The Lin family's carriage went straight into the Shang Mansion, and Lin Qingyu slightly lifted the curtain to look outside. She remembered that her sister had told her that she had followed her sister-in-law to the Shang family when she was very young.

  Wan Jie was raised by Lin Jiang and Shang Shi, so they had a good relationship. In the past, people in the Shang Mansion were also polite to her, but it's unknown how this time will be.

  After getting off the carriage, Lin Qingwen saw the sedan chair that had been brought over. She twitched her mouth and decided to follow local customs after all, so she got on it. Actually, it was only a short distance of just over a minute's walk, and walking could exercise her body too. Besides, she wasn't seriously ill, why be so pampered?

  Even in Lin's mansion in Yangzhou, except when Lin Jiang was too ill to move and had to be carried on a stretcher, everyone else walked on their own two legs.

  The sedan chair had just entered the second gate when it stopped, and Shang Mingyuan led his wife, Xiao Fangshi, to wait on one side. Seeing Lin Qingyu's sedan chair, he smiled and came forward to greet her, bowing: "Nephew pays respects to Aunt Lin, Aunt Lin has arrived, our family is truly flourishing."

  Xiao Fang saw that he was talking nonsense, and couldn't help but glare at him secretly. She raised her head to apologize to Lin Qingwan, just as she burst out laughing and asked from the sedan chair with a superior attitude, "Who made you lose face? Tell your aunt and let her have some fun. Maybe if your aunt is happy, she'll come up with an idea for you."

  Xiao Fang was stunned, but Shang Mingyuan was overjoyed. Having stayed in Yangzhou for so long, he had long since acknowledged Lin Qingyu as his superior and genuinely respected her as an elder. He eagerly welcomed Lin Qingyu down from the carriage and shooed away the servants before following closely behind her to attend to her needs.

  Lin Qingwan smiled and looked at Xiaofang, saying: "So this is the niece-in-law, just like sister said, a remarkable person. Unfortunately, I hadn't met her before, otherwise we would have become good friends."

  Lin Qingwan directly took off the bangle on her hand and put it on Xiao Fang's wrist, smiling: "This is a gift from your aunt to meet you."

  Looking at the "aunt" who was four or five years younger than herself, Xiaofang quickly came back to her senses and declined, saying: "Aunt is too kind..."

  Shang Mingyuan said: "Lin auntie gave it to you, just accept it. Auntie has many good things, it's not lacking in this one."

  Xiao Fang couldn't help but turn black-faced, she awkwardly smiled at Lin Qingwen, and hated to pinch him.

  "Keep it," Lin Qingyan smiled and said: "When I was in Yangzhou, my nephew helped me with many things, and I haven't rewarded him yet."

  "Auntie, just giving me a good idea is reward enough for me." Shang Mingyuan stepped forward with a smile and made a bow, saying: "Please, Auntie, teach me."

  Lin Qingwan couldn't help but sigh, and Shang Mingyuan was indeed the typical type who wouldn't lift a finger for three days, but now he had become even more glib-tongued and seemed to be getting more and more out of control.

  "What's wrong?" asked Lin Qingwan.

  Shang Ming looked around and made sure that everyone was following from a distance and wouldn't be able to hear them talking, then lowered his voice and said: "Second Aunt asked me to run errands for Uncle Zhao to buy land."

  Lin Qing looked at him strangely and said, "Then just buy it."

  "But they didn't give me the money," Shang Mingyuan said, on the verge of tears: "Second Aunt asked me to first withdraw from the official account in the mansion, but the one who signed that account is me, and in the end, I'm the one who will be held responsible for the debt? If Old Lady finds out, I'll definitely get skinned alive."

  "Well, in that case, I won't buy it," Lin Qingyan said with a smile. "Can't you drag your feet? Just say you can't find a good location, the price isn't negotiable, and all sorts of problems come up first. It's not like you're buying the land for yourself, what's the hurry?"

  Xiao Fang, who was standing aside, couldn't help but say: "Lin Auntie doesn't know, Second Aunt said she can help Da Lang get a position in the Ministry of Rites. If he does well, he might even be appointed to a local government position with real power in the future."

  Shang Mingyuan muttered: "But they want too much money, what if I don't get the official position in the end and can't pay back the money?"

  To put it bluntly, the money withdrawn from the Shang mansion is actually Shang Mingyuan's bribe for buying an official position. If he succeeds in getting the position, he will have to repay that sum of money himself.

  If it didn't work out, Zhao Sheng would naturally have to pay back. In the past, Mingyuan had estimated that he wouldn't even think about it and would agree, but after the Yangzhou incident, he always felt that the Zhao family's actions were too despicable, and he was a bit distrustful of Zhao Sheng.

  Lin Qingwan stopped in her tracks and asked, "Which piece of land does Zhao Sheng want to buy?"

  "At the foot of Qingfeng Mountain, that piece of land has been selected, but the villagers are asking for a high price. Although it's only over 200 mu, they want more than 3,000 liang."

  Lin Qingwan was shocked, "So expensive?"

  "Isn't it true that it's because of the Lu family's academic reputation on the mountain that they've driven up the land prices at the foot of the mountain?"

  "Zhao Sheng can't even take out 3,000 taels?"

  Shang Mingyuan chuckled and lowered his voice, saying: "Auntie doesn't know that the Zhao family has spent all their savings to buy your family's large farm and those shops. Not only did they spend all their silver, but they also borrowed a lot of money from the bank. Moreover, the money they spent on bribing the Jiangnan observer was not small either. Now he doesn't have any money in his pocket, and for this period of time in Suzhou, he has been relying on the Shang family for food and drink."

  Shang Mingyu curled his lip and said, "Second Aunt must have lent him a lot of money, but I heard that he spent all that money building a villa at the foot of Qingfeng Mountain."

  Lin Qingwan lowered her eyes and said, "Why did Zhao Sheng have to buy land at the foot of Qingfeng Mountain?"

  "If he doesn't even have the money to buy land, where did he get the money to give you as a down payment?" Lin Qing said calmly: "Otherwise, when the time comes to pay for the land, and then another down payment is needed, that would be a bottomless pit."

  Shang Mingyuan and Xiao Fang were deep in thought, their heads bowed low. This was also their deepest concern, they just didn't dare to say it out loud.

  "That aunt thought..."

  "If you want to borrow money from me, I definitely can't lend it to you. When I was dealing with the Lin family's property, you also helped run errands and kept accounts, so you should know that I only have that much silver left. I need to support Yu Bin, leave some for self-defense, and there are many servants to raise, so I won't be able to take out extra money for you." Lin Qingyan said: "However, if you want to ask me for advice, I'm afraid you won't like what I have to say."

  "Go on, Auntie, I'm listening," Shang Mingyu said with a bitter smile.

  When he was in Yangzhou, Lin Qingwen was someone who could discuss state affairs with his uncle, such a person's insight must not be comparable to theirs.

  Nowadays, there are only two or three people in his family that he can trust, but unfortunately, these two or three people's vision is not as good as his.

  Still looking at Lin Qingyuan from afar.

  "Although the current selection of officials is based on both the imperial examination system and the Nine Ranks System, in reality, fewer and fewer officials are selected through the Nine Ranks System every year, and even fewer hold actual power."

  "In such a situation, the selected person is either with great background or has high moral integrity to the point of being awarded an official position," Lin Qingwen turned her head to look at Shang Mingyuan and asked: "You have neither prestige nor a solid background, just relying on Zhao Jie's recommendation, do you think you can get an official position?"

  Lin Qingyan sneered, "Zhao Jie can't even get himself appointed as the Surveillance Commissioner of Jiangnan."

  Shang Mingyu lowered his head, his eyes slightly red as he said: "That... that means I'll never have the chance for this lifetime?"

  "Ah," Lin Qingyan smiled, "you're still young now, it's not too late to start reading seriously, struggle for ten or twenty years, and who knows, you might just pass the exam."

  Shang Mingyuan was about to cry, he didn't love reading books. If he could read books, how would he be doing chores at home now?

  And what will he become in ten or twenty years?

  "Or, from now on, be willing to help others and make a name for yourself. After ten or twenty years of persistence, the people you've helped may be so moved that they'll plead your case, and the governor of Suzhou will report it upwards. Who knows, maybe you'll even become an official."

  Shang Ming rubbed his eyes and asked, "Aunt Lin, is there anything else besides these?"

  Xiao Fang couldn't help but laugh, while Lin Yuhong really smiled and said in a low voice: "There's another one, Brother-in-law goes to be an official and comes up with many good ideas. Your boss promotes you, naturally you can also become an official."

  Lin Qingwan nodded with a smile, "Not bad, the best place to go is Zhao Jie's place. He took your money, dare not promote you? Or directly join the army and establish yourself through military merit, naturally you can also be an official."

  Xiao Fang's family was startled and hastily said: "This won't do, if you go to be a soldier, wouldn't I have to guard my widowhood? You think fighting is fun, but those knives and guns are ruthless."

  "I'm afraid you can't take this kind of hardship either."

  Seeing that they were almost at the main house, Shang Mingyuan hastily said: "Auntie, stop joking around and give me a serious suggestion instead."

  "What's the hurry, they're not asking you to buy the land today. Wait a bit until I've seen the old lady, and on our way back, I'll tell you while we ride together."

  Xiang Mingyuan finally put his mind at ease and forced a smile as he led Lin Qingwan into the main courtyard.

  The people in the house are getting anxious, saying they went to pick someone up, but why haven't they brought them back yet?

  Just then, Madame Shang was about to order someone to go and look again when the door curtain was lifted, and Xiaofang's bright laughter rang out. "Old lady, the guests have arrived."

  Lin Qingwan was supported by Lin Yuhong as she walked in. The old lady suddenly stood up, her eyes fixed on Lin Yuhong.

  Seeing her not being disheartened, he finally let out a sigh of relief, but in his heart, he was still sad. She had lost her parents at the age of 12, how could she spend the rest of her days?

  The old lady hugged Lin Yuhong and wept, stroking her back and crying: "My poor child..."

  Lin Yuhbin couldn't help but redden his eyes, holding back tears as he comforted her: "Grandma, don't be sad, I'm fine. My little aunt is taking good care of me."

  The old lady finally stopped crying and looked at Lin Qingyan, holding her hand and praising: "It's been a few years since we last met, Sister Wan has grown into a big girl."

  Lin Qingwan curtsied and called out "Aunt", smiling: "That's also because Brother and Sister-in-law have taught well."

  The old lady smiled with relief, holding her hand and said: "It's not that you're brother is famous for spoiling children, you and Yubin are both raised in the palm of his hand, not to mention your brother, even my unfilial daughter has spoiled you two without bounds."

  The old lady wiped away her tears and said, "I often told her that children need to be toughened up as they grow up, and that spoiling them will only spoil them. But now, looking at you two, you're both doing great, filial and loving."

  Lin Qingwan felt the old lady's kindness, and her emotions surged. She grasped the old lady's hand gently and said, "I lost my parents at a young age, and it was my elder brother and sister-in-law who raised me to adulthood. My elder brother is like a father to me, and my elder sister-in-law is like a mother."

  The old lady looked up at Lin Qingyan, couldn't help but nod and say: "Good, good, good child, if you have any difficulties in the future, come find me, your sister-in-law loves you, I naturally love you too."