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

Chapter 854: Chapter 854 Hands Have Their Own Thoughts, So Do Feet

Before one realized, another seven days had passed, and the Zhou family finally received the New Year gifts from the Yang family and Qian Keqi. This year, the gifts from the Yang family were a bit more generous than before, also included were the earnings from the orchard. The harvest wasn’t good this year, there was a bit too much rain, the fruits didn’t taste as good, and the prices were considerably lower than in previous years, but nonetheless, it was a decent income.

Zhulan distributed all of the furs sent by the Yang family among the various branches, keeping not a single piece for herself, mainly because each household had already gifted furs at the start of winter, and with those sent by Qian Keqi, there were enough for the main house.

As for the other New Year gifts, Zhulan organized them all, waiting to present them in a few days.

After arriving in the capital this year, the expenses for New Year gifts had increased, especially for the major share destined for the Duke Ning’s Residence.

When Zhulan saw Zhou Shuren enter the room, she said,”You’ve come back earlier than usual today.”

Zhou Shuren’s lips curled in a smile,”I did some calculations, and the Emperor suggested there was no rush in winter, so I didn’t have to work overtime. Plus, I had a chat with the Crown Prince in the palace today.”

”What did you talk about?”

Zhou Shuren warmed himself with a hot cup of tea,”Good things. The Crown Prince mentioned Wu Ming, as well as the Ministry of Rites.”

Zhulan looked up from the New Year gift list she was drafting,”Do you mean that Wu Ming will come to the capital after New Year’s and go to the Ministry of Rites?”

Zhou Shuren held his cup, his hands warming up,”You know that the Ministry of Rites has always been under Phang Huai’s control. The Crown Prince noticed some issues, but since there was just a shake-up at the Ministry of Justice, it isn’t good to disturb the Ministry of Rites just yet. That’s why he’s thought of Wu Ming.”

Zhulan heard the sound of footsteps, as Nurse Song returned with the maids. She quickly whispered,”So not only are you pleased that Wu Ming is coming to the capital, but you’re also delighted that the Crown Prince is taking him under his wing.”

Zhou Shuren’s eyes twinkled,”My wife is indeed clever.”

Zhulan pondered, currently, it seemed almost certain that the Crown Prince would assume the throne. Once the clean-up was through, it would be time for his coronation. At this juncture, the Crown Prince utilizing Wu Ming, and Wu Ming aligning with the Crown Prince was beneficial for the transition of imperial power. As long as Wu Ming seized the opportunity, his future path would be smooth.

This was when Nurse Song entered,”Dinner is ready, the hot pot has been served.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shuren exclaimed,”In winter, one must eat hot pot. What’s in the pot today?”

Zhulan replied,”Mutton hot pot for nourishment. You should go change your clothes.”

”All right.”

When Zhulan and Zhou Shuren arrived, everyone from the various households was already seated. Rongchuan was there today, hmm, and Gu Liufeng as well, whom Zhulan had asked Mingyun to invite in the morning.

Zhou Shuren saw Gu Liufeng with a flushed face and sweat on his forehead,”What’s the matter, is the room too hot?”

Upon seeing Master Zhou, Gu Liufeng breathed a sigh of relief,”Not hot.”

Zhou Shuren noticed his youngest son covering his mouth trying to stifle a laugh. There he goes again, bullying Liufeng. He averted his gaze,”Everybody pick up your chopsticks, let’s eat. Mutton hot pot is the most nourishing in winter, eat up.”

As he said it, he was first to reach for his chopsticks.

The Zhou family had many members, and quite a few young men, so a significant amount of meat was consumed during this meal.

In the Duke’s Residence, upon seeing his youngest son come for dinner, Duke Ning asked,”Rongchuan went to the Zhou residence again?”

Ning Xu said with a pitiful look,”Yes, so your son is here to scrounge for a meal.”

Before, eating alone didn’t seem to matter and he quite enjoyed the quiet, but ever since Rongchuan began joining him for meals, he disliked dining alone. Unfortunately, his son was like a daughter, always eager to visit the Zhou household.

Duke Ning inquired,”Haven’t we already clarified everything about Zhang Jinghong’s background? Is the Emperor still waiting?”

Ning Xu nodded,”Yes, the current focus is all on expanding the Navy, and nobody is bringing up Zhang Jinghong’s background just yet, so there’s no rush.”

Duke Ning grunted in response, and when all the dishes were served,”Let’s eat.”

Zhou Residence, Xue Han wrapped herself in a cloak, seeing Rongchuan off the estate. The two walked closely together; it was also a dark day, and both were cloaked, with the maids and grannies maintaining a few steps’ distance behind them.

Taking advantage of the boldness that came with alcohol, Rongchuan’s courage grew slightly and he stretched out his hand to grab Xue Han’s. His palm was as hot as burning fire, while Xue Han’s hand was somewhat cool. She couldn’t help but grip it tighter, feeling Xue Han struggle, her hand seemed to control her brain, squeezing even more firmly.

Xue Han hadn’t drunk, but her face was flushed red. She couldn’t break free, nor dare make any sudden movements, angrily glancing at Rongchuan. His audacity was growing, yet as she listened to the sound of stepping on snow, she slowly calmed down, almost wishing this road would never end.

Rongchuan slowed his pace, grinning. Sometimes, it’s nice when your hands have a mind of their own—yes, when they have their own ideas.

Unfortunately, they soon reached the entrance of the residence. Xue Han stopped, coughed, and waited for Rongchuan to release her hand. She quickly hid her hand away, lowered her head, ”The road is covered with snow, go back slowly by carriage.”

Rongchuan’s feet also seemed to have their own ideas, not wanting to leave. Still, hearing the cough, he rolled his eyes internally, ”Heard that, maybe you should stop coughing.”

Taking advantage of the darkness which concealed him, Xia Mo rolled his eyes with gusto. Every time the young master and the young lady parted, it was a drawn-out affair. He remembered Mr. Hou’s words, telling the young master to go home early.

Xue Han wished she could bury herself in the snow, swiftly turning around to run, ”You don’t need to come these days.”

Rongchuan heard this, with a touch of grievance as he glanced at Xia Mo, ”That’s what you get for being a busybody, now that there’s no one around, cough to your heart’s content.”

Xia Mo, ”...”

He’s stuck between a rock and a hard place, truly, it’s exasperating.

In the Gu family’s house, upon entering, Gu Liufeng saw his mother embroidering a handkerchief and waiting for him, ”Mother, your son has returned.”

Lady Hu, ”You’re back so early; I thought you’d be back later.”

Gu Liufeng explained, ”I drank a couple of glasses of wine today, and since the roads are covered in snow, I didn’t stay long.”

Lady Hu was surprised, ”You drank?”

Gu Liufeng nodded, ”Master Zhou said that I’m not young anymore and should practice drinking in moderation, to avoid future hardships. I just tried it and didn’t expect my tolerance to be quite decent.”

Seeing that her son was indeed sober, Lady Hu smiled and said, ”I don’t know much, but listen to what Master Zhou says. He won’t harm you.”

Gu Liufeng nodded, ”Hmm.”

Then his cheeks reddened. Today, Master Zhou’s youngest son made him call him uncle, and Yushuang helped him out, smiling somewhat foolishly.

Lady Hu, an experienced woman, chuckled. It seemed her son had truly taken a liking to the Zhou family’s eldest granddaughter, holding her close to his heart.

The next day, Magistrate Shen visited again, her second visit in just a few days. Zhulan politely said, ”I’ll send someone to call Su Xuan over.”

Shen Yile shook her head, ”Su Xuan needs to take care of the children, I’ll go find her.”

Zhulan, ”Alright then, I’ll send someone to show you the way.”

She had nothing much to talk about with Shen Yile, and since she was looking for Su Xuan, Zhulan didn’t keep her any longer.

After Shen Yile left, Zhulan turned to the old maid, Song, ”I heard that the Empress no longer sees Magistrate Shen?”

Song, ”Yes.”

Zhulan sighed softly, ”Then the Shen Hou Residence is going to quieten down.”

Song was used to the mistress’s incisive comments by now, truly worthy of being the person Master Zhou held dear to his heart. Despite dealing with the ladies of the inner courtyard, the mistress’s vision wasn’t limited to the domestic sphere; she had a very accurate grasp of the political situation.