Zhu Yanyi smiled faintly, looking at Zhu Jianyao. "Mr. Zhu San, there is one more point. I think you understand it better than me. People always seek higher ground. Although our family still has some property in Sicheng Town, we have slowly moved to the Capital. Since we can settle here, why would we go to Zhushi?"
Zhu Jianyao had known since Zhu Shunyo’s family arrived in the Capital that the hope of bringing them back to Zhushi was slim. But even a slim hope was worth trying. "But if there are predecessors to help, why must you struggle on your own?"
Zhu Yanyi glanced at Zhu Jianyao and smiled slightly. "What you say has some truth. But I do not want to go to Zhushi. What of it? I do not care what others think. I simply do not want to go. No matter what connection the ancestors of the Zhushi Zhu family have with us, I just do not want to go. You can call me willful or say I am ignorant. I still say the same thing: I do not want to go."
She paused for a moment. "Also, I do not like relying on predecessors. I prefer to create my own life with my own hands. Life created this way feels comfortable. Money earned this way feels good to spend."
So what if she was willful? She had the capital to be willful. The problem was, no one could criticize her. Zhu Yanyi’s lips curled up, and her tone became sharp. "Also, Mr. Zhu San, you have brought your schemes all the way to the Capital. I wonder if Shancheng, the Baili Clan, Xiangjiang, Haishi, and Xiuzhen would have any objections?"
Hearing Zhu Yanyi’s words, Zhu Jianyao’s face changed slightly. She had almost forgotten about the other families. If the local families in other places knew they were scheming here, they would surely be dissatisfied. If things went wrong, many local families might hold a grudge against the Zhushi Zhu family. Thinking of this, Zhu Jianyao frowned slightly. It seemed the situation was tricky.
"So, you have no intention of returning to Zhushi with us?" Zhu Linyao spoke up.
Zhu Yanyi laughed lightly. "Return? Mr. Zhu Wu, your words are so confusing I do not understand them." Zhu Yanyi’s expression showed clear dissatisfaction.
"A place I never knew of—how can I 'return'? A place I never cared about—why speak of returning? Mr. Zhu Wu should think more carefully before speaking. Otherwise, you might cause trouble for yourselves by confusing people."
Zhu Yanyi spoke slowly, but every sentence was a warning to Zhu Jianyao and Zhu Linyao. You scheme because of your environment, but there is no reason for us to blindly accept your schemes. Under any circumstances, Zhu Yanyi would not allow such things to happen. Her words were a clear warning.
Zhu Jianyao and Zhu Linyao now understood clearly. Zhu Yanyi would not agree to return to the main family. Not only that, she seemed to have no goodwill toward the Zhushi Zhu family. They did not know what went wrong. Unconsciously, they frowned slightly.
They had come here full of confidence, believing that people from a small place would be easy to handle. But now, they realized that Zhu Yanyi, though still a minor, was very difficult to deal with. Most importantly, there was a young man of unknown identity beside her. Although this young man had not said a word, they could see from her manner of drinking tea that she was extraordinary. She might even be more difficult to handle than Zhu Yanyi.
Fortunately, they did not yet know that this man was the Capital’s Venerable Yanluo. Otherwise, they would have worried about the future development of the Zhu family. The fierce reputation of the Capital’s Venerable Yanluo was unforgettable.
At this moment, they could only sigh that this was indeed the Capital. It was said that in the Capital, anyone you met could be extraordinary. A scavenger might have an official son, and a newspaper-selling aunt might be the mother-in-law of a bureau director. So, meeting extraordinary people was very common. They did not know Yan Ao’an’s identity, but they did not deny Yan Ao’han’s aura. They guessed that Yan Ao’han must be from some family in the Capital.
After finishing her tea, Zhu Yanyi did not pour more for herself. She simply said, "If I were Mr. Zhu San or Mr. Zhu Wu, I would hurry back to Zhushi now. Because the people from other local families will soon know you are in the Capital."
Zhu Yanyi did not mind speaking openly. How others thought was not her concern.
"You told those local families that we came to the Capital?" Zhu Jianyao narrowed her eyes, looking at Zhu Yanyi. They had dealt with Zhu Shunyo. Although Zhu Shunyo was slippery like a merchant, she rarely played tricks. This was probably because she grew up in the countryside. But the Zhu Yanyi in front of them was different. She was clearly telling them that she had schemed against them, and she had done it openly.
Local families had their own agreements. Zhu Jianyao and her companions knew this too. But they never expected Zhu Yanyi to know such rules. These family rules were not secrets, but generally only known among families. Zhu Yanyi was clearly not from a family, yet she knew them clearly.
What they did not know was that Zhu Yanyi had lived two lives. Even if she was a homebody in her previous life, she had researched information about families. So, she naturally knew. Besides, in this life, she had entered the Capital through elders like Medicine Old Man and formed a bond with Yan Ao’han. If she did not know this, she would be a fool.
"Regardless, the Zhushi Zhu family always welcomes your family to return." Zhu Jianyao no longer had the mood to stay. The information Zhu Yanyi gave them made them uneasy. Today was注定 (destined) to be a failure. Their biggest worry was that other local families might deal with the Zhushi Zhu family.
Watching them leave, Zhu Yanyi calculated the bill and then stood up to leave. "They call themselves the Zhushi Zhu family, but they do not even calculate the tea money before leaving."
Yan Ao’han, standing nearby, heard Zhu Yanyi’s muttering and smiled helplessly. "Did you not invite them to drink tea?"
"Inviting them was polite. But treating it as a favor is wrong. They should at least have been modest." Zhu Yanyi expressed her dissatisfaction. She had never liked the Zhushi Zhu family, and now her impression was even worse.
Although her words were a bit unreasonable, Yan Ao’han nodded in agreement. "You are right. This is indeed their rudeness."
Hearing this, Zhu Yanyi looked at Yan Ao’han for three seconds, then burst out laughing. "You are typical of helping your own side, not the right side."
"This is a must. You are my future wife. What does the Zhushi Zhu family have to do with me?" Then Yan Ao’han carefully observed Zhu Yanyi. "If you do not want to see them, I will help you destroy their family."