Chapter 282
Zhou Shuyao was filled with anger, and coupled with the loss of the white jade rabbit, her face, not yet fully bloomed, was covered in frost. She was clearly displeased with Zhang Minhua's previous actions.
After ordering the guards to drag Zhang Momo away, Zhang Minhua turned to her daughter, who had a stern expression, "Shuyao, do you know what you did wrong?"
"I did nothing wrong!" Her voice suddenly sharpened. Zhou Shuyao, having lost her composure, looked at her mother's darkening face and felt a pang of panic. She clenched her fists tightly and looked to Zhang Minxian for help, "Uncle, I did nothing wrong."
He had no intention of intervening between his sister and niece. After all, in Zhang Minxian's eyes, the mother and daughter were merely bickering. Even in the Zhang family, if his wife and children disagreed, Zhang Minxian would not interfere. As a fifth-rank official of the imperial court, he was concerned with his career and officialdom; he was too lazy to bother with such trivial matters of the inner chambers.
However, seeing Zhou Shuyao's wronged eyes red, Zhang Minxian spoke, "Shuyao, your mother is angry for two reasons. Firstly, you shouldn't have tried to snatch that young girl's tea. For the Zhou family, and for the Zhang family, official families value reputation above all else. You jeopardized the reputation of both families for this bit of tea. Shuyao, do you think it was worth it?"
"Me?" Zhou Shuyao had indeed been spoiled since childhood. If this were in Linzhou Prefecture, she wouldn't have lost her composure like this. It was precisely because this was Xiangwu County that she dared to be so arrogant and overbearing. Offending a young girl from a merchant family, what did she, the daughter of the Zhou family, have to fear?
Seeing through Zhou Shuyao's thoughts at a glance, Zhang Minxian said again, "You think that young girl has no background and can only accept her fate if bullied. But have you considered that if her family is in business, they are bound to have some connections to officialdom? What if her backer is an enemy of the Zhang family or the Zhou family?"
Zhou Shuyao's face turned pale. If it were an enemy of both families, they would surely seize the opportunity and escalate the matter to attack the Zhou and Zhang families. If they encountered someone ruthless, they might even make further trouble.
As her first child, seeing Zhou Shuyao like this, Zhang Minhua felt a pang of sympathy, but her face still held a coldness. "If that young girl truly goes to the yamen to file a complaint, your uncle and I will definitely protect our people. The county magistrate of Xiangwu County might even punish that young girl to curry favor with us."
This was the reason for Zhou Shuyao's fearlessness. However, Zhang Minhua's next words made Zhou Shuyao's face drain of all color.
"According to your uncle, if our families' enemies learn of this matter, and that young girl falls ill and dies after returning home, Zhou Shuyao, you will be charged with homicide, and your uncle will be an accomplice. At best, you will be reprimanded by your superiors; at worst, you will lose your official position!" Zhang Minhua was not exaggerating. Merchants were indeed considered lowly, but who knew what connections merchants had behind them? The key was that this enmity was completely unnecessary.
Finally realizing the seriousness of the situation, Zhou Shuyao still felt wronged but no longer sulked stubbornly. She tugged at Zhang Minhua's arm, "Mother, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so rash and impulsive."
Sighing, Zhang Minhua patted Zhou Shuyao's hand, her expression finally softening. "Shuyao, do you think an ordinary merchant family can afford to keep such skilled martial maids? Moreover, after you announced your family name, that young girl's attitude remained neither humble nor arrogant, and she even brought up the laws of Daqing in a few words. Do you still think she comes from a merchant family?"
As the saying goes, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the sons of mice can dig holes. The most talked about among merchant children is money and business, habits formed through constant exposure.
Scholars, when they speak, invariably use "zhi hu zhe ye" (classical Chinese particles). Yet, Zhan Feiyu, at such a young age, spoke with sharp wit, discussing the laws of Daqing and imperial officials. This was definitely the child of a noble family.
Zhang Minxian also patted Zhou Shuyao's shoulder to comfort her, "It's just a plaything. Uncle will have someone find some to send you a box to play with another day. If that young girl was from a merchant family, you would have only lost an item. But if your mother's guess is correct, then you have unknowingly defused a formidable enemy."
Although Zhou Shuyao was a bit spoiled and a bit arrogant, she was not brainless. With the principles explained clearly, she nodded obediently, "Uncle, I understand. From now on, I will be careful with my words and actions and will no longer judge people by their appearance."
Just as Zhang Minxian was about to speak, he caught sight of someone downstairs and stood up abruptly, "Minhua, I'll go greet him."
Zhang Minhua also saw Yang Shoucheng. Although he was wearing simple cotton clothes and his hair was tied with a cloth strip, at first glance, he appeared very humble.
But upon closer inspection, one would notice Yang Shoucheng's upright posture, his deep eyes concealing a sharp glint, and no trace of decadence about him. Nor did he possess the spirited air of the Yang family's imminent resurgence. He seemed like a solid rock, heavy, steady, and unyielding.
Seeing her uncle hurry out of the private room, Zhou Shuyao, knowing that Yang Shoucheng was a martial artist, lowered her voice and asked, "Mother, is that General Yang?"
Unlike Zhou Shuyao's expectations, he lacked the commanding presence and heroic spirit of a general. His excessive restraint made him unfathomable.
"Shuyao, if you met him on the street, would you mistake him for an ordinary farmer?" Zhang Minhua also lowered her voice. Let alone Zhou Shuyao, even she herself, if she hadn't known Yang Shoucheng's identity beforehand, would have probably thought he was a fallen martial artist or a mountain hunter.
Thinking that she had just judged someone by their appearance not long ago, and what if she encountered someone of General Yang's stature, Zhou Shuyao said awkwardly, "Mother, I truly know I was wrong."
With a living example right before her eyes, how could Zhou Shuyao dare to be so presumptuous in the future? Perhaps an elderly man in coarse clothing could be a high-ranking official. Plays often featured such plots, where the emperor made a private tour or a censor disguised himself as a passerby to observe the people's conditions.
Zhang Minxian, who had gone downstairs, was about to step forward to exchange pleasantries when he saw Yang Shoucheng suddenly walk to the side. The young girl who had clashed with Shuyao earlier had also stood up. Did these two know each other?
"Uncle Yang," Zhan Feiyu also did not expect to see Yang Shoucheng at the teahouse. After a moment's thought, she understood. The Zhang family was present here, so Uncle Yang was likely here to meet them.
Even when facing his only son, Yang Xu, Yang Shoucheng was taciturn, even stern. However, looking at the charming and lovely Zhan Feiyu, his originally sharp features softened, "Why are you out in such cold weather at a teahouse?"
How afraid of the cold the young girl was, Yang Shoucheng had witnessed firsthand when she lived in Stone Village. She never left her hand warmer, and the fire pit burned all night. In this freezing weather, she had actually gone out.
Zhan Feiyu grinned, "Old Mr. Qiu assigned too much homework, so I slipped out to relax."
Yang Shoucheng thought of Qiu Jinyu, who appeared beside Yang Xu. He assumed it was because of him that Xu'er was not accompanying Yu'er out. As for Qiu Jinyu's purpose, Yang Shoucheng had already sent people to investigate.
Unfortunately, Qianzhong Dao was too far from Xiangwu County, and the Yang family's former subordinates had been low-key and dormant for years, with most of them in Longyou Dao. It was not easy to gather information in Qianzhong Dao.
In the private room on the second floor, Zhou Shuyao's expression changed drastically again, even becoming somewhat uneasy. She tightly grasped Zhang Minhua's hand, "Mother, that young girl knows General Yang."
Moreover, their relationship seemed very close, which truly frightened Zhou Shuyao. No matter how powerful the Zhou and Zhang families were, their highest rank was only fourth-rank officials. Once the Yang family was restored, they would be a general's mansion with military power, a first-rank position. To deal with the Zhou and Zhang families would be as simple as uttering a word.
Zhang Minhua's heart also skipped a beat. Fortunately, her expression remained composed, and she whispered comfortingly, "Don't worry, it was just a quarrel between you young girls. Since she accepted the white jade rabbit, she won't pursue it further."
There was one more thing Zhang Minhua didn't say. Although she had only spoken a few words with the young girl just now, she could tell that the girl was not narrow-minded and would not seek revenge later. As the mistress of the Zhou family, Zhang Minhua had met many people over the years, including wives of officials. She had some ability to judge people.
"Brother Shoucheng," Zhang Minxian almost called him brother-in-law.