Chapter 156 - Sending Them Off (2/2)

The news that the Zhao Family had become an important general’s family and was going to the capital to take post had long traveled throughout Dongshan Village. When they left, Fang Zizhen summoned a squadron of men and horses to take them. There were even six horse carts that came over. In order to show how much he esteemed the Zhao Family, the emperor had granted them a mansion with lands. Other than some precious and personal items, they didn’t need to bring much with them. However, this ostentatious display was the subject of many conversations for the Dongshan Villagers for a long time.

On the day the Zhao Family left, the whole village came out to see them off. The village chief, who represented Dongshan Village, stammered as he expressed his thoughts and sincerity. Those who had dealings with the Zhao Family also came up to say a few words and give them a few local specialties in hope that they wouldn’t disdain these gifts.

What a joke! The Zhao Family was now a hot commodity in the emperor’s eyes and highly ranked to boot. If they could have some relation with a high-ranking official, even if it was merely saying a few words, then in the future they could still brag for a long time. Those who didn’t have much contact with the Zhao Family or perhaps had a few problems, could only timidly stand at the side, watching the rest enviously.

As for the Yu Family, who were the ones closest to the Zhao’s, they were merely helping them put away their luggage on the carts. The thoughts they wanted to say were already said the previous night.

Madam Li watched with envy as Madam Liu helped the Zhao Family’s daughter-in-law to carry a suitcase. She slowly came up to try to exploit an opportunity, “Second Sister-in-law, the suitcase is probably very heavy. Let me help you…”

“No need, there’s not much in the suitcase. I’ll carry it myself!” Zhao Bufan’s wife didn’t have a good impression of Madam Li. However, for the sake of Madam Liu’s face, she didn’t treat the other woman rudely and only politely refused her helping hand.

Madam Li pulled back her hands in embarrassment and continued to try to worm her way into the Zhao Family’s good graces, “Zhao Family’s daughter-in-law, in the future you can live comfortably in a large house in the capital. You’ll probably even have servant girls and senior servants to help around. Tsk tsk, feels like you’ve fallen into a honey pot. I’ve long said that you had a face full of good fortune!”

“Thank you for your kind words.” The other woman replied neutrally. She then turned and pulled on Madam Liu’s hand and repeatedly reminded her that, if she had the opportunity to go to the capital, she needed to remember to visit them too.

Madam Liu held back her tears as she nodded. Although she didn’t believe that she would ever have the chance to go to the capital in this lifetime, she still gently promised the other woman. Madam Li watched the two women, who seemed as close as two sisters, with pure envy and jealousy. Her eyes flickered around, as if she was suddenly plotting something.

Under the earnest stares of their fellow villagers, the Zhao Family finally set out on their journey. Their house by the mountains was sturdily built and, before they left, they gave it to Yu Hai and his family, which made many villagers feel envious and jealous.

Fang Zizhen took a squadron of men and horses with him to personally escort the Zhao’s. He sat steadily on a high horse and looked into the crowd for that familiar little girl. He suddenly hollered out in a loud voice, “Daughter! How about you take this opportunity to come with godfather to the capital and see your godmother? Your godmother has long wished to meet you in person…”

This one shout made Yu Xiaocao and the rest of the Yu Family immediately become subject to the stares of everyone else around them.

The fact that General Fang Zizhen was here as an imperial envoy and was in charge of supervising the construction of the port was news that had long spread throughout Dongshan Village. For the past month or so, this lord imperial envoy frequently appeared at Dongshan Village. General Fang was General Zhao’s disciple, so it wasn’t surprising that he came over frequently. However, this high-ranking imperial envoy seemed to go to the Yu Family’s Residence even more often, and it caused many in the village to not understand the situation. In fact, he had even tactfully declined several invitations from the village chief to visit his home! So just what did this Yu Family have that made Official Fang treat them with such importance?

Other than the Zhao Family and the few who had a good relationship with the Yu Family, no one else knew that Fang Zizhen had taken Xiaocao as his adopted daughter. In addition, the few outsiders who were aware also weren’t chatterboxes and knew how to hold their tongues. Without the Yu Family’s permission, they absolutely would not broadcast this information. Thus, the true relationship between Fang Zizhen and the Yu Family was not known at Dongshan Village for a whole month.

The fact that he shouted wasn’t important, but it caused all of the villagers to look at the Yu Family with complicated feelings within their hearts. Ever since Yu Hai split from the main family, it seemed like everything was going his way. Not only did his leg, which the doctor had previously recommended amputation for, recover fully, but his life seemed to get better and better with each passing day.

First, they came out with the one copper coin per portion of braised food that was extremely popular at the docks. It was rumored that now their income from selling food was around one hundred copper coins a day. Furthermore, they could now produce vegetables a whole month earlier than other people as well as become the sole provider of Zhenxiu Restaurant. Yet, previously, no one knew that Yu Hai was an expert in farming and planting. The income just from selling vegetables was also not a small sum. They also heard that the master of Zhenxiu Restaurant also had a good relationship with the Yu Family!

Now, it seemed as if Yu Hai had obtained eight generations worth of fortune from his previous life as his youngest daughter had somehow caught the lord imperial envoy’s eyes and was now his adopted daughter. This was such a large fortune ah!

The youngest daughter of the Yu Family had almost lost her life several times in her childhood due to illness, but no one expected that after calamity would come good fortune. Now, her body was healthy, she also had the talent with cooking braised food, and she had been taken as an adopted daughter by an official...the villagers all looked at her with fiery excitement in their eyes. Those who had male descendants around Xiaocao’s age all started to make plans in their mind.

Yu Xiaocao endured the pressure of everyone’s stares and pouted at her godfather, “Godfather, I won’t go with you this time. Please help take good care of godmother in my stead!”

Fang Zizhen had long predicted she would reply this way and grinned craftily at her. He was afraid that, when he left, his goddaughter might get bullied by others, so he did this to give her some support.