Chapter 170

The next day, the Wang family’s door was struck loudly, echoing through the air. The day had just dawned—who could disturb their morning dreams so early?

Grandma Wang, who was a light sleeper, had already risen and opened the door. There, she saw Li Shugen standing outside, drenched in sweat.

“Grandma, where’s Yuan’er?” Li Shugen asked urgently.

Wang Yuan’er, wearing a robe, stepped forward curiously. “Brother Shugen, what brings you here so early?”

“Yuan’er, something happened—something serious!” Li Shugen took two steps forward in a hurry and said, “The courtyard you rented out was targeted by thieves! You’d better go take a look; the constables are on their way!”

Both Wang Yuan’er and Grandma Wang froze in surprise.

“Grandma, I’ll go check it out.” Wang Yuan’er quickly returned to her room to dress properly and tied up her hair before rushing out the door.

At Zhao Family’s courtyard, despite the early hour, a crowd of townsfolk had gathered to watch the commotion, murmuring amongst themselves.

“Could it be someone got beaten to death? What a crime—serves him right for having malicious intentions and hitting a wall of iron!”

“He deserves it! Thinking he could bully a young lady like that—beating him to death cleans things up!”

Wang Yuan’er stepped into the courtyard. Inside, a man was tied up tightly, kneeling with his head hanging low. At a glance, his face was bloodied, and it was unclear whether he was alive or dead.

Behind the man, Miss He’s servant, Uncle Gui, stood menacingly, his face filled with hostility—it was quite intimidating.

“Uncle Gui, what happened?” Wang Yuan’er swallowed nervously and mustered her courage to ask.

“This rascal snuck into our house with bad intentions. Fortunately, I’m a light sleeper and caught him early. Otherwise—hmph!” Uncle Gui kicked the man viciously again, causing him to collapse onto the ground and cry out in pain.

It was then that Wang Yuan’er recognized him—it was none other than the infamous town troublemaker, Ma Hou.

Ma Hou was notorious for being a low-life scoundrel in town, often stealing and harassing young ladies. He lived in poverty, had nothing to lose, and never feared retaliation. Over time, people avoided him whenever they saw him. Who would have thought that this scoundrel had set his sights on the He family?

Zhao Family’s courtyard was in a remote area, where only Miss He and her two maids lived—two delicate young women with Uncle Gui as the sole man in the household, and he was already advanced in age. It wasn’t surprising that someone would try to cause trouble. However, judging by the state of things, Uncle Gui seemed quite capable, or he wouldn’t have beaten Ma Hou half to death.

Wang Yuan’er felt no sympathy for Ma Hou. Villains are bound to meet their match, and he had brought this upon himself. She walked toward the house. As she approached the door, she heard soft sobbing and a man’s comforting voice. That voice…

Wang Yuan’er hesitated, unsure whether to enter or retreat.

Going in didn’t seem appropriate at the moment, but staying outside felt wrong too—she was the landlord, and it wouldn’t sit well not to check on the situation after such an incident. Just as she was deliberating, the door opened, and out came Du Juan.

Wang Yuan’er quickly gave a polite bow and explained her purpose. “I heard you had a break-in and came to check on you. Are you all alright? Is your Miss okay?”

Du Juan returned the courtesy and turned back to those inside. “Miss, the eldest girl from the Wang family is here to see you.”

The crying and comforting voice stopped, and soon, they invited her in.

Wang Yuan’er hesitated for a moment before stepping inside. There, she saw Miss He sitting by the table while Cui Yuan stood by her side, lips tightly pressed together, his face full of anger.

Wang Yuan’er met his gaze for a fleeting moment before quickly looking away. Cui Yuan then said, “You can talk. I’ll step out to handle something.”

Miss He gazed at him with eyes full of affection. Wang Yuan’er noticed this clearly and lowered her gaze. As Cui Yuan passed by, she gave him a polite bow.

“Sorry for worrying you. It’s nothing too serious, thanks to Uncle Gui,” Miss He said with a forced smile as she stood up.

“As long as everything’s okay. I was really alarmed when I heard…” Wang Yuan’er walked over, noticing that Miss He’s face was slightly pale but otherwise unharmed. She finally felt relieved.

If anything serious had happened, Wang Yuan’er knew she wouldn’t be able to rest easy. She asked for the details of what had happened. It turned out that at dawn, the scoundrel Ma Hou had snuck into the house. Being adept at petty theft, he had used a small branch to unlatch the door from inside, pushing it open.

Fortunately, Uncle Gui was a light sleeper, and Du Juan was alert as well. The moment the door was pushed open, they woke up and shouted for help. Uncle Gui came and subdued Ma Hou, beating him half to death.

Upon further inquiry, it was revealed that Uncle Gui had previously been a guard. Although he was older now, he still had the skills to handle petty thugs.

Outside, the noise grew louder. Wang Yuan’er walked to the door and saw that two constables had arrived. Cui Yuan approached them and said something unknown. The constables nodded respectfully, bowed, and then dragged the scoundrel Ma Hou away with a fierce demeanor.

With no more commotion to watch, Uncle Gui dispersed the curious townsfolk, and the courtyard quickly became quiet again.

Since there wasn’t much else to be concerned about, Wang Yuan’er suggested taking her leave. As she walked toward the courtyard, Cui Yuan approached her with a frown.

“Thank goodness Miss He is unharmed; otherwise, I wouldn’t feel at ease,” Wang Yuan’er said first.

Cui Yuan nodded and said, “This place is a bit too remote. I’ve just discussed it with them, and we’ve decided not to continue renting this courtyard.”

Wang Yuan’er was stunned. Not continuing the lease?

“Typically, it’s just two young women and Uncle Gui living here. While Uncle Gui has some skills, he can handle one or two petty criminals at most. But if worse came to pass…” Cui Yuan’s concerns were clear.

Wang Yuan’er forced a smile and said, “You’re right; young ladies do need to be cautious.” After pausing, she added, “I’ll return the remaining rent to you later.”

Initially, Cui Yuan had paid for two and a half months’ rent. After Miss He and her household moved in, they had paid for an additional six months. Now that they were terminating the lease, it was only fair to refund the remaining rent.

“No, no need,” Cui Yuan shook his head and said, “It was us who broke the agreement first, so there’s no need to return the rent. Consider it compensation for the breach of contract.”

“That won’t do,” Wang Yuan’er said urgently. “Business is a matter of mutual agreement, fair and square. I can’t take advantage of you.”

“How is that taking advantage? Perhaps I’m the one taking advantage of you. Now that I’m suddenly terminating the lease, others will surely think this place is remote and desolate, making it harder for you to rent it out in the future!”

Wang Yuan’er pressed her lips together. If that’s the case, there’s not much she can do. Fortunately, it was just a thief. If rumors of ghosts spread, that would be the real problem—no one would want to live in a haunted house!

“Let’s leave it at that!” Cui Yuan made a move as if to pat her shoulder, but halfway through, he realized the gesture was inappropriate and let his hand fall. “You should head back first. Once everything is tidied up here, I’ll return the key to you!”

Wang Yuan’er gave a soft sigh and walked away, feeling downcast.

This scene, however, was witnessed by Miss He standing at the door. Her brows furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

The news of the He family terminating the lease quickly reached the Wang family.

“If they’re not renting anymore, so be it. Thankfully, nothing serious happened; otherwise, it would’ve caused us unwarranted embarrassment,” Grandma Wang said, pouting.

“What’s the big deal? If this family doesn’t rent, there will be others who will.” Wang Qing’er spoke casually. She immediately found a wooden board and wrote in large characters with a brush: “House for Rent.” She then placed it at the shop’s entrance.

Wang Yuan’er found Wang Qing’er’s decisiveness amusing yet admirable. Qing’er was right—if the He family wasn’t renting anymore, there would surely be others willing to rent!

Cui Yuan soon delivered the key. Wang Yuan’er couldn’t help but ask about Miss He’s new residence.

“They’ve been settled in the county government’s compound. There are empty rooms there, and being in an official establishment, no petty criminals would dare to cause trouble,” Cui Yuan explained with a smile.

Wang Yuan’er heard this and felt a pang of discomfort in her heart, though she forced a smile. “That’s indeed much better than my shabby place.”

Is the little lady upset? Cui Yuan quickly noticed Wang Yuan’er’s discontent, though he couldn’t understand why.

“They’ve been settled, and now I must set off for Yuhang again,” Cui Yuan suddenly said.

Wang Yuan’er was startled and looked up. “Didn’t you just return from Yuhang?”

“I couldn’t accomplish what I needed to. This time, I hope things will work out.”

“Oh, then come back soon!” Wang Yuan’er responded with a faint smile.

“Alright!” As soon as Cui Yuan replied, both of them realized something was off about the conversation. Somehow, it felt as though they were a married couple chatting about daily life!

Wang Yuan’er’s face turned red. She said, “I’ll get busy now. Safe travels—I won’t see you off!”

Cui Yuan gave a slight “oh” in response. As something crossed his mind, he called out to her again, “I heard you’re planning to invest in Song San’s merchant ship?”

Wang Yuan’er was surprised. She turned back in astonishment and asked, “How did you know?” Then, recalling that Cui Yuan seemed to be acquainted with Song San, she added, “Has Young Master Song arrived?”

After the workshop opening, Song San had left. It had been nearly a month. Had he returned to Changle? Could the investment in the merchant ship have been finalized?

“Song San is very talented in business. If he says there’s a good opportunity, then there must be one. However, you’re quite bold to invest in it. What if the port for foreign trade doesn’t open? What will there be to gain? Aren’t you afraid of losing everything?” Cui Yuan leaned against the door as he spoke.

“But if not for external trade, it can still be for domestic trade! Wherever there are people, there is business. The same principle applies—where there are people, there’s commerce. Even if foreign trade isn’t viable, the vast Northern Dynasty is full of opportunities. Considering the landmass and resources, can those small neighboring states compare to our Northern Dynasty?” Wang Yuan’er spoke with confidence. “Once the merchant ships are built, they’ll undoubtedly play their role.”

Her eyes sparkled brightly, full of faith in this venture.

Cui Yuan suddenly felt jealous and said, “You seem to trust Song San quite a lot. Don’t blame me for reminding you—business is much like politics, with its twists and turns. Your small schemes won’t even register with them. Don’t let yourself be sold off while you’re cheerfully counting their money! Song San isn’t as straightforward as he appears.”

Wang Yuan’er burst into laughter and pointed at herself. “Oh, tell me, Young Master Cui—what could a poor farm girl like me possibly have that’s worth scheming for?”

“Just make sure to keep your guard up!” Cui Yuan said petulantly before taking his leave.

Wang Yuan’er felt perplexed. They didn’t seem close enough for him to talk this way, did they?

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Song San sneezed hard twice and rubbed his arm, wondering why he suddenly felt chilly.