Chapter 2476: Distant Relative (Part 1)

"That's great! Our Chief Designer Guo really has a way!"

"Sigh, hardly." Guo Xi'er sighed. "To tell you the truth, I really wanted to help her with this favor! Zhou Suniang is such a good woman, serving that lousy old man Master Qu, and there's a First Wife Qu suppressing her from above. But if I really help and trouble breaks out, I can't solve it..." As she spoke, she lowered her head with a sense of defeat.

"Don't say that; we're all driven by circumstances involuntarily."

"I know, I know." Guo Xi'er said. "I cried my eyes out when I came back from Guangzhou. I felt I was really unlucky to the extreme. Disliked by the Chief, scolded by my sister, and even had my Life Secretary qualification cancelled. But thinking about it now, my luck is much better than Zhou Suniang's..."

She said indignantly, "If only I could be like the Li sisters!"

He Xiaoyue suddenly thought of something: "Since the Li sisters were willing to help Lianjie escape, why wouldn't they help Zhou Suniang deliver a letter? Isn't this just a lifting of a hand?"

"The Li sisters went to Guangdong over a month ago." Guo Xi'er said. "They said they went to work on some textile factory project."

"It must be that project in Xiangshan." He Xiaoyue said. "Why not recommend Wu Xinsheng to go there?"

"Mm-hmm, he happens to be from Xiangshan and knows the situation." Guo Xi'er also got spirited.

"Then this letter..."

"Don't give it to him," He Xiaoyue said. "Just let the Li sisters know about this slowly."

Guo Xi'er was stunned, then punched her chest lightly: "You really are a shrewd ghost!"

"This money..." He Xiaoyue said.

"You just spend it yourself."

"Improper, improper." He Xiaoyue shook her head repeatedly. "I won't feel at ease using this money. Just keep it first and find an opportunity to give it back to her—anyway, she ordered clothes again this time."

"Next time she comes again, I'll find someone else to receive her." Guo Xi'er also wised up. "To avoid making it difficult for you."

"No, no, better I go." He Xiaoyue said. "It's enough that you and I know about this. If she asks others for help again, what then? Let's not harm her!"

Guo Xi'er took leave to return to Bairen City the next day and told He Xiaoyue when she came back in the evening: The matter had been settled.

"My sister said she has already written a letter to my brother-in-law. Recommending Wu Xinsheng to take up a post on the mainland. However, my brother-in-law can't decide specifically where he goes; it has to be decided by the Senator in charge of cadres in the Guangdong Region."

"As long as he can be sent away, everything else is easy to talk about." He Xiaoyue said. "How long until the transfer order comes?"

"There will be a transfer order within a week. My sister said there is an urgent need for various cadres on the mainland now."

Hearing that the matter had been settled, He Xiaoyue's heart was half relieved.

Sure enough, three days later, a transfer order arrived at Wanzi Pavilion. Wu Xinsheng received the transfer order and couldn't make heads or tails of it: he hadn't proposed a transfer, nor had anyone discussed this with him.

But transferring to the mainland meant immediately entering the cadre ranks. This was a huge opportunity for Wu Xinsheng, who was already disabled. After all, he was still young and unwilling to be a handyman for his whole life. He immediately stated that he was willing to transfer.

Wanzi Pavilion held a farewell party, and Wu Xinsheng left Wanzi Pavilion in style and went to report in Guangzhou.

Wu Xinsheng's departure finally put the anxious He Xiaoyue at ease. A few days later, Zhou Suniang indeed came to visit again. He Xiaoyue pretended nothing had happened and came out to receive her as usual.

Lingerie made of natural materials was difficult to make fully fitting using the elasticity of fibers. To replicate styles from the old space-time, one could only work on the sizing and cutting. Such lingerie required more fittings and measurements than outerwear.

He Xiaoyue now fully understood why Zhou Suniang suddenly thought of ordering lingerie. Only by ordering lingerie would there be enough opportunities to be alone with her, talk privately, and pass items.

This Zhou Suniang was indeed exceedingly clever, He Xiaoyue thought. No wonder she was so favored in Master Qu's house!

However, the maids and servants accompanying Zhou Suniang were not ordinary servants either. He Xiaoyue could see that rather than being servants serving her, they were more like jailers guarding Young Lady Zhou. Especially one called Taozhi, whose eyes were sharp and looked at Zhou Suniang with extreme unkindness, often revealing a look of suspicion. She looked like someone not to be trifled with at a glance.

During the fitting, Zhou Suniang indeed asked about her letter.

"Unfortunate," He Xiaoyue whispered. "Master Wu was transferred away a few days ago..."

After speaking, she handed the letter and the handkerchief package back to her.

"The letter can't be delivered, so I'm returning it to you. As for this money, one doesn't accept a reward without merit, so please take it back too."

"Transferred away?!" Zhou Suniang's face was full of disbelief. "Everyone in this shop knows about his transfer; Ms. Zhou, you can ask anyone."

"Transferred where?" She still didn't give up and pressed.

"I heard he was transferred to Guangdong." Seeing her look of extreme disappointment, He Xiaoyue couldn't bear it in her heart and added, "Cadres are extremely scarce in Liangguang now. Him transferring there means a great future."

Zhou Suniang's eyes were blank, and she muttered in a low voice: "Transferred away... transferred away..."

He Xiaoyue couldn't bear to stimulate her anymore, so she just put the letter and silver bag into her small carry-on bag. She lowered her head and continued to busy herself. Suddenly, Zhou Suniang asked again: "Miss, do you know the sisters Li Guo and Li Tang? They come here often..."

He Xiaoyue was stunned and said: "Zhou... you want to find them?"

"Mm!"

"They were also transferred to the mainland..." He Xiaoyue said.

"Then... what about An Jiu? She said she knew Designer Guo." Zhou Suniang's expression was like a drowning person anxious to grab a life-saving straw. Panicked and anxious.

"Miss An was also transferred to the mainland."

This sentence completely shattered all of Zhou Suniang's hopes. Her body swayed, as if she was about to faint. He Xiaoyue hurriedly supported her, feeling great anxiety in her heart. This place and the outside were only separated by a thin wooden partition, and there was no door, only a curtain. Speaking slightly louder would be heard outside. If this Young Lady Zhou lost control of her emotions and started crying and making a scene, what should be done!

She could only advise in Zhou Suniang's ear in a low voice: "Ms. Zhou! Don't be anxious! There is plenty of time in the future. They only transferred to the mainland, not gone forever. Besides, there are vacations."

Tears filled Zhou Suniang's eyes, and she whispered: "It turns out I am... without fortune! Heaven does not grant human wishes..." After saying that, she looked like she was about to weep. He Xiaoyue felt guilty in her heart. She had stayed in the Chastity Institute, and only hope could support one to live on in desperate situations. Now her hope was shattered. The despair and coldness made her feel empathy, and she almost shed tears too. She quickly controlled her emotions and whispered: "Miss Zhou, don't be sad. As long as one is alive, there is always a chance!"

Zhou Suniang probably understood her situation at this moment too. She nodded slightly, stopped her tears, and fell silent. After a good while, she adjusted her emotions.

After sending Zhou Suniang away, He Xiaoyue worried in her heart: Zhou Suniang's matter was probably not that simple.

"Relative?"

Li Ziyu was full of suspicion. Not only because there was very little contact with relatives in the north, but also because being in the police system, he was educated to "be vigilant against spies" all the time. Hearing "coming from the north" would trigger a conditioned reflex of alertness.

"Oh, I don't know which family's relative is coming." Li Ziyu muttered.

Walking into the second courtyard gate, he saw the courtyard brightly lit, and the corridors of the wing rooms on both sides were piled with chests and cages. This wasn't visiting relatives; this was moving house. He muttered in his heart, but saw his mother directing the servants to work in the courtyard with joy. It seemed this relative was from his mother's maiden family's side.

Sure enough, the relative who came was a distant relative of his mother's maiden family. Li Ziyu was also confused about the specific relationship. Anyway, this relative's family was originally in Tianjin, and the family also held a hereditary military post. Wei Zhongxian's affair failed, and the elders in the family were implicated, dismissed from office, and lived in idleness, passing away within a few years. Fortunately, the eldest son was not implicated and served as a small military officer in Shunyi.

Unexpectedly, in June of last year, the Qing soldiers entered the pass. In July, the Qing soldiers entered the capital area, and after capturing Changping and Liangxiang, they besieged Shunyi. After the city fell, the Magistrate of Shunyi, Shangguan Jin, and the Guerrilla General Zhi Guoqi, Capital Commander Su Shiyu, and others all died in battle. This relative crawled out of the pile of dead bodies and saved his life.

Although he escaped with his life, Shunyi fell and his superiors died in battle. This crime was not light. Added to the old crime of "fawning on the Eunuch Party," Third Uncle-in-law knew that staying in Tianjin would definitely bear no good fruit. He remembered he had a distant relative in Guangdong.

News of the Australians was somewhat known in the Capital and Tianjin. Especially after the fall of Guangdong, a wave of court discussions arose in the imperial court. But it was soon drowned out by all kinds of more imminent bad news. Especially after the Tartars entered the pass in June, the capital area was under martial law, and no one cared about these Australian matters anymore.

Here in Tianjin, because of Elder Xu's properties, many Australian machines had been introduced in the past. It was said that some Australians had also come, and many merchants openly did business with Australians. They earned a pot full of money. This Third Uncle-in-law steeled his heart and took his whole family, taking a boat from Tianjin Wei straight down to Guangdong.

"So, the journey was smooth."

"Couldn't be smoother." Li Ziyu's mother said. "Once on the boat, we just went south, and we arrived in Guangzhou in just over ten days."

"This is also their lucky stars watching over them." Li Ziyu said. "I'll go pay my respects right now."

Entering the hall, he saw a room full of people, fully twenty or more mouths. Men, women, old, and young were all there. Under his parents' introduction, Li Ziyu greeted them one by one.

"This is my unworthy son, Li Ziyu, currently a Detective Inspector in the Criminal Investigation Division of the Great Song Guangzhou Special City Police Bureau." It was hard for his old father to recite this long string of titles. "This is my son's sworn brother—adopted brother, Zhao Gui, also a Detective in the Criminal Investigation Division."

After speaking, he turned to the middle-aged man opposite: "This is your Third Uncle, Zhang Shizhong."

Li Ziyu bowed according to the old rules and looked up. He saw this distant uncle was about forty years old, in the prime of his life. He was over 1.8 meters tall and had a robust physique. His beard was thick, and his eyes were not big but piercing. At a glance, he was a martial man accustomed to fighting and killing.