Chapter 59: Understanding (Please add to your favorites!)

“Officer Zhou, please sign here.”

“Alright.” Zhou Sen picked up the pen and signed his name on the handover list. Now that the case was closed, the belongings related to Sheerkin that he had brought back from the Songjiang Daily were naturally to be handed over as well.

As for the books and documents he had taken from the Sheer family study, those trivial items were of no concern to anyone, so there was no further need to mention them.

Sheerkin’s house on Gogol Street was a rental and would be reclaimed by the landlord to be leased to someone else.

The case was essentially concluded.

As for the two principal offenders, Susanna and Feiya, they had been transferred to the police department’s holding cells the day after their trial began.

What treatment awaited them there, how they would be sentenced, or how severe their punishment would be—these were matters beyond Zhou Sen’s control.

…

“Vasim, come out here!”

Zhou Sen was peacefully drinking his tea, reading his book, when a thunderous voice erupted outside. He paused, taking three seconds to realize it was his Uncle Ivanovich. In just a few days, he had almost forgotten about the man.

“Well, if it isn’t my dear Uncle Ivanovich! What brings a busy man like you to my humble abode?” Zhou Sen walked out, grinning at Ivanovich. He had no intention of inviting such a man inside.

“Vasim, did you mortgage your foster father’s shares in the company?” Ivanovich demanded.

“Yes, I did. What of it?” Zhou Sen replied, unhurried.

“Those shares are the fruit of your foster father Anthony’s lifelong labor. How could you mortgage them? What are you planning?”

“What I do is not something I need to report to you, Uncle Ivan. Legally, as Anthony’s sole heir, I have every right to do as I please.” Zhou Sen grinned.

“Vasim, if you needed money, you could have come to me. Why mortgage the shares? Don’t you know the enormous risk involved?” Ivanovich put on an expression of pained concern.

“Borrowing from others is a bitter experience, Uncle Ivan. The shares are already mortgaged, and I’ve invested the money. Once I turn a profit, I’ll redeem the shares from the bank. If there’s nothing else, I won’t see you out.” Zhou Sen made to end the conversation.

“You… you’ll regret this sooner or later…” Ivanovich, flushed with anger, could only storm off, powerless.

Zhou Sen knew he had thoroughly offended his Uncle Ivanovich. But what choice did he have? Should he simply hand over Anthony’s lifetime achievements? Even if it hadn’t been his to begin with, he would never give them to such a hypocritical, greedy, and untrustworthy man.

With that little episode over, peace returned to the warehouse.

That evening after work, Uen brought an old carriage around—the horse was a poor nag, and the cost negligible.

Zhou Sen didn’t mind. The carriage was only for getting around, a shelter from wind and rain—not meant for show. The horse didn’t need to be exceptional either; that would only waste its strength. With city roads, speed was unnecessary, and this nag was the best value for the job.

“Brother, this horse isn’t bad at all. The previous owner just didn’t know how to feed it and hurt its digestion. Give me a few months, and I promise it’ll be no worse than any fine steed!” Uen explained.

Zhou Sen nodded. When it came to judging horses, he trusted Uen’s eye completely. Uen had grown up in the saddle, eating and sleeping in the stable—no one knew horses better.

“Let’s go to the Fragrant Pavilion.”

“Alright!” Uen jumped onto the carriage, flicked the whip, and drove off toward the outskirts.

“You haven’t mentioned my dealings with Boss Bai to anyone, have you?” Zhou Sen asked, though he trusted Uen’s discretion.

Uen shook his head. “No.”

“Good. If anyone asks, just say I have a sweetheart at the Fragrant Pavilion. Nothing more.”

“Yes, brother.”

Though the Fragrant Pavilion was closed for business, a dozen loyal girls still lived there under Bai Yulan’s care.

As long as Uen kept silent, outsiders would never guess at his connection to Bai Yulan. As for figures like Su Wenqing and Master Qin the Seventh, there was no such guarantee.

Perhaps they already suspected something.

It didn’t matter; the truth would come out eventually. For now, they merely had suspicions, too uncertain to act. After all, who would believe Bai Yulan would take a fancy to a lowly policeman? If anything, it seemed more plausible she was seducing him to use him for her own ends.

“Brother Sen.” Ah Xiang greeted Zhou Sen with delight.

“Where’s Yulan?”

“Sister Lan is in the parlor, meeting the Ma family,” Ah Xiang explained. “Brother Sen, let me take you to her.”

“Alright.” Zhou Sen nodded. Bai Yulan’s relationship with the Ma family was far from cordial, especially in recent years. When she married Old Ma, his two sons and three daughters were already grown and settled, and the family hadn’t supported the marriage—Old Ma had insisted upon it. Later, Old Ma left his entire estate to Bai Yulan, even making a will and calling witnesses. The Ma family didn’t like it, but had no choice, for the property was Old Ma’s to dispose of as he wished. As for his two sons, they were incapable and useless—had they inherited, they would have squandered the fortune in no time.

As for the three married daughters, Old Ma had provided them with generous dowries and included them in the will, but they had no right of inheritance.

The only ones qualified to challenge Bai Yulan were Old Ma’s two sons and his brothers and uncles.

In the parlor, Bai Yulan coldly addressed a man in his fifties: “Ma Kui, Old Ma entrusted his hard-won estate to me not because I wanted it, but because no one in the Ma family was fit to take it on. Had you been able, I wouldn’t be working myself to the bone and ending up an outsider to you all. If you want the estate back, fine—there’s an inventory of what Old Ma left, and I’ll calculate its value for you. But I have one condition.”

“Name it.”

“After the division of assets, I, Bai Yulan, will have nothing to do with the Ma family ever again. Whatever your fortunes, they’re none of my concern. If you accept, we’ll divide the property. If not, things stay as they are. Also, the Fragrant Pavilion has been in my name for years. It was Old Ma’s wedding gift to me and is not part of the division. That’s clearly stated in his will. I trust you have no objections?”

Ma Kui frowned. Their real aim in seeking a division of property was the Fragrant Pavilion.

But it was true—the will stated it was a wedding gift for Bai Yulan.

As a bridal gift, it belonged to her and could not be divided. Old Ma’s sons had no blood ties to Bai Yulan and no claim to the Fragrant Pavilion.

Old Ma had foreseen his family’s character and left the Pavilion as Bai Yulan’s refuge.

“Sister-in-law, the Fragrant Pavilion may have been a wedding gift, but it’s also the result of my brother’s labors—it belongs to the Ma family. If you’re worried about having nowhere to stay, the estate in Xiangfang is yours. It’s plenty for one person.”

Bai Yulan’s anger rose. The estate in Xiangfang was a wasteland and was already hers. They were trying to seize her property by force—shameless!

“Ma Kui, is this your idea or the consensus of the Ma family?” Her gaze turned icy. Did they really think she was defenseless?

“It’s the will of the entire Ma family.” Ma Kui’s tone hardened. “Sister-in-law, ever since you took over, the business has been losing money year after year. You bear responsibility. We’re giving you a chance to save face—don’t throw it away!”

“Nonsense! Even if there were losses, have I ever shorted you on food or expenses? Your annual allowance rose from sixty thousand to a hundred thousand. That was never in Old Ma’s will. I showed you kindness for his sake, but you’re pushing your luck. Don’t forget, I, Bai Yulan, am no frail, defenseless woman for you to bully!” She stood, her face fierce, and berated Ma Kui furiously.

Ma Kui’s face flushed and paled, sweat beading on his brow. Perhaps he had grown too used to a quiet life and forgotten what sort of woman Bai Yulan was.

A woman who had once stormed a bandit stronghold single-handedly to rescue Old Ma—was she someone to be trifled with?

“Ma Kui, come back when you’ve discussed things with your family. My terms stand. If you agree, we divide the assets as I say; if not, nothing changes.” She stood, her voice cold. “Ah Xiang, see the guest out!”

Ah Xiang hurried in and gestured for Ma Kui to leave.

Ma Kui, thoroughly rebuffed, could only turn and go.

“Sister Lan, Brother Sen is here,” Ah Xiang announced in the parlor.

“He acts as if this were his own home, coming and going as he pleases,” Bai Yulan scoffed, clearly still annoyed.

Zhou Sen had just entered the parlor and heard her words. He paused, but pressed on. “What’s this? Feeling upset and need someone to vent on? Go ahead, I’m here for you.”

Bai Yulan had never met anyone quite like Zhou Sen. She could only put her hand to her forehead. “Couldn’t you at least send word before you come?”

“Didn’t Ah Xiang just inform you?”

“You… you’re being impossible…”

“About last night—you were too hasty. If you want to catch a wolf, you have to risk a lamb. If a few rooms had burned down, our next move would have been easier.” Zhou Sen sat across from her.

Bai Yulan shot him a look—easy for you to say, it’s not your property. But a moment’s thought told her what he meant, and she glared at him. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“I thought our tacit understanding was enough for you to know.”

“So what now?”

“That Sergeant Luan is still being held at the Zhengyang police station, right?”

“He should be. I still have contacts there. If they plan to release him, I’ll be notified.”

“Spread a rumor that you drove out that traitor Yan Yuyan from the Pavilion, and Sergeant Luan, to avenge her, tried to set fire to the place—that the two of them were in cahoots.”

“Sergeant Luan was bought by Su Wenqing. If word of this gets out, Su Wenqing, for all his suspicion, will never try to rescue him…”

“I’ll go to Zhengyang station tomorrow,” Zhou Sen nodded.

“You’re working so hard for me—are you planning to take responsibility for me?”

“I just have my eye on your Fragrant Pavilion…”

“Well, that’s a relief.”