After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 700 The strange yin and yang
After Guard Lin sent a letter saying that he wanted to discuss the money for Jin Wu's redemption with the butcher, there has been no further news.

Jin Jiashu felt a little puzzled, wondering if the butcher had seen something and asked for such a high price that Guard Lin couldn't accept, which was why he stayed in Yunyang?

But the money was not paid by Guard Lin, but was allocated from the public account. Guard Lin had already paid a sum of money to Ma Shangyi before he left, and brought two more silver notes just in case. Even if Jin Wu was made of gold, there was no reason why he couldn't redeem it. Even if the price exceeded the budget and Guard Lin had to pay out of his own pocket, Jin Jiashu would give him the money when he returned to Chang'an. How could he have been dawdling for so many days without any news just to bargain with the butcher?
Jin Jiashu felt that this was unreasonable, so he discussed it with Haitang.

Haitang seemed to be thinking deeply: "The butcher's family doesn't want Jin Wu anymore, so there's no reason for them to hold him captive, right? Could it be that Jin Wu has done something wrong and he's unwilling to follow Guard Lin back to Chang'an? Is he afraid that people in Chang'an will know his true identity and he will suffer a lot if he returns? But no matter how bad his treatment is after returning to Chang'an, it won't be worse than being a half-servant and half-son-in-law in Yunyang, right? If he can endure such a life, why doesn't he want to return to Chang'an?"

She thought to herself, could it be that Jin Wu knew the cause of his parents' death and was worried that he would die as well, so he would rather stay in Yunyang and suffer than return to Chang'an?
Jin Jiashu also thought of this, but he thought Haitang didn't know the inside story, so he didn't say it directly, but only said vaguely: "Yes, it's better for him to stay with me than to stay in Yunyang Prefecture. Could it be that he is angry that I have ignored him all these years and holds a grudge in his heart, so he is angry for a while and would rather suffer in someone else's house than come to Chang'an to seek refuge with me?"

Haitang said with a "tsk". "Can a family like the second branch of the Jin family raise such a temperamental child? If he was so stubborn, he didn't say anything when you were bullied by the second branch when you were a child, didn't say anything when the second branch of the Jin family betrayed your family to the killer, didn't say anything when his parents abandoned his mother and sister and ran away with the money, didn't say anything when he sold his cousin who was supposed to be betrothed to him, and now that he is in such a desperate situation and you are willing to lend a hand to him, he jumps out to show his stubbornness? He is taking advantage of the fact that you are soft-hearted and easy to talk to and will definitely help him, so he took the opportunity to take advantage of Qiao, right?"

Jin Jiashu's expression was a little subtle: "He could do this kind of thing before, but now... it's hard to say." He heard Guard Lin talk about Jin Wu's experience in the butcher's house, and he couldn't imagine that the other party would continue to endure such a life just to show off in front of him. Could it be that Guard Lin had let him know that he would definitely save him, so he took the opportunity to put forward conditions?

But Guard Lin only needs to negotiate the price with the butcher family, and he doesn't need to care about Jin Wu's conditions, right? Even if Jin Wu refuses to obey, what can he do? In a place like Yunyang Prefecture, there are many mountains and dense forests, and there are few people outside the city. It is not prosperous and wealthy, and there are many mountain bandits and robbers. Because there have been many civil unrests, there are also a large number of troops stationed in the surrounding areas. People entering and leaving must be strictly checked. Could he still dream of escaping privately?

Jin Wu was a stranger in Yunyang Prefecture. He was unfamiliar with the place and had an awkward identity. When he sold himself to bury his parents, he put up a straw sign in the downtown area of ​​the city, and the butcher who bought him was quite noisy, so he was known to the whole city. Therefore, he worked as a handyman in the butcher's house for many years, and often had the opportunity to go out, but it was impossible for him to escape. Everyone in the city knew that he was a butcher's family. If he wanted to leave the city without permission, the guards at the city gate would stop him. If he fled privately under the pretext of going out of the city to chop firewood in the mountains, he might not survive a night in the mountains and become food for wild beasts. If he was lucky, he might meet a village willing to take him in and become a mountain bandit. But in this way, he might not be beaten and scolded again, but he would completely become a rioter and would never have any future.

Based on Jin Jiashu's understanding of Jin Wu, it is impossible for the other party to choose this path unless he is in desperate situation.

Obviously, after returning to Chang'an, Jin Wu would have a way to survive. Even if he suspected that someone wanted to kill him, Chang'an would be easier to escape than Yunyang Prefecture. What reason did he have not to come back with Guard Lin?
Jin Jiashu was still reserved in front of Haitang, and Haitang also didn't speak out. The two of them discussed vaguely, and naturally they couldn't reach any conclusion. Not long after, Ma noticed that Jin Jiashu was still at home in the upper room, talking to her sixteen-year-old granddaughter, so she hurriedly called him over and asked him to taste the freshly made snacks in the kitchen. Jin Jiashu guessed that he would not have the opportunity to talk to Haitang alone today, so after eating the snacks, he found an excuse to leave.

After returning home, he saw someone in the east wing and knew it was Ma Shangyi who had returned, so he took the initiative to look for her: "Mammy, has Guard Lin received any letters in the past two days?"

Ma Shangyi had just returned from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and hadn't even changed her coat yet. She looked at Jin Jiashu with a complicated expression, "Ah... not yet. I sent him a letter a few days ago, and I think he will have news soon, don't worry." Jin Jiashu paused and said, "Madam, are you hiding something from me? Could it be that something has happened to my cousin?"

Ma Shangyi turned away: "Brother, you misunderstood. I'm just... a little tired, I don't mean to hide anything from you."

Jin Jiashu looked at her with a smile: "Mammy, have you just returned from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion? What important things has the Duke's wife been busy with recently? She even needs Mammy to help her every day. Although Mammy is capable, she is also an old person. Please take care of yourself and don't overwork yourself."

Ma Shangyi cleared her throat and said, "Thank you for your concern, brother. I'm fine. I just went to the Zhenguo Mansion a few more times to chat with the Zhenguo's wife. How can I be exhausted?"

Jin Jiashu raised his eyebrows: "It's good that Madam knows the situation. But... Madam Zhenguo should be busy with Wu Ke's blind date these days, right? Are you giving her advice? I think the Queen Mother has raised Wu Ke, so she must be very concerned about his lifelong affairs. I wonder if the character of the daughter of Governor Xin will satisfy the Queen Mother?"

Ma Shangyi smiled reluctantly: "Miss Xin is dignified and elegant, and comes from a scholarly family. The Queen Mother will naturally be satisfied."

"As long as the Empress Dowager is satisfied." Jin Jiashu smiled meaningfully. "Wu Ke has suffered a lot over the years. Now he is getting older and his studies have improved. He is about to win the first prize and revive his family. The Empress Dowager is far away in the capital. If she knew that he has made a good career and is about to marry and have children, she would definitely be very pleased, right? The Xin family has a long history of scholars, and the family background is worthy of the descendants of Wu Wen'an."

Ma Shangyi felt that he was speaking in a sarcastic tone, and couldn't help but stare at him and ask, "Brother, you seem to know a lot about this marriage. Could it be that you have even made a special trip to inquire about the Xin family?"

"Of course it was Wu Ke who said that." Jin Jiashu said with a smile, "He was so happy that he came to report to Teacher Xie, Teacher Cao and Teacher Lu. I was there at the time, and he took the initiative to say many things without the teachers asking. It seems that he and Miss Xin will definitely be together. I will be able to drink at his wedding soon, and I am so happy for him."

Ma Shangyi pursed her lips and said nothing.

(End of this chapter)