li Xingnian immediately intervened, “With uncle here, how could we let you pay?”
Daohua smiled, “I don’t have to, naturally uncle should pay, but since I have my own, why should I use your silver?” Saying this, she took out two five-hundred silver notes from her purse.
On the side, Yan Wenkai immediately leaned in, “Big sister, where did you get so many silver notes?”
Daohua laughed and said, “Great uncle gave them to me.”
Yan Wenkai immediately exclaimed, “Great uncle is playing favorites, how come he only gave them to you?”
Daohua smiled, “Because I am loved by everyone and flowers blossom at my sight.” Then, patting Yan Wenkai’s shoulder, she added, “Fourth brother, accept your fate, you can’t compare with me in this lifetime.”
Li Xingnian and Yan Wenxiu saw Daohua teasing Yan Wenkai and both shook their heads with a laugh.
“Big brother!”
Daohua handed the silver notes to Yan Wenxiu, asking him to handle the transfer with the associate governor.
Yan Wenxiu glanced at Daohua; he knew that the silver in his big sister’s hand was earned from selling the grape wine recipe, “I’ll tell mother when I get back.” After saying this, he took the silver notes.
Daohua responded, “Of course.” Even if her big brother didn’t mention it, she would have gone to Madam Li for reimbursement anyway, since the courtyard guards were hired for the Yan Family.
Li Xingnian tapped Daohua’s head lightly, laughing, “You’re so young, what do you need so much silver for?”
Daohua replied, “I want to buy an estate!”
Li Xingnian asked, “Isn’t it enough that great uncle gave you three estates and a shop?”
After Daohua gave the grape wine recipe to the Li Family, they naturally wouldn’t treat her unfairly. Knowing that the girl liked estates, Li Xingchang had given three recently purchased estates and a shop in Xingzhou to her.
Originally, they had thought that having properties in Xingzhou, now under their brother-in-law’s jurisdiction, would make things easier. Now that those properties had been given to Daohua, they had to purchase others.
Daohua countered, “Second uncle, would you ever complain about having too much silver?”
“Er… ”
Li Xingnian decided not to speak anymore.
Only then did Daohua turn to approach Qin Wu and the others.
“Uncle Qin Wu!”
Qin Wu hadn’t recognized Daohua at first, but upon hearing the address “Uncle Qin Wu,” he immediately recalled the clever little boy from before.
“Are you Daohua?”
Seeing that Qin Wu still remembered her, Daohua immediately nodded with a smile, “Exactly, I am Daohua. Uncle Qin Wu, you have a much better memory than Brother Xiaoliu; he didn’t recognize me at first.”
Away from the center, Xiaoliu scratched the back of his head sheepishly, “I remembered, it’s just you were dressed as a boy back then, and you suddenly changed into a girl, so it took me a moment to realize it.”
Qin Wu was a bit dazed, he hadn’t expected that a small good deed from the past would bring them such a great return.
Daohua smiled and looked at Qin Wu, “Uncle Qin Wu, I mentioned it to Brother Xiaoliu before, about you joining us at our home as protector, would you be willing?”
Xiaoliu immediately nodded, “Yes, I’ve already agreed.”
Qin Wu was momentarily lost in thought, then looked at Daohua and Yan Wenxiu, who was chatting with the associate governor, and quickly bowed, “It would be our honor.”
Behind him, Qin Thirteen and the others showed faces full of surprise and disbelief.
Just a moment ago, they were despairing, awaiting exile, and the next, they were going to work for the Prefectural Governor’s household?
Such fortune from the heavens—were their ancestors showing their blessing?
After concluding the proceedings with the associate governor and erasing the files on Qin Wu and the others, Yan Wenxiu came over, “We can go now.”
Only after they truly walked out of the Governor’s Office did Qin Wu and the others realize they weren’t dreaming.
Seeing that each of them bore injuries, Daohua thought for a moment and said to Li Xingnian, “Uncle, let’s go back tomorrow. Let’s get their injuries treated and let them rest.”
Li Xingnian naturally had no objections, “Good, we’ll return to Li Residence first, and I’ll send for a doctor.”