After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 67

Zhou Han nodded and accepted the heavy sum of money. Lin Sang watched from the side, silently calculating in her mind that this adventure in the deep mountains had indeed yielded a rich reward, equivalent to working at the stall for one or two months.

She couldn’t help but whisper to Zhou Han, “The prey in these deep mountains is valuable, but it’s also too dangerous.”

Zhou Han carefully put away the silver, then looked at her with a steady gaze: “Well, so going once in a while is fine, but you can’t rely on that. It’s safer to do business steadily.”

After selling the hides, the two strolled around town with ease.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, the town is much livelier than usual. Although the snow has not been completely cleared, people are coming and going on the main road, and various vendors have set up stalls selling New Year pictures, writing Spring Festival couplets, and selling candies and dried goods. Their shouts are constant, creating a festive atmosphere.

Zhou Han accompanied Lin Sang to the silk shop, where Lin Sang carefully selected several bundles of brightly colored silk threads, intending to use them to embroider more intricate parts of her wedding dress.

Zhou Han stopped at a stall selling wool socks and thick gloves, and bought a pair for Lin Sang and Wang Shi each. Passing by a pastry shop, he went in and weighed out some soft and sweet osmanthus cakes and sesame candy, handing them to Lin Sang: “Take these back for your younger siblings to try.”

Lin Sang felt a sweet warmth in her heart as she looked at his thoughtful and considerate manner. She also picked out a smooth peach wood comb for Aunt Zhou at a small stall selling wooden combs and hair oil.

After shopping, the two strolled to the dock. The dock looked particularly deserted and desolate in the winter. The river was not completely thawed and there was still a thin layer of ice on the edges. Most of the boats were moored on the shore and covered with snow.

The once bustling loading and unloading area was deserted, with only the cold wind swirling with the remaining snow. The corner where the Lin family set up their stall was covered with thick snow, leaving only the blurry traces of tire tracks and footprints.

Looking at this silence, Lin Sang could almost hear the hustle and bustle of the past.

Zhou Han stood beside her, gazing at the empty river, and said, “Judging from the weather, it will take at least another month for the river to completely thaw. Once spring arrives and merchant ships begin to come and go, the dock will slowly come back to life. It will probably be around the Qingming Festival before it becomes as lively as before.”

Lin Sang nodded, already having a plan in mind. This was good; it would allow her to prepare properly for the family and avoid being caught off guard later.

———

The oxcart drove away from the bustling town and onto the quiet dirt road back to the village. Lin Sang leaned against Zhou Han, watching the withered trees and remaining snow slowly receding on both sides of the road, enjoying the tranquility of this winter evening.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she straightened up slightly, turned her head to look at Zhou Han’s strong profile, and asked softly with a hint of worry in her voice, “Brother Zhou, last time… that group of people who stopped us in the alley, have they… come back to cause trouble again?”

Zhou Han tightened his grip on the reins slightly, his gaze still fixed ahead, his voice steady: “No, later, Wu Laizi came to my house in person.”

“Wu Laizi?” Lin Sang was unfamiliar with this name, but just from the way he was addressed, she could tell he wasn’t a good person.

“Yes, he’s a local tyrant, who specializes in collecting protection money, lending money at exorbitant interest rates, and running gambling dens,” Zhou Han explained, his tone tinged with coldness. “Those guys from last time were sent by him.”

Lin Sang’s heart jumped: “He came to see you? Is it…?”

“It’s alright,” Zhou Han interrupted her worries, his tone resolute. “It’s all settled. From now on, we’ll keep to ourselves.”

“Was there a fight? Are you injured?” Lin Sang turned her head to look at him with concern.

Seeing her worried expression, Zhou Han forced a smile: “No fight, don’t worry. Besides, even if a fight did break out, I’m not someone they can easily bully. Who knows who will beat whom in the end!”

Although his words sounded a bit arrogant, Lin Sang suddenly realized that what he said wasn’t entirely unreasonable, recalling how fierce Zhou Han had been in the fight that day.

Lin Sang felt slightly relieved, but her doubts deepened: “But we have no grudge against him, so why did he send people to stop us? Just because of Yang Laowu’s noodle shop?” She felt that it was unlikely that the instigation of a noodle shop owner would cause a local tyrant to make such a big fuss.

Zhou Han remained silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts. The golden rays of the setting sun fell on his face, making the scar on his brow bone even clearer.

He slowly began to speak, his voice low as he recounted a past event: “It wasn’t entirely because of Yang Laowu. Wu Laizi and I had a falling out at the docks years ago.”

He paused for a moment, then continued, “At that time, I had just started looking for work at the docks. Wu Laizi’s men often came to collect ‘hardship money’ from the scattered workers, which was actually protection money. Some people were honest and afraid of trouble, so they gave it to me, but I couldn’t stand it.”

Lin Sang listened attentively, imagining the spirited young Zhou Han working as a laborer at the dock.

“Once, they came to cause trouble again, targeting an elderly craftsman who was struggling financially. They forced him to pay, and when his pleas failed, they tried to rob him of the wages he had just received,” Zhou Han’s voice turned cold and hard. “I stopped them and took action.”

He spoke casually, but Lin Sang could imagine how intense the conflict had been. Given Zhou Han’s skills and temperament, once a fight broke out, the other party was bound to come out on top.

“After that, we became enemies,” Zhou Han summarized. “Wu Laizi felt that I broke his rules and embarrassed him. His men caused me trouble several times afterward, but they didn’t gain anything. This time, Yang Laowu instigated me, which gave him a reason to settle both the old and new scores together.”

“I see!” Lin Sang suddenly realized.

It wasn’t just Yang Laowu’s jealousy, but also a long-standing resentment. Looking at Zhou Han’s composed profile, she felt a complex mix of emotions: heartache for his past experiences, and admiration for his fearlessness in the face of the powerful and his protection of the weak.

“So, he came to your door in person this time to… settle scores with you?” Lin Sang’s voice was a little tense.

“I suppose so.” Zhou Han nodded. “However, the kind of person he is is the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. He also knows how to weigh the pros and cons. If he goes head-to-head with me, he won’t gain any advantage. On the contrary, he might suffer even greater losses. So in the end, it’s the most cost-effective choice for him right now to take a step back and not provoke each other.”

After he finished speaking, he turned his head to look at Lin Sang with a serious expression: “Don’t worry, now that we’ve reached an agreement, he won’t cause any more trouble for the time being. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

Lin Sang met his gaze and saw the reassuring certainty and protectiveness in his eyes, and the last trace of unease in her heart dissipated.

She leaned back against him gently and whispered, “Yes, I believe you, but… you should be more careful in the future.”

“I know,” Zhou Han replied, gently waving the reins to urge the old ox to quicken its pace.

The setting sun cast long, intertwined shadows of the two figures on the snow, and the oxcart swayed gently, carrying them towards the village where wisps of smoke rose from chimneys.