Chapter 603: Chapter 603: Surrounding the Hostel

The middle-aged woman did not notice the man’s movements with his hands. There weren’t many people having breakfast, so she wiped her hands with a cloth and sat directly across from Mu Yan and Zhan Lan.

“Once the sun rises, some thugs come to eat. After eating, they don’t pay; when they leave, they take the Copper Coin we earned in the morning. If the pouch has too little Copper Coin, they take away the goods from our stall.”

Zhan Lan put down the wooden spoon in his hand, listening to the woman continue, “That’s considered mild. If anyone dares to resist, they get brutally beaten by those thugs. Gradually, we all understood that by obeying, we wouldn’t get beaten. They haven’t come these days, so I’ll have to put the Copper Coin we owe them in the pouch later.”

Mu Yan raised his eyes and intentionally asked, “Working hard only to benefit others, can’t you stop?”

The woman glanced at this man who looked like a scholar, his face somewhat handsome, clearly someone who hadn’t suffered much.

She shook her head helplessly, “You clearly haven’t suffered much. If we don’t trade, we can only rent land from the Zhao Family, who owns more than half of the land in this city. We don’t have Silver, so at least with a small business, we can secretly hide some. It’s barely enough to make ends meet. If we were to farm, and one year the weather got bad and wiped out our crops, we’d become life-long slaves to the Zhao Family.”

Zhan Lan tilted his head and asked, “The Zhao Family? How come they have so much land? Is it ancestral land granted to them?”

The woman tightened her patched cotton clothes, pulled the smoothly worn sleeves, and tucked her frostbitten red hands inside.

She sighed deeply, “Just don’t say I said this, keep it in mind. On the surface, Shuiyu City bears the Zhao name, but actually, it bears the Wang name. They’re all one family. It’s best you leave quickly after eating!”

The woman saw someone come to buy fried dough sticks, got up, and enthusiastically greeted them, no longer idly chatting with this pair who knew nothing.

Zhan Lan and Mu Yan had a rough idea of what was happening in Shuiyu City. Zhan Lan got up and gave the woman double the Copper Coin.

If he gave too much, it would provoke unnecessary suspicion.

The woman hurriedly declined, “We’re all poor folk, can’t take it, only what’s due.”

Zhan Lan clasped her hand and tucked the Copper Coin into it, “Thank you for the warning, we’ll hurry and leave!”

The woman looked gratefully at Zhan Lan and Mu Yan, “Thank you, just call me Mrs. Zhou. If fate allows and you pass by again, I’ll treat you to tofu pudding!”

Zhan Lan smiled lightly, “Alright, we’re off then.”

Mrs. Zhou watched the backs of Zhan Lan and Mu Yan, murmuring, “You’re so kind, this place isn’t right for you.”

Mu Yan’s gaze was cold along the way. Even though he knew many pitiful people existed, the fact that two families had plunged the entire Shuiyu City populace into such dire straits was unheard of. They were the local tyrants, the King Yama. They decided who lived and who died!

If it weren’t for this outing, he wouldn’t have discovered just how dark Shuiyu City was.

And who knows how many small towns like this one Dayu has, and how its people live.

Along the way, they encountered vegetable vendors, early-working folks, witnessing the true Shuiyu City.

These people’s lives were even more impoverished than they had imagined.

…

The sun slowly rose on the horizon, County Magistrate Wang sat with his eyes closed in the study at home, holding a string of jade beads that rolled between his thumb and forefinger.

Housekeeper Wang rushed in excitedly, “Sir, good news, good news!”

County Magistrate Wang opened his eyes and looked at his overjoyed housekeeper, a reliable relative of his family.

“Sir, the envoy’s convoy has already left Shuiyu City, returning to Ding’an City!”

County Magistrate Wang’s lips curled into a relaxed smile.

He knew none of the four envoys had the right to adjudicate, to move against him, they’d have to consult the Emperor in the imperial city.

Even if the imperial decree arrived, he would have ensured all witnesses were eliminated and smoothed things over.

His plump body rose from the chair, walked out of the study, and stood in the courtyard, taking a deep breath. See, he had regained control of everything in Shuiyu City once more.

“Can Zhang Qi sit up?” he called for the maid taking care of Zhang Qi.

“Returning sir, he can sit up now.”

“Good, get a wheelchair for Zhang Qi, accompany me out.”

“Yes, sir.” The maid nodded respectfully.

Wang Kun’s eyes brimmed with calculation. Since Zhou Shiyue and Zhang Qi were already at odds, then let Zhang Qi personally solve his enemy!

In this way, Zhou Shiyue’s death would be considered a personal vendetta with Zhang Qi and Zhou Shiyue, no matter what, it wouldn’t be pinned on him.

He never liked to personally get his hands dirty. If it weren’t for Ji Yun’s words that pushed him to desperation, he wouldn’t have killed in haste.

But it’s still uncertain whether Ji Yun is truly dead!

Wang Kun looked at Housekeeper Wang, “Get Zhao Jiu, in an hour we’ll head to the hostel.”

“Yes, sir.”

Housekeeper Wang immediately went outside. He naturally knew what kind of person Wang Kun was, but by following Wang Kun, he had gained many benefits. Through the years, the Wang family’s relatives had strengthened the family by following Wang Kun.

He looked at Zhao Yueji, the concubine appreciating plum blossoms in the courtyard, silently sighed: This woman has good fortune, marrying Wang Kun, elevating her entire family, even their Zhao Family’s influence in Shuiyu City has become formidable.

The little maid looked at Zhao Yueji, “Madam, should we pay respects to Madam?”

Zhao Yueji sneered, “Why pay respects to that old woman? No!”

After speaking, she broke off a plum blossom branch and left the garden.

…

An hour later, County Magistrate Wang, along with Zhang Qi and Zhao Jiu, arrived at the hostel’s entrance.

At the entrance, except for the young servant who was cleaning, there was no sign of anything unusual.

Zhang Qi sat in the wheelchair, feeling emotional about County Magistrate Wang treating him like a reborn parent, having personally come to help him seek revenge and brought him as a witness to the moment.

Zhao Jiu wore a smug smile. Now that the envoy had left, it was still their realm.

Soon, he would see how Zhou Shiyue and Ji Yun’s group met their end!

County Magistrate Wang gestured to the government officials behind him, “Go, surround the hostel!”

“Yes, sir!”

The officials split into two groups, surrounding the entire hostel.

The hostel’s Housekeeper Zhang came out, nodded, and said, “Lord Wang, what is happening, why surround the hostel?”