Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

Both of them felt somewhat heavy-hearted, and after exchanging a few words, they went their separate ways.

Zhang Sanlang went to the backyard and called Ximei back to the side room to rest. Qingge'er also woke up at this time, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Zhang Sanlang carried him back to the kang in the east room, where he fell asleep in no time.

Zhang Sanlang stood in the main room for a moment, then turned and left the courtyard.

The black door next door still gleamed with a dim light from its copper ring. He raised his hand and knocked twice. Footsteps came from inside, and the door opened a crack, revealing Zhang Jin's face. "Zhang Yashi."

Zhang Sanlang nodded. "Is your sister resting?"

Zhang Jin stepped aside to clear the doorway. "Not yet."

The old servant, Uncle Wen, smiled and nodded at Zhang Sanlang, but did not go forward to speak.

Zhang Yiniang's voice came from the main room, "Zhang Yashi? Please come in quickly."

Zhang Sanlang stepped across the threshold.

Zhang Yiniang had already come out from the main room to greet him. Seeing Zhang Sanlang's somber expression, her smile faded. "Zhang Yashi, that man in black..."

"They've already left." Zhang Sanlang waved his hand. "I wanted to say a few words to you."

Zhang Yiniang smiled and quickly ushered him into the main room, then winked at Zhang Jin.

Zhang Jin paused for a moment, then quickly turned and walked into the courtyard. "Zhang Yashi, excuse me, I'll go to the backyard first, you two can talk slowly."

As he passed Wan Qing, he tugged at her sleeve, and the two of them entered the backyard through the small gate one after the other.

Zhang Sanlang stood motionless under the eaves.

Zhang Yiniang quickly descended two steps. "Zhang Yashi, come in and let's talk."

Zhang Sanlang didn't take a step. "It's late, it's not convenient to go inside. It's just a few words, I'll leave after I've finished speaking."

Zhang Yiniang stopped in her tracks, looking slightly awkward, then a smile appeared on her face. "Zhang Yashi, who was that person just now? Did he fight with Wan Qing? Were any people injured at home?"

"No one was hurt." Zhang Sanlang looked at her seriously. "I can't tell you who that person came from."

Zhang Yiniang's lips moved slightly, and the smile on her face faded.

Zhang Sanlang added, "Just know that you saw and heard nothing tonight. Don't ask a single question you shouldn't. If even a word gets out, the calamity of having your family wiped out won't be far off."

Zhang Yiniang's face turned pale instantly. With her experience, she naturally understood the danger involved.

Her hands, which had been folded in front of her, gripped her sleeves when she heard the words "confiscate their property and exterminate their clan." She took a step forward to descend the steps, but her foot slipped, and she swayed and fell towards Zhang Sanlang.

Zhang Sanlang reached out and supported her arm, then let go once she was steady and took a half-step back.

He straightened his clothes, bowed to Zhang Yiniang with his hands clasped, and bent down more deeply than usual. "Madam Zhang, I am clumsy with words and straightforward, so I will be frank with you."

Zhang Yiniang steadied herself, tucked the stray hairs behind her ears, and stared intently at him.

"I have a son and a daughter to raise, and I have no intention of remarrying in this life, for fear of wronging them. Therefore, if Madam Zhang has such thoughts, please stop now. If I, Zhang Sanlang, have said anything wrong, please forgive me."

Zhang Yiniang stood on the steps in silence for a while.

The waning moon and starlight filtered through the gaps in the locust tree leaves, casting fragmented shadows on her shoulders.

Zhang Yiniang suddenly smiled, the corners of her mouth curving upwards, and the paleness on her face slowly receding. "Zhang Yashi has misunderstood."

She straightened up, her voice regaining its composure, "I am but a plain woman, and I have a history of being a courtesan, how dare I presume to be associated with you? However..."

She paused, looking at Zhang Sanlang meaningfully, "I moved my whole family to Juancheng, and then moved next door to Zhang Yashi. I did have some ulterior motives."

Zhang Sanlang didn't respond, waiting for her to speak.

Zhang Yiniang sat down on the steps, placed her hands on her knees, looked up at him, and asked, "May I sit, Clerk Zhang?"

Zhang Sanlang sat on the stone stool at the bottom of the steps, about three feet away.

Zhang Yiniang looked down at her fingers resting on her knees. "I've sung for seven years, and I've seen more people and things than an average woman has in her entire life."

"Being registered as a courtesan is a lowly status. Even if I were to be free, in the eyes of outsiders, I would still be a courtesan. When I walk down the street, everyone can gossip about me behind my back."

"I have no family genealogy, no ancestral hall, and no maternal family to stand up for me. If one day someone covets my money and tries to take me away, I won't even be able to file a complaint..."

She raised her face and gave Zhang Sanlang a bitter smile. "Over the years, I've saved up several thousand strings of cash and sold properties in several places, but I never dare to sleep soundly at night. I'm afraid that one day I'll open my eyes and find that the money is gone, and I'm gone too."

Zhang Sanlang knew she was telling the truth, but he could only remain silent.

"On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, I did indeed time it perfectly before asking to be released from my official status. I have always felt guilty for offending Zhang Yashi and your second brother. But if I hadn't spoken up then, I would never have had another chance in my life."

Zhang Yiniang paused here, her voice lowering, "I moved to Juancheng, living next door to Zhang Yashi, indeed because of you. But it's not what you think."

She looked directly at Zhang Sanlang, tears welling in her eyes. "I brought my younger brother, an old servant, and a tutor. You saw what happened tonight. No matter how capable Wan Qing is, how long could she have held out if three or five burly men with knives had come?"

"If my money is stolen and I am killed, I might not even be able to find a whole body. I moved next door to seek Zhang Yashi's protection. With you living next door, no one will dare to mess with me."

Zhang Sanlang sat on the stone stool and examined her for a long time; the expression in her eyes did not seem fake.

Seeing that he still didn't speak, Zhang Yiniang smiled, her voice softening slightly, "Third Master, please rest assured. Although I greatly respect and admire you, we are from the same clan. How could I possibly have such thoughts?"

Zhang Sanlang sat on the stone stool, as if he were nailed to the ground by something.

He looked up at Zhang Yiniang, his lips moved, but he only managed to squeeze out two words: "Family?"

His brows furrowed slowly, and his gaze swept over Zhang Yiniang's face several times, as if he had found a discrepancy in the household register. He investigated each item one by one, but the more he investigated, the more confused he became.

His voice was a fraction higher than before, tinged with disbelief and caution. "Your surname is Zhang, and so am I. But there are countless families with the surname Zhang in Juancheng County. And you migrated from Caozhou, so you and I are from the same clan?"

Zhang Yiniang's smile deepened, and she leaned forward slightly, as if she were talking about something extremely amusing: "Third Master, it seems you really know nothing. The Zhang family ancestors originally migrated from Caozhou. You don't even know Jin'er's identity, do you?"

Zhang Sanlang frowned even more, his voice tinged with confusion: "Isn't he your brother?"

Zhang Yiniang shook her head and then nodded, a gesture that completely confused Zhang Sanlang, who couldn't help but scratch his head.

Seeing his expression, Zhang Yiniang finally couldn't bear to keep him in suspense any longer and softened her voice a bit, "My father only had one daughter, me, so my branch of the family has never been favored by my father-in-law."

"Fourteen years ago, my father adopted a son from our main family, who was named Jin'er. His biological father was Zhang Shiqing, a relative from Juancheng. Jin'er was originally Zhang Shouxin, the fifth son of the Zhang family! In terms of birth order, he was the fifth younger brother of the third official..."