Swallow Return

Sharo showed a slight friendly expression and bowed politely, saying, "My sworn brother is very kind."

Ten catties of good tea and ten catties of brown sugar cost about one and a half taels of silver each, which together amount to three taels.

Then two silk ribbons, each about the size of a pillow, were brought in.

The same servant bowed and read from the list: "Three bolts of Awa brocade and three bolts of Kaga silk. Please accept them with a smile, Hanakain-in family."

Shaluo couldn't help but smile, then bowed respectfully and said, "My sworn brother, you are truly kind!"

Both Awa-ori and Kaga-silk are precious fabrics, each roll being approximately one foot wide and twenty-eight feet long, enough to make a garment. Three rolls of each type combined could fetch over ten taels of silver in Kyoto, a truly lavish gift. And how could a young girl not be delighted to see such fabrics?

Below was a pile of scrolls packed in cardboard boxes. They were very light, but the two burly men handled them with extreme care, not daring to bump or knock them even slightly.

The same servant continued reading from the list: "Twelve hanging scrolls of landscape paintings in the Kano school, please accept them with pleasure, Kakaiin family."

Sharo was all smiles, her eyes sparkling with delight. She bowed deeply and said softly, "My sworn brother, you are too kind. I am unworthy of such kindness."

The Kano school is a renowned painting school in Kyoto, traditionally known for its bloodline tradition. Their landscape scrolls typically cost three taels of silver. Even wholesale, the price would likely not be less than two taels. Therefore, these twelve scrolls would cost at least thirty taels.

Finally, there was a small, exquisitely crafted box with engraved patterns, wrapped in velvet.

The servant bowed and finally read the last line: "Ten gold foil pieces, totaling fifteen taels, please accept them with a smile from the Huakai Courtyard family."

With an expression of disbelief on her face and her eyes shining, Shaluo rose and took two steps closer to Liuyun, then knelt down, bowing deeply and saying with a humble smile, "My sworn brother, you are so kind. I... I really don't know how to repay you."

Fifteen taels of gold leaf correspond to approximately 230 grams of gold with an 80% purity. At the Ginza merchant's, this could be exchanged for sixty taels of silver, an amount that a poor person in this era could not save up in a lifetime. Even for a lower-ranking noble family like the Hanakain family, it could supply their expenses for two or three years, undoubtedly a huge sum of money.

Iori sat upright, watching the gifts being brought in one by one, from lightest to heaviest. Her younger sister's demeanor underwent a dramatic change, a classic case of initial arrogance followed by obsequiousness. On the surface, she merely smiled and remained silent, but inwardly she felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

Whether the joy stems from helping her family or from a desire to vent resentment at being ignored by relatives in the past is hard to say.

Perhaps it's a combination of both.

But seeing Sara step forward and bow so respectfully to Ryuun, Iori immediately became alert and quickly smiled gently, saying, "In-laws should help each other, so you don't need to worry about repaying me."

Upon hearing this, Sharo gracefully crossed her hands over her chest, pursed her lips, and gave a shy smile, saying, "I had previously heard that my sworn brother was merely a commoner from Omi, with an annual income of only one or two hundred taels of silver, barely enough to cover military expenses, let alone visit relatives and friends... But now it seems that this is completely different from what I had heard."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yun laughed and said, "Times have changed! That was certainly true in the past, but fortunately, I was promoted this year and received the title of Wan Shi Zhi Xing."

Sharo exclaimed in surprise, immediately filled with admiration, his eyes gleaming with admiration, and flattered, "Brother, you are too modest! Such an exceptional promotion cannot be just due to good luck!"

Iori coughed lightly and suddenly interjected, "With today's gift as a dowry, my sister should be able to find a suitable husband, and it will no longer be difficult for her to marry into the family."

Upon hearing this, Sharo gracefully raised her hand to cover her mouth, shook her head shyly, and said, "I'm afraid... once they know that I have such a heroic and valiant sworn brother, the rest of us will feel ashamed and dare not come to your door. Sister, don't you agree?"

Iori forced a smile: "However, the Kasakain family ultimately needs a male heir."

Sara curled up slightly, lowered her head, and feigned weakness, saying timidly, "I am completely ignorant and have only ever acted on my own based on wild thoughts. Now that I have met the elders, the affairs of the Hanakain family must be decided by my sworn brother... and also by my elder sister."

Seeing this, Iori couldn't think of a response, so she just glanced at Ryuun with a resentful look in her eyes.

Chapter 136 The Old Case of the Hanakain Family

This sister-in-law dressed as a shrine maiden...

When they first entered, I assumed they were just poor relatives visiting, so I didn't treat them with any special courtesy.

As the generous gifts were carried in one by one, we realized that distinguished guests had arrived, and we immediately became very enthusiastic.

If it were someone else, such behavior of being arrogant at first and obsequious at second, and showing contempt for the poor and love for the rich, would certainly be very disgusting.

Today, Shaluo's behavior made Liuyun subconsciously feel a bit contemptuous.

But while I felt contempt, I wasn't particularly disgusted.

First of all, she's not an outsider; she's Iori's cousin, whom you can consider your own sister. With such a close blood relationship, you should be forgiving if she makes a mistake occasionally.

Also, although it has nothing to do with this, I have to say she's quite pretty.

Secondly, it's understandable that a young girl like her, all alone and struggling to support her family, would experience immense psychological pressure, which explains her quick temper and tendency to speak without thinking.

Also, although it has nothing to do with this, I have to say she's quite pretty.

Furthermore, such frankness and straightforwardness, and unabashed opportunism, reveal a shameless charm that is both endearingly sassy and endearingly sassy.

Also, although it has nothing to do with this, I have to say she's quite pretty.

……

Therefore, Liu Yun did not dwell on the other party's attitude, but focused on the key point that could not be ignored in the previous words: "Miss Sara, you just said that there was a famous field with twenty ancestral treasuries, which was tricked away by the Shirakawa family, who have always been on good terms with you, through a written trap. Is this really true?"

Without hesitation, Sharo nodded vigorously, clutching her chest and vowing, "My grandmother fell ill from worry and never recovered. How could I dare to speak so presumptuously?"

Liu Yun then asked, "Was any evidence left behind?"

Shaluo lowered her head, feigning sorrow and grief, and said softly, "All the documents from that time have been preserved intact. I have always hoped that one day I could get justice..."

Liu Yun expressed his confusion: "Since you've kept the evidence, why not go to court? You'll definitely have a chance to win. How can you call it wishful thinking?"

At this moment, Iori, standing beside him, explained, "My lord, you are unaware of this... Real estate disputes between court nobles require a ruling from the Grand Council of State. After my grandfather's death, the Kakeruin family will likely never have the chance to even set foot in the Grand Council of State's residence again..."

Sara gently raised her hand to wipe away her tears, her eyes blurry with tears as she sighed, "It was Lord Kanpaku himself who awarded the twenty fiefs to the Shirakawa family."

“I see…” Iori felt a wave of despair and fell silent.

The position of Kanpaku is that of the head of the court and the highest-ranking official, traditionally held by the highest-ranking member of the Five Regents, who can be addressed as "Your Highness". Although the entire court noble class has lost power, he is still the tallest among the short, and it seems that the lower-ranking Shinto clan, the Kakeruin family, cannot afford to offend him.

At this moment, Ryuun asked again, "Is the so-called Lord Kanpaku perhaps the current Kanpaku, Nijō Haruyoshi?"

Sharo gave her a shy look and said softly, "That's right. That's why I said that seeking justice is wishful thinking."

Liu Yun chuckled upon hearing this, shook his head, and said confidently, "If it were any other high-ranking official, I really wouldn't know how to deal with him. But the current Kanpaku, Nijō Haruyoshi... well, there really is a way to deal with him now."

"Eh?" A look of surprise flashed across Sara's face, but she immediately put on a slightly affected, deliberately worried posture, leaned forward, and said nervously, "I know that my sworn brother is a man of extraordinary magnanimity... However, Lord Kanpaku is, after all, the elder of the 130 noble families. If we were to rashly argue with him, I'm afraid it would damage your reputation!"

Liu Yun smiled without saying a word, only asking her to produce the evidence from back then.

Sharo hesitated for a moment, seemingly unable to fully believe it. But when her eyes caught sight of the box of gold leaf that the servant had just brought in, she finally made up her mind. Feigning admiration and reverence, she said in a firm tone, "Who else can I rely on besides my sworn brother? Please wait a moment, I will go and get it right away."

Then she slowly rose, took light steps, and walked slowly into the depths of the house.

I didn't notice it much before, but now it seems that the red and white shrine maiden outfit doesn't quite fit.

Her upper body was a little too wide, making her appear somewhat loose and swaying when she walked. She deliberately used her arms to hold her sides together to avoid looking strange. The hem, however, was too narrow, forcing her legs to be close together. She could only take small, quick steps, moving very slowly—overall, at this moment, Sara looked like a naturally adorable anime character.

Liu Yun found it a bit funny. His gaze lingered on his sister-in-law's back for a moment, probably more than a second but less than two seconds.

Then it was moved away.

It's very impolite to stare at someone!

Suddenly, without making a sound, Iori reached out from the side and quietly pinched Ryuun's arm.

Liu Yun immediately turned his head to look, only to see Yi Zhi sitting on the mat, peaceful and quiet, with a calm expression and no unusual expression. Her nostalgic gaze kept lingering on the walls and the roof, as if she was feeling the complex emotions of revisiting the old place.

But with her cherry lips pursed and the corners of her mouth curving downwards into a perfectly pleasing arc, she suddenly exuded an air of grievance, helplessness, and pitifulness.

It must be said that there is a great deal of knowledge in demeanor and behavior. Even some insignificant details can express subtle meanings that are hard to describe.

Unfortunately, male hominids often have poor aptitude for this subject. Sometimes it's due to insufficient practice, sometimes excessive practice…

After a while, the younger sister-in-law, dressed in a red and white shrine maiden outfit, came out of the room again, carrying a small stack of documents.

Sharo solemnly handed over the documents in her arms, her eyes sparkling with a somewhat exaggerated admiration and pleading. Like a simple, weak, and ignorant young girl, she timidly said, "My sworn brother, all the evidence from that day is collected here... This is something I cherish immensely, and I entrust everything to you from now on!"

Liu Yun reached out to take it.

Perhaps due to excitement and nervousness, Sharo's arms suddenly trembled, and her delicate hands almost fell into the large, powerful palms of her "sworn brother".

But Liu Yun was a master of martial arts, and his reaction was as fast as lightning. He subtly flipped his wrist and took the small stack of documents without making any physical contact with his sister-in-law.

Sharo was taken aback.

It's like preparing a whole series of performances, only to have them interrupted right at the start.

Iori lowered her head, covered her mouth, and chuckled softly without saying a word.

Liu Yun looked at the documents and immediately felt a headache coming on.

It has been a year and a half since he left the monastic life to take over the family business, and he is already very familiar with the daily official documents and paperwork.

However, the Oda clan operates on the principle of concise and clear language, making their writing easy to read and even the common people within their domain can understand most of it.

But what we see now is the loan and mortgage contract of the Hanakain family, which is several pages long and more than a thousand words long. At first glance, it is impossible to find any key points, and the beginning is full of meaningless nonsense and clichés.

The story of the scholar buying a donkey, only to find no donkey after three attempts, is that what this situation is all about?

The conduct of noble families is truly appalling. If they're so poor they can't even afford to spend a little on writing materials, can't they? You must know that in these days, the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper) are considered luxuries, far more expensive than everyday clothing, food, and shelter!

No wonder it was targeted by a textual trap... Such lengthy and euphemistic writing is easily altered or misinterpreted.

After being asked two or three times, Liu Yun finally understood the inside story of what happened back then, thanks to his sister-in-law's explanation.

It's not actually that difficult; it's simply a matter of manipulating the interest and repayment terms. The technical skill involved isn't high, and in a normal lawsuit, it would only result in a fraud conviction. It's likely that the referee was bribed back then to make such a biased call.

Having figured this out, Liuyun was full of confidence in solving the problem.

The Oda clan's magistrates are very professional; they can create trouble even when there's nothing wrong with you, let alone when you're genuinely ill!

Chapter 137 My sworn brother is truly amazing!

After obtaining the relevant documents regarding the land dispute between the nobles, Liu Yun planned to take his leave and return to handle some business.

Iori originally had mixed feelings about her family, but now she only wants to leave as soon as possible.

Seeing this, Sara did not bow to see the guest off. Instead, she immediately stepped forward, took Iori's arm, and tilted her head in a seemingly innocent manner, saying, "It has been many years since I last saw my elder sister. I have so many private things to say that I want to tell her. Please allow me to go with my sworn brother and elder sister."

Upon hearing this, Iori smiled reservedly, intending to subtly extend her arm, but unexpectedly, Sara used all her strength to hold on tightly, just like a koala.

Iori could only say helplessly, "My husband and I are just guests in Kyoto, staying in the temple town of Ichijoji. Our house is small and simple, not respectable at all, and I'm afraid we don't have the capacity to entertain guests."

Sharo quickly shook her head, indicating that she didn't care at all: "Why should sisters be concerned with appearances?"

Iori couldn't help but roll her eyelids upwards, speechless.

Seeing that she received no response, Sara instantly burst into tears, throwing herself into Iori's arms and sobbing, "Waaah... Does Big Sister hate Sara? Does she not want to be with Sara even for a moment? I'm so sad and upset... Waaah..."

Iori was at a loss, unable to avoid it, and could only look to Ryuun for help.

But Liu Yun didn't know what to do either!

Liu Yun used to handle problems in a rather brutal way. He usually only had two ways to solve any problem: first, beat him up; second, beat him up again.

However, it's useless today.

Even if she's a delicate and tender young girl, and even if she's greedy for money, opportunistic, utterly slutty, and shamelessly cute, you can't just beat her up, can you? The relationship between the brother-in-law and sister-in-law is already awkward, so it's inconvenient for him to discipline her.

So Liu Yun could only watch from the sidelines.