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After the New Year, the atmosphere in Xinfeng County relaxed. The New Year always has a few days for rest and visiting relatives. Zheng Shanci’s family was all at home, while Yu Lanyi’s family and relatives were in the Capital City, so he rarely got to sleep well after staying up all night without having to visit relatives.

Both the Duke of England’s Mansion and the Changyang Marquis Mansion had many relatives, so Yu Lanyi usually spent the New Year visiting them. Now, staying in bed and sleeping in was incredibly comfortable.

Zheng Shanci didn’t get up early this time either. Although he was dozing off while staying up all night, he didn’t sleep well. With a rare seven-day holiday for the New Year, Zheng Shanci didn’t want to get up early either.

The two of them slept through the morning.

It wasn’t until Jin Yun came to serve them that they got up and had lunch. When Zheng Qingyin saw his Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law getting up so late, he, being the younger one, didn’t say anything. The Elder Brother and Sister-in-law had already gone to the Zheng family’s wine shop early in the morning.

Yu Lanyi thought for a moment and said, “Qingyin, do you want to go to the temple in the suburbs to offer incense? There’s a beautiful plum blossom garden in the temple’s backyard. I haven’t seen it, but I heard about it from Xu Ge’er.”

On the first day of the New Year, many people go to the temple, making it lively, and Yu Lanyi liked the hustle and bustle.

Zheng Qingyin had never been to a temple fair in town before, and now hearing Yu Lanyi’s suggestion, he also wanted to go. Zheng Shanci had nothing to do recently, so he naturally followed the two Ge’ers to the temple.

In the afternoon, the group got on a carriage, and Jin Yun bought incense and candles, filling a basket.

Thinking of Yu Lanyi’s extravagant ways, Zheng Shanci reminded him, “Be moderate with the incense money.”

Zheng Qingyin also noticed how generous his Second Sister-in-law was.

Being reminded by Zheng Shanci in front of Zheng Qingyin, Yu Lanyi felt both annoyed and embarrassed.

He said, “I know.”

He raised his chin at Zheng Shanci in a threatening manner.

Zheng Shanci: “…”

There were indeed many people going to the temple today. Their carriage moved slowly, and when they arrived at the temple, a young monk came to guide them. Zheng Shanci saw many scholars in long robes praying to Manjushri Bodhisattva, and many women and Ge’ers praying to the Matchmaker, while some couples prayed to the Goddess of Childbirth.

Zheng Shanci went to a side room by himself, while Yu Lanyi and Zheng Qingyin went to pray. Feeling bored, he wandered around the corridor and saw a familiar person pulling a monk Ge’er aside. Zheng Shanci followed them quietly.

Qi County Deputy and the monk Ge’er went to a secluded place where hardly anyone passed by, and Zheng Shanci hid behind a rockery.

“Did everything go smoothly with transporting the gold and silver this time?” Qi County Deputy looked around and whispered.

“Don’t worry, Qi Daren. This isn’t our first time working together. We hid the gold and silver in the abandoned temple in the suburbs, so you don’t have to worry. Besides, even if we get caught, they won’t be able to trace it back to you, Qi Daren.” The monk Ge’er teased.

Qi County Deputy laughed heartily. That’s why he dared to entrust his gold and silver to his lover. His wife loved to worship Buddha, so he placed his lover in the temple, occasionally meeting in secret, finding it thrilling even in the temple.

Zheng Shanci silently noted the location.

Qi County Deputy and the monk Ge’er, caught up in the moment, embraced each other.

Zheng Shanci got goosebumps and quietly retreated.

Having only seen such things in picture books, Zheng Shanci was shocked to witness such misconduct in a temple. He planned to call Zhu Registrar when he returned, gather some trusted people, and retrieve the gold and silver from the abandoned temple for public use.

Yu Lanyi and Zheng Qingyin went to pray. Yu Lanyi, heeding Zheng Shanci’s words, restrained himself from giving too much incense money. He thought about saving some money to buy new jewelry in the future.

Zheng Qingyin prayed for his family’s safety. In front of the temple, Yu Lanyi became solemn, praying for his family’s safety and for Zheng Shanci’s boundless future. Only if Zheng Shanci had a bright future could he return to the Capital City, something Yu Lanyi was very clear about.

There were many people at the temple, and after Yu Lanyi and Zheng Qingyin finished praying, many others were still coming forward to pray. Zheng Qingyin thought for a moment and said, “Second Sister-in-law, since we’re at the temple, do you want to pray to the Goddess of Childbirth?”

The Goddess of Childbirth?

They hadn’t even done that yet, and now they were supposed to pray to the Goddess of Childbirth? Yu Lanyi blushed.

He said, “We’re not in a hurry.”

Yu Lanyi pulled Zheng Qingyin to pray for marriage instead.

Zheng Qingyin still held some expectations for marriage, closing his eyes and kneeling sincerely.

The two Ge’ers returned to the side room, and Zheng Shanci brought in vegetarian food.

“Let’s eat first.”

After finishing the meal, Yu Lanyi privately pulled Zheng Shanci aside and said, “I have something to tell you.”

Following Yu Lanyi, the two of them walked out of the side room alone.

Yu Lanyi: “Should we pray to the Goddess of Childbirth?”

Zheng Shanci, still thinking about Qi County Deputy’s matter, was momentarily stunned when he heard Yu Lanyi mention praying to the Goddess of Childbirth, and his ears immediately turned red.

“We haven’t even done that yet, so praying won’t be of much use.” Zheng Shanci said in a low, vague voice.

Yu Lanyi, also lowering his voice, said, “Let’s just pray since we’re here.”

Zheng Shanci thought about it and followed Yu Lanyi. They went to the temple of the Goddess of Childbirth to pray, where young couples and couples were also praying, making Zheng Shanci feel a bit embarrassed.

It was like openly declaring their desire for children.

Yu Lanyi and Zheng Shanci went inside, got some incense, and after praying to the Goddess of Childbirth, they both felt a bit nervous.

The three of them came to the temple to offer incense, and on the way back, Zheng Qingyin noticed the atmosphere had become a bit strange. His Second Sister-in-law would talk to him without looking at his Second Brother, and whenever their eyes met, he would look away.

Zheng Qingyin, having eaten vegetarian food and prayed, was already satisfied.

After chatting with Zheng Shanci and Yu Lanyi for a while, he went back to his room.

Zheng Shanci had given the textile workshop a holiday, so Zheng Qingyin didn’t have to go there for a few days. He discussed some patterns with the brothers and sisters at the workshop, hoping to create new designs.

Winter was for making cotton clothes, and by spring, they would need to make fabrics.

The steward was very polite to him, and Zheng Qingyin was becoming more outgoing.

Zheng Shanci: “I have to go out for a while today. I’ll be back in the evening, so don’t wait for me for dinner.”

Thinking about the abandoned temple, Zheng Shanci wondered how angry Qi County Deputy would be when he found out his gold and silver had been taken. Watching Zheng Shanci’s back, Yu Lanyi pouted.

“Busy, busy, always busy,” Yu Lanyi grumbled.

Jin Yun: “Young Master, Daren’s colleagues have sent New Year gifts.”

Yu Lanyi said, “Record them and put them in storage. Choose a few items of similar value to return as gifts.”

Usually, they didn’t accept gifts, but not accepting them during the New Year would be inappropriate. Accepting and returning gifts left no room for criticism. Returning to his room, Yu Lanyi dawdled and took out a picture book from the bedside table, feeling both tempted and hesitant.

But thinking about Zheng Shanci’s “item,” his heart cooled. And in this cold winter, he didn’t feel like moving at all.

…

Zheng Shanci had Zhu Registrar lead people to ambush the abandoned temple and keep watch.

When night fell, they would go to the temple and take away Qi County Deputy’s gold and silver.

There was nothing in the temple, but Zheng Shanci guessed it was underground.

He noticed the Buddha statue’s arm was clean, without dust.

His heart stirred, and he turned the Buddha’s arm, revealing a passage beneath the statue.

Zhu Registrar had the yamen officers go in first.

“Zheng Daren, Zhu Daren, there are boxes inside.”

Zhu Registrar: “Bring the boxes up.”

The yamen officers responded, and there were ten boxes in total. Zheng Shanci signaled for one of the officers to open a box. The officer used a hammer to break the lock, and when the box was opened, it was full of silver.

Zheng Shanci: “Open another box and take a look.”

The officers swallowed hard and followed orders, opening another box full of jewelry. The remaining eight boxes were likely similar.

“Take all of these to the county office’s warehouse.”

“Yes, Zheng Daren.”

Such wealth was not accumulated overnight, and it seemed to be the embezzled funds Qi County Deputy had saved for a long time. Zheng Shanci, who had been worried about money, was in a good mood now that Qi County Deputy had fallen into his hands.

Zhu Registrar whispered, “Zheng Daren, isn’t it too conspicuous to carry them back like this? Won’t it alert the enemy?”

Zheng Shanci was straightforward: “Zhu Daren, look at all this gold and silver. Who would dare come to the county office to claim it? Just say it was dug up from the abandoned temple and confiscated.”

If anyone dared to claim the gold and silver, Zheng Shanci would follow the trail and uproot them.

Zhu Registrar: “…”

The yamen officers carried the ten boxes of gold, silver, and jewelry back. The county office was still on holiday, with only rotating officers guarding it in case of emergencies. The guards at the office watched their colleagues happily carrying boxes and still shouted orders at them.

They had the warehouse guards open the warehouse immediately.

The warehouse guards opened it, and the officers carried the boxes inside.

Zheng Shanci had them open several boxes, all filled with jewelry and silver.

He sneered inwardly, wondering how much had been embezzled, but there was no evidence.

He thought for a moment and called Zhu Registrar over, whispering a few words to him.

Zhu Registrar nodded and instructed some officers to guard the abandoned temple and capture the monk Ge’er.

He took three silver ingots, each worth ten taels, totaling thirty taels.

Zheng Shanci understood that these officers had taken risks following him, and when his three-year term ended, he would leave, but they would still live here.

So, he planned to bring down the four major families within three years.

He couldn’t let those who followed him be retaliated against by these families in the future. Zheng Shanci always thought three steps ahead.

“Divide these three silver ingots among yourselves.”

“Thank you, Zheng Daren!”

“Zheng Daren is the best!”

The officers, having received the silver ingots, were even more loyal to Zheng Shanci.

…

In the evening, the monk Ge’er was captured by Zhu Registrar and his men, along with several strong men with a carriage, presumably there to transport the boxes. They were all taken away. Zheng Daren’s intention was not to keep them in the county office’s prison but to detain them elsewhere.

Zhu Registrar returned with his men, and the officers handed him the three silver ingots to distribute.

Zhu Registrar was generous, dividing them evenly without taking more for himself.

He pocketed the money, planning to save it and have a matchmaker find him a wife next year. He had been in Xinfeng County for many years, and it was time to find a soulmate.

Sleeping alone in the winter was cold and lonely. He was an orphan; his parents had died during a famine, and he was the only one of his siblings to survive. Seeing others celebrating the New Year happily while he was alone at home, he felt an indescribable loneliness.

Zheng Shanci had expected Qi County Deputy to be corrupt, but not to this extent. This time, Zheng Shanci had wronged Qi County Deputy; the gold and silver being transported belonged to all four families. Otherwise, the Qi family alone wouldn’t have embezzled so much.

Originally, this batch of gold and silver could have been transported out this year, but with a new county magistrate, they were cautious. When they relaxed during the New Year, Qi County Deputy hurried to move the gold and silver.

Unexpectedly, Zheng Shanci stumbled upon it.

Zheng Shanci ate a bowl of chicken wontons outside. The wonton shop had been open for over ten years and was a famous old brand in Xinfeng County. When his wontons were ready, the soup was topped with scallions and drizzled with fragrant oil, smelling delicious.

After eating, he went home, finding Yu Lanyi lying in bed reading. Zheng Shanci glanced at him curiously; was Yu Lanyi being so well-behaved?

After washing up, Zheng Shanci lay down, feeling tired and wanting to sleep early. Yu Lanyi put down his book, poked Zheng Shanci, and asked, “Zheng Shanci, have you ever thought about that?”

Hearing this, Zheng Shanci was no longer sleepy, suddenly wide awake.

“I have,” Zheng Shanci said, trying to maintain his composure.

Yu Lanyi hesitated and asked, “Doesn’t it hurt? Going in.”

Zheng Shanci had to find a basis from his limited knowledge: “There’s ointment.”

Yu Lanyi nodded thoughtfully, as if a major issue had been resolved: “Alright, let’s sleep.”

Zheng Shanci got out of bed to blow out the candle, then hugged Yu Lanyi and kissed him.

Yu Lanyi touched Zheng Shanci’s moving Adam’s apple: “When the weather warms up, I won’t be afraid of the cold.”

Zheng Shanci responded, “I’ll be very careful.”

Blushing, he continued, “It’s my first time too.”

Yu Lanyi, his face flushed, gave Zheng Shanci a playful punch.

“Sleep.”

Zheng Shanci: “…”

Qi County Deputy hadn’t yet realized his gold and silver had been stolen. By the time he did, the other three families had already confronted him. Learning that the boxes he had hidden in the abandoned temple had been taken to the county office’s warehouse by Zheng Shanci, Qi County Deputy was furious.

This time, he had made a mistake and had to appease the other three families, enduring their sarcastic remarks. Qi County Deputy was so angry he nearly fainted but had no choice but to clean up the mess.

“What do we do now? Should we send someone to retrieve the boxes?” The head of the Xia family was still tempted.

“If you go, won’t Zheng Shanci catch you and uproot everything? Just accept the loss,” the head of the Cheng family said sternly. “We mustn’t let any word of this leak.”

The head of the Gao family sneered, “I thought Zheng Shanci just wanted to make some achievements in Xinfeng County for promotion, but it seems he’s out to oppose us.”

“If Zheng Shanci wants to tear us apart, we won’t just be paper tigers.”

The head of the Xia family still remembered the time they welcomed Zheng Shanci with a banquet, feeling a lingering fear. He had heard that Zheng Shanci personally visited and saw off General Yu when he came, and considering that Zheng Shanci’s husband was also surnamed Yu, the head of the Xia family felt even more uncertain, so he didn’t echo the head of the Gao family’s words.

Not to mention that Old Cheng was a retired governor, and being associated with a family like the Yu family, even if he was a retired governor, it would be enough to cause trouble for an active governor.