Chapter 73: Good News

Zhou Qing put away the silver banknotes and nodded.

"Well, a bit. After all, he is now living in the capital. We can beat Zhou Huaihai, but we can’t leave any evidence."

Shen Li responded, "No worries, I’ve got relatives in the capital working in higher official positions than Zhou Yuan's."

Zhou Qing quickly turned her head toward Shen Li.

Rich family background *and* relatives who are officials in the capital?!

With this kind of background, you don’t really look like a small calligraphy shop owner!

Catching Zhou Qing’s gaze, Shen Li smiled and asked, "What? You don’t believe me?"

Zhou Qing shook her head.

"It’s not that I don’t believe you. I just don’t get it. With your background, why were you so determined to become my father’s apprentice?"

Though Shen Li had supposedly apprenticed under her father, it was Shen Li who was actually teaching her father to study!

What kind of situation is that!

Shen Li laughed, "Maybe it's just fate between me and the master."

"Heh."

Fate, my foot!

As they continued chatting, the mule cart arrived at the entrance of Yunhai Bookstore.

Zhou Qing jumped off the cart, and before Shen Li could unload the large basin of fish from the cart, Zhao Dacheng rushed out of the bookstore like a gust of wind.

"Niece, you’re finally here!"

Niece?

Zhou Qing twitched her eyes in confusion and looked at Zhao Dacheng.

Zhao Dacheng ran to Zhou Qing’s side, grabbed her sleeve, and began pulling her into the bookstore.

"Niece, quick! Come inside, I’ve got something important to tell you! Hurry!"

Shen Li’s eyes instantly darkened, and he moved forward.

Xu Feng, standing at the entrance of the bookstore, looked at Zhao Dacheng and couldn’t help but hold his forehead in exasperation.

"Miss Zhou, it really is an important matter."

Hearing even Xu Feng say that, Zhou Qing exchanged a glance with Shen Li. Both looking puzzled, they followed Zhao Dacheng into the bookstore.

No sooner had Zhou Qing sat down than Zhao Dacheng leaned over the table, half his body pressing against it, eager to tell her what he had overheard at the red list announcement.

"...Your eldest uncle is truly despicable. You must let your father know to be on guard."

So that’s what this is about.

Zhou Qing snorted internally. This was indeed something Zhou Huaihai would do.

However, someone had just recently been punished already.

For the next two months, he likely wouldn’t be able to get out of bed to stir up trouble.

But what was Zhao Dacheng’s deal?

The last time they were in town, wasn’t he pretending to be a beggar trying to harm her father?

And now...

Zhou Qing glanced suspiciously at Zhao Dacheng.

As if understanding her thoughts, Zhao Dacheng grinned sheepishly and sat down in a chair.

"Niece, it’s just that I feel like I’ve met your father too late in life! From now on, anything concerning him is my business as well!"

Zhao Dacheng spoke with boundless enthusiasm.

Zhou Qing, with a face full of confusion, turned to look at Xu Feng.

Xu Feng rubbed his temples.

"After the last incident, Dacheng both respects your father’s scholarly talent and admires his character. He’s been completely won over by him."

The biggest dandy in Qinghe County, admiring her father’s character?

Seeing Zhou Qing’s skeptical expression, Zhao Dacheng slapped his thigh and anxiously exclaimed, "Niece, you’re missing the point here! Shouldn’t you be more concerned about how to guard against your eldest uncle right now?"

Xu Feng, seeing Zhou Qing’s expression, assumed she must have been scared by the situation.

After all, Zhou Huaihai’s son was now working in the capital.

Sighing, Xu Feng relayed what the county magistrate had said.

"Miss Zhou, there’s no need to worry too much. Since the magistrate said so, he can ensure your father’s safety. We’re telling you this so you can be more cautious. Any trouble would be a hassle."

Zhou Qing quickly stood up to thank him.

As they were talking, a shop assistant excitedly rushed in from outside.

"Boss, great news, fantastic news! Just heard that Zhou Huaihai got beaten up..."

Before the assistant could finish, his eyes landed on Zhou Qing, and his face lit up.

"Miss Zhou!"

His expression was like someone who had just won the lottery jackpot.

What kind of tone is that!

Rubbing his forehead again, Xu Feng asked, "What did you just say?"

But the assistant ignored his boss and ran straight to Zhou Qing.

"Miss Zhou, that move you pulled earlier was amazing! Scumbags like Zhou Huaihai deserve exactly that treatment! Congratulations on earning 300 taels in compensation!"

Zhou Qing twitched her eyes at the assistant.

Meanwhile, Xu Feng and Zhao Dacheng twitched their eyes at Zhou Qing.

"Amazing? What do you mean, amazing?"

"Compensation? Deposit? What’s going on?"

The assistant eagerly recounted the scene at the wonton stall where Zhou Huaihai had been caught red-handed slandering someone.

"...And there it was, black and white with a red handprint! He got busted on the spot! Ha! Serves him right!"

Zhao Dacheng immediately looked at Zhou Qing with pure admiration.

"I never imagined Miss Zhou had something like that! And even less, that you carry it with you! That’s some incredible strategy!"

Suddenly remembering something, Zhao Dacheng jumped to his feet.

"No, I just remembered something urgent! You guys chat, I’m out!"

With that, he dashed out of the store like a whirlwind.

Xu Feng was already used to Zhao Dacheng’s antics.

Once he was gone, Xu Feng turned to Zhou Qing and said, "Since you have something like that, it’s a good protection for you and your father. But..."

Xu Feng was about to warn her about Zhou Huaihai’s character, worrying that he might try to steal the document, but he suddenly remembered the assistant’s words: Zhou Huaihai had been beaten up.

Turning to the assistant, Xu Feng asked, "You said Zhou Huaihai got beaten up?"

The assistant nodded enthusiastically.

"Not sure who did it, but not only did Zhou Huaihai get beaten, but the guards he hired were also beaten up. I didn’t see Zhou Huaihai’s injuries, but the guards...tsk tsk, let’s just say they won’t be walking for ten days to half a month."

Suddenly turning to look at Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing blinked innocently back at Xu Feng, "What is it, Mr. Xu?"

Could it be that Zhou Qing and her people didn’t do the beating?

Looking at Zhou Qing, then at Shen Li, Xu Feng dismissed his earlier assumption.

After all, neither of them seemed like the type to knock out a group of strong men.

"Well, no matter what, this is good news for you, Miss Zhou. Just be careful. Keep an eye out for Zhou Huaihai, and also for Sun Zenian."

Zhou Qing thanked him again.

Once Zhou Qing and Shen Li left the bookstore, Xu Feng frowned and thought for a while before asking the assistant, "Who did they say beat up Zhou Huaihai?"

The assistant replied, "I heard it was bandits, and they took the 1,000-tael banknote from him."

Bandits?

Xu Feng twitched his eyes in disbelief.

There hadn’t been bandits in Qinghe County for hundreds of years, and now, suddenly, there were bandits?!

While Xu Feng pondered this mystery, chaos erupted at the Zhou family’s home.

Old Zhou had just learned the truth from the injured guards, and in his rage, he spat out blood.

"That wicked girl! Huaihai is her uncle, and she still hit him so hard!"

Sun cried and wanted to report the incident to the authorities, demanding that the county magistrate arrest both Zhou Huaishan and Zhou Qing.

Even in his fury, Old Zhou had a shred of reason left.

"Report it? You want that document with the handprint to become the talk of the entire county?"

Sun looked at the unconscious Zhou Huaihai lying in bed, tears streaming down her face. "Are we just going to let this go?"