Chapter 10: Hauling With A Clang
After coming out of the prison, Shang Wan didn’t rush back to Elm Tree Village. Instead, following the original host’s memory, she went to the Lu Family.
Avoiding the patrolling guards, Shang Wan flipped into the courtyard of the third branch.
Having only been driven out a day ago, the things in the courtyard were basically untouched, and the furnishings were all exactly as before.
Only a few rooms sporadically had lights on.
Shang Wan went straight to the pitch-black main room and found the ten taels of silver that the original host had hidden under the luohan bed.
Originally, the original host’s dowry also included thirty mu of good farmland and two shops, but after being persuaded by a letter from Zhong Chenghong (some cuckold husband), she ruthlessly sold them to buy a house in the prefectural city for him to settle his old mother and young brother and sister.
When she received the thank-you letter, the original host was so moved that her eyes brimmed with tears, just waiting for Zhong Chenghong to pass the imperial exam and come rescue her from the bitter sea of the Lu Family.
Seeing this memory, Shang Wan was utterly speechless.
That Zhong Chenghong, apart from saying sweet nothings, was so stingy that he hadn’t even given the original host a single copper coin to spend.
The original host abandoned her talented and handsome husband and her obedient, soft, and cute child, sold her dowry to subsidize that guy who only had a mouth, and even dreamed of eloping with him every day—had her brain been gnawed by a zombie?
Shang Wan shook her head to shake off the irritating scenes in her mind, tossed the silver into the space, groped in the dark to open the wardrobe, packed up all the clothes, and swept the dressing table clean.
She looked around: bedding, bedsheets, pillow, cushion—couldn’t forget the socks and shoes, the table was nice, bench, screen, teapot, cup, candle…
These were all things belonging to the third branch itself; Shang Wan took them without any burden, clanging them into the space.
The area of the small wooden house in the space had doubled from yesterday, now four square meters, just right for storing these things.
Once the things in the room were almost packed, she then ran to Lu Chengjing’s study and Yuan Yuan’s room, doing the same.
Xiao Huan originally shared a room with two maids; after she left, the valuable things had long been divided up. The cabinet only had some old clothes and socks and shoes left, which could be used in emergencies, so Shang Wan tossed them all into the space.
As for Shi Tou’s things, the original host didn’t know where Shi Tou lived, so Shang Wan naturally didn’t know either. She wouldn’t waste time looking; later, she could pull a few pieces from Lu Chengjing’s clothes, alter them, and give them to him to wear.
The small storeroom of the third branch had nothing besides five bolts of fabric and three pieces of calligraphy and painting; it couldn’t compare to the first or second branch at all. Shang Wan packed it all and took it away.
If she weren’t afraid of making too much noise, Shang Wan would have wanted to uproot the two camellia trees planted in the courtyard and take them too. Yuan Yuan, Lu Chengjing, and Xiao Huan all liked these flowers.
She regretfully touched the two camellia trees and muttered softly, “Grow well; wait for me to give you a new home.”
The camellia branches swayed in the wind, unsure if out of fear or anticipation.
Passing by the garden, Shang Wan casually picked up the little turtle sleeping on the pebble.
Yuan Yuan really liked coming to the garden to see this turtle; she’d bring it back for the child as a pet.
As for it being some guardian turtle that Madam Lu had spent a fortune specially inviting back from Qingchi Temple, Shang Wan said, it’s my child’s now.
In the faint morning light, Shang Wan returned fully loaded through the morning mist.
Shi Tou had something on his mind and hadn’t slept soundly. Hearing movement in the courtyard, he threw on his outer garment and came out to check.
Suddenly seeing the things piled up like a small mountain in the courtyard, he was so shocked that he swallowed the yawn that was at his lips whole and rubbed his eyes hard.
Opening his eyes again, the things were still there.
Goodness, it wasn’t a dream!
“Yo, up pretty early.” Shang Wan came out of the kitchen with half a cold steamed bun in her mouth, her voice a bit muffled from eating, “Perfect timing. When Xiao Huan gets up, you two sort out the things together. I’m going to catch some sleep.”
Shi Tou: “…”
How many houses did the young madam rob last night?
When Shang Wan pushed the door into the room, Xiao Huan was already up, looking at her with such resentment in her eyes.
Shang Wan rubbed her arms—where did this resentment come from so early in the morning?
“Young Madam, could you tell this servant before going out next time?” Xiao Huan’s eyes reddened. “This servant woke up in the middle of the night last night and didn’t see you, thinking you…”
“Thought I ran off and left you behind?” Shang Wan smiled and finished the second half of her sentence.
Xiao Huan sniffled, blushed, and nodded vigorously.
“Don’t overthink it.” Shang Wan reached out to rub her head. “Even if I run, I’ll take you all with me.”
“Young Madam, you have to keep your word.”
“Okay.”
Xiao Huan immediately broke into a smile through her tears, didn’t ask much, and went out to help sort the things.
Shang Wan took off her outer garment and got into bed. Lifting the quilt, she saw that Yuan Yuan had woken up at some point. The little one was pouting, her big watery eyes looking at her.
“Mommy, gone.”
The soft, tender little voice was full of grievance, melting hearts.
Shang Wan quickly hugged the little one and cooed until she finally got the little meatball to show a smile.
She poked the little one’s chubby cheek and asked softly, “Still sleep?”
“Hug.” Yuan Yuan nestled into Shang Wan’s arms, her small hand clutching her collar tightly, as if afraid she’d run again.
Shang Wan curved her lips and fell asleep hugging her own fragrant, soft child.
In the courtyard, Shi Tou and Xiao Huan were sorting through the pile of things, finding them more and more familiar.
Many items had the Lu Family’s emblem. Shi Tou couldn’t help smacking his lips. “The young madam wouldn’t have robbed the Lu Family, would she?”
“Don’t speak if you can’t say it right.” Xiao Huan rolled her eyes at him. “These are all our third branch’s things. What’s wrong with the young madam taking them back?”
“Why so fierce? I didn’t say no.” Shi Tou muttered, “How do you think the young madam brought all these things back?”
Big items and small, even hiring a cart would take several trips, right?
Xiao Huan: “Ask the young madam yourself.”
Shi Tou: “…”
Shang Wan was woken by her own child wetting the bed.
“Mommy.” The little one who did the deed opened her big black eyes wide, her chubby little hands clasped in front of her, looking utterly innocent.
Shang Wan helplessly pinched her soft tender cheek, thinking it was good she’d brought clothes back, or there’d be none to change into.
After cleaning up and eating, Shang Wan placed her child on the soft cushion in the courtyard, then went to the kitchen to grab the little turtle and let the two little ones play together.
She’d tested it; the little turtle ate meat but didn’t bite people and was quite spirited.
“Turtle!” Yuan Yuan was overjoyed to see the little turtle, her eyes sparkling as she crawled around on the soft cushion following it.
Shang Wan watched for a bit from the side and only relaxed when she saw the little turtle really showed no sign of biting, then walked away. After greeting Xiao Huan, she headed to the mountains.
She was going to the county town to check on Tian Sheng; Shi Tou would move around the village to gather information. She wasn’t at ease leaving just Xiao Huan and Yuan Yuan, two weak ones, at home alone, so she needed to find something from the mountains to guard the house and courtyard.
A wild wolf would be good; it looked more like a dog, not as conspicuous as a leopard, and she had experience taming wolves.
Darting swiftly through the mountain forest, half an hour later, Shang Wan found the wolf pack’s lair.
The slender woman stood on the treetop light as a feather, looking down at the pack of gray wolves below who raised their heads, and greeted them, “Hi~ Want to come home with me?
