Capítulo 1372: Chapter 1372: Fortune Turns Like a Wheel

Wang Yongzhu was still thinking about those two Tea Mother Trees and wanted to take a look.

Upon Lee Changnan’s invitation, she only thought about it for a moment and then agreed.

When Song Chongjin heard about it, he wouldn’t allow it and said he wanted to go too.

Who would have thought, just after finishing his words, Song Xiaoyin came in to report that the town mayor of Shiqiao Town, Wu Changshou, had arrived, saying he had matters to report to Song Chongjin.

Well then! Song Chongjin knew this was probably about the Jiang Family affair, and it required proper arrangement, and also some sweetening to Wu Changshou’s side.

So, even if he was unwilling, he could only look at Wang Yongzhu with a resentful gaze.

In the end, he followed Song Xiaoyin to attend to the official business.

In no time, Wang Yongzhu and Lee Changnan were still discussing the specific areas that required extra caution after heading to Yingzi Gully.

Song Chongjin had already returned, only saying he needed to make a trip to town, and perhaps might even need to go to Jing County; it could take two or three days to return.

He took Song Xiaoyin and Song Xiaomao along with Yao Da to the town, leaving Song Xiaowu and Shitou with Wang Yongzhu.

Seeing Song Chongjin’s demeanor remain relatively calm, with no signs of anxiety on his face, Wang Yongzhu felt assured that there was no major trouble during this trip to the town and county, and was slightly relieved.

She went back to the room to pack his luggage.

Song Chongjin followed her in, then quietly explained Wu Changshou’s visit. It turned out Wu Changshou’s visit was partly for the Jiang Family matter, but that wasn’t a big deal, and arrangements had mostly been settled.

The main reason was he was entrusted by someone to have Song Chongjin meet once.

Normally, that person should have come to meet Song Chongjin personally, but due to some issues, he couldn’t leave and entrusted Wu Changshou to visit on his behalf.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yongzhu immediately thought of someone, “Is it Wu Zhongbao?”

Song Chongjin nodded, “It is indeed him. According to Wu Changshou, it seems the Wu Family is in some sort of predicament. Back then, I took shelter under their name, though it was arranged by Song Hong, I truly owe the Wu Family a favor. Given Brother Wu’s character, he wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t very difficult.”

“I’ll go take a look; you should be careful too when you go to Yingzi Gully! Come back early!”

Wang Yongzhu nodded, efficiently packed Song Chongjin’s luggage and saw him out the door.

Since Song Chongjin had left, Wang Yongzhu looked at the sky and, seeing it was still early, decided to also pack her belongings into a bundle.

On the other side, most of Lee Changnan’s luggage hadn’t been unpacked, making it very convenient for departure.

Lee Changnan invited Wang Yongzhu to ride in his carriage, which was naturally much more comfortable than the Wang Family’s carriage.

Not to mention, the horses were all of an exceptionally high grade.

Wang Yongzhu was not one to endure hardship unnecessarily; since there was a better option, why endure hardship?

Without hesitation, she took Gu Yu along, and called over Wang Yongping, as well as Song Xiaowu and Shitou, accompanied by Lee Changnan’s entourage, leaving Song Xiaowei at home.

The group set off with the carriage, riding towards Yingzi Gully.

By the time they arrived at Yingzi Gully, it was almost dusk.

In a year since their last visit, Yingzi Gully had changed a lot from the last time they saw it.

That long, narrow gully had already been walled with stones at the entrance, with a fence installed and guarded.

Seeing their party, especially upon seeing Lee Changnan himself, the guards were stunned.

They hurriedly stepped forward to establish connections, hearing that this was Ninth Master Lee and these were the Lee Family’s people. Thinking about the tumultuous rumors surrounding the Lee Family, their expressions at seeing Ninth Master Lee were somewhat twisted, a hint of difficulty beneath their respectful demeanor.

To say the least, when the higher-ups are battling, they, the little guys, really can’t afford to offend anyone.

No matter who it was, they were all young masters of the Lee Family. Even if something was wrong, wasn’t it their fate to become cannon fodder in the end?

So each of them wore smiles, but their hearts bitterly welcomed the group inside.

Inside, in front of the caves, houses had been built. It was currently dinnertime; smoke was puffing out of every household’s chimney.

At a quick glance, it was indistinguishable from a regular village.

Currently leading the place were Sun Qi and Zhang Quan, who had stayed behind initially.

Hearing the report from someone below, they hurried out to greet the pair, while also instructing people to prepare good food to entertain the guests and have clean rooms tidied up for accommodation.

Wang Yongzhu knew these two were highly efficient, or else they wouldn’t have been assigned here.

Compared to those few people outside earlier, these two showed no traces of unease on their faces.

Therefore, Wang Yongzhu and Lee Changnan acted as if nothing was amiss, treating it as an ordinary inspection visit.

Wang Yongping was already a familiar face here. Arriving at Yingzi Gully, he was quite familiar, seeing his sister chatting and laughing with Zhang Quan and Sun Qi, he wandered off to find acquaintances.

He never came empty-handed on such visits, and these people were hunters. Considering Wang Yongzhu, they sold him mountain goods and game.

This time, without much thought, he went to inquire whether there were any mountain goods or game for sale.

Shitou followed him, stating he also wanted to buy some good furs; otherwise, when they reached Chicheng County, the cold climate would make prices soar.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yongping agreed wholeheartedly and took Shitou along.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Sun Qi cautiously inquired if they had any instructions for their visit.

Wang Yongzhu laughed, “We are here to return home and stay for some time. It’s been a year since our last visit. Coincidentally, Ninth Master Lee wanted to come by too, so we came together. Is it inconvenient for you?”

Sun Qi’s smile momentarily stiffened, hurriedly responding, “Madam, what are you talking about? It’s convenient, very convenient!”

What nonsense, Wang Yongzhu’s background, if others don’t know, he surely does?

She is more than just the wife of a Seventh Rank County Magistrate; she is also the Heir’s Wife of Duke Weiguo, with the Gu Family backing her.

He’s not really afraid of Ninth Master Lee, as he’s now like a toothless tiger – at worst, he’ll get scolded a few times.

But offending Wang Yongzhu could cost him his life.

Lee Changnan observed the scene quietly, unsure of his emotion.

Two years ago, when he looked at Wang Yongzhu, it was from a high vantage point. Even when they successfully conducted the Cloud Mist Tea business, it was the Lee Family, under his leadership.

Zhang Yinbao and Wang Yongzhu were just add-ons!

Yet now, members of the Lee Family and people from the Zhang Family regarded Wang Yongzhu with more respect and fear than they did him.

How fortunes change with time!

None present were fools. Sun Qi’s attitude was apparent to both Lee Changnan and Wang Yongzhu.

Wang Yongzhu’s face grew cold. The Lee Family’s demeanor was too obvious.

The more it was this way, the more cautious Wang Yongzhu became, since the person taking over hadn’t arrived yet, and it was best not to alert the snake just yet.

It seemed Sun Qi and others didn’t know that the Cloud Mist Tea business now belonged to Lee Changnan.

Sure enough, after probing a few more questions, Wang Yongzhu confirmed this suspicion.

Exchanging a glance with Lee Changnan, the two decided to first hold back and wait until the person taking over arrived tomorrow to catch them unprepared.

Soon, dinner was ready, and not only did Sun Qi and Zhang Quan breathe a sigh of relief, but Lee Changnan also relaxed a bit.

After dinner, once everyone was settled, Sun Qi and Zhang Quan found an excuse to take their leave.

Shitou took the opportunity to report that following Wang Yongping, he had already sniffed out the situation among the people of Yingzi Gully.

Now everyone knew this Ninth Master had lost the trust of the main family and had long been deprived of his authority.

Currently, the Lee Family’s legitimate son controlled the tea and Qingzhou business.

Recently everyone had been uneasy, but after hearing some news, the two leaders calmed down, claiming they had already connected with the Lee Family’s legitimate son.

That legitimate son, indeed magnanimous, said as long as they worked diligently, no trouble would come their way, and so on.

Even the Zhang Family conveyed a similar stance, saying their head instructed them to work honestly and not get involved.

With this understanding, Wang Yongzhu instructed Song Xiaowu to guard the front of the gully to prevent anyone from leaving.

Song Xiaowu accepted the command and disappeared into the darkness.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep