Zhang Yian took the lunch box to the place where he fetched water at the back of the yard, squatted down and started scrubbing the lunch box with a brush.

He knew that although the lunch boxes taken out of Yuelai Teahouse were luxurious and priceless, they were all disposable consumables.

Even if he returns it, he won’t want it. This is the style and foundation of the largest teahouse in Jiangnan City.

But my mother had never been to such a place, so she naturally didn't know all this. She kept the lunch box at home, and she might think about it every day. If she didn't return the things, she would feel uneasy.

My mother is used to being cautious and she will not listen even if she explains.

Zhang Yian was going to clean it up and then cheated her mother and sold it when she returned it. It was considered a matter of her worries and could still return the sold money to Gu Shun.

Gu Shun definitely doesn't like this little money, but it also represents his attitude.

While washing the lunch box, the sound of two maids passing through the alley with lanterns reached Zhang Yian's ears.

"I heard that the unpopular Sixth Master was actually picked up from the mansion by the young shopkeeper of the Gu family today. Since he was so close to Mr. Gu, should we go and join him?

If he becomes successful with the Gu family, wouldn’t we be able to get a lot of benefits? If we are lucky enough to be taken by Gu as a concubine, wouldn’t that be..."

"I advise you not to dream. After all, the Sixth Master is just a concubine's son. Even if you get so close to the Gu family, you will not be able to achieve any major development."

"Since ancient times, there have been differences between legitimate and illegitimate children. Young Master Gu is now young and careless. When he grows up in the future and has his own social circle, people like the Sixth Master will naturally be excluded.

The shopkeeper and wife of the Gu family are not ordinary people, and their horizons must be very high. Those who can be around Mr. Gu are either rich or noble at least.

And I heard that the wife and the young masters had long complained about the sixth young master. Her biological mother was originally a bastard, and he was lucky. If he got so close to Mr. Gu, he would definitely be targeted and live a good life in the future."

"Shh, let's say a little bit, you're not going to die, you're talking about the owner's family affairs, and you'll get whipped if you know."

"I also said it casually, but I heard from the servants who served the wife that said so. Since the wife and the Sixth Master are not in the way, naturally not many people dare to curry favor with the Sixth Master and offend the wife. Let's not join in the fun."

The voices of the two servants gradually faded away until they could no longer be heard.

Zhang Yian smiled self-deprecatingly, his face full of sadness and helplessness.

After washing the oily lunch box, he got up and prepared to go back to the room.

When I was carrying the lunch box, the three-layer lunch box suddenly fell over, and the bottom layer was exposed. There were several gold bars neatly placed inside, and a piece of paper was pressed under the gold bars.

Only then did Zhang Yian realize that there was actually a mezzanine at the bottom of the lunch box. When he saw the gold bars falling on the ground, Zhang Yian's first reaction was not surprise, but panic.

He was afraid that someone deliberately hid it inside and framed it. If he picked up the gold bar and was framed by him, he would be unable to explain it clearly.

Over the years, he and his mother have been living a cautious life, low-key life, never compete with each other, and are afraid of being caught, so they drive the two out.

Now the war outside Jiangnan City is in chaos. If the mother and the mother are driven out, they will lose the protection of the Zhang family, have no money, no power, and no backing, and even if they live alone, they will not be able to live long.

Zhang Yian hurriedly looked around and confirmed that no one noticed it. He breathed a sigh of relief. He hurriedly stuffed the gold bars back into the lunch box, picked up the lunch box and hurried into the house in a panic.

After dinner, Zhang's mother helped her son clean up the bed. She was about to go back to the loom, and when she had time, she weaved a piece of coarse cloth and kept it for sale.

Suddenly, Zhou Yian came in from outside the house with a panic expression and closed the door tightly.

"What happened?" Zhang's mother also became nervous, "Is someone here to steal things again?"

While speaking, Zhang's mother quickly looked at the place where the money was hidden, and was on guard.

Over the years, with the tacit consent of Zhang’s wife Li and some elders of the Zhang family who were unhappy with the mother and son, people often came to cause trouble for the mother and the mother.

It was quite polite to show off his power and leave after being scolded by the mulberry and scolded the locust. Some people even saw that the mother and the mother were easy to bully, so they robbed and blackmailed them and asked them to take out the money.

A considerable number of these servants were sent directly or indirectly by the wife, with the purpose of driving them away.

The dispute over interests of large families has always been fierce, even as intense as a palace fight.

Even a concubine's son has the power to inherit the family property. There are only so many industries in the family. As one goes up and down, there will naturally be fewer things to be distributed.

In order to allow his son to inherit more property, it is common for him to form cliques and suppress the situation between the various houses, and frame-ups and arrows are common.

If you don’t have a backer inside and outside the family, or you have a family of aristocratic families, you will easily become a victim of family struggle.

The situation of Zhang Yian and his son obviously does not have the above characteristics.

First of all, Zhang Yian's mother was a servant from the Zhang family. She was lucky enough to give birth to him by accident.

Her background can be said to be low, so she can't be lower. She was a servant, and her parents at home had passed away and were sold to the Zhang Mansion as a servant.

Zhang Peien didn't look down on her at all. Since that night, the two have never been married, and they have never even met each other. She was able to get the identity of this concubine because she gave birth to Zhang Yi'an.

After Zhang Yian was born, many rumors spread in the family. Some said that this child was not the child of the head of the family at all, and might be the wild breeder born to someone Zhang's mother had an affair with.

As the head of the family, Li wanted to take the opportunity to drive this woman and his children out, and she would never tolerate a servant coming to power.

Zhang Peien, who has always valued his reputation, could not let an illegitimate child ruin his reputation, so he tested his relatives with blood and confirmed that the child was indeed his son.

Then he forced Zhang's mother to be a concubine, allowing Zhang Yian to join the clan and become his youngest son.

But although he is the youngest son, Zhang Yian does not receive any attention from his father. Even Zhang Yian has never participated in activities that require all members to attend during festivals, clan gatherings, cold food worship, etc.

The mother and the mother also knew that they were not favored by their father and had no backing, so they were always humble and low-key, and never dared to cause trouble. Even if they were deliberately searching for trouble, they would bow their heads and give in.

But the tree wants to be quiet but the wind does not stop. Over the years, the mother and the mother have been bullied more and more, especially when Zhang Yian was entrusted by Zhang Peien and got into a relationship with Gu Shun.

Li even smelled a strong threat. If Zhang Yian was valued by Zhang Peien or even entrusted with important tasks, her son's status in the future will inevitably be affected, which is something she would never want to see.

So Li became even more aggressive and regarded the two as thorns in their eyes, hoping to find an opportunity to get rid of them and get it done quickly.

Therefore, when you see these gold bars, it is understandable that the two of them are worried.

Open the paper sticker under the gold bar.

The note was actually written by Gu Shun.

[Brother Yi'an personally opened it and heard that Brother Yi'an has some difficulties recently. These gold bars are gifts for Brother Yi'an. Brother Yi'an can use these gold bars to go to a pawn shop or a shop to exchange for change.

In addition, if you want anything, you can use this note to go to the major warehouses in Jiangnan City to use it. I have already said hello.

I know that if I give it to you in person, Brother Yi'an will definitely refuse, so I came up with this bad idea. Please ask Brother Yi'an to accept this little gift, which is my investment in you.

If there are any difficulties, come to Gu's house to find me. You and my brother, don't be polite - Gu Shunbi.]

Zhang Yian tossed and turned the short note and read it several times over and over again, and tears burst out from his eyes.
Chapter completed!