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"You have no idea how I’ve survived these past few days. Ah, Sister Chang is really formidable. You don’t know, but she has a walking stick, just like an eagle claw, that grips one’s wrist so tightly, the more you struggle, the tighter it holds. Luckily, it can’t cause any real harm."

As he listened, Xia Zheng nodded and poured her a cup of tea, chuckling, "I’m familiar with that contraption."

As Lin Yuan took the teacup, she didn’t realize that her fingers were already unconsciously following Sister Chang’s instructions.

Although it was just a slight change, Xia Zheng noticed it and couldn’t help but curl his lips slightly. Feeling better, he became more talkative, "That walking stick was originally intended for Sister Chang’s self-defense."

Self-defense?

Lin Yuan’s interest was piqued, and forgetting to drink her tea, she blinked and asked him, "I discovered that the head of the walking stick can tighten, and when it does, it becomes as sharp as a sword, very lethal.

But why would an old maid like her need such a formidable weapon?

Could it be that someone covets her beauty and wants to abduct her? "

Upon finishing, Lin Yuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She must have listened to too much gossip, blurting out such a thought; how would anyone want to kidnap an old maid for her beauty?

"Sister Chang’s torment has turned me into a fool; I’m speaking without thinking."

Xia Zheng quickly took her hand, which was knocking on her own head, and smiled, "Stop that. You’re already silly; any more knocking and you’ll become sillier. Oh, no, no, you’re not silly; stop pinching me! Ow, that hurts!"

Once Lin Yuan withdrew her hand from his waist, Xia Zheng rubbed the sore spot and continued speaking about Sister Chang’s walking stick, "Sister Chang is quite well-known in the Capital. Many people come to her to request that she teach their daughters proper behavior. However, Sister Chang doesn’t agree to just anyone’s request, naturally, this leads to some dissatisfaction. "

Lin Yuan nodded and said, "So there are people causing trouble for Sister Chang?"

"Yes," Xia Zheng nodded, "There was one time when Sister Chang was out with Miamiao in a rather secluded street, and their way was blocked by a coach that charged across them suddenly. Two men jumped down from the coach, insisting that Sister Chang’s coach had hit theirs and demanded compensation.

Seeing that the situation was turning bad, the coachman threw down his whip and ran. "

One old maid and a young girl, anyone asking for money would definitely hand it over, but unsuspectedly, after the two of them took out all the silver they had, those two men weren’t satisfied. Seeing how pretty Miamiao was, they started to harbor evil intentions.

Qiaoer and Miamiao are sisters and were bought by Princess Anle to serve Sister Chang. Although not her own granddaughters, Sister Chang had long regarded both of them as family and naturally wouldn’t stand by and watch Miamiao being bullied.

Sister Chang picked up the whip the coachman had thrown down and lashed at the men, but what strength could a woman in her sixties have? One shove by the brutes pushed her aside, and Sister Chang also struck her head and bled.

The more Lin Yuan listened, the more alarmed she got, and couldn’t help but ask, "What happened then? Miamiao, is she..."

Xia Zheng soothed her by stroking her hand, smiling, "Miamiao is fine. The coachman didn’t just abandon them and run away, but went nearby to call for help.

Although there were many people, the two men still got away.

My mother was furious upon learning about this, not tolerating such arrogance under the Emperor’s nose.

The old man sent the Xia family’s Hidden Guard to investigate, and within half a day, they found out; it was someone from a wealthy household who had paid those men, whom Sister Chang had previously refused. "

"What happened next?" Lin Yuan, both angry and annoyed, clenched her fists.

Xia Zheng’s lips curved into a slight smile as he winked at her, "What do you think?"

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow. There was no need to ask; not only those two men but surely the person who hired them to commit violence did not end well either.

As Lin Yuan had expected, those two men, for their robbery and violence in the Capital city, were locked up by the Officer of the Jingzhao.

The mastermind behind the hired assault, due to his egregious crime, was imprisoned as well.

However, since his family had a lot of money, while he was distracted with prison and unable to attend to his business, Xia Zheng took the opportunity amidst the chaos to crush their business.

In this way, that person also received his deserved lesson.

Lin Yuan nodded silently to herself. As a businesswoman, she understood that running a business certainly required some shrewdness, but she utterly despised the malicious intent of that man.

Merely because Sister Chang refused to teach his daughter discipline, he cruelly harmed her.

Such petty-minded people surely would not act honorably in the business arena either.

"Actually, it’s not that Sister didn’t want to teach his daughter out of disdain for merchants; it was because Sister’s back and leg pain had flared up during those days. She could only lie in bed to rest every day, suffering unbearable pain with even the slightest movement," Xia Zheng explained.

"Although similar incidents never occurred after that, my mother was still very worried, so she had the old man design that Eagle Claw Walking Stick for her. You wouldn’t believe how handy that device is.

Ever since, Sister frequently used that walking stick when dealing with disobedient and stubborn daughters of wealth, so much so that many in the Capital dare not offend her easily, fearing that she might grab them by the wrist with her stick," Xia Zheng continued.

After finishing, he deliberately raised his eyebrows at Lin Yuan, as if implying that they, being so daring, were quite remarkable for going against the grain.

Lin Yuan coughed dryly and murmured somewhat unnaturally, "We’ve realized that Sister is actually looking out for our best interests.

Oh, and you might not know, but lately, Xiao Linshuang has been returning from the Hall of Salvation and giving Sister acupuncture for an hour.

Although it’s difficult to completely cure her pain in the back and legs, relieving it a bit is definitely good, don’t you think? "

Xia Zheng nodded repeatedly, praising Xiao Linshuang for being sensible.

After lunch, the family prepared to head out of the city to see the land and the estate Lin Yuan had purchased.

Hearing about the trip out of the city, Lao Fan, who had been cooped up at home for several days, was ecstatic, hastily getting dressed and groomed. Xiao Linshuang couldn’t help but giggle, quietly jesting about Lao Fan’s vanity.

They had intended to take Sister Chang with them, but considering her old age and poor health of her back and legs, which made carriage rides too jarring, she politely declined the family’s invitation.

Although Sister Chang didn’t go, Qiaoer and Miamiao, who had been at her side for many years and were rarely away from her, were delighted to get the chance to join the outing—I suppose it had been a very long time since they last left the city.

Since there were other maids at home to tend to things and they were not going to be gone long, Qiaoer and Miamiao happily agreed to come along, after being prompted persistently by Sister Chang.

This was the first time the family had gone out together since arriving in the Capital city. The new carriages Butler Zhou had purchased were put to good use, and Lin Yuan was very pleased with them, finding them both sturdy and imposing.