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Chapter 8: The Escape

  Chapter 8 Departure

  As soon as He Huan finished speaking, the noise outside the door had already stopped. Cao Shi was originally just pretending to cry, but seeing that Tao Shi didn't pay attention to her and remembering that her son called her "Aunt", she couldn't help but feel sad from the heart, tears streaming down her face. She sat on the ground crying for a while, seeing He Huan leisurely drinking tea by herself, and slowly stopped her tears.

  "Alright, you've cried and made a fuss. Now I'm asking you again, are you going to sign or not?"

  Cao stood up with a sullen expression, casually tidying his hair, and said in a low voice: "I won't sign my name to anything. At most, from now on, whatever you say goes, I'll do as you say."

  He Xuan burst out laughing and shook her head: "You speak nicely, but who knows if you'll keep your word? Maybe tomorrow you'll deny everything."

  Cao saw He Huan's tone seemed to have softened, and he solemnly promised that she would definitely keep her word. He Huan still just shook his head. The two of them went back and forth for a while, until He Huan said: "If you want me to believe you, you must give me something valuable as a token."

  Cao's eyes suddenly widened. She would not sign a contract selling herself, and the silver was hers too. She shook her head firmly.

  He Huan stood up and said disdainfully: "Since it's like that, we don't have anything good to say..."

  "You... wanted to take my silver from the very beginning..." Cao muttered under her breath.

  "Aunt Cao, since you don't believe me, I can at most give you a written guarantee that your things will definitely be returned to you in the future. Of course, if you really can't bear to part with them, you can also sign a contract selling yourself into servitude. But don't say I didn't warn you, once you sell yourself, it means everything of yours belongs to the He family, including all your savings."

  "Y...". Cao's family didn't dare scold He Huan for being lowly, and slowly took out their own private silver.

  He Huan had thought that Cao Shi was a stingy person who would definitely have saved up a lot of private money, but as it turned out, in ten years' time, she only managed to save thirty taels of silver.

  He Huan took the silver and walked out of the east wing room, just to see Bai Miao standing under the corridor waiting for herself. "What's wrong?" She glanced in the direction of the main house.

  Baizhou followed her gaze and said in a low voice: "Old lady..."

  "It's Auntie Nainai." He Huan corrected.

  Bai Miao hastily changed her words and told He Huan that Wei Shi had found out that she had asked Zhang Bo to invite the pawnshop owner, Huang Zhanggui, but was intercepted by him. He said that it was impossible for her to sell the family's property in a dignified manner, and even more so, he would not allow someone like Huang Zhanggui to enter the He family gate. When she said this, Bai Miao whispered to ask: "Miss, why don't you let me and Zhang Bo secretly take the screen out of the back door, just like before, quietly pawn it, and then think of a way to redeem it later?"

  "What did Auntie know about this matter, was it something she overheard by chance or was it Old Zhang who told her?" She already had the silver in hand and didn't need to sell the screen fan urgently. She was just using this matter to probe everyone's reaction after all, her understanding of the He family members was based solely on He Huan's memories. To be honest, she didn't have much confidence in her judgment of her cousin.

  At the moment, Bai Miao lowered her head, her fingers constantly twisting the handkerchief in her hand, muttering: "It was Zhang Bo who told me that he had to ask for instructions from Old Lady Ji, so..."

  "Alright, I know." He Huan turned around and walked towards the main house.

  "Miss." Bai Zhang caught up with her footsteps, took out the two coins from her handkerchief and returned them to He Huan, saying: "The slave has already eaten something, these two coins were given to you by the old master before he left..."

  "No matter who gave it, this is just two cents, I give it to you, take it."

  "But... Miss, you said it yourself, seeing these two copper coins is just like seeing an old master."

  "Father, mother have always been in my heart. With or without these two pieces of money, nothing will change. Since you've already eaten, just keep them. From now on, there are many things to attend to at home. If I'm busy and can't take care of you, you'll have to find a way to fill your own belly. You've been following me since childhood, our relationship is naturally different. In the future, we must work together in harmony to get through life."

  Until He Huan entered the Wei family's room, Bai Miao still stood dazedly under the corridor. At this moment, she felt that the two copper coins in her hand were as heavy as Mount Tai. Slowly, her eyes became hot and she hurriedly suppressed the tears in her eyes. Since Miss didn't like her to cry, from now on she would never shed tears in front of her again.

  At the entrance of the main house, He Huan symbolically knocked on the door and stepped inside to see Wei Shi lying on a soft couch with her eyes closed. She said slowly: "Auntie, didn't you say earlier that you were willing to help me marry into the Shen family?"

  Wei opened his eyes and looked at her, saying: "I'm willing to help you, but I've thought about it carefully, what you said about Qing Song Guan is just your speculation..."

  "It's indeed just my speculation, but trying it out is better than doing nothing."

  Wei looked at He Huan and replied: "Even if Shen Jinglun really goes to Qing Song Guan, I'm not someone who can just leave on a whim..."

  "Auntie, if you don't want to help me, just say so directly, why make excuses to deceive me..."

  "What have I done to you?" Wei's face sank. She had already let Zhang Shu investigate, and Lin Xiyue was indeed dead, leaving behind a newborn son. As for Qing Song Guan, according to her knowledge, Shen Jinglin did like to go there for short stays. The He family was so poor that they couldn't even afford to cook, He Jing was too young, Tao Shi and Cao Shi were useless, so now He Huan was her only bargaining chip.

  Thinking of this, she softened her tone and stated slowly: "Even if I want to leave, I have to arrange things at home properly and pay some silver..."

  "This is ten taels of silver. I think it's enough for Aunt to live in Qing Song Guan for a while." He Huan put the silver on the table.

  Wei's eyes suddenly widened, his eyes gleaming with light, and he immediately let out a cold snort in his heart.

  He Huan didn't have time to care about Wei Shi's thoughts, she had to send Wei Shi away, lest she stab her in the back or accidentally do something foolish and drag her down. She cleared her throat and said: "Auntie, you're not unaware that Mr. Shen is meticulous, if we wait for someone from the Shen family to come report the death, and then you go to Qing Song Guan, he'll definitely think that Auntie is waiting for him there. At that time, even if we can see him, who knows, we might still be chased out. Auntie, this is our last chance, surely you haven't forgotten that the Lin family has another unmarried second miss?

  As soon as she heard this, Wei's expression changed. She had vaguely heard that when Lin Xiyue was pregnant, the second young lady would often visit the Shen family. As for the Shen family, Lin Xiyue left behind a son who needed his mother's care, and Second Young Lady Lin was the most suitable choice.

  "I've taken my things and I'm leaving." Wei said, while putting away the ten taels of silver on the table. Seeing He Huan seemingly not wanting to mention the sale of the screen, she could only take the initiative to speak up: "Don't say I didn't warn you, although our family is no longer as prosperous as before, it's still not a place where just anyone can come and go. Besides, since you've made up your mind about marriage, you should cherish your reputation and not let the Shen family think that you often associate with disreputable people."

  "Aunt, I don't understand what you're saying. I'm openly selling my own things to others, hoping to exchange for some rice and food to fill my family's bellies, how can that be 'associating with shady characters'?"

  "You've brought the pawnshop people to our doorstep, is this also considered dignified?"

  "Others are also legitimate business people, why aren't they 'honest and upright'? Besides, these days the food, clothing, and expenses at home were all exchanged for silver from the pawnshop using my mother's dowry. Why didn't Auntie show disdain for the silver not being legitimate before?"

  Wei's words got stuck in her throat, and she swallowed the words that had already reached her lips. He Huan saw this and continued: "As I know, several years ago, my cousin also pawned something with that Huang shopkeeper. Mr. Shen knows about this too... According to the servants of the Shen family, Mr. Shen has never looked down on poor people..."

  "I won't argue with you, anyway I'm just 'Auntie', do whatever you want!" Wei Shi turned around and went to the inner room to tidy up her clothes.

  Half an hour later, Wei's family was accompanied by Zhang Shu to Qing Song Guan. The donkey cart had not been gone for long when Zhang Bo brought back the people from Yongji Pawnshop, but it was not Huang Zhanggui who came, only a young clerk from the shop.

  He Huan saw him and could only secretly mock herself for not thinking it through. Everyone in Jizhou City knew that the He family had already exhausted their resources, where would they still have valuable things? Yongji Pawnshop sent a clerk to the door, which was already considered giving face. She sighed silently, personally leading the clerk to stand in front of the screen, knocking on the wooden frame with her hand, and said with a smile: "This young master, this screen looks old, but listen to this sound, the wood is already many years old."

  The fellow's eyes flashed, and he replied: "Miss He, I don't dare to be called 'master', as for this screen, it's old and broken. I'll give you face, if you're willing to sell it cheaply, one or two silver coins, I'll go back to the shop and report to the boss, and then send a cart over to take the goods away."

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