Chapter 37: Old Debts

Shen Yanchuan did not answer his question, but instead asked another.

"You say she comes from the capital, but I remember that three years ago, when the famine struck the north, the capital was not among the affected areas. Since she never encountered the Great Famine, how did she travel all the way south to Jiangling?"

Xie Anbai scratched his head.

"I'm not sure about that. How about—" He gave a cheeky grin. "Why don't you go ask her yourself?"

Since he liked her, it was always better to learn more about her!

Shen Yanchuan leaned back against his chair, his long, jade-like fingers gently stroking his teacup.

He didn't need to think to know that Ye Chutang certainly wouldn't say anything; asking would be a waste of breath.

She seemed to keep her family's past a closely guarded secret; otherwise, even after three years in Jiangling, people would still be quite unclear about their history.

If it were just a simple flight from famine, why be so secretive?

Unable to guess Shen Yanchuan's thoughts, Xie Anbai simply brought up something else: "By the way, when do you plan to return to the capital?"

Shen Yanchuan looked up. "Why?"

Xie Anbai chuckled. "Well, I mean, whenever you plan to head back, make sure to tell me in advance and leave me some travel money—"

Otherwise, he would be drifting outside penniless, and life would be incredibly difficult!

Shen Yanchuan pondered for a moment before saying, "I will set off once my injuries are completely healed. However—by then, I likely won't have any extra money to give you."

Behind him, Lian Zhou nodded vigorously with a look of profound sorrow.

*Exactly! Given how stingy Ye Chutang is, if we stay any longer, we won't just run out of our own money—we'll end up in debt!*

No matter how rich the master was, he couldn't withstand her spending like this!

Xie Anbai: "..."

Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous!

What kind of decent person uses someone as a shield before they've even successfully pursued them?

He stood up indignantly. "You're so high and mighty! You use money to coax Dr. Ye into being happy, but you don't care about your brother's life at all! Truly, a man forgets his brothers once he gets a wife! I must have been blind to misjudge you!"

He had actually gone out of his way to help investigate Dr. Ye and tried every way to play matchmaker for his brother, only to end up being the sucker!

Bah!

...

By the time Ye Chutang returned home, it was already past noon.

However, A-Yan, A-Feng, and Xiao Wu had not yet eaten; they were sitting at the table waiting for her.

Originally, the two brothers wanted to accompany Ye Chutang, but she had refused them.

It wasn't that they were afraid of bloodshed, but rather that she felt it was unnecessary.

Why waste time and energy on an outcome that was already predictable?

"Sister is back!"

A-Feng, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot her and cried out in pleasant surprise.

A-Yan immediately looked up, and seeing her return looking relaxed, his hanging heart finally settled.

Xiao Wu, unaware of the details, simply felt that she hadn't seen her sister for a long time and missed her dearly. She ran over with pitter-patter steps and threw herself into Ye Chutang's arms.

Ye Chutang rubbed her little head. "Time to eat."

Ye Yunfeng endured for a moment before he couldn't hold it back any longer: "Sister, how did... that situation outside go?"

Ye Jingyan also looked over, clearly very concerned about the matter as well.

"It's quite troublesome," Ye Chutang said.

The brothers' expressions instantly tightened.

Ye Chutang tilted her head slightly and said, "Jiangling might be getting a new County Magistrate."

"What!?" Ye Jingyan was stunned. He had thought the best possible outcome for today was making the Cao father and son pay for their actions, but who knew it would involve the Magistrate?

Ye Yunfeng, however, didn't think that far ahead and immediately said happily, "That's great then! When those three lives were lost previously, he protected the Cao family. He doesn't deserve to be the Magistrate at all!"

Having experienced everything that had happened recently, he had realized many things.

"With a local official like that, if he didn't have some ability, people would truly be bullied to death!" Ye Yunfeng snorted. "If it weren't for Sister having a way, how could we be sitting here eating a proper meal?"

The more Ye Yunfeng spoke, the more agitated he became, but when he turned his head, he saw his sister still maintaining her indifferent and calm demeanor.

He couldn't help but ask, "Sister, aren't you happy? This is a good thing!"

Good deeds are rewarded with good, and evil with evil; if retribution doesn't come, it's just because the time hasn't arrived!

Ye Chutang's eyebrows arched slightly. "What is there to be happy about? Even if another one comes, will they necessarily be better than the current one?"

"This—" Ye Yunfeng was momentarily speechless.

He truly hadn't thought of it that way before, but hearing his sister say it, he realized it was a distinct possibility.

Ye Chutang continued in a calm voice, "At any time, the only person one can truly rely on is oneself. If you place all your hopes in others, you will ultimately lose everything."

Ye Yunfeng's agitated heart instantly calmed down significantly.

He lowered his head and said somewhat sheepishly, "Sister is right. I'll remember that!"

Ye Chutang shook her head. "That's not important. No matter what kind of Magistrate comes to Jiangling, it will have nothing to do with us."

Ye Jingyan's heart stirred as he vaguely guessed something. "Sister, do you mean—"

Ye Chutang's dark eyes were tranquil as she said, "Pack your things during this time. We are returning to the capital."

"What!?"

Ye Yunfeng was shocked, reacting the most strongly.

"But Sister, it was so hard for us to..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but they all understood his meaning.

They had all thought they would never set foot in the capital again in this lifetime, yet who knew Sister would suddenly—

Ye Yunfeng's lips pressed tightly together. "Sister, is someone bullying you? Tell me, and I'll go teach them a lesson!"

Ye Chutang shook her head.

"It doesn't have much to do with recent events; it's mainly for your sake. A-Yan is already thirteen; if he continues to linger in the academies here, his potential will be buried for a lifetime. As for you, A-Feng, didn't you used to love the capital the most? Don't you want to go back?"

"But—" Ye Yunfeng didn't know what to say, his chest feeling inexplicably tight.

The capital was prosperous and lively, and he loved it very much, but those things could not compare to the significance his sister and brothers held for him.

He wanted to argue further, but he met Ye Chutang's calm and gentle gaze.

In that instant, he suddenly understood—

"Sister, you... you had planned to go back all along, didn't you?"

Ye Chutang smiled.

"The time has come. There are some old debts that need to be settled back there."

The silent Ye Jingyan suddenly spoke up: "Wherever Sister goes, I will go."

Xiao Wu listened in confusion, her large, grape-like black eyes looking left and right.

She had no impression of the capital and naturally didn't know what they were talking about, but—she was just like her third brother! Wherever Sister went, she would go too!

Ye Yunfeng clenched his fists. "I'll do whatever Sister says!"

No matter what they would face upon their return, he would protect his sister and brothers to the end!

Ye Chutang nodded, then remembered something and said, "It is only April, not the official enrollment period for the Imperial Academy. I will write a letter later. Once we reach the capital, you two can go directly so as not to delay your studies."