Chapter 1742 – Interruption of the Hand
The household servant embezzled a significant amount of money; logically speaking, it was no less than a death sentence. However, according to current laws, even if a servant makes a mistake, they cannot just be casually killed. It should involve notifying the authorities to avoid further trouble. Of course, this primarily applies to ordinary wealthy families. Aristocrats enjoy numerous privileges, having developed them to the peak before the chaos unfolded. With the laws relaxing in these turbulent times, they act even more recklessly.
If Sun Lan were to actually kill those treacherous servants, outsiders wouldn’t complain too much.
Thus, Sun Lan instinctively let slip the word ‘execution’.
But just as the guards were about to drag the culprits away, he suddenly realized something wasn’t quite right.
Grandpa was a minister serving the lord, and reputation was paramount. Even if those treacherous servants brought this upon themselves, there was still a process to follow.
Sun Lan remembered his grandpa saying that the lord valued laws the most; he surely wouldn’t let them run rampant.
If they accidentally crossed paths with the law, he might easily become an example of the lord’s authority.
Other lords might give aristocrats some face, but their own lord was a different story.
Though young, Sun Lan wasn’t naive and thought things through.
He waved his hand and ordered, “Tie up all these people and keep a close watch. Anyone who dares to escape gets executed.”
The steward felt a wave of despair, tears streaming, wailing as he pleaded for mercy and tried to tug at their emotions.
However, Sun Lan didn’t even flinch.
This made everyone realize that this Sun Lan was no longer the soft and shy boy of the past.
Despite not yet reaching adulthood, he exuded an authority that many adult men lacked.
But he only worried about one thing now.
If he reported this to the authorities, it would be impossible to keep this embarrassing matter under wraps.
But—
Fortunately, he knew a few elders and thought that if he discreetly whispered a few words to them tomorrow, this matter should be manageable.
He couldn’t let the reputation of being lax in managing the household fall on his grandpa and ruin the old man’s reputation!
Due to this incident, Sun Lan’s plans for the next day were all thrown into disarray.
By the time he dealt with the treacherous servants, reprimanded the talkative servants, calculated the exact amount embezzled by the steward, and re-did the accounts, a whole day had passed. The nearby neighbors were all colleagues of his grandpa, so such a significant incident at home could not possibly stay under the radar.
Sun Lan decided to prepare some small gifts to pay a visit to the officials, aiming to build good relationships and conveniently ask them to keep this mess quiet so that no one would lose face.
By the time he wrapped everything up, it was already the third day.
Finally becoming less busy, Sun Lan realized something quite unjust—
He hadn’t kept his return a secret; a few close classmates were already in the loop, yet Jinghui hadn’t come by.
Could it be true what Rong Li’s crowing mouth foretold—
That Jinghui had forgotten him and was looking at someone else?
Sun Lan felt anxious but knew that worrying was useless; he needed to take the initiative.
So, he prepared a substantial gift to visit the Qi Guan residence, as he had a perfectly valid reason—during the two years he served in the army, Qi Guanrang was like a half-mentor to him, and he greatly benefited from it. Now that he returned, he had to check on Qi Guanrang’s family and the teacher’s wife.
See the teacher’s wife, and by the way… he could also see the plums he’d been yearning for.
Delicious~~~
Delicious~~~
Yummy~~~
Upon arriving at the Qi Guan residence, Sun Lan keenly sensed that the atmosphere inside wasn’t quite right, instinctively curbing his fleeting excitement, “It’s been several years, auntie, and your grace surpasses the past. This is a small trinket my nephew managed to acquire, a toy for the little one to play with.”
Winning over the mother-in-law is something every son-in-law must accomplish; if the father-in-law is hard to deal with, then take the indirect route through the mother-in-law.
Qi Guanrang’s wife hailed from the Wei clan of Hejian County, the eldest daughter of Liu Xi’s early teacher, Wei Yuan.
After marrying Qi Guanrang, the couple lived harmoniously. Even though they were often apart these years, she never complained but kept their home in order with a gentle demeanor, raising their children with great patience and love.
Losing his mother at a young age, Sun Lan held a great deal of respect for this woman and always felt as if he were facing his own mother.
This time back, Sun Lan not only prepared gifts for the little ones at the residence but also brought generous gifts for his future mother-in-law.
“Why offer these unnecessary formalities when you’ve come?”
Qi Guan’s wife looked somewhat weary, her brows slightly furrowed with lingering concerns, but she still mustered a smile for Sun Lan.
Sun Lan felt puzzled inside.
But he didn’t rashly inquire.
If Qi Guan’s wife was troubled by household matters, as an outsider, questioning it would only lead to offense.
The two exchanged pleasantries, talking generally about how they’d been over the years, and Sun Lan skillfully shifted the conversation toward Qi Guan Jinghui.
The smile that had been on Qi Guan’s wife’s lips stiffened, and her frown deepened.
From this, it was clear that whatever worried Qi Guan’s wife was likely related to Qi Guan Jinghui.
Sun Lan’s heart sank, and his right hand clenched tightly on his thigh as he urgently asked, “Could it be that Jinghui is in trouble?”
Qi Guan’s wife hesitated to speak.
When Sun Lan pressed further, she finally relayed the truth.
Qi Guan Jinghui had gotten into a conflict at the academy and had her left hand broken. The academy’s teacher ordered her to stay home for a month to reflect on her actions.
Hearing this, Sun Lan was so shocked that his heart skipped a beat.
Jinghui… got her left hand broken?
“Who did it?”
Sun Lan’s first reaction was to retaliate.
Someone actually hit a girl? That brute’s entire family deserves a beating!
Qi Guan’s wife was taken aback by Sun Lan’s response; wasn’t the normal reaction to inquire about the cause of the conflict?
From Sun Lan’s words, it sounded like he simply wanted to seek revenge without understanding the situation!
Qi Guan’s wife bitterly smiled, “Just a quarrel among youngsters. Jinghui is partly at fault; she should reflect on it for a month to learn her lesson.”
Sun Lan’s heart was filled with worry; just hearing about a broken hand was enough to unsettle him.
Qi Guan’s wife, knowing his thoughts well, kindly suggested that he go visit Qi Guan Jinghui in the back courtyard.
Thanks to Jiang Pengji’s efforts over the years, the societal atmosphere had opened up a lot, with one notable change being that the previous restrictions between men and women had lessened. In the past, Sun Lan would never have been allowed to visit a sick and grounded Qi Guan Jinghui in the back courtyard.
Now it was fine, as long as it wasn’t a man and a woman alone in a room for an extended period, others wouldn’t say much.
As Qi Guan Rang’s eldest daughter, Jinghui naturally had plenty of maidservants and attendants around her, eliminating any lingering taboos.
Sun Lan hurried to the courtyard where Qi Guan Jinghui resided. As soon as he arrived, he saw her in her regular clothes sitting in the corridor, her left hand resting on her chest while her right hand turned the pages of a book. Half of her body leaned lazily against a table, and her relaxed demeanor was quite different from his memories of her.
“Jinghui.”
His voice carried an uncontainable joy.
As Sun Lan approached the back courtyard, Qi Guan Jinghui sensed the unfamiliar footsteps and looked up at the call, instantly recognizing Sun Lan. A smile lit her face, but as if recalling something, she snorted and turned her head back to her book.
