Transmigrated Farmgirl's Scheme to Get Rich - Chapter 178
Returning the Deed
Everyone had wordlessly agreed to keep any rumours about possession away from Mo Yan’s ears, but when Zhou Liangsheng came to visit the workshop in the afternoon, he asked as soon as he entered, “I heard that big sis got possessed, what actually happened?”
Lu Junming and Zhao’er were too late to stop her, and Mo Yan got off the bed and asked as she adjusted her hair, “Possession? What are you talking about?”
Lu Junming didn’t know how to explain, so Zhao’er said, “Don’t listen to the nonsense the people in town are saying, Mo Yan just had a cold and experienced a shock. Master has already given her medicine and used silver needles on her, so she’s recovered.”
“But even Mr. Ho said there was cinnabar in that medicinal formula, which is used to ward away evil spirits.”
“Cinnabar also calms the mind and decreases heart rate. Mo Yan’s medicine merely required those properties.”
“There were also people seeing godmother burning yellow paper and sending it out multiple times throughout the night.”
From the two’s back-and-forth exchange, Mo Yan had gotten an understanding of the situation, and a flicker went through her gaze. “Then we should use the opportunity to give the deed to godmother’s house to her. After that, I should go to her husband’s grave to burn yellow paper and pray as well.”
Lu Junming started clapping, “It seems like you’re finally cured of your illness!”
“Then let’s go!”
She had just gone out when Ms. Hua came over with a bowl of congee from the kitchen, “Where are you going?”
Mo Yan replied, “I’m burning paper money for your husband, to thank him for preventing me from being possessed!”
Ms. Hua complained, “Stop saying nonsense, we don’t know whether you’ve fully recovered or not yet. We can talk about this later after you’ve had something to eat.”
“No, I should go now! After I’ve had a meal, I won’t look like I’ve just been possessed anymore. Godmother, quick, get the yellow paper, Zhao’er, help me up!”
Mo Yan placed a hand on Zhao’er’s shoulder as she started walking. The workers at the workshop heard about her possession yesterday, and with how ill and pitiful she looked now, they were so scared they all ducked far away.
They went to the ceremony, and after burning paper money and praying on Ms. Hua’s husband’s grave, Mo Yan put her hand back on Zhao’er shoulder and returned to the workshop looking ill and pitiful.
After re-entering the house, she asked Lu Junming, “Do you think it’d be better if I was possessed for a few more days?”
“How many more days are you thinking?”
Mo Yan raised a single finger, “Just one more day, tomorrow, we’ll take the deed to the cemetery and hand it over to godmother after burning yellow paper and praying again.”
“Alright, but you need to be confined to bed today.”
“Then find me a book to read.”
There was only a copy of the ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas’ in Lu Junming’s room, which he gave to Mo Yan before heading outside. [1]
“Where are you going?”
“Jiaolan Courtyard, to check up on Mo Zheng.”
Only then did Mo Yan think about Mo Zheng. Two days ago, her sister had just gotten married, and neither her nor Lu Junming had the time to look after Mo Zheng. Yesterday, as they were installing the roof beams onto Ms. Hua’s house and she was busy, Lu Junming sent Mo Zheng to his mother’s.
The Zhen couple woke up bright and early to sweep the courtyard, then helped Ms. Hua make breakfast while taking the opportunity to hear about news in town.
Ms. Hua thought the two’s appearance was sudden, so wanted to be rid of them.
“If you want to do business, take a look at the streets! Follow the main road north, then take a left at the lamb soup restaurant.”
The couple thanked her before setting off.
In the workshop, the workers were secretly spreading the story of Mo Yan’s possession, and said that Ms. Hua’s house was unclean.
Those rumours spread to the ears of Liu Fenghcun, who felt very fortunate he hadn’t bought that courtyard and decided to give up on any hopes of buying it.
However, although he had given up, Mo Yan and Lu Junming hadn’t. They still wanted to know whether or not the death of Zhao’er’s father had anything to do with him. [2]
Mo Yan tried to get Ms. Hua to open the coffin so they could inspect her husband’s corpse. She instantly refused as usual, but when she was refusing, Mo Yan saw fear in her eyes. Fear, not the reluctance to disrespect a loved one like that.
Did she know something, and wanted to hide it from everyone else? Aside from the suspicious death of her husband, Mo Yan couldn’t think of anything else that would make her act like this. But why was she so insistent on not performing an autopsy?
Mo Yan was thinking wildly as she sat on the bed reading the ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas’ when Lu Junming returned with Mo Zheng. Mo Zheng kneeled by her bed and asked, “Sis, you’re ill, is there anywhere where you’re uncomfortable? Did you find a doctor?”
“I’m alright, Zhao’er, you’re very obedient. Have you gotten used to staying here?”
“Yeah. I used to stay with Daddy in a hotel where there were many people in a room.”
“Go play in the courtyard! Just don’t wander out.”
Mo Zheng ran out, and Mo Yan asked Lu Junming, “Do you think I should change his surname?”
“Change it to what? Liang, or Lin?”
It was clear in both of their hearts that Lin Xian’er wouldn’t be coming back to pick her son, and Manager Liang didn’t want to have anything to do with his son either.
While they were talking, the Zhen couple came back, and when they saw Mo Zheng playing in the courtyard on his own, they asked, “You look very obedient, which family’s child are you?”
They heard him reply, “I’m Mo Zheng, and I’m sister Mo Yan’s younger brother!”
Mo Yan sat on the bed and held her forehead. I won’t be able to get out of raising my brother.
But when she heard the Zhen couple playing with Mo Zheng in the yard and his joyous laugh, a thought suddenly jumped out from her mind.
The couple’s daughter went missing and went all the way over here to find her. They must love children! So why not let them adopt Mo Zheng, so they have a son, and Mo Zheng has both a family and the love of parents.
This thought only flashed through her mind for an instant before she suppressed it. After all, this was someone else’s child, so even if he were to be adopted, she would still need the approval of the parents.
Ms. Hua came into the house holding two puppies. When Mo Zheng saw them, he immediately ran over and took one of them before running back to show Mo Yan.
“Sis, look! Puppies!”
“Where did they come from?”
Ms. Hua came into the room holding the other puppy, “Didn’t you say you wanted to adopt a dog before? One of the townsfolk’s dogs gave birth to a litter of puppies. No one claimed these two after an entire month, so I took them back.”
“That’s good! One puppy can stay at the workshop while the other can stay in your courtyard.”
“Then let’s name them!”
“Zheng’er, how about you do the honours?”
Mo Zheng thought for a while, “Let’s call them Baozi and Bingtang.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re my favourite foods.” [2]
“Alright, then we’ll call them Baozi and Bingtang. The chubbier one will be called Baozi, and the one with white spots on its back Bingtang.”
“Alright! Bingtang, Baozi, follow me!” Mo Zheng ran out, and the two puppies actually followed behind him.
According to the plan, they would go to the cemetery to burn yellow paper and pray again, causing the people working in the fields to surround them.
Mo Yan put the deed to the Wu family courtyard on Ms. Hua’s husband’s grave, and said, “Godfather, this is the deed to your courtyard, and I will give it to godmother now. The courtyard has been rented by us, and we will pay rent on time. Don’t worry, we will take good care of Godmother and Zhao’er, so you can pass into the afterlife without worries! Don’t be reluctant to leave them here.”
After kowtowing and burning yellow paper, Ms. Hua accepted the title deed. This time, Mo Yan didn’t use Zhao’er for support and went back to the workshop by herself. The surrounding people said, “Mo Yan’s possession was due to Ms. Hua’s husband not letting her sell the courtyard. After Mo Yan returned the deed, she was fine.”
Mo Yan had already been away from home for two days, but no one from her family had gone to check up on her. Dagan lived next door and went to the workshop to work every day, but Ms. Liang didn’t even ask him to carry a message.
Today, Lu Junming had to go to Jiaolan Courtyard to visit his mother and also discuss what textiles needed to be imported, so let Mo Yan ride his horse back to Chenzhong Village.
Mo Yan dismounted at the entrance of her house, and entered the courtyard after leashing the horse. It had just been two days, but drastic changes had already occurred. A simple stable had been built in the south of the courtyard, and an opening had been made in the courtyard wall between the stable and the north of the house, where their carriage was parked.
P.S. I have a sneaking suspicion this is going to be the impetus for multiple storylines, all happening at once.
[1] This is an actual book which probably had its origins in the 4th century BCE, and it’s a compilation of mythic geography and beasts.
[2] This was a long time ago, when Liu Fengchun still had machinations of taking Ms. Hua’s courtyard.